Patent Publication Number: US-2006007127-A1

Title: Keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to input apparatuses, and more particularly to a keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional computer system is comprised of an input device for inputting commands or messages. The most well-known input device is the keyboard, which includes a great number of keys for input to enable selection, control, etc. The handwriting pad is an alternative input device for the user who is not familiar with the keyboard, enabling the user to write words thereon and then the words are processed by a handwriting recognition system to be inputted into the computer system. In addition, there are numerous other input devices, like mouse and microphone (voice input).  
      Although there are numerous input devices for options, some of the computer systems, like notebook computers, usually have to be light, thin, short, and small to have limited size, such that only a keyboard and a touch pad other than other input devices, which must be externally connected to the computer system if they are required, are built inside the computer system.  
      Nowadays, there is still none of an input device of the keyboard combined with the handwriting pad. If the handwriting pad is mounted on the backside of the keyboard, the handwriting input will be additional for the user&#39;s option without or at the expense of increasing little size.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system, which keyboard and handwriting pad are mounted at two sides thereof to have one morel input device than the prior art for the user&#39;s operation.  
      The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system, which handwriting pad is mounted on the backside of the keyboard at the expense of increasing little thickness but without interference of space where the keyboard and the handwriting pad are mounted.  
      The foregoing objectives of the present invention are attained by the keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system, which is comprised of a base member, a display device mounted on the base member, and a keyboard/handwriting dual input device reversibly mounted on the base member via a coupler and having a plate-like member, a handwriting pad mounted on a side of the plate-like member, and a keyboard having numerous keys and mounted on the other side of the plate-like member. Accordingly, the user can turn over the keyboard/handwriting dual input device to select the keyboard or the handwriting pad for input operation according to the user&#39;s demand. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the keyboard/handwriting dual input device is being turned over;  
       FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 6  is a partially enlarged view of  FIG. 5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system  10  constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a base member  11 , a display device  21 , and a keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31 .  
      The base member  11  includes inside a circuitry  12  required for executing at least one operating system. The circuitry  12  is comprised of a central processing unit (CPU)  13 , a random access memory (RAM) module  15 , a storage device  17 , and a control chip  19 . Because the circuitry  12  is well-known prior art, no further recitation is necessary.  
      The display device  21  is mounted on the base member  11  and is electrically connected to the circuitry  12 . Because the display device  21  is well-known prior art, no further recitation is necessary.  
      The keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  is reversibly mounted on the base member  11  via a coupler  37  and is electrically connected to the circuitry  12  of the base member  11 . The keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  includes a plate-like member  32 , a keyboard  33  mounted on a side of the plate-like member  32  and having a plurality of keys, and a handwriting pad  35  mounted on the other side of the plate-like member  32 . The coupler  37  is embodied as a pivotal shaft mounted on the base member  11 . The plate-like member  32  has two lugs  321  formed at a front end thereof and pivotally mounted to two sides of the coupler  37 . The coupler  37  can pivot for a predetermined angle, which is 180° in this embodiment. The two lugs  321  are pivotable with respect to the coupler  37 . Thus, the user can turn over the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  and select either the keyboard  33  or the handwriting pad  35  for the input operation according to the user&#39;s demand.  
      When the computer system  10  is operated, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the keyboard  33  faces upwards and the handwriting pad  35  faces downwards; meanwhile, the user can use the keyboard  33  for the input operation. When the user intends to use the handwriting pad  35 , the user can turn the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  upwards from the base member  11  on the two lugs  321  as a pivot and then turn the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  rightwards or leftwards on the coupler  37  as a pivot for 180°, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and finally turn the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  downwards back into the base member  11 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the meantime, the user can use the handwriting pad  35  for the handwriting input. When the user intends to use the keyboard  33  again, the user can turn over the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  31  to resume the original position as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the keyboard/handwriting pad dually built computer system  40  constructed according to a second preferred embodiment of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first preferred embodiment, having difference as follows.  
      The base member  41  is provided with a recessed portion  42  formed on a surface thereof. The keyboard/handwriting dual input device  51  is received in the recessed portion  42 .  
      The coupler  57  includes a socket  58  and a plug  59 . The socket  58  is mounted on the base member  41 . The plug  59  is mounted on the plate-like member  52 . The keyboard/handwriting dual input device  51  is plugged into the socket  58  via the plug  59 .  
      When the computer system  40  is operated and the user intends to switch the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  51 , the user can unplug the plug  69  from the socket  58  before turning over the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  51 , and then plug the plug  59  into the socket  58  after turning over the keyboard/handwriting devce dual input device  51 ; meanwhile, the keyboard/handwriting dual input device  51  is received in the recessed portion  42 .  
      It is to be noted that the coupler and the circuitry in the present invention can be other alternatives. In addition to the base member, the circuitry can be alternatively mounted in the keyboard/handwriting dual input device to attain the desirable result of the present invention.  
      In conclusion, the present invention includes advantages as follows.  
      1. More input options: The keyboard/handwriting dual input device is provided with the keyboard and the handwriting pad at both sides thereof, such that the user can turn over the keyboard/handwriting dual input device to have at least two options of the keyboard and the handwriting pad for the input operation, superior to the prior art to have one more option of input.  
      2. No increased transversal size: Because the handwriting pad is mounted beside the backside of the keyboard, the whole computer system will not have increased perimeter or area but slightly increased thickness. As for the notebook computers or electronic books, the present invention is an outstanding design for them not to have transversally increased size but to have an additional handwriting input media for the user&#39;s extra option of input.