Liquid crystal display element

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display element.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, as personal computers have become smaller and lighter, battery-powered portable personal computers have appeared and are rapidly becoming widespread. These are called laptop computers, and although they are small and lightweight, they have the same functions as stationary computers and laptop computers. Since it can be used with batteries, a new usage pattern has been created in which it is taken to places where it is difficult to secure a power source, such as conference rooms and lecture rooms.

【0003】

However, in such a usage pattern, the problem that the battery usable time is short is becoming a problem. When it is used for recording a conference in a conference room or a lecture in a university, it is desirable that it can be used continuously for about 10 hours with a battery in one use. A minimum of 20 to 30 hours is required to allow for a margin, and ideally, a battery usable time of 100 hours or more, which is equivalent to that of a calculator, is required.

【0004】

On the other hand, the battery usage time of a laptop computer that can be actually obtained is only 2 to 3 hours. Therefore, there are problems such as the battery running out during use in a long-time conference, the power being turned off, and the input work being interrupted. In addition, it is troublesome to charge the battery frequently because the usable time of the battery is short.

【0005】

Although the notebook computer is small and lightweight, the battery usage time is short, which makes it inconvenient to use the notebook computer in the form of a notebook computer.

【0006】

Considering existing pocket-type portable information devices such as calculators and electronic organizers, these have much slower processing speeds than personal computers, and therefore consume less power. Therefore, even if the current primary battery is used, it can be used for several years, and there is almost no need to worry about the battery life. On the other hand, a notebook computer consumes a large amount of power because the processing speed is as fast as that of a stationary computer. Therefore, it consumes 2 to 4 digits more power than existing pocket-type portable information devices. Even with high-performance rechargeable batteries, current technology has the best battery life of 2-3 hours. As mentioned earlier, the user is not satisfied with this battery life. Various measures have been considered as power saving technologies to compensate for this short battery life, and some of them have been implemented.

【0007】

Hereinafter, the conventional technique will be described.

【0008】

First, some laptops have what is commonly referred to as the "resume" feature. This employs a method in which the information required for the last restart of the computer is saved in a non-volatile IC memory when the unused state continues for a certain period of time, and the power of the CPU and the display unit is automatically turned off. When you want to use it again, when you turn on the power switch, the processing status and display contents before the power was turned off are restored in a short time based on the information in the saved IC memory. This method has the effect of substantially extending the usage time and is realistic.

【0009】

However, if you do not press any keys for a certain period of time, for example, 5 minutes, all the power of the device will be forcibly turned off. Since the display disappears, the operator cannot check the displayed contents, and the work is interrupted. It is necessary to turn on the power switch when you want to check the displayed contents or when you want to continue the input work again. This is annoying to the user. Although this power saving method substantially prolongs the battery life, it has a drawback that the usability is considerably deteriorated.

【0010】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional configuration, as a means for reducing power consumption, almost all power supplies including the main processing circuit section and display circuit section are simply stopped. For this reason, as described above, the user automatically turns off the power after a certain period of non-use, so it is necessary to frequently turn on the power of the device in the case of intermittent processing work. And in the case of laptop computers, the fact that most of the users perform intermittent processing exacerbates this drawback.

【0011】

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and displays the display unit at the same time as stopping the power supply of the main processing unit when it is detected that the unused state has continued for a certain period of time or when the main processing is completed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus for continuing the above.

【0012】

[Means for solving problems]

The liquid crystal display element according to the present invention that solves this problem has a liquid crystal layer, a polarizing plate, and a substrate, has a display side, and has a display back side opposite to the display side, and has a plurality of openings in the substrate. It is configured so that the incident light from the back side of the display passes through the opening, the liquid crystal part, and the polarizing part and exits from the display side, and corresponds to the opening so that the incident light is converged on the opening. The light converging portion is provided in the region on the back side of the display with respect to the opening.

【0013】

It is preferable to provide a light focusing portion corresponding to each opening by forming a microlens on the substrate. It is preferable to provide a light focusing portion by providing a difference in the distribution of refractive indexes on the substrate.

【0014】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

【0015】

(Example 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device is composed of four blocks, an information input unit 3, a first processing block 1, and a second processing block 99.

【0016】

First, when the information input unit 3 such as a keyboard receives a key input from a user or an external input by an information input means such as a communication interface, the information processing device transmits information to the first processing block 1. The first processing unit 4 detects which key of the key input is pressed or what kind of information is input from the outside, and determines the next processing based on the information of the first memory 5.

【0017】

First, as shown in a of FIG. 2, when there is no input information in the information input unit 3 for a certain period of time and when the operation of the second processing unit 7 is completed, the interruption control unit 6 informs the second processing unit 7 and the display circuit. The clock signal is stopped and / or the power saving process is forcibly performed for the unit 8.

【0018】

The power saving method will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

【0019】

As shown in a of FIG. 2, when the information input unit 3 receives the nth key input at t = t1, this information is sent from the information input unit 3 to the first processing unit 4.

【0020】

Then, the first processing unit 4 determines the content of the key input, and only when the processing of the second processing unit 7 is required, the activation command is issued to the second processing unit 7 via the interruption control unit 6 and the activation command line 80. Send, forcibly start the second processing unit 7, and send information to the second processing unit 7. As shown in t = t3 of c in FIG. 2, the second processing unit 7 performs processing according to the input after being started, and after the processing of the second processing unit 7 is completed, the end signal is sent to the first processing unit 4. The first feed processing unit 4 or the interruption control unit 6 sends an end command to the second processing unit 137 via the start command line 80. Then, the second processing unit 7 temporarily saves the information related to the final processing contents, for example, the contents of the RAM memory and the contents of the register, to the second memory 9. After that, as shown in t = t5 of c in FIG. 2, the processing of the second processing unit 7 is stopped or its function is deteriorated to significantly reduce the power consumption and enter the power saving mode. Even after t = t5 when the second processing unit 7 is stopped, the memory contents are saved because the second memory 9 is backed up by a battery or uses a non-volatile memory. When the display change is necessary, the second processing unit 7 sends the display change information to the first processing unit 4. The first processing unit 4 sends a display activation command to the display circuit 8 via the display activation command line 81 to activate the display circuit. As shown in d in FIG. 2, the information processed at t = t4 is sent to the display circuit unit 8, and the display circuit 8 calls the image of the previous display contents from the video memory 82 or the second memory 9, and the first 2 Create a new image based on the display change and information sent from the processing unit 7. Then, the processing information is displayed on the display unit 2. After that, the display circuit 8 sends its own command or end signal to the first processing unit 4 via the interruption control unit 6 at t = t6, and stops the operation of the clock and the like of the display circuit 8 based on the instruction of the first processing unit 4. Alternatively, the speed is reduced and the display power saving mode is entered, and the power consumption of the display circuit 8 thereafter is significantly reduced as shown in the figure after t = t6 of d in FIG.

【0021】

After t = t6, the display circuit unit 8 is stopped or is in a state close to a stop, but the display content is retained because the display unit 2 is composed of elements having a memory effect such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal display. Here, the contents of the display unit 2 will be described. In the case of a simple matrix liquid crystal, the display unit 2 has a matrix-shaped electrode as shown in FIG. It is composed of horizontal drive lines 13 and vertical drive lines 14 in two horizontal and vertical directions connected to the horizontal drive unit 11 and the vertical drive unit 12. Fig. 4 shows one state of pixels with voltage application.

【0022】

A signal is applied to the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 by electrodes of horizontal drive lines 13 and vertical drive lines 14 provided on the glasses 15 and 16 for each pixel.

【0023】

Figure 4 (a) shows the state when light is not transmitted. By applying a signal, the orientation of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 changes, the polarization angle of the transmitted light changes, and by forming a polarizing plate, light is transmitted in this state.

【0024】

Next, when a voltage in the opposite direction is applied, the direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 changes, the polarization angle of the transmitted light rotates by 90 degrees, and the polarizing plate prevents light from passing through as shown in FIG. 4 (b). One of the features of ferroelectric liquid crystals is the memory effect. As shown in Fig. 4 (c), the same state as in Fig. 4 (b) is maintained even if the power is stopped. Therefore, the display is continued from t = t6 to t = t14 described below even if the display circuit 8 is not operated at all. In this way, after t = t6, the power saving mode is set and the information input unit 3 and the first processing unit 4 are merely operating.

【0025】

The first processing unit 4 only performs processing such as conversion of key input into a character code. Since this key input is done manually by humans, it can be input only dozens of times per second at most. The human input speed is several orders of magnitude slower than the processing speed of the microcomputer. Therefore, the processing speed of the first processing unit 4 may be as slow as that of a calculator. Therefore, the power consumption is several orders of magnitude less than that of the CPU of a stationary computer. As shown in b of FIG. 2, the first processing unit 4 operates while the power switch 20 of the information processing device 1 is turned on, but since the power consumption is low, the overall power consumption can be suppressed to a low level. it can.

【0026】

Next, when there is an N + 1th key input at t = t11, at t = t12, the first processing unit 4 determines the content of the key input, and if necessary, via the interruption control unit 6 or directly. Sends a start command to the second processing unit 7 to start it. The second processing unit 7 restarts the processing by the clock based on the start instruction, and the information entered in the second memory unit 9, that is, the information at the time of the previous stop at t = t5, for example, the memory contents, register information, display contents, etc. Read the information and completely restore the CPU environment as of t = t5. After that, at t = t13, the information from the first processing unit 4 is sent to the second processing unit 7, and the processing is restarted. The second processing unit 7 has a high processing speed so that high-speed calculations can be performed, so that the power consumption is close to that of a general personal computer. If operated continuously, the battery life is short, like existing laptops. However, in the present invention, since the power saving mode is intermittently entered, the power consumption is reduced accordingly.

【0027】

Explaining this power saving mode, for example, in the case of WP software, the time required for one process is usually 1 ms or less. On the other hand, human key input takes several tens of ms at the fastest. Therefore, as shown in c of FIG. 2, the peak power consumption from t13 to t15 of the second processing unit 7 is large, but the average power consumption is one tenth to one hundredth of this peak value. In other words, the power saving mode can save a lot of power.

【0028】

At t = t14, the second processing unit 7 sends the information of only the changed part of the display content to the display unit 2.

【0029】

Before t = t14, the display unit 2 continuously displays the display content changed at t = t6 even if the display circuit 8 is not operating due to the memory effect of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17. Partial rewriting is performed at t = t14 only for the part whose display content is changed based on the key input of t = t11. This partial rewriting changes the display contents for one to several lines by applying a voltage to a specific horizontal drive line 13 and a specific vertical drive line 14. In this case, the processing time is shorter than the entire rewriting, and the power consumption is reduced accordingly.

【0030】

At t = t15 in c of FIG. 2, the second processing unit 7 stops operating and enters the power saving mode again. When the processing of the second processing unit 7 is completed before t = t15 of c in FIG. 2, or when the end command is received from the first processing unit 4, the second processing unit 7 sets the final processing information. 2 Save to memory 9.

【0031】

Next, at t = t14, the second processing unit 7 stops or slows down the operation and enters the input saving mode. When input information arrives at short intervals such as t = t21, t31, t41, t51, for example, in the case of multiple key inputs or inputs from communication ports, t = t23, t33, as shown in c in Fig. 2. Enter power saving mode with t43. When the first process 4 determines that the interval of the input information is shorter than a certain interval, the power saving mode stop command is issued from the first process 4, and as shown after t = t43 in c of FIG. 2, the second process 4 is issued. The processing unit 7 is not forcibly terminated and the input saving mode is not entered. Then, when the interval between the input information becomes long, the power saving mode is started as before.

【0032】

When the first processing unit 4 detects that there is no key input for a certain period of time, the main operations including the first processing unit 4 are stopped, the power is turned off, and the power stop mode is entered. However, the memory contents are backed up by the battery. The power is almost completely turned off.

【0033】

However, before turning off the power, the first processing unit 4 sends a power stop display command to the display circuit 8 directly or via the second processing unit 7, displays the seventh display 21 as shown in FIG. 5 (b), and powers the power supply. After displaying the stop display, the power stop mode is entered. Since the display unit 2 has a memory effect, this display is displayed even after the power is stopped, so that the user can distinguish between the power saving mode and the power stop mode.

【0034】

In the power saving mode, the operation is restarted by key input, and the user does not need to be aware that the operation is interrupted.

【0035】

However, in the power stop mode, the power stop display is displayed, so the user turns on the power switch 20 to see this, and the second processing unit 7 restores the previous processing state from the second memory 9. You can start the next work that is continuous with the previous one. This part is the same as the existing "Resume" mode.

【0036】

Here, the above operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the power switch is turned on in step 101, the first processing unit 4 starts operation in step 102. In step 103, input information such as key input from the information input unit 3 is sent to the first processing unit 4, and in step 104, it is determined whether or not the input is interrupted for a certain period of time. Input interruption time: If t is large, the process returns to step 103 if the second processing unit 7 is operating, and if it is not operating, the entire power supply of step 106 is turned off, the operation of step 107 is stopped, and the power switch of step 101 is stopped. Stops until is pressed.

【0037】

Returning to step 104, when the input interruption time t is several minutes, it is suitable for step 108. If the processing frequency of the first processing unit 4 and the second processing unit 7 is low, the power of the backlight in step 108 is turned off and the backlight is turned on. Enter power saving mode.

【0038】

Here, returning to step 104, if the input interruption time t is small, the processing of the first processing unit in step 110 is checked in step 110a to see if the display continues for a long time, and if it continues for a long time, the display is fixed. The display of the display unit 2 is refreshed in step 110b to prevent seizure, the processing frequency of the second processing unit is determined in step 112a, and if it is large, the second processing unit 7 is always operated in step 11. If small, go to step 111. If it is determined in step 111 that the processing of the second processing unit 7 is not necessary, the process returns to step 103.

【0039】

Then, when it is determined in step 111 that the processing of the second processing unit 7 is necessary, the process proceeds to step 112. a When the second processing unit 7 is not operating in step 112 Go to step 113a and issue an instruction to start the second processing unit 7 to the second processing unit 7. In response to this, in step 113, the first processing unit 4 and the interruption control unit 6 activate the second processing unit 7, and in step 114, the processing of the second processing unit is started. Then, when it is determined in step 115 that the display is changed, the second processing unit 7 gives the display polarization information to the interruption control unit 6 and the first processing unit 4 in step 116a. Then, in step 116b, the interruption control unit 6 sends a display unit activation command to the display block 99. The display circuit 8 is started in step 116c, the display change including partial rewriting of the display unit 2 is performed in step 117, the display change is confirmed in step 118, and the display completion information is sent to the first processing unit 4 in step 117a. , The display completion command is received in step 117b, and the operation of the display unit is stopped in step 119.

【0040】

Here, when returning to step 115, it returns to the case where there is no display change. After confirming the completion of the processing of the second processing unit 7 in step 120, the completion information of the second processing unit is generated in step 120a, the processing unit end command is received, and the function of the second processing unit 7 is stopped in step 121. After that, the process returns to the state of step 103.

【0041】

7 and 8 show a block diagram when the first embodiment is specifically configured as a notebook computer.

【0042】

Explaining FIG. 8, the information input block 97 is composed of a keyboard 201, an RS232C communication port 51, and a floppy disk controller 202. Separately, there is a hard disk 203. The first processing block is mainly composed of the first processing unit 4. In the second processing block 98, there is a second processing unit 7 that employs a CPU that enters a power saving mode by stopping the clock and recovers by supplying a clock, and a bus line 210 is connected to the second processing block 98. A backup RAM 205 consisting of a boot ROM 204, a second memory 9 composed of DRAM, and a SRAM that stores recovery information from the resume state of each part at the time of resume is connected to the bus line 210. The first processing unit 4 and the display block 99 are connected to the bus line 210. The display block 99 includes a graphic controller 206 and a liquid crystal controller driver 207 as display circuits. There is also a video RAM 209 and a liquid crystal 208. Power saving can be achieved by setting some of the above components to the operating state and the rest to the stopped state as needed. Table 1 shows this power saving method.

【0043】

[table 1]

<img file="JP2002236282A_D0001.tif" />【0044】

During normal input such as WP, it becomes intermittent keyboard input. Therefore, the power supply is in the ON state except for the communication input / output unit. Then, a clock is given to the first processing block 1, and no clock is given to the second processing block 98 and the display block 99. Therefore, power consumption occurs only in the first processing block. If necessary, a clock is supplied to the second processing block 98 and the display block 99 to start them intermittently for a short time. Next, at the time of frequent processing, the second processing block 98 is always in the clock operation state to increase the processing speed.

【0045】

If there is no keyboard input for a certain period of time, the power supply of the second processing block 98 is stopped, the memory contents are backed up, and the output is restored when the next keyboard input arrives.

【0046】

FIG. 8 is almost the same as FIG. 7, but shows a case where the first processing unit 4 having a low clock frequency is used as an overall monitor and the actual processing is performed by the second processing unit 7 having a high clock frequency. .. The first processing unit 4 is a method of performing event processing in which the second processing unit 7 is activated and processed each time in response to the keyboard input of the keyboard 201. After the processing is completed, the second processing unit is stopped to save power. Stop until the next keyboard input. The display block 99 starts based on the display signal from the second processing unit 7, and automatically stops after the display is completed. The method shown in Fig. 8 has the effect of operating on an OS close to the conventional OS, and is highly compatible with conventional software. Traditional MS-DOS is designed to run on a single CPU. Since the method shown in Fig. 7 can be regarded as two CPUs, compatibility problems may occur when running conventional application software. Moreover, even if there is no compatibility problem, the power saving effect is reduced in the conventional OS. Therefore, by installing the conventional OS, the dedicated OS for the 2 CPUs of the present invention, and the dedicated software, when used with the WP software, the software for the dedicated OS of the present invention can be operated, and tens to hundreds of minutes. Measure the power saving of 1. And, as the general-purpose software, the OS for the conventional OS is used. In this case, the power saving effect is reduced. Actually, about 80% of notebook computers are used for WP, so this configuration can measure a large power saving effect.

【0047】

FIG. 9 is another concrete block diagram of the first embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart. This discloses a method for operating on a conventional OS such as MS-DOS. The second processing unit 7 uses a CPU in which information such as registers and internal RAM is retained even when the clock or power supply is stopped. When there is a key input in step 251 the first processing unit 4 sends the keyboard code signal from the keyboard 201 to the activation unit 221 which is always in operation in step 252. Step 253 The activation unit 221 sends a clock to the main processing unit 222 in the hibernation state to put it into an operating state. Since the register 224 and the internal RAM 223 are backed up, they are instantly started by the clock supply. Since the main processing unit 222 has stopped in the state of waiting for input in step 254, the program starts from this state. Then, in step 255, keyboard input is received and program processing such as WP is performed. In step 256, the display command is output and the display is rewritten in step 257, if necessary, according to the processing. Step 256 starts the graphic controller 206, step 259 rewrites the contents of the video RAM 209, step 260 starts the liquid crystal controller driver 207, step 261 partially rewrites the ferroelectric liquid crystal 208, and then step 262. After backing up the VRAM209, the display block 99 is stopped and the power saving mode is entered in step 263. After the processing of the second processing unit 7 is completed in step 270, the program running in step 271 is stopped at the stage of "keyboard input standby state", and it is necessary to restore the register 223 and the internal RAM 234 in step 272. Back up the contents and the second memory 9, and stop the CPU clock. In step 273, the second processing unit 7 is stopped and the power saving mode is entered. However, since the activation unit 221 is operating, it is put into the input standby state until there is a new keyboard input or an input from the communication port 5 in step 251. Therefore, the second processing blow In the hook 98, only the starter 221 is operating. In the method shown in Fig. 9, this CPU can back up and retain the contents of registers, etc. even if the clock is stopped. It uses a CPU that instantly recovers when the clock is restarted. Only one CPU works mainly. Therefore, there is a feature that a conventional OS can be used. Since conventional software such as WP can be used with only a few changes, it has the great effect of being able to use conventional software assets. Therefore, at present, it can be said that it is a very realistic method. By directly rewriting the display by the first processing unit 4 as in the second embodiment described later, the power consumption can be further reduced.

【0048】

When there is no keyboard input for a long time, it goes into resume mode and shuts down most of the power. In particular, a ferroelectric liquid crystal has a memory effect, but when the same display content is continuously displayed, a permanent memory effect called a neglected metastability phenomenon appears. To avoid this, when the timer 22 determines that the display has continued for a certain period of time in the power saving mode or the power stop mode, a display change command is sent to the first processing unit 4 and the power switch 20 to display the display. The circuit 8 rewrites all or part of the display contents of the display unit 2 to prevent the permanent memory phenomenon.

【0049】

In the unlikely event that a permanent memory phenomenon occurs and a part of the display unit 2 cannot be changed, the display unit 2 is heated by raising the temperature of the display unit 2 via the heater 24 by the display reset SW23 and arranging the liquid crystal arrangement. It is possible to change the display contents of 2 again.

【0050】

In the power saving mode, the power can be reduced by stopping the clock of the second processing unit 7, but to further reduce the power, the interruption control unit 6 stops the power supply to the second processing unit 7 or the display circuit 8. As a result, more complete power saving can be achieved.

【0051】

In the power stop mode, only the power backup of the second memory 9 consumes power.

【0052】

As shown in FIG. 1, when the battery is used, the backlight 25 is turned off and the reflection element 27 is operated via the reflection circuit 26 to be used in the reflection mode.

【0053】

As shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), the reflection element 27 uses the transmission mode and the scattering mode of the film-shaped ferroelectric liquid crystal element, and the transmission shown in FIG. 12 (a) is reflected in FIG. 12 (b). Can be used to switch between reflection and transmission. The incident light 32 is diffusely reflected by the reflecting portion 27 and becomes the reflected light 33. In this case, the number of parts of the polarizing film can be reduced by using both the display unit 2 and the polarizing plate of the reflecting element 27. Further, by using a film-shaped electrochromic display element, it is possible to realize two modes, a transmission state and a white diffused reflection state like a blank sheet of paper.

【0054】

Further, the reflecting element 27 may be a fixed type as shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b). The reflecting element 27 is composed of a light transmitting portion composed of a low refractive index light transmitting portion 28 and a high refractive index light transmitting portion 29, and a reflecting portion 31 partially having an opening 30.

【0055】

As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the light from the backlight portion 25 enters the light refractive index light transmitting portion 29, but is totally reflected at the interface with the low refractive index light transmitting portion 28, as shown in the figure. After entering the polarizing plate 35 through the opening 30, the light enters the liquid crystal unit 17 after being polarized, and is radiated to the outside to provide a bright display.

【0056】

Next, when using in the reflection mode using a battery, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), the light 32 from the outside passes through the liquid crystal unit 17 and is reflected by the reflection unit 31 made of thin-film aluminum or the like, and the reflected light 33. Passes through the liquid crystal 17 and is displayed to the outside.

【0057】

Since the reflecting unit 27 does not require an external drive circuit, it has the effect of simplifying the overall configuration. The method of producing the light refractive index and the low refractive index can be easily prepared by the method of invading the molten salt, which is generally used in the refractive index distribution lens.

【0058】

The transmission / reflection type liquid crystal display has a problem that the display quality is inferior to that of the transmission or reflection type liquid crystal display, but by switching between reflection and transmission, both the transmission type and the reflection type display are dedicated type. The effect of being able to display the same as is created. Therefore, it is suitable for battery / AC dual power supply drive applications.

【0059】

When using an external power supply, the backlight 25 is turned on by the command of the first processing unit 4, a transmission command is sent from the first processing unit 4 to the reflection circuit 26, and the reflection element 27 is in a transmission state. As shown in a), the display becomes very bright due to the transmitted light.

【0060】

Next, when a battery is used, a reflection command is sent from the first processing unit 4 to the reflection display circuit 26, and the reflection element 27 is in a reflection state including diffuse reflection. The display is made by the reflected light. In this case, the power consumption is reduced by the amount of the backlight 25.

【0061】

Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b), the same effect as in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) can be obtained by using the reflective and transparent plate 34 in which a tapered hole is provided in a metal plate such as aluminum. Is obtained.

【0062】

By adopting the above configuration, the CPU operates intermittently for intermittent key input, and the average power consumption is significantly reduced.

【0063】

Moreover, in this case, since the display continues, even if the operation of the processing unit is stopped, the user does not feel any discomfort. Therefore, there is an effect that a large amount of power can be saved without impairing the operability at all.

【0064】

Specifically, the key input cycle is several tens of ms, whereas in the case of WP software, the average CPU processing time is several tens to several hundreds of μs, so 1/100 of several tens of ms. You only have to work ~ 1/1000 of the operating time. Therefore, by performing the operation intermittently, the power consumption is also reduced in conjunction with it. However, the intermittent operation of the CPU consumes 0.5 to 1 W of power, which is about 10 to 20% of the total power, so if the display is operating even if the CPU costs are reduced to 1/1000. The power consumption of 1/10 to 1/5 before the countermeasure will remain. In the present invention, since a display element having a memory effect such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal is used for the display unit, the power consumption required for display can be intermittently operated like the CPU.

【0065】

Therefore, in the case of key input-based applications such as WP, the total power consumption can be reduced to 1/100 to 1/1000.

【0066】

(Example 2) FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of one embodiment. In the second embodiment, the function of the first processing unit 4 is strengthened, and the operation frequency of the second processing unit 7, which consumes a large amount of power, is further reduced, so that the power consumption can be further reduced.

【0067】

The structural difference from FIG. 1 of the first embodiment is that there is a signal line 97 for transmitting a display instruction signal from the first processing block 1 to the display block 99. The first processing unit 4 in the first processing block 1 directly outputs an instruction change signal to the display circuit 8 in the display block 99 to change the display content of the display unit 2. In the first embodiment, it was described that the second processing unit 7 gives a display change signal to the display circuit 8.

【0068】

FIG. 16 is a more detailed explanation of the block diagram related to the first processing unit 4, and the first processing unit 4 stores the dot patterns of fonts such as alphabets and kana in the first memory unit 5 by ROM or the like. It has three parts: the first font ROM part 40, the image memory part 41, and the general memory part 42.

【0069】

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the second font ROM section 43 in the second memory section 9 can be used as the font memory.

【0070】

Therefore, the following series of simple display changes can be performed only by the first processing unit 4. A character code is generated based on the key input, and the font pattern corresponding to the character code can be read from the first font ROM section 40 or the second font ROM section 43 and displayed on the display section 2 via the display circuit 8. The second general memory 44 is included in the second memory 9.

【0071】

That is, when inputting a data character string that does not involve large processing, the low power consumption first processing unit 4 mainly performs display change processing. When a large amount of processing is required, the second processing unit 7, which consumes a large amount of power, performs the processing. As a result, the operation frequency of the second processing unit 7 is reduced, and further power saving can be achieved. In this case, as shown in FIG. 16, the memory of the first memory unit 5 can be reduced by calling the font pattern of the second font ROM 43 in the second memory unit 9.

【0072】

Explaining Example 2 using the flow charts of FIGS. 18 and 19, the flowchart of FIG. 18 is basically the same as the flowchart of FIG. 6 of Example 1.

【0073】

The difference is that the first processing unit 4 directly activates the display circuit 8. Therefore, step 130 and the display flowchart 131 are added. When the first processing unit 4 determines in step 130 that the display change is a simple display that can be processed by the first processing unit 4, the process proceeds to the display flowchart 131. To briefly explain this, first, the display block 99 is started in step 132, the display content is changed in step 133, the display change is confirmed in step 134, and then the power of the display block is turned off in step 135. The process returns to the waiting state for inputting information in step 103. FIG. 19 illustrates the change of the display content in step 133 in more detail. After starting the display block 99 by the start signal of the first processing block 1 in step 132, if only the cursor is moved in step 140, the cursor is partially rewritten as it is in step 141. If not, it is confirmed whether the display already exists in the input planned area of the display unit 2 in step 142. This can be confirmed by the first processing unit 4 of the contents of the image memory unit 41. If NO, the partial rewriting process in step 143 is performed as it is. If YES, go to step 144. In step 144, the display content existing in the planned input area of the display unit 99 is confirmed by the image memory 41, and it is determined whether the previous display content is necessary for this display change. If NO, it is only necessary to overwrite by partial rewriting in step 143. If YES, in step 145, the image corresponding to the planned input area is called from the image memory 41 or the second font ROM 9, and the image to be newly displayed is combined in the future. In step 146, it is determined whether the mode is opposite to black and white, and if YES, the corresponding part of the image is inverted and displayed in step 147. If NO, the display change is partially rewritten in step 148, the display change in step 134 is confirmed, and the display block 99 is stopped in step 135.

【0074】

Specifically, FIG. 20 shows the processing status of each part with respect to the key input. When there is a key input of I shown in e of FIG. 20 at t = t1, the first processing unit 4 It is converted to the character code "I", the font pattern corresponding to this character code is read from the first font ROM 40 shown in FIG. 16, and the display circuit 8 is driven to generate the display "I" shown in FIG. 20e on the display unit 2. Let me. In this case, in the case of a memory effect type display such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal, partial rewriting is possible. There are two ways to rewrite a part. One is to rewrite the dot part to rewrite one point, and to rewrite all the dots for one horizontal or vertical line. There is a line partial rewrite. Naturally, dot rewriting consumes less power, but requires a high voltage and increases the cost. Even when rewriting one dot, it is necessary to rewrite the entire line, but a low voltage is sufficient. In the embodiment, both display methods will be described.

【0075】

If the withstand voltage of the horizontal drive unit 11 and the vertical drive 12 shown in FIG. 3 is high, partial rewriting of only the I column can be performed point by point. Therefore, in this case, the first processing unit 4 need only generate information for one font corresponding to I. However, the cost of ICs with high withstand voltage is high. In order to reduce the cost, it is desirable that this withstand voltage is low. Therefore, in the current semiconductor process, in order to reduce the required withstand voltage, it is necessary to support partial rewriting in line units.

【0076】

In this case, the first processing unit 4 needs to have at least one line of image memory in the first memory 5.

【0077】

In the case of Japanese, the memory is 640 x 24 dots. In this case, in order to rewrite "I", it is necessary to rewrite that one line, that is, 640 dots for 24 lines.

【0078】

The previous image is read from the image memory 41 of the first processing unit 5, the pattern of "I" is read from the first font ROM 40, and the images are combined to create an image for one line. Based on this information, one line of the display unit 2 is rewritten via the display circuit 8. At the same time, the image of the new line is stored in the image memory 41. This completes the display change of "I".

【0079】

In this case, as shown in FIG. 16, when the second font ROM 43 is used, it is only necessary to have one line of code information, so that the first font ROM 40 and the image memory 41 are unnecessary. In this case, the data for one line is about 40 characters and double-byte characters, and 40 × 2 = 80B per line is sufficient. In this case, the code information for the entire screen can be stored inside the first memory 5.

【0080】

The display of "I" is completed by the above two methods. In this case, the processing of the second processing unit 7 is not performed at all as shown in c of FIG.

【0081】

Similarly, "space" at t2, "L" at t3, "i" at t4, "i" at t5, "v" at t6, and "e" are displayed for key input only in the first processing unit 4. .. The processing speed of the first processing unit 4 is significantly slower than that of the second processing unit 7, but the processing speed is sufficient for performing one-line display processing. As a result, power consumption can be reduced.

【0082】

Figure 20t7 shows a state in which key input instructing a large amount of processing, such as spell check at the time of WP input, translation processing from Japanese to English, and calculation instructions for Japanese katakana-kanji conversion processing spreadsheet calculation. ..

【0083】

In this case, the first processing unit 4 determines that the processing of the second processing unit 7 is necessary, and activates the second processing unit 7 at t71. This activation state is the same as that described in Example 1. As shown in c of FIG. 20, the second processing unit 7 starts at t71, returns to the processing state before the interruption, receives the character string information from the first processing unit 4, and performs processing. If necessary, the second processing unit 7 performs processing. As shown in b, at t72, the display content of the display unit 2 is changed via the display circuit 8.

【0084】

This process can be easily explained by using an input example of Japanese to English translation processing. In FIG. 20f, K is keyed in at t2 and K is displayed as it is in FIG. 20h. When a is input at t1, "ka" is displayed as shown in Fig. 20h.

【0085】

Up to this point, the second processing unit 7 does not operate as shown in c of FIG. When the translation conversion key is pressed at t7, the processing of the second processing unit 7 starts from t71, and the Japanese of "kareha" is translated into the English of "He is" by the translation processing. This processing result is sent to the display circuit 8 and the dots are rewritten.

【0086】

He is is displayed as shown in h in FIG. As shown in g of FIG. 20, the power consumption of dot rewriting is smaller than the power consumption of line rewriting shown in d of FIG. 20.

【0087】

Next, in order to reduce the power consumption when moving the cursor using FIG. 21, when the black-and-white inversion mode is used as shown in FIGS. 21 (a) and 21 (b), the power consumption is large in the case of line rewriting. Therefore, by displaying the cursor of the horizontal bar using the line between the lines as shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. 21, it is not necessary to rewrite the display of one line, and power saving can be achieved. Moreover, since the speed is increased, the response becomes faster even if the processing is performed by the low-speed first processing unit 4. This is also effective in the dot rewrite mode.

【0088】

As shown in (a) of FIG. 22, a horizontal bar cursor is used only for moving the cursor. In this case, it is more effective to intermittently display black-and-white inversion by the first processing unit 4 in order to make it more noticeable. Then, only when there is a key input as in (b), one character is highlighted. By this switching, at least the power consumption when moving the cursor is reduced.

【0089】

(A) to (h) of FIG. 22 correspond to FIGS. 20t1 to t7, and (i) shows the display at the time of reconversion.

【0090】

Fig. 23 shows the state when the dots are rewritten and (a) to (g) indicate the state when inserting and inputting in the sentence. When the second font ROM is used in the configuration of Fig. 16, all the kanji codes are the first font ROM 40. Since it is not included in the image memory 41, it is necessary to store one line of image information in the image memory 41. Then, when retreating from Fig. 23 (c) to (d), the image "n" is restored from the image memory 41, so the display (d) is displayed without using the second processing unit 7 or the 2 font ROM 43. Is possible.

【0091】

(A) to (g) in FIG. 24 indicate a state in which the character string "He is man" is copied. (a) to (f) can be processed only by the first processing unit 4. Since (g) requires insertion processing, it can be almost processed by the capacity of the first processing unit 4. The second processing unit 7 operates.

【0092】

In the case of the second embodiment, most of the portion processed by the second processing unit 7 in the first embodiment is processed by the first processing unit 4 having low power consumption, so that the average power consumption is further higher than that of the first embodiment. It has the effect of lowering.

【0093】

However, the optimum value of the sharing ratio between the first processing unit and the second processing unit differs depending on the WP and spreadsheet software. Therefore, the first processing unit 4 can change the content of the division depending on the software, and can optimize the balance between the power consumption and the processing speed. Also, as shown in Fig. 25, by connecting the video memory 82 to the display block 99 and connecting the first processing unit 4 and the connection line 96, the previous display image is in the video memory 82, so the image in Fig. 16 (a). Memory 41 can also be omitted.

【0094】

(Example 3) FIG. 26 is a block diagram in the case of the third embodiment. As is clear from FIG. 1, the part different from the first and second embodiments is that in the first embodiment, the activation command is given from the first processing block 1 to the second processing block 98 via the activation command line 80. Both termination orders were sent. In addition, both the start command and the end command were sent from the first processing block 1 to the display block unit 99 via the display start command line 81.

【0095】

However, in the third embodiment, as is clear from FIG. 26, first, there is no display activation command line 81 to the display block 99. Next, on the start command line 80, only the start command is sent from the first processing block 1 to the second processing block 98, but the end command is not sent.

【0096】

When the second processing unit 7 finishes the processing, it performs the stop processing by itself and enters the power saving mode. When the second processing unit 7 determines that the display needs to be changed, the display block 99 is activated by issuing a display activation command to the display block 99 via the data line 84. When the display change of the display unit 2 is completed, the display unit lock 99 stops the operation and enters the display power saving mode. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This flowchart is divided into three parts: a first processing step group 151, a second processing step group 152, and a display step group 153. First, let us describe the difference from the time when the second processing block 98 is started and stopped.

【0097】

Flow chart of the first embodiment As is clear from FIG. 6, there is no control flow from the second processing block 98, that is, the second processing step group 152 to the first processing block 1, that is, the first processing step group 151. That is, the first processing unit 4 sends an instruction to activate the second processing unit 7 to the second processing unit 7 in step 112, and the second processing unit 7 is activated. Only this point is common to Example 1. Regarding the stop, the function of the second processing unit is automatically stopped in step 121 without receiving a command from the first processing unit 4 which is different from the first embodiment. Then, in step 103, the information input standby state is set.

【0098】

Next, the difference from the first embodiment regarding the start and stop of the display block 99 will be described.

【0099】

In the first embodiment, the second processing unit 7 sends a display start command to the first processing block 99 for the display completion information. However, in the third embodiment, the second processing block 98 sends an activation command to the display block 99 in step 115a of FIG. 27, the display block 99 is activated in the display step 116, and the display content is changed in the step 117. After confirming the display change in step 118, the display block 99 is stopped by itself in step 119.

【0100】

As described above, the third embodiment has the same function as the first embodiment, but the second processing block 98 and the display block 99 are automatically stopped.

【0101】

Further, the second processing block 98 issues an activation command for the display block 99. Therefore, the load on the first processing block 1 is reduced, the overall speed is increased, and the configuration is simplified.

【0102】

(Example 4) FIG. 28 shows a block diagram of a fourth embodiment. Example 4 discloses a power saving method according to the present invention in the case of having input / output such as communication with the outside. The information processing device has an input / output unit 50 that involves input / output with the outside in the information input block 97, and has a communication port 51 and an external interface unit 52 in the input / output unit 50. When there is input / output, it operates as shown in the timing diagram of FIG. This operates similar to the timing diagram for the key input shown in FIG. When the input from the communication port shown in FIG. 29a is t1 to t74, the communication port unit 51 in the input / output unit 50 sends a signal to the first processing block 1. In t1, the first processing unit 4 sends the input information to the display circuit 8 and operates as shown in d in FIG. 29, and rewrites the display on the display unit as shown in e in FIG. 29. Then, only when an input with a large processing comes to t7, the second processing unit 7 is started at t = t71 as shown in c in FIG. 29.

【0103】

The second processing unit 7 sends a start command at t = t7 to activate the display circuit 8 and rewrite the display unit 2. In the third embodiment, when there is input / output via communication or the like, the second processing unit 7 does not operate for the input that does not involve large processing, and the first processing unit 4 or the input / output unit 50 performs input / output processing. , Perform display processing. Therefore, there is a power saving effect during input / output operation.

【0104】

Since the fourth embodiment uses a solar cell, it has the effect of further reducing power consumption and being able to be used for a long period of time.

【0105】

There is also the aspect that the solar cell will not operate if the light stops, but by arranging the solar cell 60 on the same surface as the display unit 2, when the solar cell does not operate, the display contents of the display unit 2 and the keys on the keyboard can not see.

【0106】

Therefore, in reality, there is no problem. In a dark environment, for example, in the case of WP input at a lecture during a slide screening, the power holding circuit is operated by key input, and the first processing unit 4 is operated.

【0107】

(Example 5) FIG. 30 shows a block diagram of a fifth embodiment, to which a solar cell 60 is added as a power source. Since the speed of the first processing unit 4 is slow, the power consumption is extremely low. Therefore, it can be driven by a solar cell. The operation is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, but in the case of a solar cell, the power supply is stopped when the amount of incident light is reduced. When stopped, the power supply is first switched from the power supply unit 61. When the key input and the power supply from the solar cell 60 are cut off for a long period of time, the power stop mode is entered as shown in t = t61 of b in FIG. 31, and the first processing unit 4 saves the processing information to the first memory 5. And stop the operation. In this case, power consumption is reduced. Then, when the power is supplied from the solar cell 60 at t = t71 or when there is a key input from the information input unit 3, the engine is activated, and the original operation is restarted by the key input of t72.

【0108】

Here, an example of how to start the first processing unit 4 by key input will be described. As shown in FIG. 32, the key input unit 62 of the information input unit 3 sends the voltage from the battery 64 to the holding circuit 63. Therefore, when the key is pressed, the holding circuit 63 sends power to the first processing unit 4 to activate the first processing unit 4. At this time, the key input unit 62 sends the key input information to the first processing unit 4 in parallel, and the processing is restarted. FIG. 33 shows a block diagram when the first processing unit 4 and the second processing unit 7 are shared.

【0109】

In this case, the key input unit 62 may have two keys, one for power supply and one for key input.

【0110】

Example 5 is intended to further reduce power consumption. The design also enables laptops that do not require battery replacement for more than a few years. As shown in FIG. 33, both the first processing unit and the second processing unit can be combined into one in both Examples 1 to 5.

【0111】

(Example 6) Example 6 is a case where the present invention is used in an information processing device using an optical disk such as an 8 mm CD-ROM.

【0112】

FIG. 34 is a block diagram, in which the CD-ROM drive 301 of the CD-ROM and the keyboard 201 are connected to the information input block 97.

【0113】

FIG. 35 is a perspective view. When the CD-ROM player 312 inserts the keyboard 201 and the optical disc 315 such as the liquid crystal 208 CD-ROM into the optical disc insertion unit 316, a start signal is generated in the start unit 221 of FIG. 34, and the second processing unit 7 is activated.

【0114】

Another embodiment is that a code signal is sent from the first processing unit 4 to the activation unit 221 by input from the keyboard 201 to start the second processing unit 7, and the second processing unit 7 is stopped after the processing is completed. Is similar to.

【0115】

This feature extends the battery life of portable devices such as CD-ROM players due to power consumption. In particular, the feature of this embodiment is that the activation unit 221 is activated in response to the insertion signal from the CD drive 301, and the second processing unit 7 is activated by inserting or removing the optical disk 315 such as a CD-ROM.

【0116】

(Example 7) Example 7 shows a case where the present invention is applied to a digital tape recorder. 36 and 37 are application examples of a digital audio tape recorder 312 such as DAT, which has a liquid crystal 208 and a cassette insertion slot 314. By inserting the digital audio tape 313 into the cassette insertion slot 314, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 36, the insertion signal from the digital tape drive 311 sends a signal to the activation unit 221 via the first processing unit 4. Then, the second processing unit 7 is started.

【0117】

By starting and stopping the second processing unit 7 by inserting and removing the digital audio tape 313, there is an effect that the operation is started in conjunction with the insertion and removal of the tape by the operator.

【0118】

According to our simulation calculation, it is operated by WP software, and if there is an average power consumption of 5W without using the present invention, it will be several tens of mw by using the present invention. Therefore, even a conventional secondary battery can be used for about several hundred hours, and by using a primary battery such as a high-efficiency lithium battery, it can be used for 1000 hours or more. In other words, even if you use it for 5 hours every month, you can use a laptop computer that lasts for more than a year, and you can use it for a long time without replacing the battery like a pocket calculator. At this time, the development direction is also increasing in speed and the number of pixels is increasing. The user is freed from the hassle of charging. The present invention is to release a laptop computer from a power cord and a charger. Conventionally, attention has been paid to high speed and high resolution in terms of application of ferroelectric liquid crystals. The focus of the present invention is on reducing power consumption, which has not been paid attention to in ferroelectric liquid crystals.

【0119】

This kind of focus has never been seen before, and it is highly effective in saving power in high-performance portable information devices such as notebook computers, which are expected to grow in the future.

【0120】

Although a ferroelectric liquid crystal is used as an example as a display element having a memory effect, it can be used as another memory type display element such as a smectic liquid crystal or an electrochromic display element. As the liquid crystal, an example of a simple matrix drive type liquid crystal is shown, but a TFT liquid crystal drive can also be used.

【0121】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, the present invention includes an information input unit for inputting information from the outside, a first processing unit for processing the information input from the information input unit, and at least the information input from the information input unit. It also has a second processing unit that processes information from the first processing unit, and a display unit that displays the information processed by the first processing unit or the second processing unit, and this display unit has a memory effect. By using the display element, it is possible to realize an excellent information processing apparatus capable of significantly reducing power consumption without impairing operability at all.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

Block diagram of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2]

Timing diagram of Example 1 of the present invention [Fig. 3]

Configuration diagram of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 4]

Cross-sectional view of the operating principle of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 5]

Screen view of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 6]

Flow chart explaining the operation in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 7]

A block diagram showing a configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 8]

Another block diagram showing the configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 9]

Another block diagram showing the configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 10]

A flowchart illustrating an operation in a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 11]

Another block diagram in a specific embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 12]

Diagram of operating principle of the reflective element in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 13]

Diagram of operating principle of reflector in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 14]

Diagram of operating principle of another reflector in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 15]

Block diagram for explaining Example 2 of this invention [Fig. 16]

Block diagram around the first processing unit in Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 17]

Block diagram around another second processing unit in the embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 18]

Flow chart for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 19]

Flow chart for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 20]

Timing diagram for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 21]

Display state diagram of a cursor for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 22]

Front view of a display unit during translation processing for explaining Example 2 of the present invention. [Fig. 23]

Front view of display unit of additional input for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 24]

Display diagram in copy mode for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 25]

Deformation block diagram for explaining Example 2 of the present invention [Fig. 26]

Block diagram for explaining Example 3 of the present invention [Fig. 27]

Flow chart for explaining Example 3 of the present invention [Fig. 28]

Block diagram for explaining Example 4 of the present invention [Fig. 29]

Timing diagram for explaining Example 4 of the present invention [Fig. 30]

Block diagram for explaining Example 5 of the present invention [Fig. 31]

Timing diagram for explaining Example 5 of the present invention [Fig. 32]

Block diagram of information unit input unit for explaining Example 5 of the present invention [Fig. 33]

Block diagram in the case where the first processing unit and the second processing unit are used in combination for explaining Example 5 of the present invention. [Fig. 34]

Block diagram for explaining Example 6 of the present invention [Fig. 35]

Perspective view for explaining Example 6 of the present invention. [Fig. 36]

Block diagram for explaining Example 7 of the present invention [Fig. 37]

Perspective view for explaining Example 7 of this invention [Explanation of symbols]

1 1st processing block 2 Display 3 Information input section 4 1st processing unit 5 1st memory section 6 Suspension control unit 7 2nd processing unit 8 Display circuit section 9 Second memory 11 Horizontal drive section 12 Vertical drive section 20 Power switch 24 heater 25 backlight 26 Reflection circuit 27 Reflector 30 openings 32 Incident light 33 Reflected light 34 Reflective transparent plate 40 1st font ROM 43 2nd font ROM 82 video memory 98 Second processing block 99 display block 201 keyboard 202 floppy disk controller 204 ROM 205 backup RAM 206 graphics controller 207 LCD controller / driver 208 LCD 209 bus