Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-04
2004-06-29
Lea-Edmonds, Lisa (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C439S638000, C439S651000, C710S303000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757165
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to attachments that are connectable to electronic hardware, such as a notebook personal computer (“PC”) and expands their functions.
The recent development and spread of notebook PCs have been increasingly demanding a notebook PC that is light for portability purposes and multifunctional on a desk. The PC body itself is thus made light, whereas various expansion or extension units, such as a CD-ROM drive and a floppy disc drive, connectable to or built it have been proposed.
However, the conventional expanding units, such as a CD-ROM drive, if built in the computer body would bulk up the body and deteriorate its portability. Those drives which are different in specification, such as a CD-ROM drive and a high density floppy disc (LS-120), use different connectors for connection with the PC body. An attempt to expand a notebook PC with multiple functions (or specifications) would thus need a plurality of connectors accordingly, which prevents a realization of a miniature PC body. In other words, a conventional notebook PC cannot include multiple connectors in order to realize the miniaturization, and thus it cannot become multifunctional. Moreover, as a CPU in the PC body controls a CD-ROM drive (or a music compact disc (“CD”) drive), listening to a music CD arduously needs run application software that is installed in the PC body. This operation handles time-consuming and not easy.
Accordingly, the assignee filed Japanese Patent Application No. 10-260602 entitled “function expanding device, component unit, and electronic hardware” on Sep. 14, 1998.
FIG. 9
shows notebook PC related attachment group
250
and notebook PC
240
.
The notebook PC related attachment group
250
includes bay housing
270
, floppy disc drive (“FDD”)
110
, CD-ROM drive
130
, magneto-optical (“MO”) disc drive
140
, high density floppy disc
150
, digital video disk (“DVD”) drive
160
, hard disc drive (“HDD”)
170
, AC/DC adapter
180
, and battery pack
190
. The FDD
110
, CD-ROM drive
130
, MO disc drive
140
, high density floppy disc drive
150
, DVD drive
160
, and HDD
170
each constitute an expanding unit.
Function expanding unit
260
for a notebook PC is made by attaching the battery pack
190
to the bay housing
270
and inserting one of the FDD
110
, CD-ROM drive
130
, MO disc drive
140
, high density floppy disc drive
150
, DVD drive
160
, HDD
170
and AC/DC adapter
180
. There are eight modes and its extensity is wider than the conventional. This notebook-PC function expanding unit
260
is attached to the bottom of the notebook PC
240
. The notebook-PC function expanding unit
260
serves as a charger for the battery pack
190
, and as a rack for the notebook PC
240
. When the notebook-PC function expanding unit-
260
is attached to the notebook PC
240
, the notebook PC
240
and the notebook-PC function expanding unit
260
are electrically connected to each other, expanding a function of the notebook PC
240
.
The bay housing
270
has bay
273
as a storage part. The bay
273
is a flat space corresponding to an outer shape of the FDD
110
, etc., and has an opening into which the FDD
110
or the like is inserted.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the above devices
110
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
and AC/DC adapter
180
have approximately similar flat outer shape that may be inserted into and corresponds to the bay
273
in the bay housing
270
, and include connectors
111
,
131
,
141
,
151
,
161
,
171
, and
181
at the same top position in the insertion direction.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the floppy disc drive
110
has an outer shape that may be inserted into and corresponds to the bay
273
, and includes connector
111
at the top in the insertion direction.
The connectors
111
,
131
,
141
,
151
,
161
,
171
, and
181
at the side of each expanding unit are connected to connector
295
(not shown) in the bay housing
270
. The connector
295
in the bay housing
270
is connected to a connector (not shown) at the bottom of the notebook PC
240
. In this way, the bay housing
270
enables various expanding units to be connected to the notebook PC
240
while making light the body of the notebook PC
240
and reducing the number of connectors in the notebook PC.
The computer body
240
controls the FDD
110
, CD-ROM drive
130
, MO disc drive
140
, high density floppy disc drive
150
, DVD drive
160
, HDD
170
, etc. Control by the CPU in the PC body over the CD-ROM drive (or CD drive) etc., needs arduously run application software installed in the PC body even in an attempt to listen to a music CD. This operation handles time-consuming and not easy. More specifically, where the computer body
240
operates the expanding unit, a user may feel that running of the PC and control over fast-forwarding and positioning at the head of a desired tune using PC's application software interface are harder than operations of the ordinary audio equipment. General CD performance software for PCs indicates on a PC display the way of operations for an operation part on a CD player and requires a user to input a desired performance button etc. on the indicated operational part by using a pointing device, such as a mouse. This CD performance means has a disadvantage in that a user should await a period of time for PC and software activations. A tune designation in a CD needs an interface using a mouse or other input means on the PC, and the way of operation becomes disadvantageously different between the PC and the ordinary audio equipment. This exemplifies a CD, but similar disadvantages arc seen for DVD drives and other peripherals.
In an attempt to connect a new expanding unit (for example, a supplemental storage) to a computer body, the function expanding device (or the bay housing
270
) should be altered accordingly.
Before another expanding unit having a different specification is connected to a computer body, a specification of the function expanding device and a specification of a connection part (the connector
295
in
FIG. 9
) should be redesigned. In other words, the specification for the connector
295
in
FIG. 9
is determined so as to correspond to the expanding units
110
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
and
180
. An addition of an expanding unit having a different specification would thus require a change of a specification for the connector
295
. The conventional example in
FIG. 9
connects the connector
295
directly to the computer body
240
and integrate them as one member, but it is conceivable to connect them using a cable. In this case, an addition of an expanding unit having a different specification thus requires a change of cable's specification (such as the number of signal lines). These design and specification changes increase the number of development steps of the entire apparatus and thus the development cost. Although new peripherals for PCs are more and more developed, a connection of these peripherals to the notebook PC
240
via the function expanding device (or bay housing
270
) would increase the design and specification changes.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an exemplified general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful function expanding device in which the above disadvantages are eliminated.
Another exemplified and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a function expanding device that renders electronic hardware multifunctional, small, light, and easy to use.
In order to achieve the above objects, a function expanding device stated in claim
1
comprises a first connection part connectable to a unit which expands a function of electronic hardware, a second connection part connectable to the electronic hardware, and an operation part for the unit. This function expanding device enables the unit to be operated not only by the electronic hardware but also by an operational part in the function expanding device.
The function expanding device stated in claim
2
, depending upon claim
1
, may further
Fujiki Tatsuya
Hatano Tomonori
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