Protective cover for a tablet computer

• US 8,344,836 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lauder, Andrew, Rohrbach, Matthew D., Coster, Daniel J., Stringer, Christopher J., Ow, Florence W., Ai, Jiang, Ive, Jonathan P., Kibiti, Elvis M., Ternus, John P., Lubner, Sean D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MUSLEH, MOHAMAD A
• Application Number:
  US12/971,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 335/219, 335/285, 335302-306, 439/38, 439/218, 439/217, 439/39, 243/03, 361/807, 361/679.01, 361/600, 206/45.2, 206/45.23, 206/45.24, 206/305, 206/320, 206/764, 206/765, 345/111
• US Class Current: 335/219
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0205 Magnetic circuits with PM in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/04 Means for releasing the attractive force
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/32 having magnetic fastener

Abstract

A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasable attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A protective cover arranged to protect a tablet computer having a processor coupled to a display comprising a top protective layer, the protective cover comprising:

a foldable flap having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, comprising;

at the first side, a first magnet configured to provide a first magnetic field that passes through the top protective layer and is detectable by a sensor disposed beneath the top protective layer only when the foldable flap is in contact with the top protective layer in a closed configuration, and a second magnet separate from and adjacent the first magnet configured to magnetically secure the flap to the top protective layer at a first edge of the tablet computer by forming a magnetic attraction through the top protective layer by magnetically attracting a third magnet of opposite polarity disposed beneath the top protective layer at the first edge, wherein only when the sensor detects the first magnet, the sensor provides a first detection signal to the processor, wherein the processor responds to the first detection signal by disabling the display from presenting visual content.

2. The protective cover as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at the second side, a pivotal attachment mechanism for releasably attaching the flap to a second edge of the tablet computer at a predetermined location and orientation with respect to the display, the pivotal attachment mechanism allowing the flap to smoothly move from a fully open configuration that exposes substantially all of the top protective layer to the closed configuration.

3. The protective cover as recited in claim 2, the foldable flap further comprising:

a plurality of independently foldable segments comprising a first segment at the first side of the foldable flap and a second segment at the second side of the foldable flap, the second segment comprising the first magnet, wherein the plurality of independently foldable segments fold with respect to each other and the tablet computer to form a folded state of the foldable cover.

4. The protective cover as recited in claim 3, a first folded state comprising the first segment in contact with the top protective layer, and the second segment folded away from the top protective layer to reveal a first viewable portion of the display in a first peek mode.

5. The protective cover as recited in claim 4, wherein the processor presents first peek mode visual content in accordance with visual resources corresponding to the first viewable portion.

6. The protective cover as recited in claim 5 the tablet computer further comprising a second sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor co-operate to send information to the processor, the information used for determining the first folded state.

7. The protective cover as recited in claim 6, the foldable flap further comprising:

a third independently foldable segment disposed between the first segment and the second segment.

8. The protective cover as recited in claim 7, the first segment comprising a magnetically attractable element.

9. The protective cover as recited in claim 8, a tablet device support folded state comprising a triangular structure comprising the first and second segments folded one atop the other to create a magnetic attraction between the magnetically attractable element in the first segment and the second magnet to form a first side of the triangular structure.

10. The protective cover as recited in claim 9, the tablet device support folded state configured to support the tablet computer on a horizontal surface at an angle suitable for viewing visual content presented at the display.

11. The protective cover as recited in claim 10, wherein the first sensor is a Hall Effect sensor.

12. The protective cover as recited in claim 11, wherein the second sensor is an image capture device.

13. The protective cover as recited in claim 11, wherein the second sensor is an ambient light sensor (ALS).

14. The protective cover as recited in claim 11, wherein the second sensor is a second Hall Effect sensor.