Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Patent
1997-01-08
1998-08-04
Feild, Lynn D.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
345 1, 345903, 361681, G06F 116
Patent
active
057903719
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a display for a computer system, and in particular to a modular display that are selectively connected to one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
In spite of the increasing spread of personal computers, the possibilities for application and use of these products are limited. It is still the case that dealing with conventional means of working such as "pencil and paper" is in many cases simpler, more intuitive and more efficient. Some users wish to have a universally employable mobile personal computer whose use is as simple and intuitive as the use of "pencil and paper", but the functionality of conventional personal computers is intended to be as far as possible unrestrictedly available.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a modular and extendible electronic working surface which is intended to meet this requirement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,781 (Crossland et al.) discloses a data processing device with a flat screen based on liquid crystal displays, the flat screen being able to be removed from the main unit and being equipped with its own processor and memory and its own control and power supply. German Patent DE 3700765 C2 discloses a display device for the static and dynamic display of an item of information on a display field which is arranged like a matrix and has light-emitting elements and has display columns and rows, is composed of constructional units which are lined up in a row and can be connected mechanically and electrically and is equipped with a programmable electronic contro3 circuit. German Offenlegungsschrift (laid-open application) DE 42 44 584 A1 discloses a method and an arrangement for interlinking electrooptical picture wall modules with the aid of optical bus systems.
These known objects and other conventional devices with this objective, "notebooks", "personal digital assistants" or "pen computers", by comparison with the use of "pencil and paper", have inter alia the disadvantage that the working area (working surface) which is available is restricted and is fixedly prescribed by the manufacturer of the device, or that they do not combine the following properties: the screen,
Furthermore, conventional personal computers are characterized by a fixedly limited screen size and by a strictly two-dimensional display surface.
The invention is based on the object of providing an electronic working surface with a sensitive top surface, in which the arrangement and size of the working surface can be adapted to the purpose of use. This and other objects are achieved, according to the invention, by a modular and extendible electronic working surface in which the working surface comprises a plurality of basic elements which are plugged together; the working surface can be enlarged or reduced or divided by the addition of further basic elements or by taking away basic elements; the top surfaces of at least two basic elements are configured as a sensitive flat screen with which data can be displayed and via which data can also be input into the working surface, the at least two basic elements in each case having at least one processor with which application programs can be processed; the side surfaces of a basic element are provided with devices which make possible the reversible plugging together of the basic elements and an exchange of data between the basic elements; at least some of the basic elements have a functionality which is independent of other basic elements, and at least some of the basic elements can exchange data via the devices, as a result of which a joint functionality of the respective basic elements is realized.
According to the latter, the working surface comprises one or more basic elements which are plugged together, with the result that by means of adding further basic elements or by taking away basic elements the working surface can be enlarged, reduced or divided. The top surface of a basic element is configured as a sensitive flat screen (fla
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S. Depp et al., "Flat-Panel Displays", Scientific American, Mar. 1993, pp. 40-45.
W. Muller: Steigende Netzspannung, Offentliche netzwerke, SCREEN Multimedia, Mar. 1994, pp. 20-23.
M. Radcliffe, "Let Your Agent To The Walking", Top of the News, PC World, Feb. 1994, pp. 56, 58 and 92-101.
Karls Ingolf
Latocha Wanda
Feild Lynn D.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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