Desktop device with adjustable flat screen display

• US 7,091,961 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NetAirus Systems
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Ditzik
• Inventors: Ditzik, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US09/850,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 345/659, 345/905, 248917-924, 361/679, 361/688, 361/724, 361/680, 361/681, 361/682, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901- 1907, D14314-316, D14/327, D14334-336, D14339-340
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/169 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 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1631 Panel PC, e.g. single housing hosting PC and display panel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/92 Angular and linear video display screen support adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A relatively small transportable desktop computer/workstation with a display panel assembly (2) in combination with a microprocessor or controller (44) is made display screen position adjustable, in inclination angle, azimuth angle and elevation translation movements. The workstation can have a pen or stylus touch screen input function (36) added, so that a user or operator can write, draw and sketch directly onto the screen in a natural manner. The workstation can be placed on top of a desk or table providing an ergonomic man-machine interface for information communications between individual users via a communications network. A keyboard (7, 42), voice/speaker telephone (48), mouse or trackball input unit (46), and communications modem (42) may be added to the workstation. The flat panel display, pen input device and microprocessor can be combined into an assembly, which can be removed from the main body for portable mobile computing operation.

Claims

1. A flat panel computer monitor, comprising:

a flat panel display assembly comprising an LCD display screen, and associated microprocessor and support electronics for the LCD display screen;

a base that does not house the associated microprocessor and support electronics for the LCD screen;

a support arm connected to the flat panel display by a first hinge, the flat panel display being attached to a top end of the support arm to pivot about a first horizontal axis and being held in place by a frictional force in the first hinge, the flat panel display being rotatable about a roll angle “

R”

, the flat panel display is rotated between a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation, the support arm being attached to the base on a bottom end of the support arm by a second hinge to pivot about a second horizontal axis and being held in place by a frictional force in the second hinge, the support arm being selectively positioned in a fixed angular orientation relative to the second horizontal axis and the LCD screen being selectively positioned at a fixed angular orientation relative to the first horizontal axis to adjust the orientation of the LCD screen in both inclination angle “

I” and

elevation “

B”

relative to the base.

2. The support stand of claim 1, wherein the hinge has a pivot pin without a spring.