Patent Publication Number: US-2009219254-A1

Title: Notebook computer with dual screens

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a notebook computer with dual screens. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Generally, personal computers can be classified into desktop computers, notebook computers etc. Notebook computers are thin and lightweight. Therefore, notebook computers are very popular since they provide considerable convenience. The convenience and transportability of the notebook computers have created a large and lucrative market for manufacturers of such machines. 
     Nowadays, some factories manufacture a sideshow notebook computer with two screens. The sideshow notebook computer has a conventional display screen and an auxiliary screen embedded in the lid of the sideshow notebook computer. Users can check e-mail and calendar appointments, view pictures, choose a song from a music library via the auxiliary screen etc. However, the auxiliary screen is small with only a few simple functions. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a notebook computer with dual screens and greater functionality. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary notebook computer with dual screens includes a first display screen, a second display screen which has a touch screen function, a motherboard which includes a north bridge and a south bridge, a super input/output device, a touch screen control circuit which is connected to the south bridge through the super input/output device, a channel selection circuit which is connected to an output of the touch screen control circuit, first and second signal selection circuits which are respectively connected to two outputs of the channel selection circuit via a switch, and a video card with dual ports. The first and second display screens are respectively connected to the first and second signal selection circuits. The two ports of the video card are connected to the first and second signal selection circuits. An input of the video card is connected to the motherboard. 
     Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a notebook computer with dual screens in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the notebook computer of  FIG. 1 , viewed from an opposite aspect; and 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit diagram of the notebook computer of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a notebook computer with dual screens in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body  10 , a main display screen  20  pivotably coupled to an end portion of the main body  20 , an auxiliary screen  30  embedded in the lid of the main body  10 . The main display screen  20  is a conventional LCD screen. The auxiliary screen  30  is a touch screen. The auxiliary screen  30  is configured to form a virtual keyboard. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the main body  10 , there are a central processing unit (CPU), a hard disk drive, a motherboard  40 , a super input/output device  50 , a touch screen control circuit  60 , a channel selection circuit  70 , a first signal selection circuit  80 , a second signal selection circuit  82 , a video card with dual ports  90 , and a switch  100 . The motherboard  40  includes a south bridge  42  and a north bridge  44 . 
     The south bridge  42  is connected to an input of the super input/output device  50 . An output of the super input/output device  50  is connected to an input of the channel selection circuit  70  via the touch screen control circuit  60 . An output of the channel selection circuit  70  is connected to an input of the first signal selection circuit  80  and an input of the second signal selection circuits  82  via the switch  100 . An output of the first signal circuit  80  is connected to the auxiliary screen  30 . An output of the second signal circuit  82  is connected to the main display screen  20 . The north bridge  44  is connected to an input of the video card  90 . Two ports of the video card  90  are respectively connected to the first and second signal selection circuits  80  and  82 . The first signal circuit  80  communicates to the second signal circuit  82  via an inter-integrated circuit bus  84 . 
     When the notebook computer is booted up, the super input/output device  50  starts the touch screen control circuit  60 . And the switch  100  turns on. The auxiliary screen  30  is actuated via the channel selection circuit  70  and the signal selection circuit  80 , and forms a virtual keyboard. Users can operate the notebook computer using the virtual keyboard. 
     If users need no keyboard, for example, when users watch a video, the switch  100  is turned off via a button  110  located at the main body  10 . And the channel selection circuit  70  is disconnected from the signal selection circuits  80  and  82 . The signal selection circuits  80  and  82  receive signals from the video card  90 . As a result, users can set parameters of the video card  90  to display the video on the main display screen  20  and the auxiliary screen  30  simultaneously. In other embodiment, users can also turn off the switch  100  via a predefined hot key on the virtual keyboard. 
     If users need to use the virtual keyboard when they watch a video, they can turn on the switch  100  by depressing the button  110 , activating the channel selection circuit  70 , and the signal selection circuits  80 ,  82 . As a result, the touch control circuit  60  is connected to the auxiliary screen  30 , and the auxiliary screen  30  returns to the virtual keyboard mode. 
     In this embodiment, the notebook computer further includes a bracket  12  pivotably mounted to a rear side of the main body  10  of the notebook computer. The bracket  12  is pivotable between a first position in which the bracket  12  is accommodated in a recess of the rear side and a second position in which the bracket  12  is angled from the rear side to support the main screen  20  and the auxiliary screen  30 . 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternately embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.