Docking station for a vehicle

• US 7,236,863 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Vicard, Dominique, LaPorte, Alexandre, Rouzo, Christophe Le
• Primary Examiner(s): Lea-Edmonds; Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright; Ingrid
• Application Number:
  US10/878,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 361/686, 701/36
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0252 for personal computers, e.g. laptops, notebooks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0258 for navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

A docking station for a vehicle,

• • the docking station being adapted to receive a portable computer,
  • the docking station comprising mounting elements to mount the docking station in a vehicle,
  • a holding element to hold a portable computer in engagement with the docking station, and
  • a connection element to connect a portable computer in engagement with the docking station to a subsystem of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A docking station for a vehicle,

the docking station being adapted to receive a portable computer, comprising a screen and being operable to generate a display on the screen, wherein the portable computer is operable to generate an inverted display on the screen and wherein the display is capable of being reversed about a vertical axis of the screen such that the display faces the front of the vehicle and a reflection of the display is visible in a rear view mirror of the vehicle, wherein the display on the screen appears correctly oriented when viewed in the rear view mirror of the vehicle;

the docking station comprising mounting elements to mount the docking station in a vehicle,

a holding element to hold a portable computer in engagement with the docking station, and

a connection element to connect a portable computer in engagement with the docking station to at least one subsystem of the vehicle wherein the mounting elements are adapted to mount the docking station to an underside of the roof of the vehicle, the connection element being capable of connecting a power input of the portable computer to a power supply system of the vehicle, wherein the at least one subsystem comprises at least one of an engine management system and a navigation system.

3. A vehicle comprising a docking station according to claim 1.

2. A portable computer being adapted to engage a docking station, the portable computer comprising a screen and being operable to generate a display on the screen, wherein the portable computer is capable of generating an inverted display on the screen;

and

wherein the display is capable of being reversed about a vertical axis of the screen such that the display faces the front of the vehicle and a reflection of the display is visible in a rear view mirror of the vehicle, wherein the display on the screen appears correctly oriented when viewed in the rear view mirror.

4. A method of displaying information to the occupant of a vehicle comprising engaging a portable computer in a docking station provided on the underside of a roof of a vehicle, the laptop being disposed in an inverted position, the portable computer comprising a screen, the method further comprises steps of:

generating a display to be displayed on the screen, and inverting the display such that it appears to be correctly oriented to an occupant of the vehicle, by disposing the portable computer such that the screen is visible in a rear view mirror of the vehicle, and by reversing the display about a vertical axis such that the display faces the front of the vehicle and a reflection of the display is visible in a rear view mirror of the vehicle, wherein the display display on the screen appears correctly oriented when viewed in the rear view mirror.

5. A vehicle comprising a docking station the docking station being adapted to receive a portable computer, comprising a screen and being operable to generate a display on the screen, wherein the portable computer is operable to generate an inverted display on the screen and wherein the display is capable of being reversed about a vertical axis of the screen such that the display faces the front of the vehicle and a reflection of the display is visible in a rear view mirror of the vehicle, wherein the display on the screen appears correctly oriented when viewed in the rear view mirror of the vehicle;

the docking station comprising mounting elements to mount the docking station in a vehicle,

a holding element to hold a portable computer in engagement with the docking station, and

a connection element to connect a portable computer in engagement with the docking station to a subsystem of the vehicle wherein;

the mounting elements are adapted to mount the docking station to an underside of the roof of the vehicle;

the connection element is operable to connect a power input of the portable computer to a power supply system of the vehicle; and

the connection element is operable to connect the portable computer to one or more subsystems, wherein the subsystems comprise one or more of an engine management system and a navigation system.