Dual screen haptic enabled convertible laptop

• US 10,078,483 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Finnan, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Mummalaneni, Mrunalini Yerneni
• Application Number:
  US15/156,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly

Abstract

A dual display client apparatus includes a pair of display housings. When physically coupled together in a first mode of operation, the display housings may be arranged as a single portable electronic device such as a clamshell laptop. In this mode, the system is configured to share computing power and other resources among the two housings, providing a more powerful and robust device than when the housings are separated. Processor power and storage capacity may be aggregated in the unitary apparatus. Battery charging and power sharing may be enabled between the devices'"'"' power supplies. When decoupled, the separate display housings are configured to each operate as a self-sufficient, standalone computing device. In this mode of operation, applications and other software may be instantiated as shared instance or separate instances, giving the user of each device ultimate flexibility in device operation and content consumption.

Claims

1. A portable computing system, comprising:

a first housing including;

a first display device having a display interface;

first memory configured to store first instructions and first data;

one or more first input and output devices;

one or more first sensors devices; and

one or more first processors coupled to the first display device, memory, input and output devices, and sensor devices; and

a second housing including;

a second display device having a display interface;

second memory configured to store second instructions and second data;

one or more second input and output devices;

one or more second sensor devices; and

one or more second processors coupled to the second display device, memory, input and output devices, and sensor devices;

wherein, when the first housing is physically coupled to the second housing, the one or more first processors and the one or more second processors operate collectively in combination in a first mode via a physical or virtual bus to process at least one of the first instructions, the second instructions, the first data or the second data, and in the first mode the second memory is arranged as a shared resource in which the one or more first processors are configured to buffer content in the second memory;

wherein, when the first housing is not physically coupled to the second housing, the one or more first processors operate separately from the one or more second processors in a second mode in which the one or more first processors do not process the second instructions or the second data, and the one or more second processors do not process the first instructions or the first data, and in the second mode;

resource sharing of the second memory by the one or more first processors is disabled;

the one or more first processors are configured to implement a first instance of an active application for use by a first user; and

the one or more second processors are configured to implement a second instance of the active application for use by a second user;

wherein the second instance is distinct from the first instance, in which different pieces of content are separately presentable to the first and second users on respective display devices of the first and second housings; and

wherein in the second mode the first and second instances of the active application share one set of account login information.

2. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein, during the first mode, the first display device is configured to present content to a user, and the second display device is configured to receive input from the user to control presentation of the content on the first display device.

3. The portable computing system of claim 2, wherein the second display device includes a haptic input and is configured to present a virtual keyboard to the user, the virtual keyboard arranged to provide tactile feedback to the user.

4. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein:

the first housing further comprises a first power module;

the second housing further comprises a second power module; and

in the first mode, one of the first and second power modules is configured to charge a battery of the other one of the first and second power modules.

5. The portable computing system of claim 4, wherein the first power module is configured to inductively charge the battery of the second power module.

6. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein in the first mode a single instance of the active application is implemented and configured for simultaneous presentation on the first and second display devices.

7. A computer-implemented method for operation of a client apparatus, the client apparatus having first and second housings, each housing including a display device, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors of the client apparatus, whether the first and second housings are physically coupled together;

when it is determined that the first and second housings are physically coupled together, operating in a first mode including sharing selected resources between the first and second housings, the sharing selected resources including one or more processors of each of the first and second housings operating collectively via a physical or virtual bus to process instructions and data therebetween, and wherein a memory of the second housing is arranged as a shared resource in which the one or more processors of the first housing are configured to buffer content in the second memory; and

when it is determined that the first and second housings are physically separated from one another, operating in a second mode, the second mode including determining whether to disable one or more features enabled in the first mode, including;

disabling resource sharing of the second memory by the one or more processors of the first housing;

implementing, by the one or more processors of the first housing, a first instance of an active application for use by a first user; and

implementing, by the one or more processors of the second housing, a second instance of the active application for use by a second user, the second instance being distinct from the first instance, in which different pieces of content are separately presentable to the first and second users on respective display devices of the first and second housings; and

wherein in the second mode the first and second instances of the active application share one set of account login information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein sharing the selected resources between the first and second housings includes combining processor resources of the first and second housings, and wherein combining the processor resources includes operating a processor from the first housing and a processor from the second housing as either parallel processors or as master and slave processors.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein sharing the selected resources between the first and second housings includes virtually aggregating memories of the first and second housings to enhance buffering or long-term storage capacity.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein sharing the selected resources between the first and second housings includes sharing resources of power modules of the first and second housings.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein in the first mode, a power module of the first housing is configured to charge a battery of a power module of the second housing.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein sharing the selected resources between the first and second housings includes virtually aggregating network access elements of the first and second housings to increase uplink and downlink communication bandwidth of the client apparatus.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein upon determining whether to disable one or more features enabled in the first mode, the method includes a processor of the first housing disabling haptic feedback on the display device of the first housing.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein upon determining that the first and second housings are physically separated from one another, the method includes initiating a wireless communication link between transceivers of the first and second housings.