Patent ID: 6259597
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A portable electronic device including a base unit accommodating components therein and having a keyboard mounted on a top surface thereof, together with a cover being rotatably hinged at a rear end of said base unit to have an open position and a closed position relative to said base unit, said cover being provided with a flat panel display on a surface that is concealed in said closed position, comprising:a touch panel section formed by affixing transparent resistive film sheets onto both of front and back surfaces of a transparent glass plate respectively, thereby forming a touch-sensitive area at each of opposite sides of said touch panel section;means for rotatably hinging said touch panel section at a rear end of said base unit;means, being operative when said touch panel section is rotated toward said flat panel display, for fixing said touch panel section to said cover so as to maintain one of said opposite sides of said touch panel section at a predetermined distance from the surface of said flat panel display;means, being operative when said touch panel section is rotated toward said keyboard, for maintaining another of said opposite sides of said touch panel section in a substantially horizontal manner at a predetermined distance above an upper surface of said keyboard; andmeans for electrically connecting one or more electrode terminals of said resistive film sheets to a given component accommodated in said base unit.