Portable electronic platform system

• US 5,491,609 A
• Filed: 02/28/1994
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telepad Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telepad Corporation
• Inventors: Lastinger, Roc A., Dankman, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/202,491
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708.1, 345/169, 439/928, 312/223.2, 361/680-686, 361/725-727, 361/730, 361/731
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• 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 1/1632 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

A portable platform system for connecting an external module having a module connector to a portable electronic platform having a flat panel display, a central processing unit and a system bus includes at least two docking bays disposed on a rear side of the flat panel display including at least first, second, and third rails and an electrical connector. An external module of a first width is slid in between the first and second adjacent rails to be secured to the rear side of the fiat panel display, and the module connector is connected to the electrical connector of the docking bay to electrically connect the module to the central processing unit via the system bus. An external module of a second width greater than the width of the first module is slid between the first and third rails and straddles the second rail sliding the two inner rails of the module between the two outer rails of the docking bay, and the module connector is connected to the electrical connector of the docking bay to electrically connect the module to the central processing unit via the system bus.

Claims

1. A portable electronic platform system, comprising:

a plurality of rails on an exterior side of a portable electronic platform defining a plurality of bays, wherein at least two of the rails define one bay;

a first external module connectable to the portable electronic platform, wherein the first external module utilizes a first one of the plurality of bays when connected to the portable electronic platform; and

a second external module connectable to the portable electronic platform, wherein the second external module utilizes the first one of the plurality of bays and a second one of the plurality of bays when connected to the portable electronic platform.

2. A portable electronic platform system, comprising:

a plurality of rails on an exterior side of a portable electronic platform defining a plurality of bays, wherein at least two of the rails define one bay;

a first external module slidably connectable within the rails to at least one of the plurality of bays; and

a second external module slidably connectable within the rails to at least two of the plurality of bays.

3. A portable electronic platform, comprising:

an exterior surface of the portable electronic platform defining a niche portion; and

a plurality of rails disposed within the niche portion defining a plurality of bays, wherein a first external module is slidably connectable within the rails to at least one of the plurality of bays and a second external module is slidably connectable within the rails to at least two of the plurality of bays.

4. A computer platform system, comprising:

portable electronic platform with at least three rails defining two bays on an exterior surface of the portable electronic platform;

a first external module slidably connectable to a first bay within a first rail and a second rail; and

a second external module slidably connectable to the first bay and a second bay within the first rail and a third rail, straddling the second rail.

5. A portable electronic platform system having an electronic platform and a plurality of external modules connectable to the electronic platform, wherein at least three rails on an exterior surface of the electronic platform define at least two bays such that a first one of the external modules, which is of a predetermined width, is slidably connectable to at least one of the bays within the rails that define that one bay, and a second one of the modules, which is of a predetermined width greater than the width of the first one of the external modules, is slidably connectable to least two of the bays within at least one rail that partially defines one of the bays and another rail that partially defines another one of the bays.