Portable computer and method

• US 6,952,340 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yun Seop, Son, Kyoung Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 361/683, 361/686, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 710/303
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• 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 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The present invention is related to an apparatus that can include a portable computer with a keyboard apparatus and/or a docking station. A keyboard apparatus can be secured to a main body of the computer system and selectively enable users to input data when the computer (e.g., web pad) is turned on. The keyboard apparatus can be used for a portable multi-type computer with web pad function and notebook personal computer. The docking station can include a stand pivotably coupled to a dock that can receive the main body with/without the keyboard apparatus. The docking station can support selective display in a portrait or landscape mode. Further, combinations of the portable multi-type computer allows unique versatility of viewable options of a display of the main body (e.g., web pad) when with the keyboard apparatus and/or docking station.

Claims

1. A portable multi-type computer system, comprising:

a portable computer;

a keyboard assembly, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises,

a keyboard case with an input device exposed in an upper surface thereof, and

a connector mounted on the keyboard case with a plurality of universal pivots to detachably couple the keyboard assembly to the portable computer; and

a docking station, wherein the docking station comprises,

a dock configured to receive the portable computer, and

a stand pivotably attached to the dock,

wherein the plurality of pivots secure a web pad being the portable computer to the keyboard assembly, and

wherein the web pad is rotatably attached by the plurality of pivots to cover the input device in a closed position with a first surface of the web pad in a first orientation abutting against the input device and to cover the input device in the closed position with a second surface of the web pad in a second orientation abutting against the input device, said second orientation being opposite to the first orientation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dock is configured to receive the portable computer coupled to the keyboard assembly.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises a rotating member that comprises:

a rotational disk that rotates around a fixed point relative to the upper surface of the keyboard case; and

a hinge rigidly coupled to the rotational disk displaced a prescribed distanced from the fixed point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web pad has a touch sensitive display unit for viewing information processed by the web pad exposed in the first surface, and wherein the display unit can be used to operate the web pad in the second orientation when the keyboard apparatus is in a closed position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the input device is accessible in the open position and covered in the closed position, and a fastener locks the web pad to the keyboard apparatus in the both the first and second orientations when in the closed position.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein a sensor is configured to sense when the portable computer is coupled to the connector, and wherein the input device is disabled based on the sensor unless the web pad is in an open position.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an arm pivotably coupled between the dock and stand;

a first pivot attached to the stand and the arm configured to adjust a height of the dock; and

a second pivot attached to the arm and the dock configured to adjust an angle between the dock and the stand.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the stand comprises at least one peripheral device, and wherein the at least one peripheral device comprises at least one of a storage device, a disk drive, a input/output device port, an input port, an output port, power source, audio indicator, visual indicator, and a network interface.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the web pad is detachably attached to the plurality of pivots such that the web pad can be detachably removed from the plurality of pivots and rotated to switch between the closed position in the first orientation or the closed position in the second orientation.

9. A system, comprising:

a keyboard case with an input device exposed in an upper surface thereof;

a portable computer rotatably and pivotably supported by the keyboard case; and

a connector mounted on the keyboard case to support the portable computer,

wherein the connector comprises,

a rotational disk that rotates around a fixed point relative to the upper surface of the keyboard case, and

a hinge rigidly coupled to the rotational disk displaced a prescribed distanced from the fixed point, and

a docking projection including at least one universal pivot on one side of the connector that secures a web pad being the portable computer to the connector, and

wherein the web pad is selectively attached by the docking projection to covet the input device in a closed position with a first surface of the web pad in a first orientation abutting against the input device and to cover the input device in the closed position with a second surface of the web pad in a second orientation abutting against the input device, said second orientation being opposite to the first orientation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the rotational disk rotates between a first position and a second position, wherein the hinge is positioned at an outer edge of the keyboard case in the first position and an inner portion of the upper surface corresponding to the input device in the second position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the connector comprises a switch, wherein the switch enables the input device when the rotational disk is in the second position.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the rotating disk comprises:

a rotation guide member attached to the keyboard case that defines a rotational path; and

a keyboard disk assembly for rotating along the rotational path between the first position and the second position, and wherein the input device is enabled only in the second position.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rotating disk comprises:

an upper rotation guide member attached to the keyboard case;

a lower rotation guide member with a data input mode inverting switch at a designated position; and

a keyboard disk assembly for rotating along a guide rail formed between the upper rotation guide member and the lower rotation guide member.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the web pad has a touch sensitive display unit for viewing information processed by the web pad exposed in the first surface, and wherein the display unit can be used to operate the web pad in the second orientation when the connector is in a closed position.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a docking station, wherein the docking station comprises:

a dock configured to receive the portable computer; and

a stand pivotably attached to the dock;

a first pivot attached to the stand configured to adjust a height of the dock; and

a second pivot attached to the dock configured to adjust an angle between the dock and the stand.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the stand comprises at least one peripheral device, and wherein the at least one peripheral device comprises at least one of a storage device, a disk drive, a input/output device port, an input port, an output port, power source, audio indicator, visual indicator, and a network interface.

29. The system of claim 9, wherein the web pad is detachably attached to the docking projection such that the web pad can be detachably removed from the docking projection and rotated to switch between the closed position in the first orientation or the closed position in the second orientation.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable computer;

a dock configured to receive the portable computer;

a stand pivotably attached to the dock, wherein the dock is pivotably attached to the stand by a plurality of universal pivots, and

a keyboard assembly including a universal coupling mechanism configured to allow in a first engagement the portable computer to be engaged with the keyboard assembly with a first surface of the portable computer abutting against the keyboard assembly and in a second engagement a second surface of the portable computer abutting against the keyboard assembly.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of pivots comprises a first pivot configured to adjust the height of the dock and a second pivot configured to adjust an angle between the dock and the stand.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of pivots comprises a third pivot configured to allow rotation of the dock.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the portable computer comprises a display that is viewable when the portable computer is docked in the dock, and wherein the third pivot is configured to allow rotation of the dock to selectively switch the display between a landscape mode and a portrait mode.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a sensor configured to sense if the display is rotated to a prescribed orientation, wherein the portable computer selectively updates the landscape mode and the portrait mode of the display responsive to a signal from the sensor, and wherein the portable computer has at least two perpendicular physical dimensions greater than ten inches.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the stand comprises at least one peripheral device, and wherein the at least one peripheral device comprises at least one of a storage device, a disk drive, a input/output device port, an input port, an output port, power source, audio indicator, visual indicator, and a network interface.

30. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the portable computer is detachably attached to the universal coupling mechanism such that the portable computer can be detachably removed from the universal coupling mechanism and rotated to switch between the closed position in the first engagement or the closed position in the second engagement.

23. A method, comprising:

providing a portable computer; and

supporting the personal computer in a docking station, wherein the supporting the personal computer in a docking station comprises,

receiving the portable computer in a dock,

pivotably attaching the dock to a stand, and

providing a keyboard apparatus,

wherein providing the keyboard apparatus comprises,

providing a keyboard case with a keyboard exposed in an upper surface thereof, and

providing a connector mounted on the keyboard case with a plurality of universal pivots to detachably couple the keyboard apparatus to the portable computer in a first arrangement in which a first surface of the portable computer abuts against the keyboard assembly and in a second arrangement in which a second surface of the portable computer opposite to the first surface abuts against the keyboard assembly.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing a first pivot for adjusting a height of the dock; and

providing a second pivot for adjusting an angle between the dock and the stand.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a third pivot for adjusting rotation of the dock, wherein the portable computer comprises a display that is viewable when the portable computer is docked in the dock, and wherein the personal computer selectively switches the display between a landscape mode and a portrait mode responsive to the rotation of the dock.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the dock is configured to receive the portable computer coupled to the keyboard assembly.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the stand comprises at least one peripheral device, and wherein the at least one peripheral device comprises at least one of a storage device, a disk drive, a input/output device port, an input port, an output port, power source, audio indicator, visual indicator, and a network interface.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the portable computer is detachably attached to the plurality of universal pivots such that the portable computer can be detachably removed from the plurality of universal pivots and rotated to switch between the closed position in the first arrangement or the closed position in the second arrangement.