Adjustable display for a data processing apparatus

• US 7,280,346 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Danger Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias, Lewis, Todd, Palmer, Joseph, Brigham, Arthur Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US10/718,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 361679-683
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0212 with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, i.e. folding around a first axis and rotating around a second axis perpendicular to the first
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A data processing apparatus is described comprising: a body having a surface defining a first plane, the body comprising a first group of control elements and a second group of control elements for entering data and performing control operations; a display having a display area defining a second plane, the display coupled to the data processing apparatus at a pivot point and rotatable around the pivot point from a first position to a second position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position and wherein both the first and second groups of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second group of control elements are exposed when the display is in the first position, wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus having a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code comprising:

a body having a surface defining a first plane, the body comprising a first user interface including a first plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations and a second user interface including a second plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations, wherein the first plurality of control elements comprise a keyboard and the second plurality of control elements comprise a set of control buttons;

a display having a display area defining a second plane, the display directly coupled to the data processing apparatus at a pivot point and rotatable around the pivot point in one continuous motion from a first position to a second position, wherein the first plane and second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position and the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position, wherein the display is substantially inverted when in the second position relative to the first position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position, wherein an angle between the first plane and the second plane is adjustable over a specified range when the display is in the second position, and wherein both the first and second plurality of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second plurality of control elements is exposed when the display is in the first position,

an operational mode selection module for selecting between a first operational mode and a second operational mode in response to a plurality of triggering events, said triggering events including;

output from one or more operational mode sensors configured to trigger when the display is rotated from the second position to the first position or from the first position to the second position;

execution of program code from one or more applications currently running on the data processing device; and

manual user input by selecting one or more of the plurality of control elements located within said first or second user interfaces; and

image inversion logic to invert images on the display responsive to the selected operational mode,

wherein execution of the program code by the processor causes the operational mode selection module to adjust the functions associated with the first and second plurality of control elements based on the selected operational mode, wherein the first and second plurality of control elements perform a first plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the first operational mode and perform a second plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the second operational mode.

2. The data processing apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first group of control elements are covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

3. The data processing apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the second group of control elements are not covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

4. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a display defining a first plane and having a viewable area for displaying text and graphics;

a body defining a second plane and having a first user interface including a first plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations and a second user interface including a second plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations, wherein the first plurality of control elements comprise a keyboard and the second plurality of control elements comprise a set of control buttons;

a display motion mechanism moveably coupling the display directly to the body and rotating the display in one continuous motion from a first position to a second position wherein the first plane and second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position, wherein the display is substantially inverted when in the second position relative to the first position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position, wherein an angle between the first plane and the second plane is adjustable over a specified range when the display is in the second position, and wherein both the first and second plurality of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second plurality of control elements is exposed when the display is in the first position,

an operational mode selection module for selecting between a first operational mode and a second operational mode in response to a plurality of triggering events, said triggering events including;

output from one or more operational mode sensors configured to trigger when the display is rotated from the second position to the first position or from the first position to the second position;

execution of program code from one or more applications currently running on the data processing device; and

manual user input by selecting one or more of the plurality of control elements located within said first or second user interfaces; and

image inversion logic to invert images on the display responsive to the selected operational mode,

wherein execution of the program code by the processor causes the operational mode selection module to adjust the functions associated with the first and second plurality of control elements based on the selected operational mode, wherein the first and second plurality of control elements perform a first plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the first operational mode and perform a second plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the second operational mode.

5. The data processing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the display motion mechanism comprises:

a rotation element providing rotation of the display within a first dimension relative to the body; and

a pin rotatably coupled to the rotation element, the pin providing rotation of the display within a second dimension relative to the body.

6. The data processing apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising:

a chamber for rotatably coupling the pin to the rotation element, wherein the pin is fixedly coupled to the display.

7. The data processing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the display motion mechanism comprises:

one or more tracks formed on the of the data processing apparatus; and

one or more pins formed on the display and engaging with the tracks to guide the display from the first position to the second position.

8. The data processing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein, when in the second position, the display motion mechanism carries the display over a range defined by a first angle between the first plane and the second plane and a second angle between the first plane and the second plane.

9. The data processing apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the first group of control elements are covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

10. The data processing apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the second group of control elements are not covered by the display when the display is in the first position.

11. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a display defining a first plane and having a viewable area for displaying text and graphics;

a body defining a second plane and having a first user interface including a first plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations and a second user interface including a second plurality of control elements for entering data and performing control operations, wherein the first plurality of control elements comprise a keyboard and the second plurality of control elements comprise a set of control buttons;

display motion means moveably coupling the display directly to the body and rotating the display in one continuous motion from a first position to a second position wherein the first plane and second plane are substantially parallel when the display is in the first position, and the first plane and the second plane are not parallel when the display is in the second position, wherein the display is substantially inverted when in the second position relative to the first position, wherein the display is viewable in both the first position and the second position, wherein an angle between the first plane and the second plane is adjustable over a specified range when the display is in the second position, and wherein both the first and second plurality of control elements are exposed when the display is in the second position, and wherein only the second plurality of control elements is exposed when the display is in the first position,

an operational mode selection module for selecting between a first operational mode and a second operational mode in response to a plurality of triggering events, said triggering events including;

output from one or more operational mode sensors configured to trigger when the display is rotated from the second position to the first position or from the first position to the second position;

execution of program code from one or more applications currently running on the data processing device; and

manual user input by selecting one or more of the plurality of control elements located within said first or second user interfaces; and

image inversion logic to invert images on the display responsive to the selected operational mode,

wherein execution of the program code by the processor causes the operational mode selection module to adjust the functions associated with the first and second plurality of control elements based on the selected operational mode,

wherein the first and second plurality of control elements perform a first plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the first operational mode and perform a second plurality of defined functions when the data processing apparatus is in the second operational mode.