Intelligent Platform

• US 20120011293A1
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICE Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ICE Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Shang-Che, Lin, Chia-Ming, Wu, Wei-Han
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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

Abstract

An intelligent platform integrates with an intelligent portable device or intelligent core to provide a dynamic computer that may serve as any of: a pad, a tablet computing device, a netbook computer, and a notebook computer. The operations of the integrated device are determined by the connected intelligent core'"'"'s CPU architecture and its installed operating system. The intelligent platform includes a housing and a core slot located behind a display for accommodating the intelligent core. A core connector is provided on an inner wall of the core slot for interconnecting with a compatible connector of the inserted intelligent core. A control unit continually communicates with the intelligent core through signals carried by the connector, refreshes image received from the intelligent core on its touch-sensitive display, and sends touch-input commands from the touchable panel of the touch-sensitive display to the intelligent core. The battery on intelligent platform provides backup power to the intelligent core.

Claims

1. A computing platform that accommodates a portable computing device, comprising:

a housing having a slot into which the portable computing device may be received;

a display controller provided within the housing for controlling display of graphical data on a display device;

a plurality of interfaces including a power interface and at least one of;

a data interface and a video interface;

a mass storage unit for storing data;

an electrical connector provided for carrying signals of at least one of the interfaces, the electrical connector being provided on an inner wall of the slot and positioned for mechanically mating and electrically connecting to a matching electrical connector on the portable computing device; and

a control unit coupled to the display controller, the plurality of interfaces and the mass storage unit to provide operative control thereof, wherein, when the portable computing device is connected to the computing platform, the portable computing device takes control of the control unit and integrates with the computing platform into an integrated computing device.

2. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the display device is integrated with the computing platform.

3. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the display device is external to the computing platform.

4. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the signals of the plurality of interfaces are carried in the electrical connector.

5. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising a power supply circuit or a battery that provides power to the portable computing device through the power interface.

6. The computing platform claim 1, wherein the portable computing device comprises one of:

a cellular telephone, a digital personal assistant, a media or game player, and a circuit board with a central processing unit or graphical processing unit inside a swappable box of the size of a handset.

7. The computing platform of claim 6, wherein the circuit board further comprising on-board memories that support the central processing unit or graphical processing unit running application programs and playing digital videos.

8. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising an external connector provided for carrying signals of at least one of the interfaces between the computing platform and an external device.

9. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising a data hub module, and one or more peripheral modules selected from the group consisting of:

a memory module, an image or video capture module, a wire or wireless networking module, a headphone, a microphone, and a speaker.

10. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the integrated computing device functioning as a pad device, a tablet computing device, a netbook computer, or a notebook computer.

11. The computing platform of claim 10, wherein the operations of the integrated computing device are determined from the portable computing device'"'"'s central processing unit architecture and loaded operating system.

12. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the computing platform operates as a portable standalone external data storage device, a portable monitor, or a digital image player when the portable computing device is not connected.

13. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a display selected from the group consisting of:

liquid crystal (LCD) displays, electronic ink displays (ePaper), organic light emitting diode (OLED), and micro projector displays.

14. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device has a display smaller than the display of the computing platform.

15. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device does not have a display.

16. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector comprises a pin-compatible connector that interconnects with a connector on the portable computing device.

17. The computing platform of claim 17, further comprising an adaptor, the adaptor having, at one end, a pin-compatible connector that interconnects with the electrical connector of the computing platform and at another end, a pin-compatible connector for interconnecting with the portable computing device, the adaptor including a built-in integrated circuit for translating between a signaling convention of the computing platform and a signaling convention of the portable computing device.