Patent Grant
8619040
The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2007-176939 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Jul. 5, 2007 and Japanese Patent Application JP 2007-218938 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Aug. 24, 2007, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer, a television, and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
2. Description of the Related Art
Televisions of related art have a display panel and an apparatus main body integrated therein, whereas recent personal computers as products have an apparatus main body mounted on a back surface of a display panel as a result of emphasizing convenience and design as household appliances.
In such electronic apparatuses, design is additionally improved by providing a panel section formed of a transparent material on a front side of the display panel (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-72239) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).
In the electronic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a display unit including a display panel is disposed inside a bracket as a rectangular frame, and a transparent front panel that covers the display unit from the front is mounted on a front surface of the bracket. An outline of the front panel is formed to be larger than that of the display panel, and an outer circumferential section of the front panel lies on an outer circumference side of the display panel.
Incidentally, recent personal computers have a music reproducing function and the like that are generally operated on a screen, but there are also apparatuses that are structured to be operated through a music reproduction operation inputting section provided on a keyboard so that convenience is enhanced as household appliances (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-163060 (paragraph (0011), FIG. 2)).
Operations using the music reproduction operation inputting section provided on the keyboard, however, provide less intuitiveness in operation, and because the music reproduction operation inputting section provided on the keyboard is undistinguishable from other keys within the keyboard, the operations thereof are in most cases carried out on a screen using a mouse or the like. Moreover, simple design of the keyboard is impaired when providing the music reproduction operation inputting section on the keyboard.
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, there is a need for an electronic apparatus capable of enhancing intuitiveness in operating operation buttons for music reproduction and the like, and improving design.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including a display unit, a base chassis, a screen displaying section, and operation controlling means. The display unit includes a display region. The base chassis is made of a transparent material and includes a first region that extends outward from at least one end on a circumference of the display unit, the first region provided with one of a plurality of vertically-arranged operation buttons and a plurality of horizontally-arranged operation buttons used for operating a driving circuit. The screen displaying section is configured to display an operation screen in the display region of the display unit, the operation screen displayed in association with a position of each of the plurality of operation buttons. The operation controlling means controls an operational input to the operation screen made by using the plurality of operation buttons.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of operation buttons are provided vertically or laterally on the base chassis made of a transparent material, and the operation screen displayed in association with each of the plurality of operation buttons is displayed in the display region of the display unit. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance intuitiveness in operation and improve design.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the electronic apparatus further includes a keyboard pivotally connected to a lower section of the basis chassis to be openable and closable, and which is capable of exposing a part of the display region of the display unit when being closed. Further, in the electronic apparatus, the screen displaying section causes the operation screen displayed in association with the position of each of the plurality of operation buttons to be displayed in the part of the display region exposed when the keyboard is closed, and the operation controlling means controls the operational input to the operation screen displayed by the screen displaying section made by using at least one of the plurality of operation buttons that corresponds to the exposed part of the display region.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the electronic apparatus further includes open/close detecting means for detecting an opened/closed status of the keyboard and a controlling section configured to control execution of an application capable of reproducing music. Further, in the electronic apparatus, the screen displaying section displays, when the keyboard is closed from the opened status while the application capable of reproducing music is being executed, a screen related to the application and an operation screen of the application.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the screen displaying section displays, when the keyboard is opened from the closed status, a screen of an operating system in the display region of the display unit.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the electronic apparatus further includes illuminating means for illuminating the plurality of operation buttons.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the operation buttons are provided on the base chassis made of a transparent material, and operations for music reproduction and the like are controlled by the driving circuit in accordance with the input to the operation buttons. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out operations for music reproduction and the like using the operation buttons provided on the base chassis adjacent to the display unit, resulting in enhancement of intuitiveness in operation. Further, due to provision of the illuminating means, light is lit in the transparent base chassis adjacent to the display unit to thereby illuminate the operation buttons. Thus, it seems as if light is emitted into open space, and design is thus improved. Furthermore, a user can easily check positions of the operation buttons by illuminating the operation buttons by the illuminating means, for example, whereby favorable operability is obtained. Moreover, provision of the operation buttons on the base chassis eliminates the necessity to provide the operation buttons on the keyboard, for example, whereby it is possible to keep the keyboard design simple.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the illuminating means is provided for a plurality of colors to each of the plurality of operation buttons. Accordingly, illumination colors can be distinguishably displayed with respect to a single operation button in accordance with an operation status, and operability is thus improved.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the illuminating means includes first-color illuminating means and second-color illuminating means, the first-color illuminating means is lit when a corresponding one of the plurality of operation buttons is operated, and the second-color illuminating means is lit when the corresponding one of the plurality of operation buttons is operable. As described above, provision of bicolor illuminating means enables illumination colors to be distinguishably displayed in illuminating the operation buttons according to the operation status. Taking a disk eject button as an example of one of the operation buttons, when a disk is not inserted, the eject button is unlit due to an inoperable status. When the disk is inserted, the eject button is lit by a second color due to an operable status and is lit by a first color when the disk is ejected. Therefore, depending on whether the eject button is illuminated and on the illumination color thereof, the user can easily determine the operation status of the electronic apparatus.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of operation buttons is composed of a transparent electrode disposed in the base chassis, a region outside each of the transparent electrodes being surrounded by a transparent ground electrode, the base chassis partially functions as a touchpad due to the transparent electrodes and the ground electrode, and the electronic apparatus further includes a substrate mounted with a detecting circuit configured to detect a change in capacitance of the touchpad, a controlling circuit configured to control lighting of the illuminating means, and the illuminating means. By forming each of the operation buttons by the transparent electrode as described above, transparency of the entire base chassis can be maintained. Further, it is possible to provide the touchpad function to the base chassis as described above. Moreover, by mounting the detecting circuit, the illuminating means, and the controlling circuit for the illuminating means on the same substrate, it is possible to immediately control illumination by the illuminating means in accordance with a lighting signal transmitted from the controlling circuit based on a judgment of the detecting circuit that an input has been made through the operation buttons, resulting in a favorable operational response.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is disposed between the base chassis and the display unit. Thus, because the substrate is arranged so as not to overlie a visible region of the base chassis plane-wise, the transparency of the base chassis is not impaired by the substrate.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of operation buttons is coated with a diffusing member used for diffusing light irradiated by the illuminating means in association with each of the plurality of operation buttons. Thus, luminance of light in illuminating the operation buttons is improved.
Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the electronic apparatus further includes a retaining member made of an opaque material, which is configured to reflect light irradiated by the illuminating means and provided to cover an outer circumference of the first region of the base chassis. Accordingly, luminance of light in illuminating the operation buttons is improved.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base chassis includes a notch used for fitting the retaining member, and a surface of the notch is subjected to light diffusing processing. Accordingly, luminance of light in illuminating the operation buttons is improved.
Further, in the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, a surface of a portion of the base chassis through which light irradiated from the illuminating means passes is subjected to light diffusing processing. Accordingly, luminance of light in illuminating the operation buttons is improved.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base chassis includes guide grooves provided along the outer circumference thereof, and the electronic apparatus further includes first to fourth retaining members and coupling members. The first to fourth retaining members are each made of an opaque material and guided through the guide grooves respectively provided along an upper outer circumference of the base chassis, a left-hand side outer circumference thereof, a right-hand side outer circumference thereof, and a lower outer circumference thereof. The coupling members are configured to respectively couple the first retaining member guided along the upper outer circumference with the second retaining member guided along the left-hand side outer circumference and the third retaining member guided along the right-hand side outer circumference in the vicinity of an upper left-hand corner and upper right-hand corner of the base chassis, respectively.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, because the coupling members couple the first retaining member guided along the upper outer circumference with the second retaining member guided along the left-hand side outer circumference and the third retaining member guided along the right-hand side outer circumference in the vicinity of the upper right-hand corner and the upper left-hand corner of the base chassis, respectively, it is possible to reduce gaps between the retaining members at the coupling portions without impairing an appearance as compared with a case of using screws.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the fourth retaining member may be screwed to the base chassis at a lower end section of the base chassis such that the second retaining member and the third retaining member are pushed upward. Thus, it is possible to eliminate gaps respectively formed between the fourth retaining member and the second and third retaining members. In addition, an appearance of the electronic apparatus is not impaired since the screws are shut at the lower end section of the base chassis where the user is incapable of seeing.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, coupling spaces from which the guide grooves have been removed may be provided in the vicinity of the upper left-hand corner and upper right-hand corner of the base chassis, respectively. Similarly, coupling spaces from which the guide grooves have been removed may be provided in the vicinity of a lower left-hand corner and lower right-hand corner of the base chassis, respectively.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the coupling members may each have an inverse-L shape, and the coupling members may be provided such that the coupling members are engaged at ends thereof (horizontal section) with respective ends of the first retaining member, and the other end (vertical section) of each of the coupling members is engaged with one end of one of the second retaining member and the third retaining member.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the coupling members having the inverse-L shape may be structured to have an elastic force in a vertical direction at the one end thereof (horizontal section) (e.g., cantilever structure), the one end having on an upper surface thereof a first convex section configured to engage with a first concave section formed on the guide grooves, and may be structured to have an elastic force in at least a lateral direction at the other end thereof (vertical section) (e.g., structure such as that obtained when dividing a cantilever into two in the lateral direction), the other end having on one of a left-hand side surface and a right-hand side surface thereof a second convex section configured to engage with a second concave section formed on the guide grooves.
In the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the guide grooves may each have at predetermined positions thereof third convex sections for resonance prevention.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including a display unit, a base chassis, a keyboard, and a screen displaying section. The display unit includes a display region. The base chassis is made of a transparent material and includes a first region that extends outward from at least one of a left-hand side and a right-hand side on a circumference of the display unit, the first region provided with a plurality of operation buttons arranged vertically for operating a driving circuit. The keyboard is pivotally connected to a lower section of the basis chassis to be openable and closable, and is capable of exposing a part of the display region of the display unit when being closed. The screen displaying section is configured to display screens in the exposed part of the display region when the keyboard is closed, the screen operated by using the plurality of operation buttons. Further, in the electronic apparatus, a specific screen (e.g., menu screen) among the screens displayed by the screen displaying section is operated by at least one of the plurality of operation buttons that corresponds to the exposed part of the display region.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the user can intuitively grasp a position of the operation button necessary for operating the specific screen displayed, whereby operability is improved.
The specific screen is desirably a menu screen with which at least an application capable of reproducing music can be executed.
When the keyboard is opened from the closed status while the application capable of reproducing music is being executed, a screen related to the application may be displayed in the display region together with a screen of the operating system. In this case, when the music is being reproduced when closing the keyboard, it is sufficient that the music keep being reproduced. When the application is executed on the screen of the operating system before the keyboard is closed, the operation screen may be displayed as the screen related to the application, and when the application is not executed on the screen of the operating system before the keyboard is closed, predetermined display may be made in a taskbar on the screen of the operating system as the screen related to the application.
When the keyboard is closed from the opened status where the screen of the operating system is displayed in the display region and the application is being executed, the screen related to the application may be displayed in the display region. When the keyboard is closed from the status where the application is not executed, a predetermined setting screen regarding date and time, for example, may be displayed.
A focus on the menu screen may be a center focus that focuses on an item arranged substantially at a center among a plurality of items displayed in the vertical direction.
In a case where the number of items exceeds a predetermined number, the items may be displayed by looping. As described above, when all the items cannot be displayed on the menu screen, a scrollbar may be displayed on a right-hand side of the screen. Thus, the user can easily grasp the number and positions of all items when the number of items is increased.
As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it becomes possible to enhance intuitiveness in operating the operation buttons of the electronic apparatus, and improve design.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the embodiment below, an electronic apparatus of the present invention is applied to a personal computer. However, an application range of the electronic apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the personal computer, and may widely be applied to, for example, various information processing apparatuses such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a network terminal, a mobile information terminal, and a workstation, and various electronic apparatuses such as an acoustic appliance and a household electrical appliance including a television.
In descriptions below, for convenience, directions in which a user views a display screen of the personal computer are respectively set as an upward direction, a downward direction, a forward direction, a backward direction, a left-hand direction, and a right-hand direction. A front side (user side) is set as a front, and left- and right-hand directions of the user are respectively set as left and right. Further, for ease in understanding a structure, contraction scales and the number of components are differed from those of actual structural components in some cases.
An electronic apparatus (personal computer) 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a keyboard 3, and a stand 4 rotatably supported on a back surface 2a of the apparatus main body 2 (see
The keyboard 3 is provided separate from the apparatus main body 2, for example, and predetermined operation keys 3a are provided on the keyboard 3. When the operation key 3a of the keyboard 3 is operated, a signal corresponding to the operated operation key 3a is output, which is then input to a receiving section (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 2 through radio so that various types of processing are executed according to the operation to the operation key 3a.
As described above, in the electronic apparatus 1, because the keyboard 3 is provided separate from the apparatus main body 2, it is possible to use the keyboard 3 at arbitrary places if necessary as long as the apparatus main body 2 is within a range capable of receiving radio signals from the keyboard 3.
It should be noted that instead of the electronic apparatus in which the keyboard 3 is provided separate from the apparatus main body 2, there may be employed, for example, an electronic apparatus 1A including the apparatus main body 2, the keyboard 3 supported on a front surface 2b of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be openable and closable, and the stand 4 rotatably supported on the back surface 2a of the apparatus main body 2 as shown in
As shown in
The base chassis 5 is, for example, formed as a vertically-placed frame facing front and is formed by injection molding using a transparent material such as an acrylic resin. The front surface of the base chassis 5 serves as a first mounting surface section 5a and the back surface thereof serves as a second mounting surface section 5b.
Retaining members 32 and 32′ each made of an opaque material are mounted to an outer circumference of the base chassis 5.
A concave mounting section 9 having a forward opening is formed in the base chassis 5. The concave mounting section 9 is formed as a space surrounded by a coupling section 12 as a sidewall section obtained by coupling an inner circumference of the base chassis 5 excluding an outer circumferential section 10 thereof and an outer circumference of a bottom surface section 11, the coupling section 12 provided substantially perpendicular to the outer circumferential section 10 and the bottom surface section 11.
By forming the base chassis 5 through coupling of the outer circumferential section 10 and the bottom surface section 11 using the coupling section 12 that bends with respect to both sections, strength of the base chassis 5 is enhanced.
As shown in
By setting the thickness T1 of the outer circumferential section 10 larger than the thickness T2 of the bottom surface section 11, it is possible to reduce a thickness of the base chassis 5 while securing a high level of strength thereof.
As shown in
As shown in
A light-storing lamp section 13 is formed at an upper right-hand section on the outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5. The light-storing lamp section 13 is, for example, a lamp section that indicates a power on/off status, and is lit when the power is on and is unlit when the power is off.
The light-storing lamp section 13 is formed through formation of grooves each having a backward opening in the base chassis 5 (see
A rear surface section 14a of the arc section 14 is tilted so as to be displaced forward toward the upward direction, and a depth of the groove of the arc section 14 is formed to increase toward the upward direction (see
As shown in
The rear surface section 14a of the arc section 14 and the rear surface section 15a of the straight line section 15 are subjected to grain processing or the like to form a fine concavoconvex shape, for example.
A first device mounting substrate 16 is disposed below the light-storing lamp section 13 (see
For example, three first semiconductor light-emitting devices 17 each being isolated from each other in the lateral direction are mounted on an upper surface of the first device mounting substrate 16 (see
Light P1 (see
When the light P1 enters the light-storing lamp section 13, the light P1 is reflected diffusely by the fine concavoconvex shape formed in the rear surface sections 14a and 15a, and the light P1 from the light-storing lamp section 13 then permeates through an inner portion of the base chassis 5 to exit toward the front.
In the electronic apparatus 1, for example, the light P1 is emitted from the first semiconductor light-emitting devices 17 positioned on both sides in a normal operation mode, and the light P1 is emitted from the first semiconductor light-emitting device 17 in the middle in a pause mode.
As described above, in the electronic apparatus 1, the light-storing lamp section 13 is provided in the base chassis 5 and the light P1 emitted from the first semiconductor light-emitting devices 17 is caused to exit through the light-storing lamp section 13. Thus, it is possible to improve visibility while securing a simple structure of merely forming the light-storing lamp section 13 in the base chassis 5.
The outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5 is formed with reflecting lamp sections 18 at a lower right-hand section thereof (see
The reflecting lamp sections 18 are formed through formation of grooves each having a backward opening in the base chassis 5 (see
Rear surface sections 18a of the reflecting lamp sections 18 are tilted so as to be displaced forward toward the downward direction (see
The rear surface sections 18a of the reflecting lamp sections 18 are formed as mirror surfaces. A vertically-placed second device mounting substrate 19 facing front is disposed above the reflecting lamp sections 18 (see
For example, two second semiconductor light-emitting devices 20 each being isolated from each other in the lateral direction are mounted on a front surface of the second device mounting substrate 19, and the second semiconductor light-emitting devices 20 are disposed inside a lower device arranging hole 10e (see
Light P2 (see
When the light P2 enters the reflecting lamp sections 18, the light P2 is caused of inner reflection by the rear surface sections 18a, and the light P2 from the reflecting lamp sections 18 then permeates through the inner portion of the base chassis 5 to exit toward the front.
At this time, as described above, because the rear surface sections 18a of the reflecting lamp sections 18 are tilted so as to be displaced forward toward the right-hand direction, the light P2 is reflected toward a center of the electronic apparatus 1, that is, in a direction toward a normal line H (see
Therefore, the user of the electronic apparatus 1 can see the light P2 reflected by the reflecting lamp sections 18 with ease. As a result, visibility can be improved while securing a simple structure of merely forming the reflecting lamp sections 18 through formation of the grooves in the base chassis 5.
Speaker arranging holes 11a, a connecting wire through-hole 11b, cooling air circulating holes 11c, and the like are formed at predetermined positions on the bottom surface section 11 of the base chassis 5. In addition, components including a mounting boss for screwing, a positioning protruding section, a positioning hole, a mounting protrusion, a mounting hole, and the like are also formed at respective positions on the bottom surface section 11 and the coupling section 12.
The display unit 6 includes a display panel 21 and a front panel 22 (see
The display panel 21 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and an outline thereof is formed to be slightly smaller than that of the bottom surface section 11 of the base chassis 5.
The front panel 22 is formed as a rectangular frame, and an outline thereof is formed to be slightly larger than that of the bottom surface section 11 of the base chassis 5.
The display panel 21 is inserted into the concave mounting section 9 of the base chassis 5 and mounted on the bottom surface section 11 of the base chassis 5 by appropriate means such as screwing. While the display panel 21 is mounted on the base chassis 5, the front panel 22 is fixed to the base chassis 5 by appropriate means such as screwing in a state where the front panel 22 is covering the inner circumference of the outer circumferential section 10 from the front. An outer circumference of the display panel 21 is pressed by the front panel 22 from the front.
Driving of the display panel 21 generates heat along with the driving, but the generated heat is circulated to the back surface side of the base chassis 5 via the cooling air circulating holes 11c formed in the base chassis 5 to thus be discharged outside from a heat dissipating hole (not shown) formed in the rear cover 8. Therefore, an increase in temperature of the display panel 21 is suppressed.
The control circuit board 7 is a circuit board for carrying out controlling processing of the entire electronic apparatus 1. The control circuit board 7 includes a substrate 23 and predetermined electronic components 23a including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a chipset as a driving circuit mounted on the substrate 23 (see
The control circuit board 7 is mounted on a second mounting surface section 5b as a back surface of the base chassis 5 at a predetermined position by appropriate means such as screwing. While the control circuit board 7 is mounted on the second mounting surface section 5b, a connecting wire (not shown) is inserted through the connecting wire through-hole 11b formed in the base chassis 5, and the display panel 21 and a panel driving circuit of the control circuit board 7 are connected by the connecting wire.
Predetermined components such as a media driving section 24 including a disk drive and a card slot and a cooling fan 25 are mounted on the second mounting surface section 5b of the base chassis 5 by appropriate means such as screwing.
Speakers 26 are respectively inserted into the speaker arranging holes 11a formed in the base chassis 5, which are then fixed to the base chassis 5 by appropriate means such as screwing.
By inserting the speakers 26 into the speaker arranging holes 11a fix the speakers 26, as compared to the case where the speakers 26 are mounted on the first mounting surface section 5a of the base chassis 5, an amount by which the speakers 26 protrude forward is reduced, whereby an electronic apparatus 1 with a reduced thickness can be obtained.
As described above, while the predetermined components such as the control circuit board 7, the media driving section 24, and the cooling fan 25 and the necessary components such as the speakers 26 are mounted on the second mounting surface section 5b of the base chassis 5, the rear cover 8 is fixed to the second mounting surface section 5b by appropriate means such as screwing so as to cover those components from the back.
The rear cover 8 includes a base 27 placed vertically and facing almost the front and protruding sections 28 that protrude forward from both upper and lower ends of the base 27. The rear cover 8 is formed with a plurality of heat dissipating holes (not shown).
The base 27 has a stand supporting section 29 (see
The control circuit board 7 and the like are exposed when the cover 30 is removed from the base 27 to open the maintenance opening 27a. Consequently, maintenance can be carried out on the control circuit board 7 and the like.
Side covers 31 are respectively mounted on both sides of the rear cover 8.
As described above, the electronic apparatus 1 is constituted by mounting the necessary components on the first mounting surface section 5a of the base chassis 5 and the second mounting surface section 5b thereof, the components of the base chassis being integrally formed therein using a transparent material. Thus, a structure of the electronic apparatus 1 can be maintained simple with a reduced number of components and less assembling processes.
The frame-like retaining members 32 and 32′ each made of an opaque material are mounted to the outer circumference of the outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5 (see
(Regarding Structure of Outer Frame Structure 600)
The outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5 is formed of a transparent acrylic material and is formed by injection molding, for example.
Along the outer circumference of the outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5 (i.e., an upper outer circumference 622, a left-hand side outer circumference 623, and a right-hand side outer circumference 624 excluding a lower outer circumference 621), the concave sections 113 are provided on front and back surfaces of the outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5, the concave sections 113 having a similar longitudinal shape as the outer circumferences 622 to 624 (see
Along the lower outer circumference 621 of the outer circumferential section 10 of the base chassis 5, a convex section 625 facing downward is provided on an end surface of the lower outer circumference 621. Holes 626 for screwing the lower retaining member mounting screws 620 are formed at, for example, four positions on the convex section 625 along the lower outer circumference 621 with predetermined gaps (see
Coupling spaces 627 are provided at positions corresponding to the concave sections 113 at the upper left- and right-hand corners of the base chassis 5 (see
Coupling spaces 628 are provided at positions corresponding to the concave sections 113 at the lower left- and right-hand corners and the convex section 625 of the base chassis 5 (see
For example, the upper retaining member 32 is made of a material containing aluminum as a main raw material, is formed by extrusion molding, and is provided with a groove section 631 having substantially the same length as that of the base chassis 5 in the lateral direction and whose cross-section is of a T-shape (see
For example, the left-hand side retaining member 32 is made of a material containing aluminum as a main raw material, is formed by extrusion molding, and is provided with a groove section 636 having a length substantially the same as a height of the base chassis 5 and whose cross-section is of a T-shape (see
For example, the lower retaining member 32 is made of a material containing aluminum as a main raw material, is formed by extrusion molding, and is provided with a groove section 644 having substantially the same length as that of the base chassis 5 in the lateral direction and whose cross-section is concave (see
The upper left-hand side coupling member 610 is made of a plastic material having a certain level of elastic force (e.g., POM), and has an inverse-L shape with a cross-section thereof having an inward convex structure (see
A vertical section 650 of the inverse-L-shaped upper left-hand side coupling member 610 includes a cantilever supporting section 651 having an open end toward the corner of the inverse-L shape. The cantilever supporting section 651 is branched into two from the open-end side (it can also be considered that two cantilever supporting sections 651 are provided in parallel). The tip end section of the cantilever supporting section 651 is provided with on both sides thereof the convex sections 612 that respectively engage with the engaging grooves 639 of the left-hand side retaining member 32. The thus structured cantilever supporting section 651 enables the convex sections 612 to be displaced in both the vertical and lateral directions using elastic force. It should be noted that since the structure of the upper left-hand side coupling member 610 shown in
By providing the coupling members as positioning components at the upper sections as described above, the gaps between the retaining members can respectively be managed with the same components having short lengths. Accordingly, it becomes possible to manage small gaps with light insertions.
(Regarding assembling method of outer frame structure 600)
Descriptions will be given on an example of an assembling method for the outer frame structure 600, the components of which being structured as described above (see
In the case where the upper retaining member 32, the left-hand side retaining member 32, and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are screwed to the base chassis 5, for example, positional relationships of the upper retaining member 32 with the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are determined based on positions of holes for screwing. However, the positional relationships cannot be made so precise with ordinary processing precision. Therefore, the possibility of gaps being generated at a portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the left-hand side retaining member 32 are connected and a portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are connected is high, resulting in an impair in appearance. In addition, also the exposure of the screws to the user is highly likely to impair the appearance.
In view of the above, in the outer frame structure 600 according to this embodiment, because the upper retaining member 32 is fixed to the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ using the upper left-hand side coupling member 610 and the upper right-hand side coupling member 610, respectively, the positional relationships of the upper retaining member 32 with the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are determined irrespective of the processing in the base chassis 5. Therefore, the possibility of gaps being generated at the portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the left-hand side retaining member 32 are connected and the portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are connected becomes lower. In addition, because the coupling spaces 627 are respectively provided at the upper left- and right-hand corners of the base chassis 5 and the upper retaining member 32 is coupled to the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ at the coupling spaces 627, marginal spaces for coupling are generated that much, whereby the possibility of gaps being generated at the portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the left-hand side retaining member 32 are connected and the portion where the upper retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are connected becomes additionally lower. Furthermore, since the screws are not used, the appearance is unimpaired.
Further, even though the lower retaining member 32 is structured to be screwed, because the screws are positioned at the lower end section, the screws are not seen from the user and the appearance is thus unimpaired. In addition, because the coupling spaces 628 are respectively provided at the lower left- and right-hand corners of the base chassis 5, certain amount of marginal spaces are generated by the coupling spaces 628 when the lower retaining member 32 is coupled to the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′, whereby the possibility of gaps being generated at the portion where the lower retaining member 32 and the left-hand side retaining member 32 are connected and the portion where the lower retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are connected becomes additionally lower. Thus, even when the lower retaining member 32 is structured to be screwed, the appearance is unimpaired.
(Regarding Convex Sections 660 for Resonance Prevention)
In the case of the outer frame structure 600 described above, the upper retaining member 32, the left-hand side retaining member 32, and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ are not necessarily fixed firmly to the base chassis 5. Therefore, the upper retaining member 32, the left-hand side retaining member 32, and the right-hand side retaining member 32′ resonate due to audible sounds output from the speakers, thereby generating abnormal noises. The object above has been newly found when the outer frame structure 600 is structured as described above.
The specifics are as follows. It should be noted that materials used are as already described.
(1) Upper retaining member 32
Length: 485 mm
Depth: 6 mm
Height: 5 mm
Maximum width of T-shaped groove: 3.3 mm
Minimum width of T-shaped groove: 2.0 mm
(2) Left- and right-hand side retaining members 32 and 32′
Length: 375 mm
Depth: 6 mm
Height: 5 mm
Maximum width of T-shaped groove: 3.3 mm
Minimum width of T-shaped groove: 2.0 mm
(3) Base chassis 5
Maximum thickness of outer circumference: 3 mm
Minimum thickness of outer circumference (position at which front and back thereof correspond to concave sections): 1.5 mm
An output of audible sounds from the speakers under the above conditions caused resonance at 160 Hz and 300 Hz. A resonance mode was in a rotational direction with longitudinal directions of the respective retaining members 32 and 32′ as axes.
Here, a height of each of the convex sections 660 for resonance prevention is set to 0.15 mm, and the convex sections 660 are respectively provided at a bottom section and tip end section on both front and back of each of the concave sections 113 on the outer circumference.
Further, an interval between the convex sections 660 for resonance prevention in the longitudinal direction is set to 125 mm. The convex sections 660 for resonance prevention are provided at four places on the upper retaining member 32 and are provided at three places on the left-hand side retaining member 32 and the right-hand side retaining member 32′. Accordingly, no resonance is generated to cause abnormal noises. It should be noted that resonance is not caused as long as the interval between the convex sections 660 for resonance prevention in the longitudinal direction is within a range of 100 mm to 150 mm.
As described above, the frame-like retaining members 32 and 32′ each made of an opaque material are mounted on the outer circumference of the base chassis 5 (see
By mounting the frame-like retaining members 32 and 32′ to the base chassis 5, the concave sections 113 of the base chassis 5 and the outer circumference of the base chassis 5 positioned on an outer side of the concave sections 113 are covered by a space 39 defined by the lower surface section 33 and the protruding surface sections 34. As shown in
Moreover, as described above, when assembling the electronic apparatus 1, the retaining members 32 and 32′ are caused to slide along the respective hems of the base chassis 5 corresponding thereto as shown in
Inserting holes 35 are formed three each at ends on both the left- and right-hand sides of the lower surface section 33 of the retaining member 32 corresponding to the lower hem of the base chassis 5. Each of the inserting holes 35 is formed by laterally coupling a broad section 35a and a narrow section 35b having a smaller width than the broad section 35a in the front-back direction.
The retaining member 32 on the lower hem is mounted so as to cover a mounting notch 10b formed in the base chassis 5. In the state where the retaining member 32 is mounted to the base chassis 5, a certain gap is formed between the lower surface section 33 and the lower surface of the base chassis 5 (see
A mounting pad 36 is mounted to the retaining member 32 (see
The mounting pad 36 is mounted to the retaining member 32 as follows (see
First, while the retaining member 32 is mounted to the base chassis 5 (see
When the to-be-retained sections 38 are firmly pushed upward against the lower surface of the base chassis 5, the to-be-retained sections 38 are elastically deformed to be squished from the upward and downward directions (see
When sliding the mounting pad 36 sideways in this state, the bundled sections 38b are respectively inserted into the narrow sections 35b, and the to-be-inserted sections 38a are positioned in correspondence with the concave retaining sections 10c of the base chassis 5. Therefore, the to-be-retained sections 38 are restored from the elastic deformation, and the to-be-inserted sections 38a are respectively inserted into the concave retaining sections 10c (see
As will be described later, the mounting surface section 37 of the mounting pad 36 mounted to the retaining member 32 is brought into contact with a mounting surface of a desk or the like on which the electronic apparatus 1 is mounted.
As described above, in the electronic apparatus 1, the retaining member 32 is mounted to the lower end section of the base chassis 5 and the mounting pad 36 having elasticity is mounted to the retaining member 32 so that the mounting surface section 37 is brought into contact with the mounting surface of the desk or the like on which the electronic apparatus 1 is mounted. Thus, it is possible to stabilize a mounting status of the electronic apparatus 1 on the mounting surface.
Further, because the mounting pad 36 is in contact with the mounting surface, the mounting surface and the lower end section of the base chassis 5 are prevented from being damaged.
As shown in
Although the operation buttons 410 to 419 are provided on the right-hand side of the display unit 6 in this embodiment, modifications in design can of course be suitably made, such as providing the operation buttons 410 to 419 on the left-hand side of the display unit 6 or above or below the display unit 6. Moreover, the base chassis 5 is not limited to the shape that extends out from the rectangular display unit 6 on all four hems thereof, and a shape in which the base chassis 5 partially extends out from the display unit 6, that is, a shape in which the base chassis 5 extends out from only the upper and lower hems or the left- and right-hand side hems may be employed, for example.
By thus providing the operation buttons 410 to 419 on the base chassis 5 adjacent to the display unit 6, intuitiveness in operation is enhanced. Further, because it is unnecessary to provide a music reproduction operation inputting section to the keyboard 3, the keyboard design can be maintained simple without the music reproduction operation inputting section, resulting in an improvement in keyboard design.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the operation button 410 is a button used for, for example, activating or shutting down music software set in the electronic apparatus 1. The operation buttons 411 and 412 are buttons used for selecting songs. The operation button 413 is a button used for deciding on the selected song. The operation buttons 414 and 415 are buttons used for adjusting volumes. The operation button 416 is a button used for reproduction and pause. The operation button 417 is a rewinding button and the operation button 418 is a fast-forwarding button. The operation button 419 is an eject button used for ejecting a disk.
In this embodiment, by employing a capacitance sensor for the input operation to the operation buttons, a switching operation can be carried out by pressing the operation buttons with a finger. The operation buttons 410 to 419 are composed of transparent electrodes 430 to 439 respectively provided in correspondence thereto. A region outside each of the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 is surrounded by the transparent ground electrode 420. In this embodiment, whether the operation button has been pressed is judged by using a technique that a capacitance between the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the ground electrode 420 changes when the corresponding operation buttons 410 to 419 are pressed with a finger. In other words, a region of the base chassis 5 where the operation buttons 410 to 419 are arranged serves as an operating surface, and the base chassis 5 thus partially functions as a touchpad due to the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the ground electrode 420. Detection of a change in capacitance is conducted in a detecting circuit incorporated into a driving IC 304. When the driving IC 304 judges that an input has been made to the operation button, a signal for activating the music software, for example, is transmitted to the control circuit board 7 from the driving IC 304. In addition, a controlling circuit for controlling lighting of LEDs is also incorporated into the driving IC 304.
As shown in
The transparent electrodes 430 to 439, the ground electrode 420, and the like are provided on the touchpad electrode substrate 400 having a thickness of about 0.7 mm. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In addition, the touchpad electrode substrate 400 and the front panel 22 of the display unit 6 partially overlap each other plane-wise, and a gap between the left-hand side hem 400d of the touchpad electrode substrate 400 and the concave section 108 is blocked by the front panel 22 plane-wise.
Therefore, because the gaps between the touchpad electrode substrate 400 and the concave section 108 at the right-hand side hem 400c and the left-hand side hem 400d are blocked by the right-hand side retaining member 32′ and the display unit 6, the gaps cannot be seen and transparency of the entire base chassis 5 is thus visually unimpaired by those gaps. Thus, favorable design of the electronic apparatus 1 can be maintained.
Moreover, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The plurality of operation buttons 410 to 419 are drawn to the second region 502 by the transparent first wirings 470 to 479 having equal lengths. The first wirings 470 to 479 are respectively connected to the corresponding lead-out wirings 440 to 450 having higher conductivity than the first wirings 470 to 479. The lead-out wirings 440 to 450 are provided in the second region 502. It should be noted that in
The transparent electrodes 430 to 439, the first wirings 470 to 479, and the ground electrode 420 are each formed of a transparent conductive material containing ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), and the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 and the pad section 460 are each formed of a material having higher conductivity than ITO, such as silver.
The pad section 460 is exposed since the portion of the flexible wiring substrate adhering region 403a is exposed by the notch 404a of the transparent PET film 404 at the bottom. The lead-out wirings 440 to 450 are aggregated in the flexible wiring substrate adhering region 403a as one point in the second region 502.
The ground electrode 420 is formed so as to surround the outer region of the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the first wirings 470 to 479 while being electrically separated from the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the first wirings 470 to 479.
Parts of the transparent electrodes 430 to 439, the first wirings 470 to 479, and the ground electrode 420 formed on a third region 503 adjacent to the second region 502 are arranged in a region visible by the user. As described above, by using a transparent material to form the transparent electrodes 430 to 439, the first wirings 470 to 479, and the ground electrode 420 provided in the visible region, the transparent electrodes 430 to 439, the first wirings 470 to 479, and the ground electrode 420 can hardly be seen in the electronic apparatus 1, whereby favorable design of the electronic apparatus 1 as well as transparency of the entire base chassis 5 can be maintained.
On the other hand, the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 and the pad section 460 formed of silver in the second region 502 are blocked by the front panel 22 of the display unit 6 in the electronic apparatus 1, which means that the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 and the pad section 460 are arranged in a region invisible by the user. When using chromatic silver or copper having higher conductivity than ITO, which is used for the transparent electrodes, for the lead-out wirings, by arranging the display unit over the lead-out wirings so that the display unit overlies the lead-out wirings plane-wise, the lead-out wirings are blocked by the display unit to become invisible. Accordingly, transparency of the base chassis 5 in the visible region is maintained.
The first wirings 470 to 479 are formed short at equal lengths. By thus forming the first wirings 470 to 479 short at equal lengths, response velocities between the operation buttons can be made uniform, and a favorable response can be obtained. Therefore, response precision is stabilized to realize favorable operability.
The pad section 460 and the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 are formed of silver having higher conductivity than the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the like formed in the third region 503 as the visible region. By thus forming the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 of silver having high conductivity, a response time required for starting processing after judging that the operation buttons 410 to 419 have been pressed can be shortened as compared to the case of using ITO, resulting in a favorable operational response. In addition, an effect of variations in signal delays caused by the variations in wiring lengths of the lead-out wirings 440 to 450 can be suppressed as compared to the case of using ITO. Therefore, the response time required for starting processing after judging that the operation buttons 410 to 419 have been pressed can be made substantially uniform between the operation buttons 410 to 419, resulting in favorable operability. It should be noted that the material used in the present invention is not limited to silver as in this embodiment, and copper and the like may be used instead.
As described above, in this embodiment, the electrodes and the like formed in the visible region are formed of a transparent material, the first wirings formed in the visible region are formed short at equal lengths, and the second wirings (lead-out wirings) formed in the invisible region are formed of a material having higher conductivity than the material used for the electrodes formed in the visible region. Thus, favorable operability of the operation buttons can be obtained while maintaining favorable design of the electronic apparatus 1 as well as transparency of the entire base chassis 5.
As described above, inputs to the operation buttons 410 to 419 are detected by the detecting circuit using a change in capacitance caused when an object to be detected such as a finger comes into contact with the operation buttons. The detecting circuit is incorporated into the driving IC 304 mounted on the B surface 300b of the circuit board 300. The driving IC 304 is electrically connected with the transparent electrodes 430 to 439 and the ground electrode 420 via the flexible wiring substrate 200. Capacitance that increases along with the pressing of the operation buttons 410 to 419 by the finger or the like is output to the driving IC 304, and the driving IC 304 judges whether the operation button has been pressed based on the change in capacitance. When judged that the operation button has been pressed, a signal thereof is output from the driving IC 304 to the control circuit board 7, and control including activation of music reproducing software is performed in response to the signal. Further, the driving IC 304 also controls lighting of LEDs mounted on the circuit board 300 based on the input to the operation buttons.
In this embodiment, provision of the operation buttons to the base chassis 5 enables operations to be directly made on the apparatus main body including the display unit, thus widening a selection range in usage of the electronic apparatus 1. For example, in the electronic apparatus 1 in which the keyboard 3 is closable as shown in
The flexible wiring substrate 200 is electrically connected to the circuit board 300 and the pad section 460. As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment, control is performed so that the white LED is lit only when any of the operation buttons 410 to 419 is pressed. The LED having a function of lighting up when the operation button is pressed is referred to as function LED, and the white LED 302 functions as the function LED. The white LED 302 is controlled such that glowing thereof fades in when being lit and gradually fades out when turned off. In this embodiment, the holes 301 are provided and the white LEDs 302 are provided so that light thereof passes through the respective holes 301. However, the white LEDs 302 may be provided on the A surface 300a side without providing the holes.
Unicolor LEDs have been provided in this embodiment, but it is also possible to provide bicolor LEDs to change illumination colors depending on the operation status, descriptions of which will be given hereinafter with reference to
As shown in
When using the bicolor LEDs, illumination colors of each of the operation buttons can be displayed distinguishably depending on the operation status. For example, it is possible to provide the function of the function LED for lighting the operation button only when the operation button is pressed to the blue LEDs 1303 as the second-color illuminating means and provide a function of a backlight LED for lighting only the operable operation button to the white LED 1302 as the first-color illuminating means. Here, the LED for lighting only the operable operation button is referred to as backlight LED. As shown in
Moreover, in this embodiment, because the retaining member 32′ made of aluminum that reflects light is mounted to the outer circumference of the base chassis 5, light from the LEDs 302, 1301, or 1302 is reflected by the retaining member 32′, whereby it is possible to enhance luminance of light for illuminating the operation buttons as compared to the case in which the retaining member 32′ is not provided.
Furthermore, as shown in
Further, luminance of illumination light can be enhanced by applying a diffusing member 114 for diffusing light onto back surfaces of the operation buttons opposed to the operating surfaces thereof.
As shown in
The stand 4 is rotatably supported by the stand supporting section 29 of the rear cover 8 using a rotating mechanism 39 (see
Generally, as shown in
A display surface of the display panel of the electronic apparatus 1 placed on the desk 103 is tilted by an angle of 25° with respect to the vertical direction, and the user 101 views the display surface of the display panel from an angle of 85° with respect to the displaying surface.
As shown in
(Regarding Display and Operation Controlling Method)
Display and operations of the electronic apparatus 1A shown in
As shown in
Meanings of terms used in descriptions below are as follows.
“Half-skin” refers to a screen displayed on the display panel 21 when the keyboard 3 is closed. In the “half-skin” mode, a screen is not displayed in a region hidden by the closed keyboard 3, and the screen is displayed in a remaining region, that is, the upper region of the display panel 21.
“Full screen” refers to a normal screen displayed on the display panel 21 that displays a screen of an OS (Operating System) such as Windows (registered trademark), for example.
“Mini-player” refers to one of programs for reproducing music and the like in the electronic apparatus 1A. This program is operated on the OS such as Windows (registered trademark), for example.
“Clear-touch button” refers to each of the operation buttons 410 to 419. A “clear-touch button No. 1” corresponds to the operation button 410, a “clear-touch button No. 2” corresponds to the operation button 411, and so on.
(Operation for Switching Between Full-Screen Display and Half-Skin Display)
The controlling section 701 monitors opening/closing of the keyboard 3 via the detecting section 705. Specifically, the controlling section 701 starts a monitoring operation every Nm sec to check if a change has been detected by the detecting section (sensor) 705 (Steps 3901 to 3904). Upon detecting the change by the detecting section 705, the controlling section 701 notifies the fact to the OS, and the OS starts GUI switching processing (Step 3905).
In the GUI switching processing, a mode is checked first (Step 3906). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 has been closed (or opened) is checked. When the keyboard 3 is closed, the full-screen display conducted up until then is switched to the half-skin display (Step 3907), and when the keyboard 3 is opened, the half-skin display conducted up until then is switched to the full-screen display (Step 3908).
(Switching from Full-Screen Display to Half-Skin Display)
Upon switch from the full-screen display to the half-skin display (Step 4001), it is judged whether the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the full-screen display (Step 4002).
When judged that the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have not been activated during the full-screen display, a date/time screen (see
When judged that the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the full-screen display, a music reproducing screen (see
(Switching from Half-Skin Display to Full-Screen Display)
Upon switch from the half-skin display to the full-screen display (Step 4501), it is judged whether the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the half-skin display (Step 4502).
When judged that the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the half-skin display, it is judged whether the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the full-screen display before switching to the half-skin display (Step 4503).
When judged that the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have been activated during the full-screen display before switching to the half-skin display, a screen corresponding to the mini-player or the like (see
When judged in Step 4502 that the mini-player or other music reproducing programs has/have not been activated during the half-skin display, the normal OS screen in which the mini-player or other music reproducing programs is/are not displayed is displayed again (Step 4506).
Here,
(Allocation of Clear-Touch Buttons)
In the half-skin display and the full-screen display, clear-touch buttons are functionally allocated as follows.
Hereinafter, descriptions will be given on an operation on the controlling section side that is carried out when the clear-touch button is operated.
When the music button is pressed (Step 5001), a mode is checked first (Step 5002). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When judged that the keyboard 3 is closed, it is judged whether the menu screen has been displayed during the half-skin display (Step 5003). When judged that the menu screen has been displayed, the menu screen is closed (Step 5004), and when not displayed, the menu screen is displayed (Step 5005).
When judged that the keyboard 3 is opened, it is judged whether the mini-player has been activated (Step 5006). When judged that the mini-player has not been activated, the mini-player is activated (Step 5007).
It should be noted that the menu screen will be described later.
When the up or down button is pressed (Step 5101), the mode is checked first (Step 5102). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When judged that the keyboard 3 is closed, it is judged whether the menu screen has been displayed during the half-skin display (Step 5103).
When judged that the menu screen has been displayed, a cursor is moved up or down by one on the menu screen (Step 5104).
When the button is still being pressed after Nm sec (Steps 5105 and 5106), the cursor is moved up or down at an accelerated speed and a scrollbar is displayed (Step 5107).
When judged that the keyboard 3 is opened in Step 5102, processing of key codes of up/down arrow keys in a Windows standard keyboard is handed over to the OS (Step 5108). Specifically, the OS carries out the same operation as that carried out when the normal up/down arrow keys are pressed.
When the OK button is pressed (Step 5201), the mode is checked first (Step 5202). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When judged that the keyboard 3 is closed, it is judged whether selection of an object (item) made by the OK button in a GUI status of the half-skin display is valid (Step 5203). When a valid object is selected, the selected item is decided upon (Step 5204).
When judged in Step 5202 that the keyboard 3 is opened, processing of a key code of an Enter key in the Windows standard keyboard is handed over to the OS (Step 5205). Specifically, the OS carries out the same operation as that carried out when the normal Enter key is pressed.
When the volume button is pressed (Step 5301), the mode is checked first (Step 5302). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When the keyboard 3 is closed, the volume is turned up or down by 1 level, and an icon indicating the change in volume is displayed on an OSD (On-screen display) for 3 seconds, for example (Step 5303).
When the button is still being pressed after Nm sec (Steps 5304 and 5305), the volume is changed continuously (Step 5306).
When judged that the keyboard 3 is opened in Step 5302, processing is handed over to the OS (Step 5307).
When the travel button is pressed (Step 5401), the mode is checked first (Step 5402). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When judged that the keyboard 3 is closed, it is judged whether a mode of another application (other than the mini-player) is set (Step 5403), and when the mode of another application is set, a key code corresponding to that button is transmitted to the set application (Step 5404).
When not set to another application, it is judged whether the reproducing screen is displayed in the GUI status of the half-skin display (Step 5405). When the reproducing screen is displayed, a traveling operation corresponding to that button is executed (Step 5406).
When judged that the keyboard 3 is opened in Step 5402, it is judged whether the mini-player is activated (Step 5407). When activated, the traveling operation corresponding to that button is executed (Step 5408), and when not activated, processing of key codes of traveling operation keys in the Windows standard keyboard is handed over to the OS (Step 5409). Specifically, the OS carries out the same operation as that carried out when the normal traveling operation keys are pressed.
When the eject button is pressed (Step 5501), the mode is checked first (Step 5502). In other words, whether the keyboard 3 is closed (or opened) is checked.
When judged that the keyboard 3 is closed, a disk is ejected and an icon indicating the ejection is displayed on the OSD for 3 seconds, for example (Step 5503).
Also when judged that the keyboard 3 is opened, the disk is ejected and the icon indicating the ejection is displayed on the OSD for 3 seconds, for example (Step 5504).
(Menu Screen)
The menu screen shown in
An example of an arrangement of menu items is as follows.
Recently-played album title 1 (most recently-played album title)
Recently-played album title 2
Recently-played album title 3
Recently-played album title 4
Recently-played album title 5
Recently-added album title 1 (most recently-added album title)
Recently-added album title 2
Recently-added album title 3
Reproducing mode: Normal reproduction/Repeat/single-song repeat/Shuffle/Invalid Right-pointing triangular mark
Chorus reproduction: ON/OFF/Invalid
Sleep timer: OFF/Set time Right-pointing triangular mark
Alarm: OFF/Set time Right-pointing triangular mark
Background selection: Right-pointing triangular mark
Here, a focus F (position of cursor) on the menu screen is a center focus that focuses on substantially the center. The maximum number of display items in this case is 6, and items other than that are displayed by looping.
It should be noted that when not all items can be displayed on the menu screen, a scrollbar is set to be displayed on a right-hand side thereof. Thus, the user is capable of easily grasping the number and positions of all items when the number of items is increased.
In
(Method of Drawing Wirings)
In the personal computer according to this embodiment, the function of reproducing music and the like is an extremely important function as has already been described above. Thus, the size of each of the speakers 26 is desired to be increased for improving acoustic performance thereof.
As shown in
Because the touchpad electrode substrate 400 is arranged on the right end surface, when attempting to connect the wirings thereof directly to the control circuit board 7, the regions for arranging the respective speakers 26 are reduced, but because the wirings are connected to the control circuit board 7 via the USB interface substrate 801 in this embodiment, the regions for arranging the respective speakers 26 are increased that much, resulting in an improvement in acoustic performance.
It should be noted that the front-back/upward-downward/left- and right-hand directions in the above descriptions are merely used for convenience, and the present invention is not limited to those directions in any application thereof.
In the above embodiment, although the speakers 26 have been arranged at positions unseen from the user, a pair of speakers 2000 may be provided so as to sandwich a base chassis 1005 as in a television 1001 as the electronic apparatus shown in
Configurations and structures of respective components specifically described in the above embodiment are mere examples for embodying the present invention, and a technical scope of the present invention shall thus not be interpreted as limitative.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-176939 | Jul 2007 | JP | national |
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| 20090009477 A1 | Jan 2009 | US |
