Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an information processing device including a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being provided with a display unit, the second surface being formed with an opening; and an external unit detachably mounted on the second surface of the body so as to cover the opening. The external unit includes a card incorporating an electronic circuit, a case accommodating the card, and a connector for electrically connecting the electronic circuit of the card to an electronic circuit provided in the body. With this configuration, the versatility of this device can be improved and possible damage to any portion of the device can be prevented. This configuration is suitable for a notebook personal computer or the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to an information processing device and an external unit applicable to the information processing device.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    In recent years, an information processing device having a display unit serving also as inputting means is known as a portable information processing device. For example, in an information processing device allowing an operator to input with a stylus, a transparent touch panel is provided on the upper surface of the display unit. By making the tip of the stylus into contact with the touch panel, information is input or inputting with a keyboard additionally used is associated.  
           [0005]    In this kind of information processing device, expandability is generally considered. In a notebook personal computer, for example, a slot is formed on a side surface of its housing. By inserting a PC card into this slot, a memory capacity can be increased or the connection with a network can be facilitated.  
           [0006]    The term of PC card is a general term for creditcard sized peripheral equipment conforming to the “PC Card Standard” planned by a joint effort between PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) and JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association).  
           [0007]    Some kind of desktop personal computer also supports a PC card.  
           [0008]    There are several types of PC cards such as SRAM, flash memory, hard disk, modem, SCSI, and LAN cards.  
           [0009]    The PC. cards are typically classified into three types different in thickness. Type 1 is 3.3 mm thick, and it is mainly used for memory cards. Type 2 is 5 mm thick, and it is mainly used for I/O features such as modems. Type 3 is 10.5 mm thick, and it is mainly used for hard disks, etc.  
           [0010]    As an expansion card suitable for further size reduction, a CF (Compact Flash) card is sometimes used. The CF card is used as a compact card compatible with a flash ATA memory card in a digital camera, portable personal computer, PDA, etc. The size of the CF card is 42.8×36.4×3.3 (mm), which is smaller in each dimension than the PC card. For example, a CF card having a maximum memory capacity of 48 megabytes has been provided by SanDisk Corporation, U.S.A.  
           [0011]    Recently, a thicker CF card having a thickness of 5 mm has also been used. The increase in thickness allows the addition of I/O features, thereby providing applicability to modems, LAN cards, SCSI cards, etc.  
           [0012]    In the case of connecting a notebook personal computer through a LAN network to the Internet, a wireless LAN module as a PC card is sometimes inserted into a PC card slot provided in the computer to effect wireless connection. In this case, however, an antenna of the wireless LAN module projects from the body of the computer, so that there is a possibility of damage to the antenna or the card itself.  
           [0013]    It is considered that the wireless LAN module is preliminarily set as an internal option in the computer. However, it is not easy to change options.  
           [0014]    Further, another type of wireless LAN module adapted to USB connection is also commercially available. However, this type of wireless LAN module has a unique connector and therefore lacks versatility.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0015]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device having a detachable module which can be improved in versatility and can prevent possible damage to any portion of the device.  
           [0016]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being provided with a display unit, the second surface being formed with an opening; and an external unit detachably mounted on the second surface of the body so as to cover the opening. The external unit includes a card incorporating an electronic circuit, a case accommodating the card, and a connector for electrically connecting the electronic circuit of the card to an electronic circuit provided in the body.  
           [0017]    With this configuration, the external unit having a specific form is adopted, so that the object of the present invention is achieved in accordance with the principle to be hereinafter described.  
           [0018]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an external unit applicable to an information processing device including a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being provided with a display unit, the second surface being formed with an opening. The external unit includes a card incorporating an electronic circuit, a case accommodating the card, and a connector for electrically connecting the electronic circuit of the card to an electronic circuit provided in the body. The external unit is detachably mounted on the second surface of the body so as to cover the opening in use.  
           [0019]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention and the manner of realizing them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood from a study of the following description and appended claims with reference to the attached drawings showing some preferred embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an information processing device to which the present invention is applicable, as viewed from the upper side thereof;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the information processing device shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the lower side thereof;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 in the condition where a cover shown in FIG. 2 has been removed;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an information processing device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the upper side thereof;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the information processing device shown in FIG. 4, as viewed from the lower side thereof;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of an external unit shown in FIG. 5, as viewed from the upper and lower sides thereof, respectively;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views similar to FIGS. 6A and 6B, respectively, as viewed at different angles;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 8 and 9 are exploded perspective views of the external unit as viewed from opposite sides;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views similar to FIGS. 8 and 9, showing a condition where a connector substrate is mounted on a shield case;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12A is an exploded perspective view of the information processing device according to the first preferred embodiment;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of an encircled portion shown in FIG. 12A;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an information processing device according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an information processing device according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 is a table showing the correspondence between the interface of a PC card and the interface of a CF card. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a notebook personal computer as an information processing device to which the present invention is applicable, as viewed from the upper side thereof, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the notebook personal computer as viewed from the lower side thereof. This device has a body  2  consisting of a lower housing  4  and an upper housing  6 . There are provided on one side surface of the lower housing  4  a modular socket  8  for connection with a telephone line, a USB-ready socket  10  for connection with peripheral equipment, a PC card slot  12  for insertion of a PC card, a CF card slot  14  for insertion of a CF card, and a socket  16  for power supply. The upper housing  6  is provided with a display unit  18  serving also as an input device using a stylus pen or the like, and a plurality of LEDs  20  for indicating various operational states.  
         [0036]    As well shown in FIG. 2, a cover  22  for the CF card slot  14  is fixed to the lower housing  4  by screws  24 , and a battery pack  26  is detachably mounted on the lower housing  4  at a rear portion thereof as viewed from an operator. The battery pack  26  projects from the lower housing  4  from the viewpoint of capacity or the like.  
         [0037]    Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a condition where the cover  22  shown in FIG. 2 has been removed. A connector  28  for electrical connection of the CF card and an electrical circuit provided in the body  2  in the case of insertion of the CF card is provided in the CF card slot  14 . Further, a connector  30  characteristic of this preferred embodiment is provided behind the connector  28 . Either the CF card slot  14  (and the connector  28  associated therewith) or the connector  30  may be selectively provided. Alternatively, both the CF card slot  14  and the connector  30  may be provided.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the information processing device according to the present invention as viewed from the upper side thereof, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment as viewed from the lower side thereof. As shown in FIG. 5, an external unit  32  is detachably mounted on the lower housing  4  so as to cover the CF card slot  14  and an opening formed in the vicinity of the CF card slot  14  in the condition where the cover  22  (see FIG. 2) has been removed as shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIGS. 6A and 7A are perspective views of the external unit  32  as viewed from the upper side thereof at different angles, and FIGS. 6B and 7B are perspective views of the external unit  32  as viewed from the lower side thereof at different angles. FIGS.  8  to  11  are exploded perspective views of the external unit  32 .  
         [0040]    As well shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the external unit  32  includes a PC card  34 , a shield case  36 , a connector substrate  38 , and a cover  40 . The PC card  34  is accommodated in the cover  40  with the shield case  36  and the connector substrate  38 . The cover  40  is formed of resin or the like. The connector substrate  38  includes a printed wiring board  41  for electrical wiring, a flexible printed wiring board  42  connected at its base end to an end portion of the printed wiring board  41 , and a connector  44  provided in the vicinity of the front end of the flexible printed wiring board  42 . The connector substrate  38  is mounted on the shield case  36  by screws  46 . The PC card  34  is held in the shield case  36 , and accommodated in the cover  40 . Thus, in the condition where the PC card  34 , the shield case  36 , and the connector substrate  38  are assembled, the connector substrate  38  is mounted on the case  40  by screws  48 .  
         [0041]    The PC card  34  is a wireless LAN module, for example. In this case, the PC card  34  has a thick-walled antenna portion, and the case  40  correspondingly has a projecting portion (recessed portion as viewed from the inside of the cover  40 )  50  for receiving the thick-walled antenna portion of the PC card  34 . The case  40  further has a side plate  52  projecting on one side, so as to cover the CF card slot  14  when the external unit  32  is mounted on the lower housing  4  as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Further, the case  40  has two hooks  53  projecting on another side opposite to the projecting portion  50 , so as to engage corresponding openings formed on the lower housing  4 , thereby facilitating attachment/detachment of the external unit  32  to/from the lower housing  4 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 12A is an exploded perspective view for illustrating a method of mounting the external unit  32  to the lower housing  4 , and FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of an encircled portion  70  shown in FIG. 12A.  
         [0043]    In this preferred embodiment, a card receiving portion in the CF card slot  14  as shown in FIG. 3 is eliminated, and the connector  30  is provided on a main printed wiring board provided in the body  2 . The connector  44  of the external unit  32  is connected to the connector  30 , and the external unit  32  is mounted on the lower housing  4  by screws  54  and  56 . The screws  54  are engaged into tapped holes  58  formed on the lower housing  4  to secure the projecting portion  50  of the case  40  at its opposite end portions to the lower housing  4 . The tapped holes  58  are formed along an extension of the battery pack  26 . The screws  56  are engaged into tapped holes  60  formed on the lower housing  4  to secure a side portion of the case  40  opposite to the side plate  52  of the case  40  to the lower housing  4 .  
         [0044]    In this mounted condition of the external unit  32 , the projecting portion  50  of the case  40  is at substantially the same level as that of the battery pack  26  as shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the battery pack  26  and the projecting portion  50  of the case  40  are located at the rear portion of the lower housing  4  as viewed from the operator, so that when the lower housing  4  of the body  2  is placed on a horizontal surface, the display unit  18  (see FIG. 4, for example) is slightly tilted up toward the operator, thereby facilitating viewing of a displayed image on the display unit  18  and inputting of data to the display unit  18 .  
         [0045]    As shown in FIG. 12B, an elastically deformable leaf spring contact  62  projects from the inside of the lower housing  4 . The leaf spring contact  62  is at a ground potential in the body  2 . When the external unit  32  is mounted on the lower housing  4 , the leaf spring contact  62  comes into elastic contact with a ground pattern or shield pattern of the external unit  32 , thereby enhancing grounding in the external unit  32 .  
         [0046]    Particularly, in the case that the external unit  32  is a wireless LAN module as in this preferred embodiment, the stabilization of ground potential is important in improving the antenna performance, so that this preferred embodiment is greatly effective in allowing high-performance wireless connection to a network.  
         [0047]    In this preferred embodiment, the external unit  32  is so configured as to adapt to the existing PC card  34 , so that various functions can be provided by using the existing PC card  34 . Further, in the case that the PC card  34  is a wireless LAN module, the antenna portion of the PC card  34  is accommodated in the case  40 , thereby preventing possible damage to the PC card  34  as in the related art wherein the antenna portion of the PC card  34  projects from the body of an information processing device.  
         [0048]    Further, since the external unit  32  can be easily attached and detached, desired options can be easily selected. Thus, it is possible to provide a versatile information processing device according to this preferred embodiment.  
         [0049]    In this preferred embodiment, the external unit  32  is used in place of the CF card to be applied to the CF card slot  14 . Accordingly, the function can be expanded by the external unit  32  having the PC card  34 . In addition, by inserting another PC card (not shown) into the PC card slot  12 , the function can be further expanded.  
         [0050]    For example, while this information processing device is being connected through a wireless LAN to a network by using the external unit  32 , data can be down-loaded from the network to a flash memory card or HDD card inserted into the PC card slot  12 .  
         [0051]    As another example, while this information processing device is being connected through a wireless LAN to a network by using the external unit  32 , data can be up-loaded from a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM inserted into the PC card slot  12  to the network.  
         [0052]    As another example, while this information processing device is being connected through a wireless LAN to a network by using the external unit  32 , data can be up-loaded from a digital video camera or the like through an IEEE1394 card inserted into the PC card slot  12 , to the network.  
         [0053]    As another example, while this information processing device is being connected through a wireless LAN to a network by using the external unit  32 , a security card (e.g., Smart Card) can be used.  
         [0054]    The present invention is not limited to the case that the external unit  32  is a wireless LAN module. For example, the external unit in the present invention may be configured by using various other PC cards such as a flash memory card, Bluetooth card, PHS card, and MPEG decoder card to provide various functions of these cards as options. Thus, it is possible to provide a versatile information processing device.  
         [0055]    Further, since the case  40  accommodating the PC card  34  is mounted on the lower housing  4 , physical access from a third party to the PC card  34  is difficult, thereby effecting antitheft means to the PC card  34 . Further, by using special screws such that loosening after once tightening them can be determined in mounting the external unit  32  on the lower housing  4 , it can be easily checked whether or not physical access from a third party to the PC card  34  has been made. For example, in the case of using a flash memory card as the PC card  34 , the leakage of private information such as customer information as data can be prevented.  
         [0056]    Referring to FIG. 13, there is shown another preferred embodiment of the information processing device according to the present invention. In this preferred embodiment, a connector  44 ′ adapted to the connector  28  in the CF card slot  14  is mounted on the front end portion of the flexible printed wiring board  42  instead of the connector  44  shown in FIG. 12A. With this configuration, the PC card  34  built in the external unit  32  can be adapted to the CF card slot  14  without changing the internal structure of the body  2 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 15 is a table showing the correspondence between the interface of the PC card and the interface of the CF card, for reference purposes. As apparent from FIG. 15, the number of connector pins in the PC card is  68 , whereas the number of connector pins in the CF card is  50 . However, all of the connector pins in the PC card are not used, so that the PC card  34  can be adapted to the CF card slot  14  with no effect on the scale of the electrical circuit provided in the body  2 .  
         [0058]    Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a further preferred embodiment of the information processing device according to the present invention. In this preferred embodiment, the CF card slot  14  is left and the connector  30  for deriving a signal from the PC card which signal is in exclusive relationship with a signal in the CF card is provided just behind the CF card slot  14 . Further, the connector  44  of the external unit  32  is connected to the connector  30 .  
         [0059]    Also according to this preferred embodiment, the PC card  34  can be adapted to the CF card slot  14  with no effect on the scale of the electrical circuit in the body  2 .  
         [0060]    Particularly in the case that the CF card and the PC card are in exclusive relationship, it is necessary to prevent erroneous insertion of the CF card into the CF card slot  14 . In this preferred embodiment, however, the case  40  of the external unit  32  has the side plate  52  projecting to cover the CF card slot  14 , so that when the external unit  32  is mounted on the lower housing  4 , erroneous insertion of the CF card into the CF card slot  14  can be prevented.  
         [0061]    According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to provide an information processing device which can be improved in versatility and can prevent possible damage to any portion of the device.  
         [0062]    The present invention is not limited to the details of the above described preferred embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and all changes and modifications as fall within the equivalence of the scope of the claims are therefore to be embraced by the invention.