JPH0822353A - Electronic equipment and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a key from being misinputted during the rotation of a keyboard. CONSTITUTION:On the reverse surface of the keyboard, a projection part 10 is provided avoiding a paper feed area 6, and an electronic equipment main body 1 is provided with a hole part 11 at the actual use position of the keyboard so that the projection part 10 is stored. When the keyboard is at the actual use position, the projection part 10 cuts off the light signal of a photosensor, whose output is OFF; when the keyboard is in a rotated state, the output of the photosensor is ON, so that the position of the keyboard is detected. When this detecting means decides that the keyboard is at the actual use position, control for stopping the input of >=1 key is performed to prevent a key from being misinputted during the keyboard rotation and then such trouble that a document which is being created is altered can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a keyboard and its control method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electronic device in which a keyboard is rotatably supported on a main body and a space under the keyboard is used as a storage portion for components and switches, operations such as detachment of storage components and switching of switches are performed. In the case of carrying out these operations, the keyboard is rotated from the actual use position and held by the hand as it is, or the keyboard is held by a means for holding the keyboard at an angle, and then these operations are performed. In addition, even in an electronic device that is equipped with a printing device as seen in recent years and uses the gap between the lower surface of the keyboard and the main body as a paper-passing surface, the same operation is performed when paper feeding or paper jam processing is performed. .

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, while the keyboard is being rotated or in the holding state, a key or the like accidentally touches the key to change the document being produced. Further, when the keyboard is returned from the holding state to the actual use position, there is a risk of causing a trouble such as erroneous input of the key due to the impact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a control method thereof that solve the above problems.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an electronic device provided with a keyboard rotatably provided in a main body, a detecting means for detecting the position of the keyboard, and the detecting means. Control means for stopping the input of at least one or more keys when it is detected that the keyboard is not in the predetermined position.

Further in accordance with the present invention, the control means comprises:
After the detection unit detects that the keyboard has been returned to the predetermined position, input of all keys is stopped for a certain period of time.

Further, in the present invention, the detecting means is provided on the main body and the keyboard, respectively.
It is characterized by having a pair of detection members.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the position of the keyboard is detected, and when it is detected that the keyboard is not at the predetermined position, the input of at least one key is stopped.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that after detecting that the keyboard has been returned to the predetermined position, input of all keys is stopped for a predetermined time.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the detection is performed by a pair of detection members provided on the main body and the keyboard.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when it is determined that the keyboard is not at the actual use position by detecting whether the keyboard is at the actual use position or not, the input of at least one key is stopped. This can prevent erroneous input while the keyboard is rotating. In addition, by detecting that the keyboard is returned from the rotated state to the actual use position,
After that, the input is ignored for the key input within a certain period of time. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous key input due to an impact when the keyboard is returned to the actual use position.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention. Here, 1 is a main body of an electronic device such as a personal computer, 2 is a keyboard pivotally supported in the center of the main body of the electronic device 1 for performing operations such as data input, and an actual use position by a lock mechanism (not shown). Then, as shown in the figure, it is fixed to the electronic device main body 1. The keyboard 2 is provided with an electronic device main body 1 by means of signal transmission means such as a flexible cable (not shown: an optical communication system having a transmitting part in the keyboard 2 and a receiving part in the electronic device main body 1).
It is electrically connected to an internal substrate (not shown). Three
Is a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) rotatably supported on the rear side of the electronic device body 1, a rear portion 4 of the electronic device body 1.
Has a printing device (not shown), and a front portion 5 of the printing device has an automatic paper feeding device (not shown) incorporated therein (axial position and rotation direction of the keyboard 2 and the display 3, The arrangement of the printer and the automatic paper feeder is an example, and other arrangements can be easily considered in the same configuration).

Reference numeral 6 denotes a horizontal sheet passing area which is formed between the upper surface of the electronic device main body 1 and the keyboard 2 and is intended for feeding to the printing apparatus. Further, 7 is a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive as an external recording medium in the lower right front part 8 of the main body, a battery in the lower left front part of the main body, an IC card insertion part in the lower left rear part of the main body, and external peripheral devices in the lower rear part of the main body. It is equipped with various connectors for connection (the external recording medium and the like are not shown in the above. Arrangement thereof is also arbitrary).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rotating state of the keyboard 2. On the electronic device main body 1, a member 9 is provided at a position avoiding the paper passing area 6 to absorb the impact when the keyboard 2 is returned from the rotated state to the actual use position. Although another member is used in this figure, it is also conceivable that a part of the electronic device main body 1 has a convex shape. When the paper is fed to the printing device, the keyboard 2 is rotated and held by hand as it is, or held by a holding mechanism (not shown) at a certain angle as shown in the figure, and then the paper passing area. 6 Set the paper on top. The paper jam processing of the printing device is similarly performed after the keyboard 2 is rotated. A protrusion 10 is provided on the lower surface of the keyboard 2 while avoiding the paper passing area 6, and a hole 11 is provided in the electronic device body 1 so that the protrusion 10 can be accommodated in the actual use position of the keyboard 2. .

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the protrusion 10 and the hole 11 at the actual use position of the keyboard 2. As shown in the figure, a photo sensor 13 as a position detecting means for the keyboard 2 mounted on the substrate 12 is arranged on the back side of the hole 11. When the keyboard 2 is in the actual use position, the optical signal of the photo sensor 13 is blocked by the protrusion 10 and the output of the photo sensor 13 is turned off. When the keyboard 2 is in the rotating state, the output of the photo sensor 13 is output. Turns on, and the position of the keyboard 2 is detected. In the present embodiment, the photo sensor 13 is used as the detection means, but the same applies when a mechanical switch is used. The photo sensor 13 can be replaced with a mechanical switch, and the protrusion 10 can be pressed, or the mechanical switch can be projected on the electronic device body 1 and directly pressed on the lower surface of the keyboard 2. These detecting means detect the output of the keyboard 9, the protrusion 10, and the photo sensor when the keyboard 2 is returned from the rotated state to the actual use state before the keyboard 2 contacts the member 9. 13 are arranged respectively.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the hardware of the electronic device. Reference numeral 20 is a CPU, 21 is a RAM having a work area for the CPU 20, and stores input information from the keyboard 2. 22 is a CPU as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6.
A ROM storing the control procedure of 20 and the control procedure of the entire electronic device, 23 is a display for displaying character information, 24 is a printing device, 25 is a hard disk driver, and 26 is an interface for connection with an external device. Reference numeral 13 is a photo sensor, and 7 is a floppy disk drive.

In the electronic device of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the control is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG. First, at the time when the photo sensor 13 detects that the keyboard 2 has been moved from the actual use position to the rotation state due to paper feeding to the printing device, paper jam processing, etc. (the output of the photo sensor 13 is on). (S1), at least one key input is stopped (S2). In this case, it is of course possible to completely prevent the text or the like from being changed by stopping all the key inputs, but in the case where the operating keys of the printing device are present on the rotating keyboard 2, for example. It is also effective to make it possible to easily perform the above-described paper feeding and paper jam processing operations by allowing only those keys to be input (control in FIG. 4A). Further, even when the operation keys of the printing device are not present on the keyboard 2, the arrow keys 14 which are normally used for moving the cursor on the screen are used for the operation of the printing device when the keyboard is rotated. Can be considered as an example. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, arrow key 1
4, the up arrow key 14a is used to feed paper in the forward direction, the left and right arrow keys 14b and 14c are used to move the carrier in the left and right directions, and the down arrow key 14d is used to feed paper in the reverse direction. A flowchart of this procedure is shown in FIG. Details will be described later.

Next, when the photo sensor 13 detects the shift of the keyboard 2 to the actual use position (the output of the photo sensor 13 shifts from on to off) (S3),
Input of all keys is ignored (S4). At the time of this detection, the keyboard 2 is not yet in contact with the electronic device body 1 including the member 9 as described above. Therefore, if the input of the keyboard 2 is stopped at this point, it is possible to prevent the erroneous input of the key due to the impact of the keyboard 2 coming into contact with the member 9 or the electronic device body 1 thereafter. After this state is maintained for a certain time (S5), the key input is returned to the normal state (S6), and this control is completed (FIG. 4).
(Control of (b)).

In FIG. 6, the function of the designated key is changed between S1 and S2 as described above (S7), and the changed function of the designated key is restored after S6 (S8). Here, the key function is changed before the key input is stopped, but the key input can be stopped first and the function of the remaining key can be changed.

(Other Embodiments) FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the position detecting means for the keyboard 2 according to the present invention. Figure 7
Is a cross-sectional view showing the actual use position of the keyboard 2, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the same rotational state. As shown in FIG. 7, the connector 15 is arranged on the back surface of the keyboard 2 and the connector 16 is arranged on the electronic device body 1 so as to be connected to each other in the actual use position, thereby electrically connecting the keyboard 2 and the electronic device body 1. can do. Connector 15 here
By making at least one of the contact terminal 15a and the contact terminal 16a of the connector 16 elastic (in this embodiment, the contact terminal 16a on the electronic device body 1 side is elastic), a margin for rotation is provided. At the same time, the lockability of the connectors 15 and 16, and more broadly, the lockability between the electronic device body 1 and the keyboard 2 is enhanced. In the rotated state, FIG.
Since the connection between the two connectors 15 and 16 is disconnected as shown in FIG. 7, these can constitute the position detecting means of the keyboard 2, and the key input is automatically stopped in the state of FIG. Also, if all signals are transmitted via the connectors 15 and 16, all key inputs are stopped when the keyboard 2 is rotated, but regarding keys that require operation even during rotation, see the previous section. Some keys can be entered by using a flexible cable to keep the connection always. Also, the contact terminals 15a, 16
A terminal for detecting whether or not the connectors 15 and 16 are connected is provided in one of a, and after detecting that the contact is connected, the input is disregarded for the key input within a certain period of time. By performing the control of FIG. 4 (b),
As in the previous section, it is possible to prevent erroneous key input due to an impact when the keyboard 2 is returned to the actual use position.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, at least when it is determined that the keyboard pivotally supported by the main body is not in the actual use position by detecting whether the keyboard is in the actual use position or not. By controlling the inputting of one or more keys, it is possible to prevent erroneous inputting of the keys while the keyboard is rotating, and it is possible to prevent troubles such as a document being produced being changed. Also, when it is detected that the keyboard has been changed from the rotating state to the actual use position, the impact of returning the key to the actual use position by ignoring the input for a key input within a certain period of time. It is effective in preventing erroneous key input.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to the present invention with a keyboard in a practical use position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device according to the present invention in which the keyboard is in a rotating state.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor unit that detects the position of a keyboard.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart regarding control for stopping key input after detecting the position of the keyboard.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of the keyboard when the function of the key is changed depending on the position of the keyboard.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart regarding control at the time of change.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where a keyboard according to another embodiment of the present invention is in an actual use position.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where the keyboard is also in a rotating state.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of hardware according to the embodiment of this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device main body 2 Keyboard 3 Display 6 Paper passing area 10 Protrusions provided on the lower surface of the keyboard 11 Holes provided on the electronic device main body 13 Photo sensor 15 Connector provided on the lower surface of the keyboard 16 Provided on the electronic device main body Connector

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device comprising a keyboard rotatably provided in a main body, wherein a detecting means for detecting a position of the keyboard, and a case where the detecting means detects that the keyboard is not in a predetermined position. , At least 1
An electronic device, comprising: a control means for stopping the input of at least one key. 2. The control means according to claim 1, wherein after the detection means detects that the keyboard has been returned to the predetermined position, input of all keys is stopped for a certain period of time. Electronic equipment to do. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the detection means has a pair of detection members provided on the main body and the keyboard, respectively. 4. A method of controlling an electronic device, comprising detecting the position of a keyboard, and stopping the input of at least one key when it is detected that the keyboard is not at a predetermined position. 5. The control method for an electronic device according to claim 4, wherein after detecting that the keyboard has been returned to the predetermined position, input of all keys is stopped for a certain period of time. 6. The method of controlling an electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the detection is performed by a pair of detection members provided on the main body and the keyboard, respectively.