Adjustable display for a data processing apparatus

• US 20050068304A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Danger Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias, Lewis, Todd, Palmer, Joseph, Brigham, Arthur Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A data processing apparatus is described comprising: a body having a surface defining a first plane, the body comprising a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations; a display having a display area defining a second plane, the display coupled to the data processing apparatus at a pivot point and rotatable around the pivot point from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position, wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a body having a surface defining a first plane, the body comprising a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations;

a display having a display area defining a second plane, the display coupled to the data processing apparatus at a pivot point and rotatable around the pivot point from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position,

wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.

2. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein an angle between the first plane and the second plane is adjustable over a specified range when the display is in the second position.

3. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first group of control elements are covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

4. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first group of control elements comprise a keyboard.

5. The data processing apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the second group of control elements are not covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

6. The data processing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the second group of control elements comprise a control knob and a set of control buttons.

7. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the display is substantially inverted when in the second position relative to the first position.

8. The data processing apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising:

a switch configured to trigger when the display is rotated from the second position to the first position.

9. The data processing apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising:

image inversion logic to invert images on the display responsive to the switch triggering.

10. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 having a first operational mode and a second operational mode associated with the first position and second position, respectively.

11. The data processing apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the first and/or second plurality of control elements perform a first plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the first operational mode and perform a second plurality of defined function when the data processing apparatus is in the second operational mode.

12. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a display defining a first plane and having a viewable area for displaying text and graphics;

a body defining a second plane and having a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations; and

a display motion mechanism moveably coupling the display to the body and carrying the display from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position,

wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.

13. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the display motion mechanism comprises:

a rotation element providing rotation of the display within a first dimension relative to the body; and

a pin rotatably coupled to the rotation element, the pin providing rotation of the display within a second dimension relative to the body.

14. The data processing apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising:

a chamber for rotatably coupling the pin to the rotation element, wherein the pin is fixedly coupled to the display.

15. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the display motion mechanism comprises:

one or more tracks formed on the of the data processing apparatus; and

one or more pins formed on the display and engaging with the tracks to guide the display from the first position to the second position.

16. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein, when in the second position, the display motion mechanism carries the display over a range defined by a first angle between the first plane and the second plane and a second angle between the first plane and the second plane.

17. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the first group of control elements are covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

18. The data processing apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the first group of control elements comprise a keyboard.

19. The data processing apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the second group of control elements are not covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

20. The data processing apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the second group of control elements comprise a control knob and a set of control buttons.

21. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the display is substantially inverted when in the second position relative to the first position.

22. The data processing apparatus as in claim 21 further comprising:

a switch configured to trigger when the display is rotated from the second position to the first position.

23. The data processing apparatus as in claim 22 further comprising:

image inversion logic to invert images on the display responsive to the switch triggering.

24. The data processing apparatus as in claim 12 having a first operational mode and a second operational mode associated with the first position and second position, respectively.

25. The data processing apparatus as in claim 24 wherein the first and/or second plurality of control elements perform a first plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the first operational mode and perform a second plurality of defined function when the data processing apparatus is in the second operational mode.

26. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a display defining a first plane and having a viewable area for displaying text and graphics;

a body defining a second plane and having a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations; and

display motion means moveably coupling the display to the body and carrying the display from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position,

wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.