Illumination – With control console
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-03
2003-05-13
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With control console
C362S155000, C362S109000, C362S802000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561668
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to computers with an illuminator for a keyboard, and more particularly to battery-driven computers with a light source for illuminating a keyboard thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable computers are excellent in portability because they are small in size and light in weight, and can be used at any place independently of commercial power sources by mounting a battery charger in the interior. Generally, the portable computers are provided with a liquid crystal display (LCD), and many contrivances have been made in order to economize the consumption power of the battery. Since computers have generally been used in recent years at places remote from offices, there is an increasingly strong demand for using computers in a dark environment, for example, in an airplane or a living room. To use computers, there is a need for users to operate the keyboard and the pointing device while viewing the LCD. Because most LCDs are provided with a back light at the back side thereof, users can view the screen even if the surroundings are dark. However, since the keyboard and pointing device do not emit light unless they employ fluorescent paint or material, users cannot visually recognize a key position or a script on the key top in the dark and therefore users, other than an experienced person who can handle computers without relying on vision, cannot sufficiently use computers under such an environment. In addition, the back light of the LCD does not provide illumination enough to operate the keyboard.
Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 59-4493 discloses a technique of providing an illuminator in electronic equipment such as an electronic register and illuminating a keyboard thereof, as shown in FIG.
1
. The illuminator is provided in the upper end of the front surface of the register, and when the register is used, the keyboard can be illuminated. This electronic register, however, is not a portable type but an installed type and is based on the assumption that commercial power sources can be utilized. In addition, the light source shown in
FIG. 1
is considered to be an incandescent electric light. Furthermore, switching of the light source is realized only by manual operation of a switch installed in the illuminator.
Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 8-314598 discloses a technique of illuminating the keyboard of a personal computer (PC), as shown in FIG.
2
. The light source is disposed between the keyboard and the display section and attached on the main body of the PC. In addition, the light source is partially covered so that light is not emitted to a place other than the keyboard. Furthermore, in the aforementioned specification No. 8-314598 it has been described that “In addition, when the light source is attached to the liquid crystal section, it becomes possible to visually recognize the keyboard in the dark place, but there is a problem that (1) a large-capacity light source is required, because the liquid crystal section and the keyboard are illuminated and (2) in the case of a liquid crystal section with a back light, light enters the liquid crystal and therefore disturbs the field of vision. Therefore, the aforementioned specification No. 8-314598 has taught that attaching the light source to the liquid crystal section has been given up because there is a problem from the viewpoint of both the capacity of the light source and the visual field with respect to the liquid crystal section.
Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 7-25415 discloses a technique of providing a detachable light source in a notebook-sized PC and illuminating the keyboard. In this publication, the light source is not attached to the main body of the PC and is provided as a separate unit.
As described supra, the portable computer is characterized in that it is excellent in portability. Therefore, in the case of providing a light source for illuminating the keyboard, it is important to select a method of attachment and an illuminator type so that the portability is not degraded. It is also important that an illuminator does not shorten the operating time of a battery.
The above-mentioned conventional techniques have shown the necessity of illuminating the keyboard of the portable computer. However, as described infra, it is difficult to adopt these techniques, while the characteristic of an actual portable computer is being utilized.
Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 7-25415 does not adopt the method of attaching an illuminator to the main body of the computer and adopts the detachable method. In this method, however, there is a need to carry the light source separately from the computer. Thus, this method cannot utilize the characteristic of the PC that is characterized by portability and also the operation of detachably attaching the light source will give users trouble.
In Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 8-314598, the light source is disposed between the keyboard and the LCD. Disposing the light source at this position, however, will cause some problems. First, in portable computers, a large area is used on this side of the keyboard in order to ensure the palm rest portion that holds the palms of a user when the user operates the keyboard. For this reason, in many cases it is difficult to ensure space for the light source at the position shown in FIG.
2
. In addition, there is a need to make the light source higher than the plane of the key top of the keyboard and provide a cover, in order to illuminate the entire keyboard from the position of the light source shown in FIG.
2
. For this reason, if an attempt is made to close the cover including the LCD, the computer will become considerably thick. Furthermore, because the entire keyboard is illuminated with the light source disposed at the position shown in
FIG. 2
, there is a need to provide a plurality of point light sources or an elongated light source and therefore a problem with the consumption power of the battery will arise.
The aforementioned Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 59-4493 discloses that the light source is disposed on the upper portion of the display section, but it does not disclose a specific idea for disposing the light source at the same position in a portable computer. Although this conventional technique discloses an idea for illuminating the keyboard with the light source disposed on the upper portion of the display section, there is no description of a specific method for disposing the light source on the upper portion of the LCD of a portable computer.
In addition, in any of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, there is no description of a specific method that switches on and off the light source, except for manual operation of the switch.
After all, the technique of illuminating the keyboard of a portable computer with a light source disposed on the upper portion of the LCD has hitherto been difficult and has not been realized. But, when the LCD is open in order to use the portable computer, there is no obstacle to intercept light between the upper portion of the LCD and the keyboard and therefore it follows that the upper portion of the LCD is most efficient as a position of illuminating the keyboard. However, since a distance from the light source to the keyboard becomes longer, it becomes important that an illuminator as a light source have a great luminous intensity and a lower energy consumption amount.
Furthermore, when the keyboard is illuminated from the upper portion of the LCD, there is a need to elaborate a plan so that the visual recognition of the LCD is not disturbed by direct light incident on the LCD. Moreover, it is useful that the ON-OFF state of a light source can be flexibly controlled as desired by users. Furthermore, it may be stated that it is practical from the standpoint of a reduction in power dissipation to control the ON-OFF state of a light source according t
Katayama Ken
Nakazawa Yukifumi
Nishioka Yoshio
Wada Takahide
Bracewell & Patterson LLP
DelGizzi Ronald E.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Munoz-Bustamante Carlos
O'Shea Sandra
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