Variable configuration apparatus

• US 7,751,860 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Jm Stanneck LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Symons, Peter, Ward, Timothy, Keen, Ian, Lamacraft, Kevin, Underwood, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Lana N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsieh; Ping Y
• Application Number:
  US10/586,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/90.1, 455/575.1, 455/569.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.5, 455/90.3, 455/557, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• 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 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom

Abstract

A variable configuration apparatus has components or sub-systems. At least some components (200 and 201) have mechanical coupling elements (101 and 102 and 103) that enable the configuration of the apparatus to be varied by changing at least one of the relative orientation and position of those components or subsystems. These mechanical coupling elements (101 and 102 and 103) incorporate wireless signal coupling elements (205 and 206) that cooperate to provide a wireless coupling which enables wireless coupling between the components. The wireless coupling may be used to transfer at least one of data and power between the components. The wireless signal coupling elements may be capacitive coupling elements that provide capacitive coupling between the components or sub-systems. In an example, the apparatus is a video camera and one component or sub-system is a display screen (201) and another component or sub-system is the main body (200) of the video camera (200).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising first and second components having respective first and second mechanical coupling elements that cooperate to allow relative movement of the first and second components, the first mechanical coupling element comprising a recess formed therein and the second mechanical coupling element comprising a projection adapted to be movably fitted in the recess,

wherein the first mechanical coupling element comprises a first conductive plate positioned in the recess and the second mechanical coupling element comprises a second conductive plate positioned on the projection, the first conductive plate having a first continuous surface extending diametrically across the first conductive plate, the second conductive plate having a second continuous surface extending diametrically across the second conductive plate, the first conductive plate positioned in the recess and the second conductive plate positioned on the projection so that the first continuous surface is positioned substantially parallel to the second continuous surface when the projection is fitted in the recess,

further wherein the second conductive plate is configured to wirelessly couple a signal from one of the first and second components to the other of the first and second components.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second components has a data provider to communicate data to the other of the first and second components via the wireless coupling provided by the first and second couplers.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second components has a signal supplier coupled to one of the first conductive plate or the second conductive plate to supply a signal to be coupled to the other of the first and second components via the wireless coupling and at least one of the first and second components is arranged to communicate data to the other by modulating that signal.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second components has a power deriver operable to derive a power supply for that component from a signal coupled to that component from the other component via the wireless coupling.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the power deriver comprises a rectifier.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the power deriver comprises a rectifier and a charge storer.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate provide at least one of a capacitive and an inductive wireless coupling.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degree of coupling between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate varies with the relative positions or orientations of the first and second components and a determiner is provided to determine the degree of coupling to determine information relating to the relative positions and/or orientations of the first and second components.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mechanical coupling elements define at least one of a rotatable and a slidable coupling.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mechanical coupling elements provide coaxial parts of a hinge.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mechanical coupling elements define a ball and socket arrangement.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mechanical coupling elements provide a sliding mechanical coupling allowing relative sliding between the first and second components.

13. A apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relative positions and/orientations of the first and second components are fixed once the mechanical coupling is made.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second components are sub-systems or sub-assemblies.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second component is a display device.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, in the form of a laptop, PDA, video display unit, video camera, or a GPS system.

17. A method of wirelessly coupling a signal in an apparatus having first and second components having respective first and second mechanical coupling elements that cooperate to allow relative movement of the first and second components, the first mechanical coupling element comprising a recess formed therein and the second mechanical coupling element comprising a projection adapted to be movably fitted in the recess, the first mechanical coupling element comprising a first conductive plate positioned in the recess and the second mechanical coupling element comprising a second conductive plate positioned on the projection, the first conductive plate having a first continuous surface extending diametrically across the first conductive plate, the second conductive plate having a second continuous surface extending diametrically across the second conductive plate, the first conductive plate positioned in the recess and the second conductive plate positioned on the projection so that the first continuous surface is positioned substantially parallel to the second continuous surface when the projection is fitted in the recess,

the method comprising wirelessly coupling the signal from the first component to the second component via the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate comprised in the first and second components.

18. An apparatus comprising first and second components having respective first and second mechanical coupling elements that cooperate to allow relative movement of the first and second components, the first mechanical coupling element comprising a recess formed therein and the second mechanical coupling element comprising a projection adapted to be movably fitted in the recess,

wherein the first mechanical coupling element comprises signal coupling means having a first conductive device positioned in the recess and the second mechanical coupling element comprises signal coupling means having a second conductive device positioned on the projection,

wherein the first conductive device comprises a first conductive plate having a first continuous surface extending diametrically across the first conductive plate, the second conductive device comprises a second conductive plate having a second continuous surface extending diametrically across the second conductive plate, the first conductive plate positioned in the recess and the second conductive plate positioned on the projection so that the first continuous surface is positioned substantially parallel to the second continuous surface when the projection is fitted in the recess,

and further wherein the signal coupling means is configured to wirelessly couple a signal from one of the first and second components to the other of the first and second components.