Modular computing system

• US 10,088,865 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Christopher Thomas, Witmer, Gregory Turner, Pant, Prachi Avinash, Trinh, Bryan Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sawyer, Steven T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shrestha, Sagar
• Application Number:
  US14/534,618
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 3616793, 36167941-67944, 361 7955, 36168956, 4555751, 4555758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10128 Display

Abstract

A modular computing system includes an electronic device and a case. The electronic device has a cavity formed by a thin portion and a thick portion. The case has an auxiliary portion that fits within the cavity of the electronic device when the electronic device is docked with the case. The electronic device has a device battery and the auxiliary portion of the case has a case battery that electronically couples with the electronic device when the electronic device is coupled to the case. The electronic device has a display assembly coupled to a cover glass, and the cover glass has two apertures providing two respective buttons within the apertures.

Claims

1. A modular system, comprising:

an electronic device comprising;

a frame, the frame comprising;

a first portion having a first thickness;

a second portion having a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness,

an inner wall having a front side and a back side;

a display recess region adjacent the front side of the inner wall; and

a grip recess region adjacent a first section of the back side of the inner wall, wherein the grip recess region is disposed in the second portion;

a display assembly provided in the display recess region;

a device battery module, a device connector module, and a logic circuit provided in the grip recess region, wherein the device battery module is disposed adjacent the first section of the back side of the inner wall opposite of the display assembly, wherein the device connector module is coupled to the device battery module; and

a case comprising;

an auxiliary portion configured to magnetically couple to the first portion of the frame, wherein the auxiliary portion comprises;

a case battery module; and

a case connector module coupled to the case battery module, wherein the case connector module is configured to electronically couple with the device connector module; and

a moveable lid coupled to the auxiliary portion and configured to cover a front surface of the electronic device.

2. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a cover glass coupled to a front surface of the display assembly, wherein the cover glass extends over the first portion and the second portion, wherein the cover glass comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein each aperture is positioned laterally adjacent to the display assembly, wherein the first aperture is positioned longitudinally adjacent to the second aperture;

a first button positioned within the first aperture; and

a second button positioned within the second aperture.

3. A system, comprising:

an electronic device comprising;

a frame, the frame comprising;

a first portion having a first thickness;

a second portion having a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness,

an inner wall having a front side and a back side;

a first recess region adjacent the front side of the inner wall; and

a second recess region adjacent a first section of the back side of the inner wall, wherein the second recess region is disposed in the second portion;

a display assembly provided in the first recess region adjacent the front side of the inner wall;

a first battery module provided in the second recess region, wherein the first battery module is disposed adjacent the first section of the back side of the inner wall opposite of the display assembly;

a cover glass coupled to a front surface of the display assembly extending over the first portion and the second portion, wherein a portion of the cover glass extending over the second portion comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein each aperture is positioned laterally adjacent to the display assembly and the first aperture is positioned longitudinally adjacent to the second aperture;

a first button positioned within the first aperture; and

a second button positioned within the second aperture.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a case comprising an auxiliary portion arranged so as to fit along the first portion of the frame and along a transition portion of the frame between the first portion and the second portion of the frame, wherein the auxiliary portion comprises;

a second battery module; and

a connector module coupled to the second battery module, wherein the connector module is configured to electronically couple with the first battery module.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic device further comprises a multichip module having a processor and a memory, wherein the multichip module is provided in the second recess region.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic device further comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna provided in the second recess region.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device further comprises a wide area network (WAN) antenna module having an antenna flexible printed circuit provided in the first recess region and having an antenna cable provided in the second recess region, wherein the WAN antenna module and the WLAN antenna share an antenna window comprising nonconductive material.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the connector module is configured to electronically couple with the first battery module via a magnetic coupling of the auxiliary portion of the case and the first portion of the frame of the electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system further comprises:

a first magnet of the frame provided in the transition portion and adjacent to the first battery module; and

a second magnet of the case adjacent to the connector module, wherein the second magnet is positioned to align with the first magnet, wherein at least one contact of the connector module is positioned to align with a second connector module provided in the transition portion of the frame.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic device further comprises an integrated display flexible printed circuit (FPC) coupled to the display assembly, wherein the integrated display FPC comprises a first dome switch positioned beneath the first button, wherein the first button is adhered to the integrated display FPC.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the first aperture comprises a chamfer surface; and

the cover glass further comprises an opaque material deposited on the chamfer surface, wherein the opaque material comprises a plastic insert molding material.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein:

a surface of the first recess region comprises a metal plating that plates a plastic material of the frame; and

the metal plating comprises a nanocrystalline nickel material.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic device further comprises a removable cap configured to couple with the frame to enclose the second recess region.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the case further comprises a lid coupled to the auxiliary portion, wherein the lid comprises a first fiber glass layer, a second fiber glass layer, a foam layer between the first fiber glass layer and the second fiber glass layer, a leather layer adhered to the first fiber glass layer, and a microfiber layer adhered to the second fiber glass layer.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary portion further comprises an alignment portion configured to align the first portion of the electronic device with the auxiliary portion of the case.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a frame, the frame comprising;

a first portion having a first thickness

a second portion having a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness;

an inner wall having a front side and a back side;

a first recess region adjacent the front side of the inner wall; and

a second recess region adjacent a first section of the back side of the inner wall, wherein the second recess region is disposed in the second portion;

a display assembly provided in the first recess region, the display assembly positioned in both the first portion and the second portion of the frame;

a battery module positioned in the second portion of the frame, wherein the battery module is disposed adjacent to the first section of the back side of the inner wall opposite of the display assembly; and

a cover glass coupled to a front surface of the display assembly extending over the first portion and the second portion, wherein a portion of the cover glass extending over the second portion comprises an aperture, and wherein the frame comprises a transition portion between the first portion and the second portion and a connector module coupled to the battery module is provided in the transition portion.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising a first magnet positioned in the frame adjacent to the connector module.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising:

a control button positioned within the aperture, wherein the aperture is positioned laterally adjacent to the display assembly.