Patent Publication Number: US-2005128770-A1

Title: Electronic apparatus with illumination portion

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 92135290, filed Dec. 12, 2003, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates in general to an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to an electronic apparatus which projects the light provided by the display to the transparent illumination portion of the electronic apparatus via a light guide.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Along with the rapid advance in the manufacturing technology of the display panel and the advantages of being light, slim, power saving and low radiation, display panel has been widely applied in electronic apparatus such as personal digital assistant (PDA), notebook, mobile phone, handy computer and webpad. Display panel ranges from liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel) to organic light emitting diode panel (OLED panel). Since the LCD panel is not self-luminous, a backlight module is required to provide necessary light for display purpose. The light source which provides light for a backlight module can be a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) or a light emitting diode (LED). To the contrary, the OLED panel is self-luminous and does not require any backlight module.  
      Normally an electronic apparatus includes a display, an operating interface and a casing. The operating interface which can be a keyboard or buttons for instance is disposed on the top face of the casing while the display is disposed inside the casing. Moreover, if the electronic apparatus further includes a first casing and a pivot, the first casing is pivotally connected to the casing so that the first casing can be opened from or closed to the casing with the top face of the first casing moving towards the top face of the casing. Of which, the display is disposed inside the first casing while the operating interface is disposed on the top face of the casing.  
      To highlight the keyboard or the buttons, some manufacturers chose to apply a fluorescent coating onto the keyboard or the buttons. Nevertheless, a casing with a fluorescence coated keyboard or buttons will cause environmental problem when it comes to the recycling of the casing.  
      Moreover, some manufacturers chose to install a light source, an LED for instance, inside the casing to illuminate the keyboard or the buttons, so that the keyboard or the buttons can be more high-lighted. However, the design of installing an LED inside the casing will increase the cost and consume more power as well.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electronic apparatus whose design of projecting the light provided by the display onto the keyboard or buttons via a light guide so as to highlight the keyboard or the buttons not only avoids the environmental problem caused by applying a fluorescent coating onto the keyboard or the buttons but also dispenses with the necessity of installing a light source which increases power consumption further.  
      The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing an electronic apparatus including a casing, at least a transparent illumination portion, a display and a light guide. The transparent illumination portion is disposed on a surface of the casing while the display is for providing the transparent illumination portion with necessary light. The light guide for projecting the light provided by the display onto the transparent illumination portion has a light receiving end and a light outputting end, wherein the light receiving end is close to the display while the light outputting end is close to the transparent illumination portion.  
      Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1A  is a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment one of the invention;  
       FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of the light guide in  FIG. 1A  comprising a first light guide, a second light guide and a connector;  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment two of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment three of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment four of the invention;  
       FIG. 5A  is a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment five of the invention;  
       FIG. 5B  is a schematic diagram of the light guide in  FIG. 5A  comprising a first light guide, a second light guide and a connector;  
       FIG. 6  is a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment six of the invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment seven of the invention; and  
       FIG. 8  is a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment eight of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     Preferred Embodiment One  
      Referring first to  FIG. 1A , an electronic apparatus  10  at least includes a casing  11 , a light guide  12 , a display  18  and a keyboard  15  whose input face has a transparent illumination portion  16 . The display  18 , which is disposed inside the casing  11 , further includes a liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel)  14  and a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)  13 . Both the LCD panel  14  and the keyboard  15  are disposed on a surface of the casing  11 . Of which, the CCFL  13  inside the display  18  can be displaced with a light emitting diode (LED).  
      The light guide  12  which is disposed inside the casing  11  has a light receiving end  12   a  and a light outputting end  12   b . The light receiving end  12   a  is close to the display  18 , say, in the neighborhood of the CCFL  13  of the display  18 , to gather part of the light emitted by the CCFL  13  at the light guide  12 . The light outputting end  12   b  is disposed underneath the keyboard  15 , i.e. under the transparent illumination portion  16 , for projecting the light directed by the light guide  12  onto the transparent illumination portion  16 . The electronic apparatus  10  further includes a diffuser plate  17  which is disposed inside the casing  11  but positioned between the transparent illumination portion  16  and the light outputting end  12   b . The diffuser plate  17  is for evenly distributing the light emitted from the light outputting end  12   b  onto the transparent illumination portion  16  so that the press keys on the keyboard  15  can be highlighted.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1B , the light guide  12  further includes a first light guide  12   c , a second light guide  12   d  and a connector  19 . One end of the first light guide  12   c  is the light receiving end  12   a  while the other end of the first light guide  12   c  is a first connecting end  12   e . One end of the second light guide  12   d  is the light outputting end  12   b  while the other end of the second light guide  12   d  is a second connecting end  12   f . The connector  19  which is disposed inside the casing  11  is for connecting the first connecting end  12   e  and the second connecting end  12   f.    
     Preferred Embodiment Two  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment two of the invention. The electronic apparatus  20  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  10  in preferred embodiment one in that the light directed by the light guide  12  in preferred embodiment two originates from an organic light emitting diode panel (OLED panel)  24 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 2 , the OLED panel  24  is disposed inside the casing  11  with the light receiving end  12   a  being close to the OLED panel  24  so that the OLED panel  24  can provide the transparent illumination portion  16  with necessary light. To improve the intensity of the light received by the light receiving end  12   a , the present preferred embodiment can further install a light gathering device  21  inside the casing  11 . The light gathering device  21  is disposed between the OLED panel  24  and the light receiving end  12   a  for gathering the light provided by the OLED panel  24  onto the light guide  12 .  
     Preferred Embodiment Three  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment three of the invention. The electronic apparatus  30  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  10  in preferred embodiment one in that the former has a diffuser plate  36  and a reflecting plate  37 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 3 , both the diffuser plate  36  and the reflecting plate  37  are disposed inside the casing  11  but positioned underneath the keyboard  15 , i.e. underneath the transparent illumination portion  16 . The light outputting end  12   b  is disposed at a lateral side of the diffuser plate  36 . The diffuser plate  36  is for evenly distributing the light emitted from the light outputting end  12   b . The reflecting plate  37  which is disposed underneath the bottom side of the diffuser plate  36  is for reflecting the light directed by the diffuser plate  36  to the transparent illumination portion  16 .  
     Preferred Embodiment Four  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , a sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment four of the invention. The electronic apparatus  40  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  30  in preferred embodiment three in that the light directed by the light guide  12  originates from an organic light emitting diode panel (OLED panel)  44 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 4 , the OLED panel  44  is disposed inside the casing  11  with the light receiving end  12   a  being close to the OLED panel  44  so that the OLED panel  44  can provide the transparent illumination portion  16  with necessary light. To improve the intensity of the light received by the light receiving end  12   a , the present preferred embodiment can further install a light gathering device  41  inside the casing  11 . The light gathering device  41  is disposed between the OLED panel  44  and the light receiving end  12   a  for gathering the light provided by the OLED panel  44  onto the light guide  12 .  
     Preferred Embodiment Five  
      Referring to  FIG. 5A , a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment five of the invention. The electronic apparatus  50  includes at least a second casing  51 , a first casing  58 , a pivot  59 , a light guide  52 , a display  61  and a keyboard  55  whose input face has a transparent illumination portion  56 . The second casing  51  has a casing&#39;s surface  58   a  while the first casing  58  has a first casing&#39;s surface  58   a . One side of the first casing  58  is pivotally connected to one side of the second casing  51 , so that the first casing  58  can be closed to or opened from the second casing  51  with the first casing&#39;s surface  58   a  moving towards the casing&#39;s surface  51   a . The display  61  which is displaced inside the first casing  58  further includes a CCFL  53  and an LCD panel  54 . The LCD panel  54  is displaced on the casing&#39;s surface  58   a  while the CCFL  53  is displaced inside the first casing  58  for providing the LCD panel  54  and the transparent illumination portion  56  with necessary light.  
      The keyboard  55  is disposed on the casing&#39;s surface  51   a . The light guide  52 , which has a light receiving end  52   a  and a light outputting end  52   b , is disposed inside the second casing  51  and the first casing  58  via the pivot  59 . The light receiving end  52   a  disposed close to the CCFL  53  is for gathering part of the light emitted by CCFL  53  onto the light guide  52 . The light outputting end  52   b , which is disposed inside the second casing  51  but positioned underneath the keyboard  55 , i.e., underneath the transparent illumination portion  56 , is for projecting the light directed by the light guide  52  to the transparent illumination portion  56 . Moreover, the electronic apparatus  50  further includes a diffuser plate  57 , which is disposed inside the second casing  51  but positioned between the transparent illumination portion  56  and the light outputting end  52   b , for evenly distributing the light emitted by the light outputting end  52   b  onto the transparent illumination portion  56  so that the keys on the keyboard  55  can be better high-lighted. It is noteworthy that a reflecting material can be further applied onto a lateral side of the diffuser plate  57  according to the invention so that the light received by the diffuser plate  57  can be completely projected onto the transparent illumination portion  56  via the front side of the diffuser plate  57 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5B , the light guide  52  further includes a first light guide  52   c , a second light guide  52   d  and a connector  62 . Of which, one end of the first light guide  52   c  is the light receiving end  52   a  while the other end of the first light guide  52   c  is a first connector  52   e ; one end of the second light guide  52   d  is the light outputting end  52   b  while the other end of the second light guide  52   d  is a second connector  52   f . The connector  62  is disposed inside the second casing  51  in  FIG. 5A  for photoconductively connecting the first connector  52   e  and the second connector  52   f.    
     Preferred Embodiment Six  
      Referring to  FIG. 6 , a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment six of the invention. The electronic apparatus  60  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  50  in preferred embodiment five in that the light directed by the light guide  52  originates from an OLED panel  64 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 6 , the OLED panel  64  is disposed inside the first casing  58  with the light receiving end  52   a  being close to the OLED panel  64  so that the OLED panel  64  can provide the transparent illumination portion  56  with necessary light. To improve the intensity of the light received by the light receiving end  52   a , the present preferred embodiment can further install a light gathering device  65  inside the first casing  58 . The light gathering device  65  is disposed between the OLED panel  64  and the light receiving end  52   a  for gathering the light provided by the OLED panel  64  onto the light guide  52 .  
     Preferred Embodiment Seven  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment seven of the invention. The electronic apparatus  70  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  50  in preferred embodiment five in a diffuser plate  76  and a reflecting plate  77 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 7 , both the diffuser plate  76  and the reflecting plate  77  are disposed inside the second casing  51  but positioned underneath the keyboard  55 , i.e. underneath the transparent illumination portion  16 . The light outputting end  52   b  is disposed at a lateral side of the diffuser plate  76 . The diffuser plate  76  is for evenly distributing the light emitted from the light outputting end  52   b . The reflecting plate  77  disposed on the bottom side of the diffuser plate  76  is for reflecting the light directed by the diffuser plate  76  to the transparent illumination portion  56 . It is noteworthy that a reflecting material can be further applied onto other lateral sides of the diffuser plate  76  so that the light received by the diffuser plate  76  can be completely projected onto the transparent illumination portion  56  via the front side of the diffuser plate  76 .  
     Preferred Embodiment Eight  
      Referring to  FIG. 8 , a decomposed sectional view of an electronic apparatus according to preferred embodiment eight of the invention. The electronic apparatus  80  in the present preferred embodiment differs from the electronic apparatus  70  in preferred embodiment seven in that the light directed by the light guide  52  originates from an OLED panel  84 . The two preferred embodiments are identical to each other except the above-disclosed difference, so the similarities including the numbering system are not repeated here. In  FIG. 8 , the OLED panel  84  is disposed inside the first casing  58  with the light receiving end  52   a  being close to the OLED panel  84  so that the OLED panel  84  can provide the transparent illumination portion  56  with necessary light. To improve the intensity of the light received by the light receiving end  52   a , the present preferred embodiment can further install a light gathering device  85  inside the first casing  58 . The light gathering device  85  is disposed between the OLED panel  84  and the light receiving end  52   a  for gathering the light provided by the OLED panel  84  onto the light guide  52 .  
      Anyone who is familiar with the above technology will understand that the technology of the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the light guide disclosed in the above preferred embodiments is an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber can be a plastic fiber, a polymethyl methacrylate fiber (PMMA fiber) or a glass fiber. Besides, the transparent illumination portion disclosed in the above preferred embodiments can be the top face of a press key or the identification symbol region. Furthermore, the light of the transparent illumination portion can be provided by the display of the electronic apparatus or other built-in luminous bodies.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to first casing various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.