International Business Machines Corporation

Lexmark International, Inc.

Richard F Pollitt

Neil A Katz

Joseph E Jasinski

Francis James Canova, Jr

Hunter T Foy

Leopoldo L Suarez

C William Frank

Richard F Sapper

Randall W Martin

Michael Sven Miller

Myron F Davis

Hideo Nomura

Shaun Astarabadi

Ernest Wittner

David William Shuman

Charles H Lingle

Frederick E Goetz

Homer Shelton, Jr

Wataru Yoshikawa

Carlos Alberto Alvarez

Lepoldo Lino Suarez

David F Loricchio

Set of battery charge icons for a portion of a liquid crystal display panel

This invention relates to a personal computer with a folding keyboard and, more particularly, to a personal computer contained within a compact enclosure when stored in a non-use position. The personal computer has a clamshell enclosure having first and second housings joined for pivotal movement one relative to the other about an elongate housing axis and between a folded position and a use position. Computer operating components are mounted in the enclosure. A keyboard assembly is operatively associated with the enclosure and the computer operating components and has first and second keyboard portions each bearing manually engageable elements for entering characters and commands. The portions are coupled together for pivotal movement one relative to the other about a keyboard axis perpendicular to the housing axis and coupled with the enclosure for sliding movement relative between a folded, stored position interposed between the housings and an opened, use position partially displaced from and overlying a side edge of the enclosure The keyboard assembly has, when folded about the keyboard axis, dimensions received wholly within the outline configuration of the enclosure.

Personal computer with folding and sliding keyboard

Personal computer with disassociated keyboard

Portable computer housing

A battery operated portable personal computer includes ambient temperature (46) and humidity (48) sensors, as well as two LCD's (52) to provide visual indication that the ambient temperature or humidity is out of range. If the ambient temperature drops below 3 degrees C., or if it rises above 52 degrees C., the computer enters a low power suspend mode wherein the computer is inoperable, but, upon switching from the suspend mode to the resume (operating) mode, the application program that was running at the time of the suspension is resumed at the same point that the suspension occurred. The LCD temperature indicator is activated when the ambient temperature drops below 3 degrees C., or rises above 46 degrees C. Thus, for high temperatures, the temperature indicator is activated 6 degrees before the computer is placed in the suspend mode. The ambient temperature is periodically monitored while in the suspend mode and, if the temperature rises above 6 degrees C., or drops below 44 degrees C., the computer switches from suspend to resume. Thus, hysteresis is provided to prevent the computer from oscillating between suspend and resume modes. If the humidity rises above 96% relative humidity, the computer enters the suspend mode and the LCD humidity indicator is activated. The ambient humidity is periodically monitored in the suspend mode and, if it drops below 87% relative humidity, the computer switches from suspend to resume mode.

Battery operated computer operation suspension in response to

A computer has two processors. A main processor operates under the control of an operating system and provides overall control of the computer for executing application programs. The main processor also assists in power management by executing certain interrupts and controlling a power control register to turn power on and off to various devices. A power management processor monitors ambient temperature and humidity, and battery conditions, and generates interrupts as a result of predetermined changes. Such processor also controls charging of the battery. Logic means are responsive to predetermined conditions to also generate interrupts.

Battery operated computer power management system

This invention relates to a personal computer with a folding keyboard and, more particularly, to a personal computer contained within a compact enclosure when stored in a non-use position. The personal computer has a clamshell enclosure having first and second housings joined for pivotal movement one relative to the other about an elongate housing axis and between a folded position and a use position. Computer operating components are mounted in the enclosure. A keyboard assembly is operatively associated with the enclosure and the computer operating components and has first and second keyboard portions each bearing manually engageable elements for entering characters and commands. The portions are coupled together for pivotal movement one relative to the other about a keyboard axis perpendicular to the housing axis and coupled with the enclosure for sliding movement relative between a folded, stored position interposed between the housings and an opened, use position partially displaced from and overlying a side edge of the enclosure. The keyboard assembly has, when folded about the keyboard axis, dimensions received wholly within the outline configuration of the enclosure.

Personal computer with dissociated keyboard

A combined mouse and trackball having its control ball (15) extend past cover 1. Cover 1 has neck hinges (5) so that it pivots in relations to opposing cover (17). A cable (33) at the front communicates with the computer receiving the control signals from the ball. A switch (43) reverses the significance of front-to-back signals from the ball depending on whether an actuator (45) integral with cover 1 engages the switch. In the closed position of cover 1 the bottom of the devise is flat and the ball is upward for use as a trackball. In the open position of cover 1 the device is formed into a mouse with front and rear surfaces (67, 69) to support the ball for frictional movement on a table (71). Latch surfaces ((25, 57 and 25, 65) hold the covers in the two positions until they are manually released.

Combined mouse and trackball

The computer is adapted to be used and stored on its narrow bottom surface (24), which has an area which is less than the area of the front surface (25) of the computer. A keyboard (4) is pivotally mounted to the back of a cover on the front surface. A floppy disk drive (3) is pivotally mounted behind the cover and the drive can be operated in the open or closed positions. A movable flat display (2) is positioned parallel to the front surface of the computer when the display is in the retracted position. A frictional mechanism (FIG. 5A) permits the display to be positioned at any angle.

Portable personal computer

Growing community of inventors

Highland Beach, FL, United States of America

Richard F Pollitt