Inventors:
Jeffrey H. Hiller - Atherton CA
International Classification:
G09G 500
Abstract:
A storage device such as a CD, DVD or other optical disk drive is incorporated into the keyboard housing in what would normally be the numeric keypad area. The drive may be of a flip-top variety or may be of a type having a mechanized insertion drawer. A headphone output jack is provided such that a user may pop a CD or other recording into the drive and listen to it through headphones. A touch-screen LCD display may be provided in the numeric keypad area and may function as a control panel for the drive, providing volume controls, scanning controls, etc. When the drive is not in use, the touch-screen LCD display may be used to realize a virtual keypad, therefore making more effective use of what would normally be the numeric keypad area without sacrificing the functionality of a numeric keypad. The drive may be connected to the computer through a standard input port in the same manner as an external CD ROM drive. In an alternative embodiment, a known high-speed multiplexed serial connection protocol is applied to the keyboard connection, eliminating the need for an additional connection.