VEHICLE DOCK FOR RUGGEDIZED TABLET

• US 20130107445A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xplore Technologies Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Reber, David, Bell, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A system and apparatus for robustly transferring power and data between a portable computing device, such as a ruggedized tablet, and a docking station is provided. The tablet and the docking station may each have a docking connector and a wireless communication device. In some embodiments, the docking station may transfer power to the tablet through electrical contacts of the docking connectors and may communicate data through the wireless communication devices. The docking station'"'"'s docking connector may mount electrical contacts for transferring power and may mount few or no electrical contacts for transferring data. The tablet'"'"'s docking connector may retain electrical contacts for transferring power and electrical contacts for transferring data. In some embodiments, all the electrical contacts for transferring data may be unused.

Claims

1. A docking station for data and power transfer with a portable computing device, the docking station comprising:

a housing forming a cradle assembly adapted to receive the portable computing device;

a first docking connector coupled to the cradle assembly of the housing and having no data pins mounted on a surface of the first docking connector; and

a wireless communication device adapted to communicate data with the portable computing device, and

wherein the surface of the first docking connector has a shape configured to cooperate with a shape of a surface of a second docking connector of the portable computing device.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first docking connector has one or more power pins mounted on the surface of the first docking connector, wherein the one or more power pins are the only electrically conducting pins on the surface of the interface connector and each of the one or more power pins are electrically connected to a DC power source, wherein each of the one or more power pins on the surface of the first docking connector is located so as to contact a power electrical contact of the second docking connector when the first docking connector physically engages the second docking connector, the second docking connector having one or more power electrical contacts and one or more data electrical contacts.

3. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first docking connector further comprises a coil housed in the first docking connector and having one or more turns, wherein the first docking connector has no power pins mounted on the surface of the first docking connector, and wherein the wireless communication device comprises a radio-frequency (RF) communication device.

4. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the surface of the first docking connector includes one or more guide pins adapted to fit into a guide recess on the surface of the second docking connector to frictionally couple the first docking connector and the second docking connector when the two docking connectors are physically engaged.

5. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first docking connector comprises a seal that encloses a perimeter of the first docking connector and that is adapted to form a water-tight seal when the first docking connector physically engages the second docking connector.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the one or more power pins of the first docking connector comprises one or more spring-loaded pins.

7. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first docking connector is detachably coupled to the cradle assembly of the docking station housing.

8. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the housing of the docking station forms a water-tight compartment, and wherein the wireless communication device is housed in the water-tight compartment.

9. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises one or more electronic interfaces adapted to electrically connect to one or more electronic devices peripheral to the portable computing device.

10. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises a latching mechanism adapted to releasably couple the portable computing device to the docking station.

11. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted to be able to be coupled to a VESA-compliant mount.

12. A docking station for data and power transfer with a portable computing device, the docking station comprising:

a housing forming a cradle assembly adapted to receive the portable computing device;

a first docking connector coupled to the cradle assembly of the housing, the first docking connector having one or more power pins, one or more data pins, and one or more guide pins mounted on a surface of the first docking connector;

a wireless communication device adapted to communicate data with the portable computing device; and

a power transfer controller adapted to supply battery charging power to the portable computing device,

wherein the one or more power pins, one or more data pins, and one or more guide pins are the only pins on the surface of the first docking connector and wherein each of the one or more power pins are electrically connected to a DC power source,

wherein each of the one or more guide pins are adapted to fit into a guide recess on the surface of the second docking connector to frictionally couple the first docking connector and the second docking connector when the two docking connectors are physically engaged,

wherein each of the one or more data pins are electrically connected to the power transfer controller, and wherein the power transfer controller is adapted to control a data transfer rate for communicating data with the portable computing device,

wherein the surface of the first docking connector has a shape configured to cooperate with a shape of a surface of a second docking connector of the portable computing device, the second docking connector having one or more power electrical contacts and one or more data electrical contacts,

wherein each of the one or more power pins on the surface of the first docking connector is located so as to contact one of the one or more power electrical contacts when the first docking connector physically engages the second docking connector,

wherein each of the one or more data pins on the surface of the first docking connector is located so as to contact one of the one or more data electrical contacts when the first docking connector physically engages the second docking connector, and

wherein the total number of electrical contacts on the second docking connector is more than the total number of electrically conductive pins on the first docking connector.

13. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the first docking connector comprises a seal that encloses a perimeter of the first docking connector and that is adapted to form a water-tight seal when the first docking connector physically engages the second docking connector.

14. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the one or more power pins and the one or more data pins of the first docking connector comprises one or more spring-loaded pins.

15. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the first docking connector is detachably coupled to the cradle assembly of the docking station housing.

16. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the housing of the docking station forms a water-tight compartment, and wherein the wireless communication device is housed in the water-tight compartment.

17. A method for transferring data and power between portable computing devices and docking stations in a rugged environment, comprising:

receiving a portable computing device on a docking station mounted in a vehicle;

transferring power wirelessly from a conductive coil on the docking station to the portable computing device;

communicating data wirelessly with the portable computing device via a wireless communication device operatively coupled to the docking station and a wireless communication device operatively coupled to the portable computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transferring power and transferring data are done while the vehicle is moving.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating data wirelessly comprises:

receiving data at a peripheral device interface connector of the docking station; and

transferring wirelessly the received data to the portable computing device via the wireless communication device operatively coupled to the docking station and the wireless communication device operatively coupled to the portable computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication device operatively coupled to the docking station comprises a radio frequency (RF) communication device.