Patent Publication Number: US-2009236503-A1

Title: Housing with a sensed power switch

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a housing with a sensed power switch. In particular, this invention relates to a housing that uses a sensed power switch to turn on or turn off a computer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of the appearance of a housing of the prior art. On the housing  10 , there is a pressed switch  12 . The pressed switch  12  is electrically connected with a motherboard power switch  14  (referring to  FIG. 2 ) in the housing  10 . When the user presses the pressed switch  12 , the motherboard power switch  14  is enabled or disabled to turn on or turn off the computer. 
     Generally, the pressed switch  12  is a mechanical switch. The mechanical switch protrudes to outside of the housing  10 , and a hole is located on the housing  10  for being installed with the mechanical switch. However, there is a gap between the protruding mechanical switch and the hole, and dust is easily accumulated on the gap. The dust will affect the electronic signal transmission between mechanical switch  12  and the motherboard power switch  14 . Furthermore, water easily permeates into the housing  10  via the gap so that the mechanical switch  12  and the motherboard power switch  14  form a short-circuit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One particular aspect of the present invention is to provide a housing with a sensed power switch that uses a sensed switch to turn on or turn off a computer. The computer power is turned on or turned off via a sensing way. 
     In the first embodiment, the housing with a sensed power switch includes a shell, a motherboard power switch, and a sensed switch module. The motherboard power switch is located in the shell for turning on or off the computer. The sensed switch module is located in the shell, and has a sensing element and a control circuit. The sensing element is pasted onto the shell and corresponds to a sensing area located outside of the shell. The control circuit is electrically connected with the sensing element and the motherboard power switch. When a sensing object approaches the sensing area, the sensing element outputs a pulse signal to the control circuit. The control circuit controls the motherboard power switch to turn on or turn off the computer according to the pulse signal. 
     In the second embodiment, the housing with a sensed power switch further includes a concave trough located at outside of the shell, and the sensing area is located in the concave trough so that there is a distance between the sensing area and the sensing object. Therefore, an error operation cause by a non-sensing object is avoided. 
     The housing with a sensed power switch of the present invention utilizes the sensing element to control the motherboard power switch to turn on or turn off the computer when the sensing object approaches the sensing area. The present invention uses the sensed switch pasted in the housing to replace the protruding mechanical switch. The housing does not require a hole so that the time for producing the hole on the housing is reduced. Furthermore, because the pre present invention uses the sensed switch pasted in the housing to replace the protruding mechanical switch, the housing does not require a hole so that there is no gap on the housing. The dust-proof and the water-proof effects are achieved. It is easy for the user to turn on or turn off the computer. 
     For further understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description illustrating the embodiments and examples of the invention. The description is for illustrative purpose only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claim. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings included herein provide a further understanding of the invention. A brief introduction of the drawings is as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a housing of the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the power switch function of the computer of the prior art; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is an amplified schematic diagram of part of the concave trough located on the shell of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of the function of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of the sensing element pasted on the front side board in the housing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 3 , which shows a schematic diagram of the appearance of the first embodiment of the present invention. The housing  2  with a sensed power switch is a housing for a desktop PC, a portable computer, a variety of computer systems, or a DVD player, etc. The housing  2  has a shell  20 . The shell  20  includes left side board  202 , a right side board  203 , a front side board  204 , a top board  205  and a bottom board  201 . A sensing area  210  can be located at one of the left side board  202 , the right side board  203 , the front side board  204  and the top board  205  of the shell  20 . In this embodiment, the sensing area  210  is located on the front side board  204  of the shell  20 . The sensing area  210  has a transparent power symbol. Furthermore, LEDs D 1 , D 2  (referring to  FIG. 6 ) are located at the inside of the front board  204  and correspond to the sensing area  210  for illuminating the sensing area  210 . When the computer is turned off, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  are in a slight-brightness status for showing the location of the sensing area  210 . When the computer is turned on, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  are in a highest brightness status for showing the location of the sensing area  210 . 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  FIG. 4  shows the housing  2 ′ with a sensed power switch of the second embodiment of the present invention. The components that are the same as ones of the first embodiment are labeled with the same symbols. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the housing  2 ′ with a sensed power switch further includes a concave trough  21  located at outside of the shell, and the sensing area  210  is located in the concave trough  21  so that there is a distance between the sensing area  210  and the sensing object. Thereby, an error operation cause by a non-sensing object is avoided. 
     The second embodiment is illustrated in detail. The housing  2 ′ with a sensed power switch has a shell  20 . A concave trough  21  can be located at one of the left side board  202 , the right side board  203 , the front side board  204 , and the top board  205  of the shell  20 . In this embodiment, the concave trough  21  is located on the front side board  204  of the shell  20 . A sensing area is located in the concave trough  21 . The sensing area  210  has a transparent power symbol, as shown in  FIG. 4A  which is an amplified schematic diagram of part of the concave trough  21  located on the shell  20 . Furthermore, LEDs D 1 , D 2  (referring to  FIG. 6 ) are located at the inside of the front board  204  and correspond to the concave trough  21  for illuminating the sensing area  210 . When the computer is turned off, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  are in a slight-brightness status for showing the location of the sensing area  210 . When the computer is turned on, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  are in a highest brightness status for showing the location of the sensing area  210 . 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 5  shows the block diagram of the function of the second embodiment of the present invention. The circuit block includes a motherboard power switch  27 , a sensed switch module  22  and a power circuit  28 . The motherboard power switch  27  is located in the shell  20  for turning on or off the computer. The sensed switch module  22  is located in the shell  20 , and has a sensing element  220  and a control circuit  222 . The sensing element  220  is pasted onto the inside of the front side board  204  (referring to  FIG. 7 ) of the shell  20  and corresponds to the sensing area  210  located in the concave trough  21  on the outside of the front side board  204  of the shell  20 . The control circuit  222  is electrically connected with the sensing element  220  and the motherboard power switch  27 . When a sensing object (not labeled) approaches the sensing area  210 , the sensing element  220  outputs a pulse signal S 1  to the control circuit  222 . The control circuit  222  outputs a control signal S 3  to controls the motherboard power switch  27  to turn on or turn off the computer according to the pulse signal S 1 . 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 4 and 5  again. The sensing element  220  is a capacitor sensed triggering switch. The control circuit  222  includes a filter  2220 , a driver  2222  and a photo-to-electricity converter  2224 . The filter  2220  is connected with the sensing element  220 . The filter  2220  receives the pulse signal S 1  and filters the pulse signal S 1  to form a DC signal S 2 . The filter  2220  is a low-pass filter. The driver  2222  is connected with the filter  2220  for amplifying the DC signal S 2 . The photo-to-electricity converter  2224  is connected with the driver  2222  and the motherboard power switch  27 . The amplified DC signal S 2 ′ will enable the photo-to-electricity converter  2224  to generate the control signal S 3  for the motherboard power switch  27 . Moreover, the power circuit  28  provides the operation voltage Vs to the sensing element  220 , the filter  2220 , the driver  2222  and the photo-to-electricity converter  2224 . 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  FIG. 6  shows the circuit diagram of the present invention. The sensing element  220  is a sensing chip U 1  with a NT-300-P-PH-B-5V type number. The filter  2220  is a low-pass filter and is composed of a resistor R 1  and a capacitor C 1 . The driver  2222  is a PNP transistor Q 1 . The photo-to-electricity converter  2224  is composed of two photo couplers OP 1 , OP 2  that are connected in serial. 
     When a sensing object (not labeled) approaches the sensing chip U 1 , the sensing chip U 1  outputs the pulse signal S 1  to the filter  2220  via the output terminal Vout. The filter  2220  filters out the high frequency noise of the pulse signal S 1  to generate the DC signal S 2 . The base terminal of the PNP transistor Q 1  is connected with the output terminal of the filter  2220 . The emitter terminal of the PNP transistor Q 1  is connected with the photo-to-electricity converter  2224 , and the collector terminal of the PNP transistor Q 1  is connected with a grounding terminal. The base terminal of the PNP transistor Q 1  is used as an input terminal, and the emitter terminal of the PNP transistor Q 1  is used as an output terminal. Therefore, the PNP transistor is used as an emitter coupler. The emitter coupler has a high current gain for amplifying the DC signal S 2 . The amplified DC signal S 2 ′ flows through the two photo couplers OP 1 , OP 2  that are connected in serial to enable the photo couplers OP 1 , OP 2 . The enabled photo couplers OP 1 , OP 2  generate the control signal S 3  and the control signal S 3  is transmitted to the motherboard power switch  27 . The motherboard power switch  27  turns on or turns off the computer according to the control signal S 3 . Furthermore, the photo couplers OP 1 , OP 2  can separate the sensing switch module  22  and the motherboard power switch  27  to prevent the sensing switch module  22  and the motherboard power switch  27  from affecting each other due to both are connected to the same grounding. 
     Reference is made to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  6 . When the computer is turned off, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  for illuminating the sensing area  210  are enabled in a slight brightness status to show the location of the sensing area  210 . When the computer is turned on, the LEDs D 1 , D 2  are enabled in a highest brightness status to show the location of the sensing area  210 . 
     The housing with a sensed power switch of the present invention utilizes the sensing element to control the motherboard power switch to turn on or turn off the computer when the sensing object approaches the sensing area. The present invention uses the sensed switch pasted in the housing to replace the protruding mechanical switch. The housing does not require a hole so that the time for producing the hole on the housing is reduced. Furthermore, because the pre present invention uses the sensed switch pasted in the housing to replace the protruding mechanical switch, the housing does not require a hole so that there is no gap on the housing. The dust-proof and the water-proof effects are achieved. It is easy for the user to turn on or turn off the computer. 
     The description above only illustrates specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.