FLAT PANEL COMPUTER HAVING AN INTEGRALLY HOUSED FLAT PANEL DISPLAY

• US 20080024971A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, Louis
• Application Number:
  US11/866,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024971A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1656 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 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1631 Panel PC, e.g. single housing hosting PC and display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

Certain embodiments of a personal computer system include an all-in-one personal computer or a panel personal computer. For example, the all-in-one computer may include a computer enclosure consisting essentially of a single panel shaped structure and a flat panel display integrally mounted inside the computer enclosure. By further example, the panel personal computer may include a flat panel display and a personal computer integrated at least substantially into one shared panel enclosure. Some embodiments of the computer have a center leg. In addition, some embodiments of the computer have substantially flat sides and faces that are substantially perpendicular to one another.

Claims

1. A personal computer system, comprising:

a personal computer, comprising;

a computer enclosure consisting essentially of a single panel shaped structure;

a flat panel display integrally mounted inside the computer enclosure, wherein a viewable area of the flat panel display is disposed on a front side opposite from a rear side of the computer enclosure;

a leg comprising a rotatable joint and a bottom portion both disposed in a plane, the rotatable joint is coupled to the rear side above a base of the computer enclosure, the leg is angled outwardly from the rear side and leads to the bottom portion, the plane is oriented generally vertical relative to the base, the plane is horizontally centered between left and right sides of the computer enclosure, and the rotatable joint and the bottom portion are both horizontally centered relative to the plane.

2. The personal computer system of claim 1, wherein the base of the computer enclosure is configured to mount directly onto a surface, and the leg is configured to provide support on the surface at a position away from the base of the computer enclosure.

3. The personal computer system of claim 1, wherein the front side of the computer enclosure is defined by a flat surface that is entirely flat and continuously closed.

4. The personal computer system of claim 1, wherein the left side, the right side, the base, and a top of the computer enclosure are entirely flat between the front and rear sides and are entirely perpendicular relative to the front and rear sides.

5. The personal computer system of claim 1, comprising a blue tooth port integrated into the personal computer.

6. The personal computer system of claim 1, comprising an optical port and a digital port integrated into the personal computer.

7. The personal computer system of claim 1, comprising a wall mount feature integrated into the personal computer, wherein the wall mount feature is independent from the leg.

8. The personal computer system of claim 7, wherein the leg is configured to move into a recess in the rear side of the computer enclosure, such that the leg does not interfere with wall mounting of the personal computer via the wall mount feature.

9. The personal computer system of claim 1, comprising a user input device configured to communicate with the personal computer, wherein the user input device comprises one or more control functions including powering the personal computer on and off, powering the flat panel display on and off, or a combination thereof.

10. A personal computer system, comprising:

a personal computer integrated at least substantially within a flat panel display having a single panel shaped housing, wherein a front screen face of the single panel shaped housing has only a display screen of the flat panel display and a continuous wall surrounding the display screen.

11. The personal computer system of claim 10, wherein the front screen face is defined by a single flat surface that is continuously flat and closed.

12. The personal computer system of claim 10, wherein the single panel shaped housing has an exterior consisting essentially of a continuously smooth and closed surface.

13. The personal computer system of claim 10, comprising a center leg pivotally coupled to a rear face of the single panel shaped housing opposite from the front screen face, wherein the center leg is configured to retract into a recess such that the center leg is flush with the rear face.

14. The personal computer system of claim 10, wherein the single panel shaped housing comprises a rear face opposite from the front screen face, and a center leg is coupled to the rear face at a position directly horizontally centered between left and right sides of the single panel shaped housing.

15. The personal computer system of claim 10, wherein the single panel shaped housing comprises an integral wall mount.

16. The personal computer system of claim 15, wherein the integral wall mount comprises a set of four fastener receptacles spaced apart from one another in a generally rectangular arrangement.

17. The personal computer system of claim 10, comprising a wireless input device configured to communicate wirelessly with the personal computer, wherein the wireless input device comprises one or more control functions including powering the personal computer on and off, powering the flat panel display on and off, or a combination thereof.

18. The personal computer system of claim 10, comprising:

an optical disc drive disposed in the single panel shaped housing, wherein the optical disc drive comprises a disc receptacle configured to enable insertion and removal of an optical disc without insertion and removal of a supporting tray;

a wireless communication port integrated into the personal computer; and

a digital communication port and/or an optical communication port integrated into the personal computer.

19. A personal computer system, comprising:

a panel personal computer having a flat panel display and a personal computer integrated at least substantially into one shared panel enclosure; and

a wireless input device configured to communicate wirelessly with the panel personal computer, wherein the wireless input device comprises one or more control functions including powering the personal computer on and off, powering the flat panel display on and off, or a combination thereof.

20. The personal computer system of claim 19, wherein the wireless input device comprises a wireless keyboard.

21. The personal computer system of claim 19, comprising a leg coupled to a rear side of the one shared panel enclosure at a pivot joint, wherein the leg protrudes from the rear side outwardly to a base position behind the rear side, and the pivot joint passes through a substantially vertical plane directly centered between left and right sides of the one shared panel enclosure.

22. The personal computer system of claim 19, wherein a front side of the one shared panel enclosure has only a display screen of the flat panel display and a continuously flat and closed wall surrounding the display screen.

23. A personal computer system, comprising:

a personal computer integrated at least substantially within a flat panel display having a single panel shaped housing; and

a wall mount integrated into the single panel shaped housing, wherein the wall mount consists essentially of a set of four fastener receptacles offset from one another in a generally rectangular configuration.

24. The personal computer system of claim 23, wherein a front side of the single panel shaped housing has only a display screen of the flat panel display and a continuously flat and closed wall surrounding the display screen.

25. A method, comprising:

providing an all-in-one personal computer consisting essentially of a single panel with an integrated flat panel display and integrated computer components, wherein the single panel has an exterior consisting essentially of a continuously smooth and closed surface.