Multiple-position docking station for a tablet personal computer

• US 20070171239A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark Baerenstecher, Pablo Salazar, Peter Hunt
• Original Assignee: Mark Baerenstecher, Pablo Salazar, Peter Hunt
• Inventors: Salazar, Pablo, Baerenstecher, Mark, Hunt, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/717,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• 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 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for operating a computing device. One method comprises determining if a screen of the computing device is oriented facing upward, and implementing a first software configuration in response to a determination that the screen is oriented facing upward. Another embodiment provides a computer system having a portable computing device, and a gravity sensor coupled to the portable computing device, wherein the gravity sensor may be configured to output a signal that is indicative of the orientation of the portable computing device with respect to the force of gravity.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computing device, comprising:

determining if a screen of the computing device is oriented facing upward; and

implementing a first software configuration in response to a determination that the screen is oriented facing upward.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a tablet personal computer (pc).

3. The method of claim 1, comprising launching a software application as part of the first software configuration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the software application is a personal information manager application.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising implementing a second software configuration in response to a determination that the screen is not facing upward, wherein the second software configuration is different from the first software configuration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein implementing the second software configuration comprises configuring a display setting of the screen.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the operation of at least one soft key as part of the first software configuration.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising configuring the operation of at least one soft key as part of the second software configuration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device remains in the same relative position with respect to the multiple-position docking station both when the screen is facing upward and when the screen is not facing upward.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether the screen is oriented generally facing horizontally.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a screen of the computing device is oriented facing upward comprises determining whether a mercury switch is open or closed.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a portable computing device; and

a gravity sensor coupled to the portable computing device, wherein the gravity sensor is configured to output a signal that is indicative of the orientation of the portable computing device with respect to the force of gravity.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the portable computing device comprises a tablet pc.

14. The computer system of claim 12, comprising a docking station, wherein the gravity sensor is coupled to the portable computing device via the docking station.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the gravity sensor comprises a mercury switch.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the portable computing device comprises software stored on memory, and wherein the software is configured to orient an image displayed by a screen of the portable computing device in response to the output of the gravity sensor.

17. A device, comprising:

a handheld electronic device that comprises;

a touch sensitive screen; and

a tangible machine readable medium storing code configured to receive a signal indicative of the orientation of the handheld electronic device and initiate the execution of a program in response to the signal.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the program is configured to assign a function to a soft key of the handheld electronic device.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the program is configured to change an input mode of the handheld electronic device.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the handheld electronic device comprises a tablet personal computer.