Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-05
2004-01-20
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C345S156000, C348S220100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06680845
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus of the type which includes a computer body having a keyboard thereon and a display section having a display screen thereon.
An information processing apparatus is conventionally available wherein a display section is supported for opening and closing movement on a computer body having a keyboard on which a plurality of operation keys are disposed.
An exemplary one of conventional information processing apparatus of the type mentioned is shown in FIG.
30
.
Referring to
FIG. 30
, the information processing apparatus
200
shown includes a computer body
202
having a keyboard
201
which has a plurality of operation keys arranged on an upper face thereof, and a display section
203
supported for pivotal motion at a rear end portion of the computer body
202
. The display section
203
has a display screen
204
and a peripheral portion serving as a frame portion
205
which holds the display screen
204
. The display section
203
can be pivoted with respect to the keyboard
201
to open or close, that is, cover or uncover, the keyboard
201
.
A camera section
206
is provided on the frame portion
205
of the display section
203
. In particular, the frame portion
205
is partly cut away, and the camera section
206
having a horizontally elongated shape is inserted in the cutaway portion of the frame portion
205
. The camera section
206
is supported for pivotal or turning motion in the opposite directions as indicated by a double-sided arrow mark R on the frame portion
205
.
The user can use the information processing apparatus
200
as a computer and perform inputting of information and so forth by operation of the operation keys. The user can use the information processing apparatus
200
also as a video camera. In particular, the user can use the camera section
206
to pick up a still picture or a moving picture and take in and record the picked up image into a recording medium or the like built in the computer body
202
.
In the conventional information processing apparatus
200
described above, however, since the camera section
206
is provided at a portion of the frame portion
205
of the display section
203
, the user can observe the display screen
204
and use the camera section
206
to pick up an image only while the keyboard
201
remains uncovered. Accordingly, the user is likely to operate a wrong one of the operation keys of the keyboard
201
in the uncovered state, resulting in malfunction of the information processing apparatus
200
.
Further, since the camera section
206
is provided in a limited disposition space of part of the frame portion
205
, the information processing apparatus
200
has a drawback in that a camera section of a large size and high picture quality cannot be incorporated in the information processing apparatus
200
and the camera section
206
is limited also in function as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus wherein a camera section has an improved performance and malfunction involved in use of the camera section can be prevented.
In order to attain the object described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising a computer body having a keyboard on which a plurality of operation keys are provided, a display section having a display screen thereon and supported on the computer body for pivotal motion around a fixed axis between a covering position in which the display section covers the computer body and an uncovering position in which the display section does not cover the computer body and for pivotal motion around a second axis extending perpendicularly to the first axis, and a camera section supported for pivotal motion on the computer body.
With the information processing apparatus, the camera section can be used to pick up an image while the keyboard is covered with the display section. Consequently, the image pickup person is prevented from operating the operation keys of the keyboard in error, thereby preventing malfunction of the information processing apparatus caused by such error in operation.
Further, since the camera section is provided on the computer body, a camera section having a large size, high picture quality and high performances can be incorporated as the camera section.
The display section may have a frame portion on which the display screen is held, and a zoom button for changing the angle of view upon image pickup by the camera section may be provided on the frame portion. With the information processing apparatus, the user can operate the zoom button while grasping the information processing apparatus with both hands thereof. Consequently, the information processing apparatus can be used in augmented convenience of use when it is used as a video camera. Further, when the zoom button is used, since the information processing apparatus is grasped with both hands of the user, such a trouble that the information processing apparatus drops inadvertently can be prevented.
Or, the display section may have a frame portion on which the display screen is held, and an image pickup button for allowing image pickup to be performed by the camera section may be provided on the frame portion. With the information processing apparatus, the user can operate the image pickup button while grasping the information processing apparatus with both hands thereof. Consequently, the information processing apparatus can be used in augmented convenience of use when it is used as a video camera.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises a lens protection cap removably mounted on a lens barrel, on which a front lens of the camera section is held, for protecting the front lens, and a holding recess for holding the lens protection cap upon image pickup by the camera section is formed on a face of the computer body opposite to a face on which the keyboard is disposed. With the information processing apparatus, the lens protecting cap removed upon image pickup by the camera section does not move danglingly to make an obstacle to image pickup and eliminates the possibility of missing. Therefore, the information processing apparatus can be used with augmented convenience of use, and a lens of the camera section can be protected with certainty when the camera section is not used.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises an image pickup lit lens which is lit upon image pickup by the camera section such that the image pickup lit lens can be visually observed by a user of the information processing apparatus. With the information processing apparatus, a person whose image is to be picked up can recognize through visual observation of the image pickup lit lens that an image of the person itself is picked up.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising a computer body having a keyboard on which a plurality of operation keys are provided, a display section having a display screen thereon and supported on the computer body for pivotal motion around a fixed axis between a covering position in which the display section covers the computer body and an uncovering position in which the display section does not cover the computer body and for pivotal motion around a second axis extending perpendicularly to the first axis, the display section further having a frame portion for holding the display screen, and a jog dial mounted on the frame portion of the display section for being rotated by a rotating operation and being laterally moved bodily by a pressing operation.
With the information processing apparatus, when the display screen is viewed from the front, the jog dial is positioned normally at the same position as viewed from the user irrespective of whether the display section is pivoted or not pivoted wit
Agata Kenichi
Hisakawa Yuichiro
Yamamoto Takashi
Doung Hung Van
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Schuberg Darren
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