Portable display monitor

• US 20040155861A1
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert P. Jackson III
• Original Assignee: Robert P. Jackson III
• Inventors: Jackson, Robert P. III
• Application Number:
  US10/478,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A portable display monitor having a flat panel display screen and an integral base/cover pivotally attached to each other. The base/cover covers and protects the display screen during non-use and especially during transit, and serves as a base for deployment of the flat panel display screen at appropriate viewing angles. In a preferred embodiment, the base/cover rotates around the back of the screen between 180 and 360 degrees from the closed position. The monitor is adapted for use with other devices such as portable computers, desktop computers and the like, so that the monitor may serve as a duplicate or auxiliary display viewable from a variety of locations, notably locations other than those which any display normally employed by the devices may be viewed. In other embodiments, the monitor supports other electronic functions such as auxiliary power.

Claims

1. A portable display system for connection to a display driver apparatus, the system having open and closed positions, comprising:

a) a generally planar display portion having a front face and a back face, and comprising a graphic display panel arranged to be viewable on the front face;

b) a generally planar base/cover portion having a base surface and a cover surface, and having sufficient size to substantially cover the graphic display panel when the system is in the closed position, the closed position being such that the display portion is parallel to the base/cover portion;

c) a connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion that enables relative motion of the display portion to the base/cover portion between the open and closed positions, comprising a first section fixed to the base/cover portion and a second section fixed to the display portion, the first and second sections of the connection having respective axes of rotation offset from each other such that the cover/base portion may rotate behind the back face of the display portion;

d) an operative electronic signal connection between the graphic display panel and the display driver apparatus; and

e) a feature of the system to ensure that the display system may be exposed for viewing and held in the open position at an angle between the back face of the display portion and the base/cover portion that is greater than zero degrees and less than one hundred eighty degrees.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the system further comprises the display driver apparatus physically incorporated into one of the base/cover portion and display portion.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the angle is in the range of approximately seventy degrees to approximately one hundred ten degrees.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the base surface of the base/cover portion is immediately adjacent the display panel when the system is in the closed position.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the cover surface of the base/cover portion is immediately adjacent the display panel when the system is in the closed position, and the display portion undergoes a 180 degree twist to achieve the open position.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion comprises a compound hinge.

7. The system of claim 1, in which the connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion connects an outer periphery of the base/cover portion and an outer periphery of the display portion.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the connection further comprises a third section joining the first section to the second section and providing the offset of the axes of rotation.

10. The system of claim 1, in which the connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion comprises at least one passage for electrical connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion.

11. The system of claim 1, in which the display panel is one of an liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and a touch screen display.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one latch to temporarily keep the base/cover portion and the display portion in the closed position.

13. The system of claim 1, in which the connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion provides sufficient friction to temporarily keep the base/cover portion and the display portion in the closed position.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one handle attached to at least one of the base/cover portion and the display portion.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery located within one of the base/cover portion and the display portion and electrically connected to provide power to the display panel.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery located within one of the base/cover portion and the display portion and electrically connected to provide power to the separate display driver apparatus.

17. The system of claim 15 or 16, in which the battery is located within the base/cover portion.

18. The system of claim 15 or 16 in which the battery is removable.

19. The system of claim 15 or 16 in which the battery is rechargeable.

20. The system of claim 1, in which the connection between the base/cover portion and the display portion comprises two linked features in a planetary gear relationship to each other.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feature of the system to lock the display portion into the open position.

22. The system of claim 21, in which the feature comprises at least one tab on the cover/base portion.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising at least one channel incorporated into the display portion so that a tab may clear the display portion when the cover/base portion is rotated.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising recessed features in the display portion to accommodate rotation.

25. The system of claim 1, in which the operative electronic signal connection comprises a cable connection to the separate display driver apparatus.

26. The system of claim 1, in which the operative electronic signal connection comprises a plug-based interface to the separate display driver apparatus.

27. The system of claim 26, in which the integral connection comprises one of a PC Card PCMCIA) connection and a Compact Flash connection.

28. The system of claim 1, in which the operative electronic signal connection between the display panel and the separate video display apparatus is compatible with any of NTSC, PAL, SECAM, analog VGA, digital VGA, S-Video, and RGB component video.

29. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one audio channel.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising controls for the quality of any audio channel.

31. The system of claim 30, in which the controls are manually adjustable on the system.

32. The system of claim 30, in which the controls are manually adjustable on the separate display driver apparatus.

33. The system of claim 1, further comprising controls for the visual quality of the image on the display monitor.

34. The system of claim 33, in which the controls are manually adjustable on the system.

35. The system of claim 33, in which the controls are manually adjustable on the separate display driver apparatus.

36. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one data transfer bus.

37. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data transfer bus meeting a standard selected from RS-232C, USB, PC Card (PCMCIA), Compact Flash, Memory Stick, IEEE 1394, ISA, PCI and AGP.

38. The system of claim 1, in which the display driver apparatus is a handheld computer.

39. The system of claim 38, in which the system further comprises a docking feature for the handheld computer that is incorporated into the base/cover portion.

40. The system of claim 39, in which the docking feature further comprises a spring-loaded cover.

41. The system of claim 38, in which the connection to the handheld computer comprises a “

L”

shaped bidirectional adapter having first and second ends, one end being adapted for connection to the PDA and the second end being adapted to connection to the system.

42. A method of providing an image on a portable display system having open and closed positions, comprising:

a) providing the portable display system with a generally planar display portion having a front face and a back face, and also with a graphic panel for displaying the image on the front face;

b) providing the portable display system with a generally planar base/cover portion having a base surface and a cover surface, and further having sufficient size to substantially cover the graphic display panel when the system is in the closed position, the closed position being such that the display portion is parallel to the base/cover portion;

c) providing an operative electronic signal connection between the graphic display panel and the display driver apparatus;

d) connecting an outer periphery of the base/cover portion and an outer periphery of the display portion with a first section fixed to the base/cover portion and a second section fixed to the display portion, the first and second sections of the connection having respective axes of rotation offset from each other such that the cover/base portion may rotate behind the back face of the display portion to enable relative motion of the display portion to the base/cover portion, between the open and closed positions; and

e) ensuring that the display system may be exposed for viewing and held in the open position at an angle between the back face of the display portion and the base/cover portion that is greater than zero degrees and less than one hundred eighty degrees.

43. The method of claim 42, in which connecting the base/cover portion and the display portion comprises arranging the base surface of the base/cover portion to be immediately adjacent the display panel when the method is in the closed position.