Wireless communication system integrated into a computer display

• US 8,185,147 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• 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: Wagner, Matthew J., Castell, Robin T., Neill, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/034,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,798 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558, 455/90.3, 455/575.7, 455/101
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An electronic device has a display in which the casing of the display includes a plurality of recessed cavities into which radio and antenna modules can be inserted to provide the electronic device with a wireless communication capability. The display can have cavities for one or more radios and one or more antenna modules. A radio electrically connects to one or more antenna modules via conductor(s) contained within the display and connects to the host electronic device via a serial bus (e.g., USB). Accordingly, the display can have a plurality of radio/antenna combinations thereby concurrently providing the electronic device with multiple wireless communication capabilities.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to said processor, said display having an external casing in which a plurality of externally exposed recessed cavities are provided to receive a plurality of radio modules and a plurality of antenna modules, each radio module connected to a least one antenna module;

wherein at least one radio module is electrically connected to a plurality of antenna modules via a conductor contained within said casing.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said radio module and antenna module are flush with the outer surface of the casing.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each radio module is electrically connected to at least one antenna module via a conductor contained within said display casing.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of radio modules is two radio modules and said plurality of antenna modules is three antenna modules.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said radio module couples to other electronics in said computer system via a digital serial bus.

6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said bus comprises a universal serial bus (“

USB”

).

7. A display for an electronic device, said display having a casing containing a plurality of externally exposed recessed cavities formed therein into which a plurality of radio modules and a plurality of antenna modules can be removably inserted to provide a wireless communication capability for said electronic device, wherein at least one of the radio modules is electrically connected to a plurality of antenna modules via a conductor contained within said casing.

8. The display of claim 7 wherein said radio module and antenna module are flush with the outer surface of the display casing.

9. The display of claim 7 wherein each of the radio modules is electrically connected to at least one antenna module via a conductor contained within said display casing.

10. The display of claim 7 wherein said plurality of radio modules is two radio modules and said plurality of antenna modules is three antenna modules.

11. The display of claim 7 including a recessed cavity in said casing for a communication hub interconnecting said radio module to said electronic device.

12. The display of claim 7 wherein said electronic device comprises a notebook computer.

13. The display of claim 7 wherein said electronic device comprises a handheld computer.