Docking device for a portable computer
First Claim
1. A docking device for electrically connecting to a computer connector located underneath a portable computer in order to communicate with one or more ancillary support devices, said docking device comprising:
- a case having (a) a housing, and (b) a top panel attached to said housing, said top panel having a topside, an underside, and one or more openings, said top panel being positioned to subjacently support at least a portion of said portable computer;
a docking connector mounted at said case at one of said openings in said top panel and adapted to connect to said computer connector in said portable computer; and
an engagement means attached to and supported on the underside of said ton panel at one of said openings for reciprocating and coercively engaging said portable computer subjacently.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A docking device can electrically connect to a computer connector located underneath a portable computer in order to communicate with one or more ancillary support devices. The docking device has a case and a docking connector mounted at the case. The case has a housing, and a top panel attached to the housing. The top panel has one or more openings. The top panel is positioned to subjacently support at least a portion of the portable computer. The docking connector is mounted at the case at one of the openings in the top panel. The docking connector is adapted to connect to the computer connector in the portable computer. The docking connector can be located at that one of the panel openings that will be closest to the computer connector when the portable computer lies atop the top panel. The docking device also has an engagement device mounted at the case for engaging the portable computer. The engagement device may have (a) a shaft rotatably mounted in the case, and (b) a pair of implements coupled to the shaft for reciprocation thereby. This docking device can be customized by forming a pattern of panel openings in the top panel that are customized for a specific portable computer, but without customizing the housing itself.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A docking device for electrically connecting to a computer connector located underneath a portable computer in order to communicate with one or more ancillary support devices, said docking device comprising:
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a case having (a) a housing, and (b) a top panel attached to said housing, said top panel having a topside, an underside, and one or more openings, said top panel being positioned to subjacently support at least a portion of said portable computer; a docking connector mounted at said case at one of said openings in said top panel and adapted to connect to said computer connector in said portable computer; and an engagement means attached to and supported on the underside of said ton panel at one of said openings for reciprocating and coercively engaging said portable computer subjacently. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A docking device for electrically connecting to a computer connector located on a portable computer in order to communicate with one or more ancillary support devices, said docking device comprising:
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a case having a hollow front platform with a top panel, and at a higher elevation a rear penthouse; a docking connector mounted at said case and adapted to connect to said computer connector in said portable computer; and an engagement means mounted in said case for engaging said portable computer, said engagement means having (a) a shaft rotatably mounted in said penthouse at a higher elevation than said front platform, (b) a pair of implements, and (c) a spaced pair of arms attached to said shaft for reciprocating said pair of implements while keeping them at least partially located in said front platform at said top panel at a lower elevation than said penthouse. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method employing implements for customizing a docking device having a docking connector at a top panel attached to a housing in order to accommodate a specific portable computer having a computer connector, said top panel having a top side and an under side, the method including the steps of:
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forming a pattern of panel openings in said top panel that are customized for said specific portable computer without customizing said housing; locating said docking connector at that one of said panel openings that will be closest to said computer connector when said portable computer lies atop said top panel; attaching a selected one of said implements, selected to effectively interact with said portable computer, on the underside of said top panel at one of said panel openings; and reciprocating said selected one of said implements to coercively engage said portable computer subjacently. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification