PORTABLE COMPUTERThe present invention relates to portable computers, and more particularly a portable computer which is equipped with a tracking device.
Advanced portable computers are commonly equipped with a tracking device. A tracking device can be a trackball, a trackpoint, or touchpad. However, as such a tracking device is directly disposed on the keyboard of a portable computer, the operator may feel inconvenienced when operating certain keys of the keyboard, or may touch certain keys by mistake when using a trackball. To reduce the inconvenience,US Pat. No. 5, 438, 530 provides a portable computer with a trackball, in which the trackball can be pulled out of the computer from one side, and then set at one side of the keyboard. However, regular trackballs, trackpoints and touchpads commonly provide at least two function keys.
When operating a tracking device, the user must use one finger or palm to operate the device for moving the cursor on the screen, and use another finger(s) to operate the function keys. Because of this inconvenient operation, most people like to hook-up a mouse and use it instead of using the equipped trackball, trackpoint or touchpad. Therefore, there is a demand for a portable computer which is equipped with a tracking device that is easy to operate and that can be moved out of the base unit of the portable computer within a certain distance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer which avoids the afore-mentioned inconvenience when operating certain keys of the keyboard.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple structure to couple a tracking device with a portable computer.
The present invention consists in a portable computer comprising:a base unit;an electronic unit in said base unit;a screen controlled by said electronic unit;a keyboard on said base unit;a receiving chamber provided at said base unit;a tracking device;and signal transmitting means adapted to transmit signal from said tracking device to said electronic unit, causing said electronic unit to move a cursor on said screen;wherein said tracking device can be moved between a first position where said tracking device is housed in said receiving chamber, and a second position where said tracking device is disposed outside said base unitHolding means may be provided to hold the tracking device in the first position.
In preferred embodiments a mouse is provided, which is the most popular tracking device, which can be housed inside the portable computer so that users do not have to connect another mouse, unlike a conventional portable computer.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the portable computerwhere the tracking device is received inside a base unit, in a firstposition, and a cover at the base unit is closed;Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing thetracking device moved to a second position outside the base unit;Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention;Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention;Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention;Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention, andFigure 8 is a perspective view of a portable computer with atracking device according to a sixth embodiment of the presentinvention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a portable computer 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is generally comprised of a base unit 20, a screen 22, a keyboard 23, and a disk driver 24. An electronic unit 21 disposed in the base unit 20 comprises the operation centre of the portable computer. The electronic unit 21 is comprised of aCPU (central processing unit), memory means, input/output control means, etc.. The structure of the electronic unit 21 is disclosed inEuropean Pat. App. Serial No. 0570147. Furthermore, the base unit 20 has a battery box mounted inside (not shown).
The base unit 20 comprises a receiving chamber 40 adapted to receive a tracking device 30, in the form of a mouse, and a holding means 50 adapted to hold the tracking device 30 inside the receiving chamber 40. The holding means 50 can be, for example, a cover 51.
When the tracking device 30 is not in use and retained inside the receiving chamber 40 by the cover 51, it is retained in a first position 71, Figure 2.
When the cover 51 is opened, the tracking device 30 is moved out of the base unit 20 from the first position 71 to the second position 72, Figures 1 and 3. When the tracking device 30 is in use, tracking signal is transmitted from the tracking device 30 to the electronic unit 21 through a signal transmitting means 60, for example, a cable 61, causing the electronic unit 31 to move a cursor 32 on the screen 22. The cable 61 can be connected with a cable rewinder 64 such as is widely used for automatically rewinding the cable of electronic products, such as a vacuum cleaner, earphone etc.. The cable rewinder 64 may be eliminated. When the tracking device 30 is not in use, the user has only to collect the cable 61 and the tracking device 30 together and put them into the receiving chamber 40.
Figure 4 shows a portable computer according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the signal transmitting means 60 is a winding cable (similar to or the same as the handset cord of a telephone set) that can be conveniently pulled out of the base unit 20 and then put back inside the receiving chamber 40.
Figure 5 shows a portable computer according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in which the holding means 50 holds the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber 40 by means of a friction force, i.e. a friction force produced between the periphery of the receiving chamber 40 and the tracking device 30 when the tracking device 30 is put inside the receiving chamber 40, thereby causing the tracking device 30 to be retained in the receiving chamber 40. According to this embodiment, the base unit 20 has a top opening 54 above the receiving chamber 40, and a notch 55 at one side of the top opening 54.
Through the top opening 54, the tracking device 30 can be conveniently put into the receiving chamber 40. Through the notch 55, the fingers can be inserted into the receiving chamber 40 to pull up the tracking device 30 out of the receiving chamber 40 and the top opening 54.
Figure 6 shows a portable computer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the holding means 50 holds the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber 40 by means of a friction force. Through the notch 56, the tracking device 30 can be pushed out of the base unit 20 with the fingers.
Figure 7 shows a portable computer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The holding means 50 shows another way to hold the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber 40.
The tracking device 30 comprises two longitudinal sliding grooves 52 on two opposite lateral sides thereof; the receiving chamber 40 has two longitudinal rails 53 bilaterally disposed on the inside. When the tracking device 30 is inserted into the receiving chamber 40, the longitudinal sliding grooves 52 are respectively forced into engagement with the longitudinal rails 53 inside the receiving chamber 40.
Figure 8 shows a portable computer according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, in which the signal transmitting means 60 is an infrared transmitter/receiver device 62 comprised of an infrared transmitter 621 mounted on the tracking device 30, and an infrared receiver 622 mounted in the base unit 20 of the computer 10.
Because the technology of transmitting the signals by infrared-rays is well-known, the structure of the infrared device is not disclosed herein.
According to the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention, the tracking device 30 is retained in the receiving chamber 40 by means of a friction force. In order to produce a sufficient friction force for holding the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber 40, the dimensions of the receiving chamber 40 and the size of the tracking device 30 must fit each other. In addition, using the convex-concave contact portion between the receiving chamber 40 and the tracking device 30 is a simple way to hold the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber. However, the subject matter of the present invention is not to improve the holding or locking means. Actually, there are many different mechanisms of the holding means 50 to achieve the same function mentioned above. Hook means or snap means may be used to hold the tracking device 30 in the receiving chamber 40. Even a more sophisticated mechanism could be implemented, like, for example, the ejection mechanism of a CD-ROM Driver by which a CD can be ejected by pressing an ejection button. Similar or modified structure can also be implemented in the present invention.
It is to be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.