Tablet computer keyboard and system and method incorporating same

• US 6,788,527 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Doczy, Paul J., Homer, Steven S., Solomon, Mark C., Wolff, Stacy
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hung V.
• Application Number:
  US10/160,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20030223185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679-687, 361/724-727, 345/168-169, 345/905, 400/489, 400/682, 400/691-693, 312/208.1, 312/208.4, 341/22, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.11
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

The present technique provides a tablet computer keyboard that is attachable and detachable to a tablet computer in both operable and stored positions, while a display screen of the tablet computer remains accessible by the user. The tablet computer keyboard is attachable and detachable with a rear face of the tablet computer. However, the user may continue interacting with the tablet computer via the display screen even when the tablet computer keyboard is not in a position for operation. The tablet computer keyboard is also attachable and detachable with an edge of the tablet computer, such that the tablet computer keyboard and the display screen are both accessible for user interaction.

Claims

1. A portable computing system, comprising:

a tablet computing device having a front face, a rear face, a display disposed on the front face, and computing components; and

a keyboard removably attachable with the tablet computing device in a plurality of configurations, which comprise operable and stored positions of the keyboard relative to the display, wherein at least one configuration of the plurality of configurations has the keyboard removably coupled to the rear face opposite the display.

2. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the tablet computing device comprises a panel-shaped component housing.

3. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein buttons of the keyboard are inaccessible in the at least one configuration.

4. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the display is user-interactive in each of the plurality of configurations.

5. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the tablet computing device and the keyboard comprise interlocking guide members for at least one of the plurality of configurations.

6. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the keyboard comprises a rotatable coupling structure for least one of the plurality of configurations.

7. The portable computing system of claim 4, wherein the display comprises a digitizer panel.

8. The portable computing system of claim 4, wherein the tablet computing device comprises a pointing device and at least one functional button.

9. The portable computing system of claim 5, wherein the interlocking guide members comprise at least one orientation guide structure.

10. The portable computing system of claim 6, wherein the rotatable coupling structure is rotatable between rear and intermediate portions of the keyboard.

11. A portable computing system, comprising:

a tablet computing device comprising a panel-shaped component housing having front and rear faces, a display disposed on the front face, and computing components disposed therein; and

a keyboard removably attachable with the tablet computing device in a plurality of configurations, which comprise operable and stored positions of the keyboard relative to the display, wherein the keyboard is removably attachable with an edge of the panel-shaped component housing in at least one configuration of the plurality of configurations.

12. The portable computing system of claim 11, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally upright orientation relative to the keyboard in the at least one configuration.

13. The portable computing system of claim 11, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally flat orientation relative to the keyboard in the at least one configuration.

14. A tablet computer keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard having a tablet computer attachment assembly, which is removably attachable with a tablet computing device in operable and stored positions of the keyboard relative to a display of the tablet computing device, wherein the stored position has keys of the keyboard facing inward toward the tablet computing device from a side opposite the display.

15. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 14, wherein the tablet computer attachment assembly comprises a tool-free coupling mechanism.

16. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 14, wherein buttons of the keyboard are inaccessible in the stored position.

17. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 14, wherein the display is user-interactive in each of the operable and stored positions of the keyboard.

18. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 14, wherein the tablet computer attachment assembly comprises at least one guide structure that is joinable with a mating guide structure on the tablet computing device.

19. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 14, wherein the tablet computer attachment assembly comprises a rotatable mount structure for least one of the operable and stored positions of the keyboard.

20. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 18, wherein the at least one guide structure comprises a mount orientation guide for the tablet computing device.

21. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 19, wherein the rotatable mount structure is rotatable between rear and intermediate portions of the keyboard.

22. A tablet computer keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard having a tablet computer attachment assembly, which is removably attachable with a tablet computing device in operable and stored positions of the keyboard relative to a display of the tablet computing device, wherein the keyboard is removably attachable with an edge of the tablet computing device in the operable position.

23. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 22, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally upright orientation relative to the keyboard in the operable position.

24. The tablet computer keyboard of claim 22, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally flat orientation relative to the keyboard in the operable position.

25. A tablet computer system, comprising:

a tablet computing device comprising a display and computing components;

a keyboard removably attachable with the tablet computing device in a plurality of configurations, comprising;

a stored position in which the keyboard is removably coupled to a rear face of the tablet computing device opposite the display; and

an operable position in which the keyboard is removably coupled to an edge of the tablet computing device; and

a dockable expansion structure comprising an expansion housing and an adjustable support structure for at least one of the tablet computing device and the keyboard.

26. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the display comprises a user-interactive screen mechanism.

27. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein buttons of the keyboard are inaccessible in the stored position.

28. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally upright orientation relative to the keyboard in the operable position.

29. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the tablet computing device is disposed in a generally flat orientation relative to the keyboard in the operable position.

30. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the tablet computing device and the keyboard comprise interlocking guide members for at least one of the stored and operable positions.

31. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the keyboard comprises a mount structure for the tablet computing device that is rotatable between outer and intermediate portions of the keyboard.

32. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the dockable expansion structure comprises a pivotal arm extending between the expansion housing and the adjustable support structure.

33. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the adjustable support structure comprises a multi-stage mounting mechanism that accommodates either the tablet computing device or the tablet computing device with the keyboard.

34. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the adjustable support structure comprises an inner receptacle for the keyboard and an outer receptacle for the tablet computing device.

35. The tablet computer system of claim 25, wherein the adjustable support structure comprises a mounting guide mechanism for at least one of the tablet computing device and the keyboard.

36. The tablet computer system of claim 35, wherein the mounting guide mechanism comprises at least one mounting orientation mechanism for at least one of the tablet computing device and the keyboard.

37. A method of configuring a multi-component tablet computer system, comprising the acts of:

removably coupling a keyboard to the tablet computing device in one of a plurality of configurations, which comprise stored and operable positions of the keyboard relative to a display of the tablet computing device, the stored position having the keyboard removably coupled to a rear face of the tablet computing device opposite the display.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the act of removably coupling comprises the act of tool-lessly coupling the keyboard to the tablet computing device.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the act of removably coupling comprises the act of removably storing the keyboard at the rear face of the tablet computing device opposite the display with keys of the keyboard facing inwardly toward the rear face.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the act of removably coupling comprises the act of operably positioning the keyboard relative to the display.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the act of removably storing the keyboard comprises the act of protecting buttons of the keyboard from physical contact.

42. The method of claim 40, comprising the act of wirelessly communicating between the keyboard and the tablet computing device.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of operably positioning the keyboard comprises the act of removably attaching the keyboard at an edge of the tablet computing device.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of operably positioning the keyboard comprises the act of releasably mounting the tablet computing device to the keyboard in a generally upright orientation relative to the keyboard.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of releasably mounting comprises the act of rotating the tablet computing device between interior and exterior positions of the keyboard.