Function expansion device for a portable electronic device

Details Function expansion device for a portable electronic device Function expansion device for a portable electronic device

1999-04-01

2003-08-12

Toatley, Gregory J. (Department: 2838)

Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging

Cell or battery charger structure

For battery pack

C361S689000, C708S140000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06605924

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a function expansion device and, more particularly, to a function expansion device for the electronic device installed in the bottom of a portable electronic device.
The function expansion device (so-called function station) for a portable electronic device (for example, a notebook-type personal computer) which expands the function of the portable electronic device is provided as an attachment of the electronic device which is a portable device. The function expansion device for such a portable electronic device is provided with an information storage medium therein, and has a function which not provided in the portable electronic device. The function expansion device for a portable electronic device is used for expanding the function of a portable electronic device. The function expansion device also serves to reduce a thickness of the portable electronic device by limiting a function of the portable electronic device. Accordingly, the function expansion device becomes necessary for a portable electronic device.
In recent years, besides a conventional floppy disk and CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk (MO), high-density recording floppy disk (LS-120) and a digital video disk (DVD), etc. are developed, and the information storage medium is diversified. Accordingly, it is preferable that the function expansion device for a portable electronic device be constructed to correspond to the diversification of the information storage medium in recent years. Moreover, it is preferable that the function expansion device for a portable electronic device be as small as possible so that it can be carried easily. Further, it is preferable that the function expansion device for a portable electronic device has good extendibility of its function.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows a conventional function expansion device
10
for a notebook-type personal computer
20
as a portable electronic device. The function expansion device
10
is attached to a bottom side of the notebook-type personal computer
20
. A connector
11
of the function expansion device
10
is connected to a connector
21
of the notebook-type personal computer
20
. The function expansion device
10
has a floppy disk drive
12
and a CD-ROM drive
13
. Insertion openings for the floppy disk and the CD-ROM are provided on a front side of the function expansion device
10
.
In order to expand the function of the notebook-type personal computer
20
, the function expansion device
10
is attached to the notebook-type personal computer
20
, and a floppy disk cartridge
30
or a CD-ROM
31
is loaded to the respective floppy disk drive
12
or the CD-ROM drive
13
.
Since the conventional function expansion device
10
has only the floppy disk drive
12
and the CD-ROM drive
13
, an information storage medium which can be used with the function expansion device
10
is limited to a floppy disk and a CD-ROM. Accordingly, the function expansion device
10
cannot use other information storage media available on the market, such as a magneto-optical disk (MO), a high capacity floppy disk (LS-120) or a digital video disk (DVD). That is, the function expansion device
10
is limited in its extendibility, and is inconvenient in use.
Additionally, the conventional function expansion device
10
is not made to be a portable unit, and, the size of the function expansion device
10
is almost the same as that of the notebook-type personal computer
20
. Thus, it is inconvenient for carrying the notebook-type personal computer with the function expansion device
10
attached thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful function expansion device for a portable electronic device in which above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a function expansion device adapted to be attached to a portable electronic device which function expansion device provides a function to use various kinds of information storage media.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a function expansion device having a size smaller than that of a conventional function expansion device.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided according to one aspect of the present invention a function expansion device for expanding a function of a portable electronic device by being detachably attached to the portable electronic device, the function expansion device comprising:
a unit accommodating part which removably accommodates a functional unit, and
wherein the functional unit provides a function to be added to said portable device.
According to the above-mentioned invention, the functional unit can be easily removed from the function expansion device and replaced by a different functional unit which provides a different function to the portable electronic device. That is, one of a plurality of functional units can be selectively accommodated in the unit accommodating part so that different functions can be provided to the portable electronic device. Thus, various functions can be provided to the electronic device with a simple structure and operation.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the function expansion device includes a bay housing detachably attached to a bottom surface of a notebook-type personal computer as the portable electronic device. The bay housing includes a bay into which a drive unit is inserted. The drive unit can be selected from among a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a high-capacity floppy disk drive and a digital video disk drive. Each of the drive units has an identical outer configuration so that each of the drive units can be alternatively attached to the bay housing. Accordingly, even if the bay housing has a single bay, various drive units can be connected to the notebook-type personal computer by merely changing the drive units accommodated in the bay housing.
The function expansion device according to the present invention may further comprise a battery accommodating part which accommodates a battery pack for providing an electric power to at least one of the portable electronic device and the functional unit accommodated in the unit accommodating part.
The function expansion device according to the above-mentioned invention may further comprise a charging circuit charging the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating part.
Accordingly, the function expansion device can be used as a charger for charging the battery pack which provides an electric power to the portable electronic device.
Additionally, in the function expansion device according to the present invention, the battery accommodating part may have a configuration the same as that of a battery accommodating part of the portable electronic device so that a battery pack used for the portable electronic device is used as the battery pack to be accommodated in the battery accommodating part of the function expansion device.
Accordingly, the battery pack accommodated in the function expansion device can be commonly to the battery pack provided in the portable electronic device. Thus, there is no need to prepare a battery pack exclusive for the function expansion device.
Additionally, in the function expansion device according to the present invention, the functional unit may be an adapter which converts a commercially available voltage into a voltage used by the portable electronic device.
Accordingly, the function expansion device can be used as a power supply adapter for supplying a DC voltage to the portable electronic device by converting a commercially available AC voltage into the DC voltage suitable for the potable electronic device.
In the above-mentioned invention, the adapter may include a charging circuit for charging a battery pack provided in the function expansion device.
Accordingly, the function expansion device can be used as a char

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