DUAL DISPLAYS COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20120268399A1
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICE Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ICE Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Shang-Che, Wu, Wei-Han, Lin, Chia-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 10,001,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user

Abstract

A dynamic dual displays system is coupled with a computing device to provide at least two display panels for single user or multiple user applications. In one embodiment, two display panels are provided in a back-to-back configuration connected by a hinge to allow rotation motion of the display panels relative to each other. Depending on the relative positions of the display panels and the computing device, the combined system provides a hybrid device that may dynamically serve as a notebook or a tablet computer. The multiple display panels may present the same or different contents simultaneously, depending on application. In a multi-user application, the display panels may be presented to different users, one of which accepts input data through a touch-sensitive surface on the corresponding display panel.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a chassis;

a first display panel having a first display interface;

a second display panel having a second display interface and capable of receiving input data through a touch-sensitive surface on the display panel;

a display support that attaches the first display panel to the second display panel, wherein the display support is configured to allow the second display panel to rotate about the display support through an angle relative to the first display panel; and

a display control circuit provided within the chassis, the display control circuit having one or more display interfaces configured to communicate data and control signals with the first display panel through the first display interface and with the second display panel through the second display interface wherein when an angle about the display support between the first display panel and the second display panel is within a first range, the computing system operates in a first mode, and when the angle about the display support between the first display panel and the second display panel is within a second range, the computing system operates in a second mode.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein, in the first mode, the computer system services a single user, and wherein in the second mode, the computer system services more than one user.

3. The computing system of claim 2, further comprising a hinge provided on the chassis for attaching the first display panel to the chassis, the hinge allowing rotation of the first display panel through an angle about the hinge between the first display panel and the chassis.

4. The computing system of claim 3 wherein, when the angle about the hinge between the chassis and the first display panel is in a third range, the computing system operates as a notebook computer, and wherein when the angle about the hinge between the chassis and the first display panel is in a fourth range, the computing system operates as a tablet computer.

5. The computing system of claim 2, further comprising a processor within the chassis for operating the first display panel and the second display panel interfaces through the display control circuit.

6. The computing system as in claim 5, wherein the display control circuit is provided in the processor.

7. The computing system as in claim 5, wherein the processor is part of a graphics processing unit.

8. The computing system as in claim 5, wherein the chassis comprises an intelligent platform.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the intelligent platform is selected from the group consisting of a dock-station, and a display panel or keyboard having a slot to accommodate the processor.

10. The computing system of claim 8 wherein the processor is provided in an intelligent core.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the intelligent core is selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a digital personal assistant, a media or game player, a circuit board with a CPU and a graphical processing unit inside a swappable box.

12. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the first display panel and the second display are each selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electronic ink display (ePaper), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a tablet/pad computer being used as external display.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the first display panel further comprises a touch-panel layer.

14. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the display interfaces of the display control circuit are each selected form the group consisting of a Video Graphics Array (VGA), a Digital Video Interface (DVI), an Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) interface, a DisplayPort interface, and Flat Panel Display Link (“

LVDS”

) interface.

15. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the second display panel comprises a gyroscope sensor that reports motion information to the display control circuit.

16. The computing system of claim 15, further comprising a data interface for communicating data received at the touch-sensitive surface and motion interface between the second display panel and the display panel control circuit.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the data interface comprises a USB data interface.

18. The computing system of claim 1, wherein one of the first display panel and the second display panel comprises a tablet computer.

19. The computing system of claim 1, wherein one of the first display panel and the second display panel comprises a notebook computer.