TABLET COMPUTER WITH INTERFACE CHANNELS

• US 20160179143A1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Walston, Andrew Lyle, Wells, Michael James, Bidwell, Dean Jeffrey, Bandringa, John Spencer, Willkens, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,191,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A modular interface and attachment system for integration with, or use with, a tablet computer is disclosed. The system allows for the modular attachment of ergonomic features, specialty I/O devices, and specialty data entry hardware. Interface channels may be built into the rear surface of the tablet housing, while the accompanying accessories are provided with mating splines. The interface channels can also include electrical contacts to provide power to accessories that are mounted, or to facilitate the mounting of an auxiliary battery. Accessories that require a physical data or I/O interface with the tablet can be mounted at either end of the tablet at positions where data connectors are provided.

Claims

1. A modular system for a tablet computer, comprising:

channels affixed to a housing of a tablet computer, the channels configured to receive one or more accessories.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the channels are integrally formed in a rear panel of the tablet computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the channels are formed in a channel housing that is affixed to the tablet computer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the channel housing includes an accessory battery for the tablet computer mounted within the channel housing.

5. The system of claim 3, comprising two spaced-apart channels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the channels have a profile selected from the group consisting of:

T-shaped cross section, an L-shaped cross-section, triangular cross-section, dovetail cross-section, and wedge-shaped cross-section.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the modular accessory is selected from the group consisting of:

auxiliary batteries, barcode scanners, accessory keyboards, grips, handles, card scanners, card readers, and RFID scanners.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the channels include power conduits.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the channels include data interfaces.

10. A tablet computer and accessory system, comprising:

a tablet computer having a housing with a rear surface, the rear surface having two parallel spaced apart interface channels; and

a tablet accessory having a housing with a mounting surface, the mounting surface having two parallel spaced apart splines;

wherein the splines are slidably receivable in the interface channels to affix the tablet accessory to the tablet computer housing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface channels and the splines include mating electrical contacts to provide for the transmission of power.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tablet computer and the tablet accessory include mating data connectors to provide for data communication.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the tablet computer and the tablet accessory include mating data connectors to provide for data communication.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the tablet computer housing is rectangular, the interface channels run in the long direction of the housing, and the tablet computer data connector is located on a side edge of the housing.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the tablet computer housing is rectangular, and the interface channels run in the long direction of the housing.

16. A tablet computer, comprising:

a housing having a rear surface; and

two parallel spaced apart interface channels formed in the rear surface of the housing.

17. The tablet computer of claim 16, wherein the housing is rectangular and the interface channels run in the long direction of the housing.

18. The tablet computer of claim 17, comprising an electrical data connector on a side edge of the housing.

19. The tablet computer of claim 18, wherein the interface channels include electrical contacts.

20. The tablet computer of claim 16, wherein the interface channels include electrical contacts.