Electronic apparatus and program storage medium

Abstract

An electronic apparatus has a display screen; a touchpad capable of indicating a point on the display screen according to a movement of a finger placed on the touchpad; and a digitizer capable of indicating a point on the display screen according to a movement of the tip of a stylus on the digitizer. The digitizer is disposed under the touchpad.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a display unit in open position;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the display unit in closed position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a main unit of a notebook PC, where a touchpad is disposed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of elements (A) through (D) shown in FIG. 3, as viewed from back;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a stylus is in contact with the touchpad;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between a digitizer and the touchpad in terms of control;

FIG. 7 is another diagram showing the relationship between the digitizer and the touchpad in terms of control;

FIG. 8 is another diagram showing the relationship between the digitizer and the touchpad in terms of control;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process for avoiding a conflict between detection by the digitizer and detection by the touchpad;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a corner of the rear end surface of the main unit, which corner is in the hinge section side;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support fitting;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the same portion shown in FIG. 10 with the support fitting being removed;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the same portion shown in FIG. 10 with the support fitting being attached thereto, as viewed obliquely from above;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing one corner of the right flank of the main unit, which corner is in the hinge section side and is also shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a support fitting;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the same portion shown in FIG. 14 with the support fitting shown in FIG. 15 being removed;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the same portion shown in FIGS. 14 and 16 with the support fitting being attached thereto;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a part of the bottom surface of the main unit;

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an inner surface of a lid provided on the bottom surface;

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the same portion shown in FIG. 18 with the lid being removed;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a hard disk assembly;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the hard disk assembly, in which a hard disk drive and a support fitting are separately shown;

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the inside of a portion for accommodating the hard disk assembly with the lid being removed and the hard disk assembly being shifted to be removed;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a corner of the rear end surface of the main unit, which corner is in the hinge section side, as viewed from the bottom of the main unit;

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a lid shown in FIG. 24 alone;

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing an inside structure with the lid shown in FIG. 24 being removed;

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an inner surface of the display unit to which the rear surface of a display screen faces, with the display screen being removed;

FIG. 28 is an exploded plan view of a portion of the main unit of the notebook PC shown in FIG. 1, where a touchpad is disposed;

FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of elements shown in parts (A) through (D) of FIG. 28, as viewed from back;

FIG. 30 is a plan view of the touchpad and a plastic support member separated (parts (A) and (B)) and a digitizer laid on a metal frame member (part (C));

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the touchpad shown in FIG. 30 still separated (part (A)) and the plastic support member laid on the digitizer on the metal frame member (part (B)); and

FIG. 32 is a plan view of all the elements shown in FIG. 30 being stacked by finally laying the touchpad on the top, and completed as a unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a display screen;a touchpad capable of indicating a point on the display screen according to a movement of a finger placed on the touchpad; anda digitizer capable of indicating a point on the display screen according to a movement of the tip of a stylus on the digitizer, the digitizer being disposed under the touchpad.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a keyboard; a main unit having a top surface where the digitizer and the touchpad overlaid thereon are disposed; and a display unit coupled to the main unit via a hinge and openable and closable with respect to the main unit, the display unit having the display screen, wherein the main unit has a built-in main circuit board on which a heat-producing component is mounted and which is disposed in a position closer to the hinge in a rear side of the main unit, and the digitizer and the touchpad overlaid thereon are disposed in a position closer to a front end of the main unit than the main circuit board.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touchpad, the digitizer, and the display screen are equal in aspect ratio in a point-indication acceptable area.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a filter section that treats only indication of a point by the digitizer as valid when there is a conflict between indication of a point by the touchpad and indication of a point by the digitizer.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touchpad comprises: a component disposed in a position corresponding to a detection-effective area enabling detection of the tip of the stylus by the digitizer;discrete wires connected to the component; anda touchpad control circuit disposed outside the detection-effective area.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a metal frame member that is disposed under the digitizer and houses the touchpad and the digitizer.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a nonmetal support member that is disposed between the touchpad and the digitizer, and separates the touchpad from the digitizer.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising: a first pointing device adapted to detect user operation in a predetermined method; anda second pointing device adapted to detect user operation in a method different from the predetermined method of the first pointing device,wherein the second pointing device is disposed under the first pointing device.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a keyboard; a main unit having a top surface where the second pointing device and the first pointing device overlaid thereon are disposed; and a display unit coupled to the main unit via a hinge and openable and closable with respect to the main unit, the display unit having the display screen, wherein the main unit has a built-in main circuit board on which a heat-producing component is mounted and which is disposed in a position closer to the hinge in a rear side of the main unit, and the first pointing device and the second pointing device are disposed in a position closer to a front end of the main unit than the main circuit board.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first pointing device, the second pointing device, and the display screen are equal in aspect ratio in a point-indication acceptable area.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a filter section that treats only indication of a point by the second pointing device as valid when there is a conflict between indication of a point by the first pointing device and indication of a point by the second pointing device.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a metal frame member that is disposed under the second pointing device and houses the first and second pointing devices.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a nonmetal support member that is disposed between the first and second pointing devices and separates the first and second pointing devices.

14. A program storage medium that stores a program to be executed in an electronic apparatus, wherein: the electronic apparatus comprises a first pointing device adapted to detect user operation in a predetermined method and a second pointing device adapted to detect user operation in a method different from the predetermined method of the first pointing device, andthe program causes the electronic apparatus to operate as a filter section that treats only indication of a point by the second pointing device as valid when there is a conflict between indication of a point by the first pointing device and indication of a point by the second pointing device.

15. The program storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the second pointing device is disposed under the first pointing device in the electronic apparatus.