Pedestal computer docking station

• US 20040017652A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bradley, Chris, Billington, Corey A., Moskaluk, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/686
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/924 Adjustable size

Abstract

The present invention provides a pedestal docking station including an upwardly extending pedestal having an upper end, a base section, and a center of mass; an upper mounting member coupled to the upper end of the upwardly extending pedestal to receive the notebook computer in an elevated, supporting relationship at least four inches above a work surface with a center of mass of the notebook computer in substantial vertical alignment with the center of mass of the upwardly extending pedestal; and port replicator components coupled to the upper mounting member, the port replicator components corresponding to input/output ports of the notebook computer and including connections for attachment to supporting peripheral components.

Claims

21. (New) A pedestal docking station for use in converting a notebook computer into a desktop computer configuration which utilizes a display screen of the notebook computer, the pedestal docking station comprising:

an upwardly extending pedestal, having an upper end and a center of mass;

an upper mounting member selectively and rotatably coupled to the upper end of the upwardly extending pedestal to receive the notebook computer in an elevated, supporting relationship at least four inches above a work surface with a center of mass of the notebook computer in substantial vertical alignment with the center of mass of the upwardly extending pedestal; and

port replicator components coupled to the upper mounting member, the port replicator components corresponding to input/output ports located on a bottom of the notebook computer;

wherein the upper mounting member is configured to enable an operator to adjust a viewing angle of the display screen of the notebook.

22. (New) A pedestal docking station for use in converting a notebook computer into a desktop computer configuration which utilizes a display screen of the notebook computer, the pedestal docking station comprising:

an upwardly extending pedestal, having an upper end, a base section, and a center of mass;

an upper mounting member coupled to the upper end of the upwardly extending pedestal, the mounting member being configured to receive the notebook computer in an elevated, supporting relationship at least four inches above a work surface with a center of mass of the notebook computer in substantial vertical alignment with the center of mass of the upwardly extending pedestal; and

port replicator components coupled to the upper mounting member, the port replicator components corresponding to input/output ports of the notebook computer and including connections for attachment to supporting peripheral components.

23. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, further comprising a securing device coupled to the upper mounting member of the pedestal, the securing device being configured to hold the notebook computer in a stable, substantially vertically inclined position.

24. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, further comprising a securing device coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal, the securing device being configured to hold the notebook computer in a stable, substantially vertically inclined position.

25. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, further comprising a wireless data transmitting and receiving unit coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal and interconnected to the port replicator components by data links for use with wireless peripheral components.

26. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the pedestal further comprises a notebook computer having a plurality of sides and includes:

input/output ports located on at least one side of the notebook computer, the input/out ports being configured to be received by the port replicator components;

orientation circuitry coupled to the input/output ports and configured to identify which of the input/output ports are being received by the port replicator components; and

display rotation circuitry coupled to the input/output ports and configured to rotate visual images displayed on the display screen of the notebook computer;

wherein the pedestal docking station is configured to support the notebook computer on any of the plurality of sides, the orientation circuitry is configured to identify which of the plurality of sides the notebook is supported on, and the display rotation circuitry is configured to display the visual images in a vertically-proper configuration, regardless of the actual orientation of the notebook computer.

27. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the base section of the upwardly extending pedestal further comprises:

at least one folding support member rotatably coupled to the base section of the pedestal; and

at least one locking device coupled to the base section to selectively lock the position of the at least one folding support member relative to the base section;

wherein each folding support member is configured to fold against and lock in position relative to the pedestal when the pedestal docking station is not in use and fold against the work surface and lock in position relative to the pedestal to support the docking station when the docking station is in use.

28. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the upper mounting member further comprises:

at least one support member rotatably coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal; and

at least one locking device coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal to selectively lock the position of the at least one support member relative to the pedestal.

29. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the upper mounting member is selectively and rotatably coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal and is configured to enable an operator to adjust a viewing angle of the display screen of the notebook computer.

30. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the display screen of the notebook computer is rotatably coupled to a processing unit of the notebook computer, the display screen being configured to selectively rotate at least 180°

about a vertical axis with respect to the processing unit and collapse onto the processing unit in a closed configuration, forming a flat screen monitor configuration with the display screen exposed for viewing.

31. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 30, wherein the input/output ports of the notebook computer are located on a bottom surface of the notebook computer, the input/output ports being configured to align with the port replicator components on the mounting member when the display unit is rotated 180°

and collapsed onto the processing unit in a flat monitor configuration.

32. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the mass of the base section of the upwardly extending pedestal is substantially greater than the mass of the upper end of the pedestal to stabilize the docking station in a standing configuration capable of supporting the mass of the notebook computer.

33. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, wherein the base section of the upwardly extending pedestal has a widest portion adjacent to the work surface to maximize an area of the work surface in direct physical support of the docking station.

34. (New) A pedestal docking station as in claim 22, further comprising a lower support base coupled to and extending outwardly from the base section of the upwardly extending pedestal, the lower support base being configured to provide additional stability to the docking station.

35. (New) A docking station as in claim 22, wherein the upwardly extending pedestal tapers from the base section to the upper end.

36. (New) A docking station as in claim 22, wherein the upper mounting member comprises:

a back support plate for supporting a surface opposite the display screen of the notebook computer;

a bottom plate for supporting the computer along one side, and

an upwardly projecting stopping flange positioned at a forward edge of the bottom plate, the stopping flange configured to engage an edge of the notebook computer along the display screen to further secure the notebook computer to the pedestal docking station.

37. (New) A docking station as in claim 22, further comprising:

a spooling device coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal;

a retracting device coupled to the spooling device and the upwardly extending pedestal;

a power supply cord coupled to the spooling device to supply power to the pedestal docking station; and

a retraction activation device coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal and operatively coupled to the retracting device, the retraction activation device being configured to selectively activate the retracting device to retract the power cord onto the spooling device.

38. (New) A docking station as in claim 22, further comprising:

a visual indicator device coupled to the upwardly extending pedestal; and

connection detection circuitry coupled to the visual indicator device and the port replicator components, the connection detection circuitry being configured to detect whether the notebook is properly docked to the pedestal docking station and activate the visual indicator device when it is properly docked.

39. (New) A docking station as in claim 22, further comprising:

wherein the upwardly extending pedestal includes an upper section and a lower section slidably coupled to each other;

a locking device coupled to the upper and lower sections, the locking device being configured to lock the position of the upper and lower sections relative to each other; and

a release mechanism coupled to the locking device to selectively engage and disengage the locking device to adjust a height of the upwardly extending pedestal.

40. (New) A pedestal docking station for use in converting a notebook computer into a desktop computer configuration which utilizes a display screen of the notebook computer, the pedestal docking station comprising:

an upwardly extending pedestal, having an upper end and a center of mass;

an upper mounting member selectively and rotatably coupled to the upper end of the upwardly extending pedestal to receive the notebook computer in an elevated, supporting relationship above a work surface with a center of mass of the notebook computer in substantial vertical alignment with the center of mass of the upwardly extending pedestal; and

port replicator components coupled to the upper mounting member, the port replicator components corresponding to input/output ports located on a bottom of the notebook computer;

wherein the upper mounting member is configured to enable an operator to rotate the display screen into a portrait or landscape orientation.