Slate Wireless Keyboard Connection and Proximity Display Enhancement for Visible Display Area

• US 20100039387A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard, Challener, David Carroll, Wang, Qian Ying
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed

Abstract

An approach is provided that identifies when a wireless keyboard unit is connected to an information handling system that includes a display screen that is partially blocked when the keyboard is attached. A determination is made as to the size of the visible portion of the display screen. Items are displayed on the visible portion of the display screen. The approach refrains from displaying items on the blocked portion of the display screen. The user is able to move the wireless keyboard, the movement of the keyboard resulting in a changed size of the visible portion of the display screen. After the keyboard is repositioned, the visual items are re-displayed on the visible portion of the display screen so that the items fit in the changed size of the visible portion of the display screen.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

identifying that a wireless keyboard unit is connected to an display screen unit that includes a display screen, wherein the wireless keyboard prevents a blocked portion of the display screen from being seen by a user but does not block a visible portion of the display screen from being seen by the user;

determining a size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

displaying one or more visual items on the visible portion of the display screen and refraining from displaying items on the blocked portion of the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a movement of the wireless keyboard that results in a changed size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

after the detecting, re-displaying the visual items on the visible portion of the display screen so that the visual items fit in the changed size of the visible portion of the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating an aspect ratio based upon the determined size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

setting a display screen aspect ratio to the calculated aspect ratio so that visual items are displayed in the visual portion of the display screen.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a visible display area window that is displayed within the visible portion of the display screen;

including a vertical scroll bar with the visible display area window; and

visibly scrolling to different vertical areas of the display screen in response to a vertical scroll bar request received from the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard and the display screen unit.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected movement is a 90 degree rotation of the wireless keyboard unit in relation to the display screen unit.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and is no longer connected to the display screen unit;

in response to detection of the wireless keyboard detachment;

setting the size of the visible portion of the display screen to be the same as a size of the display screen;

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

wireless transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via a wireless connection between a keyboard unit wireless adapter included in the wireless keyboard and a system unit wireless adapter included in the information handling system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and then the wireless keyboard has been reattached to the information handling system, wherein the reattachment of the wireless keyboard unit is in a keys protect orientation so that a plurality of keys included in the wireless keyboard are facing the display screen and are inaccessible by the user;

establishing the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard and the display screen unit;

turning off a keyboard wireless adapter in response to the identifying that the wireless keyboard unit is connected to the display screen unit;

checking a display preference setting, and in response to the display preference setting alternatively;

turning off the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn off the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation; and

turning on the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn on the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation.

9. A information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a display screen unit that includes a display screen accessible by at least one of the processors, a first set of electrical connection points, and a first wireless adapter;

a wireless keyboard unit that includes a keyboard, a second set of electrical connection points, and a second wireless adapter;

a set of instructions which are loaded into memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

identifying that the wireless keyboard unit is connected to the display screen unit based upon connection of one or more of the first set of electrical connection points to one or more of the second set of electrical connection points, wherein the wireless keyboard prevents a blocked portion of the display screen from being seen by a user but does not block a visible portion of the display screen from being seen by the user;

determining a size of the visible portion of the display screen based on a first number of the one or more first set of electrical connection points that are connected to the first number of the one or more second set of electrical connection points; and

displaying one or more visual items on the visible portion of the display screen and refraining from displaying items on the blocked portion of the display screen.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

detecting a movement of the wireless keyboard that results in a second number of the one or more first set of electrical connection points being connected to the second number of the one or more second set of electrical connection points and further results in a changed size of the visible portion of the display screen based upon the second number; and

after the detecting, re-displaying the visual items on the visible portion of the display screen so that the visual items fit in the changed size of the visible portion of the display screen.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

calculating an aspect ratio based upon the determined size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

setting a display screen aspect ratio to the calculated aspect ratio so that visual items are displayed in the visual portion of the display screen.

12. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

creating a visible display area window that is displayed within the visible portion of the display screen;

including a vertical scroll bar with the visible display area window; and

visibly scrolling to different vertical areas of the display screen in response to a vertical scroll bar request received from the user.

13. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard and the display screen unit.

14. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the detected movement is a 90 degree rotation of the wireless keyboard unit in relation to the display screen unit.

15. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and is no longer connected to the display screen unit;

in response to detection of the wireless keyboard detachment;

setting the size of the visible portion of the display screen to be the same as a size of the display screen;

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

wireless transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via a wireless connection between the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter.

16. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the instructions executed by at least one of the processors perform additional actions comprising:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and that the wireless keyboard has been reattached to the display screen unit, wherein the reattachment of the wireless keyboard unit is in a keys protect orientation so that a plurality of keys included in the wireless keyboard are facing the display screen and are inaccessible by the user;

establishing the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard unit and the display screen unit by connecting a third set of one or more electrical connection points included in the wireless keyboard unit to the first set of electrical connection points;

turning off the second wireless adapter in response to the identifying that the wireless keyboard unit is connected to the display screen unit;

checking a display preference setting, and in response to the display preference setting alternatively;

turning off the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn off the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation; and

turning on the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn on the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

detecting a movement of the wireless keyboard that results in a changed size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

after the detecting, re-displaying the visual items on the visible portion of the display screen so that the visual items fit in the changed size of the visible portion of the display screen.

17. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

identifying that a wireless keyboard unit is connected to a display screen unit that includes a display screen, wherein the wireless keyboard prevents a blocked portion of the display screen from being seen by a user but does not block a visible portion of the display screen from being seen by the user;

determining a size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

displaying one or more visual items on the visible portion of the display screen and refraining from displaying items on the blocked portion of the display screen.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

calculating an aspect ratio based upon the determined size of the visible portion of the display screen; and

setting a display screen aspect ratio to the calculated aspect ratio so that visual items are displayed in the visual portion of the display screen.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

creating a visible display area window that is displayed within the visible portion of the display screen;

including a vertical scroll bar with the visible display area window; and

visibly scrolling to different vertical areas of the display screen in response to a vertical scroll bar request received from the user.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard and the display screen unit.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and is no longer connected to the display screen unit;

in response to detection of the wireless keyboard detachment;

setting the size of the visible portion of the display screen to be the same as a size of the display screen;

receiving keyboard selections from the user in response to the user selecting one or more keyboard components included in the wireless keyboard unit; and

wireless transmitting a plurality of keyboard signals corresponding to the received keyboard selections from the wireless keyboard to the display screen unit via a wireless connection between a keyboard unit wireless adapter included in the wireless keyboard and a system unit wireless adapter included in the display screen unit.

23. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising functional descriptive material that causes the data processing system to perform additional actions that include:

detecting that the wireless keyboard has been detached from the display screen unit and then the wireless keyboard has been reattached to the display screen unit, wherein the reattachment of the wireless keyboard unit is in a keys protect orientation so that a plurality of keys included in the wireless keyboard are facing the display screen and are inaccessible by the user;

establishing the electrical connection between the wireless keyboard and the display screen unit;

turning off a keyboard wireless adapter in response to the identifying that the wireless keyboard unit is connected to the display screen unit;

checking a display preference setting, and in response to the display preference setting alternatively;

turning off the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn off the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation; and

turning on the display screen in response to the preference setting being to turn on the display screen when the wireless keyboard is in the keys protect orientation.