Patent ID: 7277086

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a main body having a first contact-free sensor element; a display unit having a second contact-free sensor element; a hinge arrangement coupling said main body and said display unit for movement relative to each other; wherein said main body has an operation panel; wherein said display unit has a display panel and a back panel; wherein said hinge arrangement is configured such that said display unit is movable between at least an open position in which said display unit is separated away from said main body, a first closed position in which said display unit is closed over said main body with said display panel of said display unit facing said operation panel of said main body and said back panel of said display unit facing away from said operation panel of said main body, and a second closed position in which said display unit is closed over said main body with said back panel of said display unit facing said operation panel of said main body and said display panel of said display unit facing away from said operation panel of said main body; wherein said first contact-free sensor element and said second contact-free sensor element are arranged such that, when said display unit is disposed in one of said first and second closed positions over said main body, said first contact-free sensor element and said second contact-free sensor element face each other so as to output a first signal indicating that said display unit is disposed in said one of said first and second closed positions, and when said display unit is disposed in the other of said first and second closed positions over said main body, said first contact-free sensor element and said second contact-free sensor element do not face each other so as to output a signal indicating that said display unit is disposed in said one of said first and second closed positions; and wherein a display processor is provided to receive said first signal indicating that said display unit is disposed in said one of said first and second closed positions and, upon receiving said first signal indicating that said display unit is disposed in said one of said first and second closed positions, to cause rotation of a display of said display panel.