GB2374696A

GB2374696A - Portable Drawing Viewer

Info

Publication number: GB2374696A
Application number: GB0203810A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Herman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-22
Filing date: 2002-02-18
Publication date: 2002-10-23
Also published as: GB0203810D0

Abstract

A portable drawing viewer (1) comprises a flat panel display screen (4); a microprocessor, and storage including memory, all contained by one case (2), the storage containing program instructions for operating the processor to display drawings contained by drawing files stored in the storage but not allowing modification of the drawings, independent of any properties or attributes of the drawings files. The preferred minimum dimensions for the display screen are at least 43cm by 30cm (more preferably 60cm by 43cm) correspond approximately to A2 size paper. The software ensures that no amendment can be made to the drawing on the viewer. A flat panel display screen may be implemented in any technology, e.g. thin film transistor/liquid crystal (TFT), plasma or folded cathode ray tube. As an example the thickness of the panel is less than 5% of the largest dimension of the panel. The viewer may be environmentally sealed. The viewer is used on building sites as a replacement for paper drawings, to view CAD drawings.

Description

PORTABLE DRAWING VIEWER This invention relates to portable drawing viewers.

Currently, portable devices for viewing drawings made using computer aided design packages, are limited, effectively, to so called note book computers. Especially on building sites, they are not suited to the task for a number of reasons. Drawings used in the construction industry are usually A 1 size, i. e. 86cm by 60cm. Current note book computers have display screens which are too small to usefully view such drawings.

Furthermore, it would be undesirable to release to a contractor a drawing file that they could amend. This might lead to unauthorised changes being made, leading to disputes as to what drawings had been supplied. These problems, amongst others leads to the continuing use of paper drawings. These are inconvenient and expensive tc produce, redundant when a revision is made, wasteful of resources and easily damaged.

Against this background, there is provided a portable drawing viewer, comprising: a flat panel display screen; a microprocessor, and storage including memory, all contained by one case, the storage containing program instructions for operating the processor to display drawings contained by drawing files stored in the storage but not allowing modification of the drawings, independent of any properties or attributes of the drawings files. The preferred minimum dimensions for the display screen are at least 43cm by 30cm (more preferably 60cm by 43cm) correspond approximately to A2 size paper. A full A 1 drawing can generally be reduced to this size and still remain readable.

The software ensures that no amendment can be made to the drawing on th 3 viewer. A flat panel display screen may be implemented in any technology, e. g. thin filrl transistor/liquid crystal (TFT), plasma or folded cathode ray tube. As an example the thickness of the panel is less than 5% of the largest dimension of the panel.

Another problem in using a conventional notebook computer on a build, ng site is that the arrangement of a the display screen and the keyboard as separate items hinged together is not at all convenient. What the builder wants is to be able to hold the drawing

up more or less as if it were a sheet of paper. That is difficult with a notebook computer and if the screen is so grasped, the keyboard is dangling off it. To address this problem the display screen is preferably viewable without opening the casing. In an embodiment the screen is mounted on one side of a rectangular casing and can thus be viewed much as if it were a paper drawing.

The viewer preferably has an input port via which drawing files may be input into the storage.

Many of the disputes with contractors arise because they claim not to have had a late issue of a drawing containing amendments not included in one they adr lit to having.

The invention extends to a viewer in combination with a docking station, operatively connectable to the input port for inputting drawing files. The docking station can be used, say overnight, to automatically update the drawing files contained in the storage.

The storage may include a hard disc drive.

Especially for use on building sites, the case is preferably environmentally sealed.

In order to avoid the need for an alpha numeric keyboard, the program, when run, preferably operates the processor to display, on the display screen, a list of drawings files stored in storage, and the viewer includes a manual input device for selecting drawings from the list to display on the display screen One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a portable drawing viewer embodying the invention ; Figure 2 is a view of one end of the viewer of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the other end of the viewer of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a top view of the viewer of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a block diagram of the viewer of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a schematic of a full CAD system including a docking station for the viewer of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the viewer 1 has a case 2, through an aperture in which a TFT flat panel display screen 4 is visible. The aperture may be closed by a fixed transparent panel, not shown, part of the case 2. The case has a carrying handle 6 and a shoulder strap 8.

The screen 4 has a display area of 60cm by 45cm, corresponding to A2 paper size, but more generally is preferably at least 43cm by 30cm.

Referring to Figure 4, at each end the case has a pod 10,12. The pod 12 contains a rechargeable battery 16 which is accessible through a cover 14. The pod 10 contains a microprocessor 18, storage 20 and an input interface 22 all interconnected, with the screen 4, by a data/address bus 24. In operation, the processor 18 transfer ; software instructions and data from a hard disc drive 26 to memory 28, so as to display first a list of drawings whose drawing files are contained by the hard drive 26. A drawing to be displayed is selected from the list using either a track ball 30, or specific command keys (not shown) or a numeric key pad 32. All these are on the same face of the viewer as the screen. The software is arranged to retrieve a drawing file of a selected drawing from the hard drive and to display the drawing on the screen 4. The software does not allow modification of the drawings regardless of any attributes or properties liven to the drawing files.

The interface 22 terminates in a connector concealed, in the drawings, behind a closure 34. To add or update drawings, a connector 36 is attached to the interface 22 In the example illustrated, the connector 36 belongs to a docking static n which is part of a full CAD system 40 comprising a system unit 42, a keyboard 44 a visual display unit 46 and a mouse (not shown). The CAD system 40 has full software enabling drawings to be made and amended. The software includes routines to copy drawing files to the viewer 1, via the docking station 38.

In another example, not illustrated, the docking station may be separa e from the full CAD system connected thereto by telephone line. The docking station could, thus, be in a site office while the full CAD system is in a remote design office. In this event, the docking station could be provided with its own TFT screen and limited software, so that drawings can be displayed but not modified. The screen is preferably fl. ll Al size: 86cm by 60cm. The station is mains operated.

Claims

1. A portable drawing viewer, comprising: a flat panel display screen ; a microprocessor, and storage including memory, all contained by one case, the storage containing program instructions for operating the processor to display on the screen drawings contained by drawing files stored in the storage but not allowing modification of the drawings, independent of any properties or attributes of the drawings files.

2. A viewer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the screen has dimensions at least 43cm by 30cm

3. A viewer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the display screen is viewable without opening the casing.

4. A viewer as claimed in any preceding claim, having an input port via which drawing files may be input into the storage.

5. A viewer as claimed in claim 4, in combination with a docking station, operatively connectable to the input port for inputting drawing files.

6. A viewer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the storage includes a hard disc drive.

7. A viewer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the case is environmentally sealed.

8. A viewer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the program, when run, operates the processor to display, on the display screen, a list of drawings files stored in storage, and the viewer includes a manual input device for selectin J drawings from the list to display on the display screen.

9. A viewer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the input device includes keys switches operable from the face of the viewer containing the display screen.

10. A method of building a structure in accordance with construction drawings, including the steps of storing construction drawings files in storage conatined

in one case with a flat panel display screen and a microprocessor; and operating the microprocessor by a program contained in the storage to display a selected drawing on the flat panel display, the program being incapable of operating the microprocessor to modify the drawing, independent of any properties or attributes of the drawir g file.

11. A method of building a structure in accordance with claim 10, wherein the display screen is viewable without opening the casing.