Portable device docking station

• US 20080002355A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,583,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/686
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles

Abstract

An external expanding apparatus or “docking station” operable with a portable computer device of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof.

Claims

1. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having an inner surface substantially enclosing an interior space and having a bearing plate formed with a computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof and a guide mechanism on an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a first edge of the bearing surface and projected there above, and a passage through the bearing plate communicating between the inner and outer faces thereof and positioned between the first edge of the bearing surface and an opposite second edge thereof;

a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes;

a computer expansion connector structured to mate with the I/O connector of the computer;

an expansion connector drive mechanism structured for moving the expansion connector relative to the bearing surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface, the expansion connector drive mechanism comprising a movable frame having an expansion connector seat that is structured for having the expansion connector mounted thereon and an edge portion having an opening therein, the movable frame being movably coupled to the apparatus body for moving the expansion connector seat relative to the bearing surface thereof; and

an internal Universal Serial Bus (USB) socket connector positioned completely within the interior space of the body portion, the internal Universal Serial Bus socket connector being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus hub device positioned within the interior space of the body portion, the Universal Serial Bus hub device being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector, and the internal Universal Serial Bus socket connector being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a wireless short-range communications system module positioned within the interior space of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a hard drive device positioned within the interior space of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a memory storage device positioned within the interior space of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the memory storage device further comprises one of a flash memory device, an optical disc drive device, and a magnetic disc drive device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the memory storage device further comprises an electrical plug connector structured to interface with the internal Universal Serial Bus socket connector and being interfaced therewith.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising each of a wireless short-range communications system module and a hard drive device positioned within the interior space of the body portion and each being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an internal digital computer having a microprocessor structured for executing instructions and being connected to a system bus, a memory bus being connected to the system bus having both a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM) connected thereto for access by the microprocessor.

10. An external expanding apparatus for expanding the function of a portable electronic device having a device body provided with an input/output (I/O) connector, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body having a bearing surface on which the device body is to be placed, a connector presentation surface for opposing the device I/O connector of the device body placed on the bearing surface, a receiver structure positioned adjacent to a front portion of the bearing surface opposite from the connector presentation surface, and an interior cavity;

an expansion connector connectable with the device I/O connector;

one or more electrical connectors being electrically coupled to the expansion connector and presented on an exterior surface of the apparatus body, at least one of the one or more electrical connectors being adapted for receiving a Universal Serial Bus connector;

one or more electrical connectors being electrically coupled to the expansion connector and being substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body, at least one of the one or more electrical connectors being adapted for receiving a Universal Serial Bus connector; and

a mounting structure that is structured to adapt the body portion for mounting to an external support structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus hub device substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being electrically coupled to the expansion connector, and wherein at least one of the one or more electrical connectors substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being adapted for receiving a Universal Serial Bus connector further being electrically coupled to the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one of the electrical connectors presented on an exterior surface of the apparatus body and being adapted for receiving a Universal Serial Bus connector further being electrically coupled to the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an internal memory storage device substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being electrically coupled to the expansion connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the internal memory storage device further comprises an internal hard drive contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being electrically coupled to the expansion connector.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the internal memory storage device further comprises one or more of a magnetic floppy disc drive device, an optical disc drive device, and a flash memory device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the optical disc drive device further comprises one of a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) drive device, a digital versatile disk read only memory (DVD-ROM) drive device, and a combination compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disk read only memory (DVD-ROM) drive device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an internal wireless short-range communications technology device substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being adapted for performing a wireless signal communication with at least one peripheral electronic device having an other internal wireless short-range communications technology device and being positioned within a predetermined range.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an internal digital computer substantially contained within the interior cavity of the apparatus body and being electrically coupled to the expansion connector.

19. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer device of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a substantially rigid closed body portion substantially enclosing an interior cavity there within and having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a substantially rectangular computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof on which the computer device body is to be placed and one or more guides on an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, a connector presentation surface adjacent to the bearing surface along a rear edge thereof and having an opening formed therein projected above the bearing surface for opposing the device I/O connector of the computer device body placed on the bearing surface, a computer device receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above opposite from the connector presentation surface and having a jaw structure with an opening facing toward the connector presentation surface and structured to receive and mate with a front face of the computer device casing, a clearance hole through the bearing plate communicating between the inner and outer faces thereof and positioned between the front edge of the bearing surface and a rear edge thereof, and a peripheral device connector presentation surface having one or more peripheral device connectors;

a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer device, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of device locating holes;

an expansion connector drive mechanism movable relative to the connector presentation surface;

a computer expansion connector connectable with the I/O connector of the computer, the computer expansion connector being mounted on the expansion connector drive mechanism for motion relative to the connector presentation surface;

a releasable safety catch operable between the expansion connector drive mechanism and the clearance hole through the bearing plate;

a biasing mechanism coupled to the safety catch and structured for urging the safety catch toward the bearing plate;

a mounting structure that is structured to adapt the body portion for mounting to an external support structure;

a Universal Serial Bus hub device positioned within the interior cavity of the body portion, the Universal Serial Bus hub device being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector; and

at least one internal Universal Serial Bus socket connector being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a bluetooth system module positioned within the interior cavity of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device for performing a wireless signal communication with a corresponding second bluetooth module in at least one second electronic device situated within a predetermined range of the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a hard drive device positioned within the interior cavity of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a memory storage device positioned within the interior cavity of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an internal digital computer positioned within the interior cavity of the body portion and being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector through the Universal Serial Bus hub device, the internal digital computer having a microprocessor structured for executing instructions and being connected to a system bus, a memory bus being connected to the system bus having both a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM) connected thereto for access by the microprocessor.