Abstract:
An electronic device including a lower body, an upper body, a first screen, a second screen and a detecting element is provided. The upper body is pivotally connected to the lower body and capable to rotate relatively. When the upper body rotates to make the detector detect that the upper body is at a closed position, the electronic device is switched to a first mode, the second screen disposed on an external surface of the upper body displays a first image. When the upper body rotates to make the detecting element detect that the upper body is at an opening position, the electronic device is switched to a second mode, and the first screen disposed on an inner surface of the upper body displays the first frame.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/651,561, filed on May 25, 2012 and Taiwan application serial no. 102110020, filed on Mar. 21, 2013. The entirety of each of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0002]    With the development of electronic technology, electronic devices such as a notebook computer (NB), a tablet computer and a smart phone are widely used in our daily life due to its convenience and practicability. 
         [0003]    Moreover, the electronic device becomes more diversified. For example, the electronic device is integrated to a single body to improve the portability and the convenience. The electronic device such as the notebook computer is usually configured with a single screen to display. However, to add the function, a touch screen of a notebook computer may be capable of turning over via the improvement on the structure, and the notebook computer can be regarded as a tablet computer when the notebook computer is closed. However, although the notebook computer also can be used as a tablet computer, the mode switching is complex and not intuitive. Moreover, the electronic device only can be used for a single user, and the image on the screen cannot be shared by multiple users. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes dual screens, and the screen to display the image is changed according to the position of the upper body of the electronic device. 
         [0005]    The electronic device includes a lower body, an upper body, a first screen, a second screen and a detector. The upper body is pivotally connected to the lower body, and the upper body rotates between a closed position and an open position relative to the lower body. The upper body includes an inner surface and an external surface relative to the inner surface. The inner surface of the upper body faces the lower body. The first screen and the second screen are disposed at the inner surface and the external surface of the upper body respectively. The detector is used for detecting the relative location of the upper body and the lower body. 
         [0006]    When the upper body rotates relative to the lower body and the detector detects that the upper body is at the closed position, the electronic device is switched to a first mode, and the second screen displays a first image. When the upper body rotates relative to the lower body and the detector detects that the upper body is at the open position, the electronic device is switched to a second mode, and the first screen displays the first image. 
         [0007]    Based on above, when the upper body of the electronic device rotates relative to the lower body, the detector detects the position of the upper body and makes the electronic device be switched to a first mode or a second mode. When the upper body is at the first mode, the electronic device make the second screen display a first image. When the upper body is at the second mode, the electronic device make the first screen display the first image. Thus, the electronic device includes dual screens, and the screen for displaying the image is switched automatically according to the positions of the upper body of the electronic device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device is at a closed position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 1  is at the open position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 1  is at the closed position and the electronic device is at a first mode. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 2  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a second mode. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 4  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a third mode. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device in  FIG. 4  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a fourth mode. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing that the electronic device in  FIG. 1  switches among modes. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram showing the electronic device in  FIG. 1  transmits the control signal. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device is at a closed position.  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device in  FIG. 1  is at an open position. Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the electronic device  100  includes a lower body  110 , an upper body  120 , a first screen  130 , a second screen  140  and a detector  150 . 
         [0017]    The upper body  120  is pivotally connected to the lower body  110 , and the upper body  120  rotates relative to the lower body  110  between the closed position P 1  and the open position P 2 . The upper body  120  includes an inner surface  122  and an external surface  124  opposite to the inner surface  122 , and the inner surface  122  of the upper body  120  faces the lower body  110 . Thus, when the upper body  120  rotates to the closed position P 1  relative to the lower body  110 , the upper body  120  overlaps the lower body  110 , and the inner surface  122  is hidden between the upper body  120  and the lower body  110 . When the upper body  120  rotates to the open position P 2  relative to the lower body  110 , the inner surface  122  and the external surface  124  are exposed from the electronic device  100 . 
         [0018]    In this embodiment, the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  are disposed at the inner surface  122  and the external surface  124  of the upper body  120  respectively. Furthermore, the lower body  110  further includes an input module  112  such as a keyboard module or a touch pad module, the input module  112  is disposed at the lower body  110  to control the electronic device  100 , the type and the setting of the input module are not limited herein. Thus, the electronic device  100  such as a notebook computer can be used as a tablet computer. The kind of the electronic device  100  is not limited. 
         [0019]    Furthermore, the detector  150  may be disposed at the lower body  110 , and it can detect the position of the upper body  120  relative to the lower body  110 . The detector  150  may be a magnetic element to detect the position of the upper body  120  via the magnetism detecting. However, the detector  150  also can be disposed at the upper body  120 , and the detector  150  can be other type of elements with the detecting function such as one or a composition of a capacitance sensor and a proximity sensor. The position and the type of the detector  150  are not limited herein. 
         [0020]    In this embodiment, the detector  150  is disposed at the lower body  110 . When the upper body  120  rotates relative to the lower body  110 , the detector  150  is used to detect that the upper body  120  is at the closed position P 1  or the open position P 2 . Thus, when the upper body  120  rotates relative to the lower body  110  and the detector  150  detects that the upper body  120  is at the closed position P 1 , the electronic device  100  is switched to a first mode M 1  to make the second screen  140  display a first image F 1 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . When the upper body  120  rotates relative to the lower body  110  and the detector  150  detects that the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2 , the electronic device  100  is switched to a second mode M 2  to make the first screen  130  display a first image F 1 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 1  is at the closed position and the electronic device is at a first mode.  FIG. 4  is schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device in  FIG. 2  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a second mode. Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  is disposed at the inner surface  122  and the external surface  124  of the upper body  120  respectively. When the upper body  120  is at the closed position P 1 , the electronic device  100  is at the first mode M 1 , and the first mode M 1  may be a tablet mode, that is, the second screen  140  displays a first image F 1  to be used as a tablet computer, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 . 
         [0022]    When the upper body  120  rotates from the closed position P 1  to the open position P 2  relative to the lower body  110 , the detector  150  detects the distance between the upper body  120  and the lower body  110  or the rotation angle of the upper body  120  relative to the lower body  110  to determine the position of the upper body  120 . When the detector  150  detects that the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2 , the electronic device  100  is switched from the first mode M 1  to the second mode M 2  automatically. The second mode M 2  can be a notebook computer mode and the first screen  130  display a first image F 1 , the electronic device can be used as a notebook computer, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 . 
         [0023]    Furthermore, when the electronic device  100  is at a first mode M 1 , since the first screen  130  is hidden between the lower body  110  and the upper body  120 , the electronic device  100  makes the second screen  140  display the first image F 1 . When the electronic device  100  is at the second mode M 2 , the electronic device  100  changes to make the first screen  130  display the first image F 1  to allow the user to operate the input module  112  at the lower body  110  when watching the first image F 1  via the first screen  130 . 
         [0024]    In this embodiment, the electronic device  100  is switched between the first mode M 1  and the second mode M 2  to make the first image F 1  displayed between the second screen  140  and the first screen  130 . In other words, when the upper body  120  rotates from the closed position P 1  relative to the lower body  110  and the detector  150  detects that the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2 , the first image F 1  displayed by the second screen  140  is converted to be displayed on the first screen  130  when the upper body  120  rotates. 
         [0025]    At the time, the second screen  140  does not display the first image F 1 , but the second screen  140  can display preset wallpaper or other images, and the image displayed on the second screen  140  can be changed according to the background color of the first image F 1 . Thus, when the upper body  120  rotates to the open position P 2  or even in the process that the upper body  120  rotates to the open position P 2 , others except the user of the electronic device  100  cannot watch the first image F 1  from the second screen  140  to protect the privacy of the users, and the appearance of the electronic device  100  is beautiful. 
         [0026]    Similarly, when the upper body  120  rotates from the open position P 2  relative to the lower body  110  and the detector  150  detects that the upper body  120  is at the closed position P 1 , the first image F 1  displayed by the first screen  130  is changed to be displayed on the second screen  140 . The electronic device  100  is changed between the first mode M 1  and the second mode M 2  according to the rotation of the upper body  120  relative to the lower body  110 . The second screen  140  or the first screen  130  displays the same image according to the modes without interrupting the operation process of the electronic device  100  in switching the modes. Moreover, the size of the first screen  130  is the same as that of the second screen  140 . Thus, whether the first screen  130  or the second screen  140  has the same effect in displaying the first image F 1 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device at  FIG. 4  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a third mode.  FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing that the upper body of the electronic device in  FIG. 4  is at the open position and the electronic device is at a third mode. Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, when the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2 , the electronic device  100  is switched to the third mode M 3 , the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  display the first image F 1  simultaneously. 
         [0028]    When the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2 , the electronic device  100  is switched to the fourth mode M 4 , the first screen  130  displays the first image F 1 , and the second screen  140  displays the second image F 2  which is different from the first image F 1 . In this embodiment, the electronic device  100  further includes a trigger element  160 , and the trigger element  160  is disposed at a side  114  of the lower body  110 . The electronic device  100  is switched from the second mode M 2  to the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4  via the trigger element  160 . In this embodiment, the trigger element  160  is a physical button, it also can be a specific signal inputted by the input module  112 , which is not limited herein. 
         [0029]    When the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2  and the electronic device  100  is at the second mode M 2 , the electronic device  100  can be switched from the second mode M 2  to the third mode M 3  via the trigger element  160 . Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the third mode M 3  can be a minor mode in which the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  displays the first image F 1  simultaneously. At the moment, the electronic device  100  make both the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  display the first image F 1 , multi players can watch the same image such as the same film from two opposite directions (the direction facing the inner surface  122  and the external surface  124 , respectively) via the first screen  130  and the second screen  140 . Thus, it can add the function of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0030]    Furthermore, when the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2  and the electronic device  100  is at the third mode M 3 , the electronic device  100  can be switched from the third mode M 3  to the fourth mode M 4  via the trigger element  160 . Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the fourth mode M 4  is an extend mode, the first screen  130  still displays the first image F 1 , and the second screen  140  displays the second image F 2  which is different from the first image F 1 . The electronic device  100  can make the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  display two different images such as the first image F 1  and the second image F 2  by software. Different users can watch the different images from two opposite directions (face the inner surface  122  and face the external surface  124 ) via the first screen  130  and the second screen  140 . For example, the first image F 1  is for editing files, the user can edit the file by the input module  112 . The second image F 2  is for playing the video, thus different users can has different operation at the same time. The electronic device  100  has diverse functions. 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  may be touch display screens, which is not limited herein. When the electronic device  100  is switched to the first mode M 1 , the second mode M 2 , the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4 , the first screen  130  and/or the second screen  140  display the first image F 1  and/or the second image F 2 , and the user can operate the electronic device  100  by touching the first screen  130  and/or the second screen  140 . 
         [0032]    When the electronic device  100  is at the first mode M 1 , the second screen  140  displays the first image F 1  and can be regarded as an input interface, and the electronic device can be operated by touching the second screen  140 . When the electronic device  100  is at the second mode M 2 , the first screen  130  displays the first image F 1 , and the electronic device  100  takes the input module  112  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) and the first screen  130  as the input interface, for example, the user operates the electronic device  100  by using the keyboard or touching the first screen  130 . 
         [0033]    Furthermore, when the electronic device  100  is at the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4 , the first screen  130  displays the first image F 1 , the second screen  140  displays the first image F 1  or the second image F 2  correspondingly, and the electronic device  100  takes the input module  112  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  as the input interfaces. When the electronic device  100  takes the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  as the input interface, the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  is touched to operate the electronic device. The electronic device  100  can simultaneously receive the signal inputted by the first screen  130  and the second screen  140 , and thus the electronic device  100  has the two-way interactive function by the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  when it is at the third mode M 3  and the fourth mode M 4 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing that the electronic device in  FIG. 1  switches the mode.  FIG. 7  shows the switching sequence and the switching method among the first mode M 1 , the second mode M 2 , the third mode M 3  and the fourth mode M 4  of the electronic device  100 . A thin solid line arrow represents that the two modes are switched automatically by the rotation of the upper body  120  relative to the lower body  110 . A thick broken line represents that the two modes are switched by the trigger element  160 . The switching sequence shows in  FIG. 7  is just an embodiment, and the invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, the electronic device  100  can be switched automatically between the first mode M 1  and the second mode M 2  by rotating the upper body  120  relative to the lower body  110 . When the electronic device  100  is at the second mode M 2  and the upper body  120  is at the open position P 2  simultaneously, the electronic device  100  can be switched from the second mode M 2  to the third mode M 3  via the trigger element  160 , and then it can be switched from the third mode M 3  to the fourth mode M 4  via the trigger element  160 , and then switched from the fourth mode M 4  back to the second mode M 2  via the trigger element  160 , as shown in the thick broken line arrow. 
         [0036]    Moreover, when the electronic device  100  is at the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4 , the electronic device  100  is switched from the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4  to the first mode M 1  by rotating the upper body  120  to the closed position P 1  (as shown in  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 3 , or  FIG. 6  to  FIG. 3 , and the thin solid line arrows shown in  FIG. 7 ). When the upper body  120  is rotated to the open position P 2  again, the electronic device  100  is switched from the first mode M 1  to the second mode M 2  automatically. The mode of the electronic device  100  can be easily switched. 
         [0037]    However, the switching sequence of the electronic device  100  via the trigger element  160  is not limited to the sequence from the second mode M 2  to the third mode M 3  and then to the fourth mode M 4 . The switching sequence of the electronic device  100  via the trigger element  160  also may be from the second mode M 2  to the fourth mode M 4 , and then to the third mode M 3 . The second mode M 2  can be directly switched to the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4  by driving the trigger element  160  in different modes such as at different driving time, and the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4  is switched back to the second mode M 2  via the trigger element  160  drove in the above mode. The switching sequence of the electronic device  100  among the second mode M 2 , the third mode M 3  and the fourth mode M 4  is not limited herein. 
         [0038]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram showing the electronic device in  FIG. 1  transmits the control signal. Referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the electronic device  100  further includes a control module  170 . The control module  170  is connected to the detector  150  and the trigger element  160  to receive the control signal outputted by the detector  150  and the trigger element  160 , and the control module  170  detects the mode corresponding to the control signal to make the electronic device  100  switched to the first mode M 1 , the second mode M 2 , the third mode M 3  or the fourth mode M 4 . 
         [0039]    The control module  170  includes a controller  172 , a first signal source  174  and a second signal source  176 . The controller  172  has control software  172   a . The controller  172  is connected to the detector  150  and the trigger element  160  to receive the control signal and determines the mode corresponding to the control signal via the control software  172   a . The controller  172  is connected to a first signal source  174  and a second signal source  176  to transmit the control signal to the first signal source  174  and the second signal source  176 . 
         [0040]    The first signal source  174  and the second signal source  176  are connected to the first screen  130  and the second screen  140  respectively. After the control software  172   a  determines the mode corresponding to the control signal, the controller  172  transmits the control signal to the first signal source  174  to make the first signal source  174  drive or not drive the first screen  130  to display the first image F 1 . Simultaneously, the controller  172  transmits the control signal to the second signal source  176  to make the second signal source  176  drive or not drive the second screen  140  to display the first image F 1  or the second image F 2 . 
         [0041]    When the detector  150  detects the upper body  120  rotates from the closed position P 1  to the open position P 2 , the detector  150  transmits the control signal to the controller  172  and detects that the electronic device  100  should be switched to the second mode M 2  via the control software  172   a . The controller  172  transmits the control signal corresponding to the second mode M 2  to the first signal source  174  and the second signal source  176 . The first signal source  174  drive the first screen  130  to display the first image F 1 , the second signal source  176  drives the second screen  140  to display the preset image such as the wallpaper to make the electronic device  100  at the second mode M 2 . 
         [0042]    When the electronic device  100  is at the second mode M 2  and the trigger element  160  is driven, the trigger element  160  transmits the control signal to the controller  172  and the control software  172   a  determines that the electronic device  100  should be switched to the third mode M 3 . Thus, the controller  172  transmits the control signal corresponding to the third mode M 3  to the first signal source  174  and the second signal source  176 . At the moment, the first signal source  174  drives the first screen  130  to display the first image F 1 , the second signal source  176  drives the second screen  140  to display the first image F 1 , and the electronic device  100  is at the third mode M 3 . Consequently, the electronic device  100  includes dual screens, the screen for displaying the image can be switched automatically by rotating the upper body  120  of the electronic device  100 , and the dual screens can display same or different screens by driving the trigger element  160 . Thus, the electronic device  100  can have diverse functions. 
         [0043]    In sum, when the upper body of the electronic device rotates relative to the lower body, the detector detects the position of the upper body to make the electronic device automatically switched to a first mode or a second mode. When the upper body is at the first mode, the electronic device make the second screen display a first image. When the upper body is at the second mode, the electronic device make the first screen display the first image. Furthermore, the electronic device can be switched from the second mode to the third mode or the fourth mode via the trigger element to make the dual screens display same or different images. Thus, the electronic device includes dual screens, the screen for displaying the image can be switched automatically by rotating the upper body, and the electronic device has diverse functions. 
         [0044]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not for limiting the scope. Persons having ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments described above.