System and method for quick access of computer resources to control and configure a computer

• US 20040027392A1
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Larsen, Christopher W., Do, Minh H., Wang, Lan, Ali, Vali, Baerenstecher, Mark E., Dunn, Loren S.
• Application Number:
  US10/215,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20040027392A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present technique provides a system and method for quickly accessing, configuring, and controlling computer resources, such as hardware components and software applications of a computing device. A resource control menu is provided with controls, such as links to configuration utilities, for a plurality of resources of the computing device. In operation, a user launches the resource control menu by performing a launching action, such as a single button click. The user then controls the desired resource by selecting one of the controls from the resource control menu.

Claims

1. A method for controlling resources of a computing device, comprising the acts of:

acquiring resource data for a plurality of system resources of the computing device;

forming a resource control menu listing the plurality of system resources; and

providing a quick-access launching mechanism to launch the resource control menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring resource data comprises the act of retrieving hardware operational data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act of retrieving hardware operational data comprises the act of obtaining existing hardware settings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring resource data comprises the act of extracting a portion of the resource data directly from the plurality of system resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring resource data comprises the act of extracting a portion of the resource data from BIOS of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of forming the resource control menu comprises the act of linking a hardware control utility to at least one menu item in the resource control menu.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of forming the resource control menu comprises the act of assigning a hardware control function to at least one menu item in the resource control menu.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of forming the resource control menu comprises the act of creating a plurality of one-stage control triggers for the plurality of system resources.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act of creating the plurality of one-stage control triggers comprises the act of defining digitizer-activated buttons.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing the quick-access launching mechanism comprises the act of associating the resource control menu with a digitizer-activated launch button.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing the quick-access launching mechanism comprises the act of associating the resource control menu with a one-click software button.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of disposing the resource control menu and the quick-access launching mechanism on a tablet computer.

13. A method for controlling resources of a computing device, comprising the acts of:

launching a resource control menu listing a plurality of resource control options for the resources; and

selecting a desired one of the plurality of resource control options to initiate resource control.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of launching comprises the act of engaging a software button displayed on the computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of launching comprises the act of tapping a digitizer-activated button on the computing device with a digitizing pointing device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of launching comprises the act of depressing a electromechanical button disposed on the computing device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of launching comprises the act of accessing links to a plurality of hardware configuration utilities.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of selecting comprises the act of tapping the desired one with a digitizing pointing device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of selecting comprises the acts of:

scrolling through the plurality of resource control options with a menu scrolling mechanism disposed on the computing device; and

selecting the desired one with a menu item selection button disposed on the computing device.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of selecting comprises the act of touching a touch-activated screen-area of the resource control menu.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of selecting comprises the act of toggling a hardware setting of the computing device.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of selecting comprises the act of activating a hardware configuration utility for the desired one.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of activating comprises the act of interacting with the hardware configuration utility to edit operational properties of the desired one.

24. A system for controlling resources of a computing device, comprising:

a resource control menu listing a plurality of system resources; and

a quick-access launching mechanism linked to the resource control menu.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the resource control menu comprises a launching link to a hardware configuration utility for at least one of the plurality of system resources.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the resource control menu comprises a toggle for a hardware setting of at least one of the plurality of system resources.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the resource control menu comprises a hardware configuration routine for at least one of the plurality of system resources.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the quick-access launching mechanism comprises a digitizer-activated button.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the quick-access launching mechanism comprises an electromechanical button disposed on the computing device.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the quick-access launching mechanism comprises a continually-visible software button.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the resource control menu and the quick-access launching mechanism are disposed on a tablet computing device.

32. A system for controlling resources of a computing device, comprising:

multi-resource control means for configuring a plurality of system resources of the computing device; and

launching means for initiating the multi-resource control means.

33. The system of claim 32, comprising means for analyzing operational characteristics of the plurality of system resources.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the plurality of system resources comprise hardware components of the computing device.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the multi-resource control means and the launching means are disposed on a tablet computing device.

36. A computer system, comprising:

a tablet computing device having a plurality of system resources;

a resource control menu listing the plurality of system resources; and

a launching mechanism linked to the resource control menu.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of system resources comprise hardware components.

38. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the hardware components comprise audio/video components.

39. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of system resources comprise software applications.

40. The computer system of claim 39, wherein the software applications comprise hardware configuration utilities.

41. The computer system of claim 40, wherein the hardware configuration utilities comprise a display orientation utility having a plurality of different viewing orientations for a display of the tablet computing device.

42. The computer system of claim 40, wherein the hardware configuration utilities comprise a tablet computer configuration utility.

43. The computer system of claim 40, wherein the hardware configuration utilities comprise a digitizer pen configuration utility.

44. The computer system of claim 40, wherein the hardware configuration utilities comprise a mobile power configuration utility.

45. The system of claim 36, wherein the resource control menu comprises a link to a resource configuration utility for at least one of the plurality of system resources.

46. The system of claim 36, wherein the resource control menu comprises a toggle for a hardware setting of at least one of the plurality of system resources.

47. The system of claim 36, wherein the launching mechanism comprises a digitizer-activated button.

48. The system of claim 36, wherein the launching mechanism comprises a electromechanical button disposed on the tablet computing device.

49. The system of claim 36, wherein the launching mechanism comprises a software button.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the software button is continually visible in a display screen of the tablet computing device.

51. A method for configuring hardware of a portable computing device, comprising the acts of:

acquiring hardware data for a plurality of hardware components of the portable computing device;

forming a hardware configuration menu listing the plurality of hardware components; and

providing a user access mechanism to launch the hardware configuration menu.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of acquiring hardware data comprises the act of obtaining existing hardware settings of the plurality of hardware components.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of acquiring hardware data comprises the act of extracting a portion of the hardware data from an operating system of the portable computing device.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of forming the hardware configuration menu comprises the act of linking a hardware configuration utility to at least one menu item in the hardware configuration menu.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of forming the hardware configuration menu comprises the act of providing a hardware configuration toggle in the hardware configuration menu.

56. The method of claim 51, comprising the act of disposing the hardware configuration menu and the user access mechanism on a tablet computer.

57. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of providing the user access mechanism comprises the act of placing an access button on the portable computing device in a continually accessible location during operation.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the act of placing the access button comprises the act of displaying a software button on a display screen of the portable computing device.

59. A system for configuring hardware components of a computing device, comprising:

a hardware interface menu listing a plurality of hardware components;

a hardware configuration mechanism linked to each listed component of the plurality of hardware components; and

a user access mechanism linked to the hardware interface menu.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the hardware configuration mechanism comprises a hardware configuration toggle.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the hardware interface menu comprises a hardware configuration routine.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the hardware configuration mechanism comprises a hardware configuration application having a user interface.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein the user access mechanism comprises a digitizer-activated button.

64. The system of claim 59, wherein the user access mechanism comprises an electromechanical button disposed on the computing device.

65. The system of claim 59, wherein the user access mechanism comprises a button disposed on the computing device in a continually accessible location during operation of the computing device.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the button comprises a software button disposed on a display screen of the computing device.

67. The system of claim 59, wherein the hardware interface menu and the user access mechanism are disposed on a tablet computing device.