Tablet device

• US 8,390,411 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• 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:
  US12/971,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 335/219, 335/285, 335302-306, 335205-207, 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: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/15 Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes
• 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 1/1656 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 1/1677 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• 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 releasably 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. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having side walls and a front facing opening;

a processor disposed within the housing;

a display coupled to the processor and configured to present visual content, the display disposed within the front facing opening and having a topmost protective layer;

a first magnetic element disposed beneath the topmost protective layer;

a first sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect a magnetic field passing through the top protective layer and respond by sending a first detection signal to the processor that responds by preventing the electronic device from presenting visual content by the display; and

a pivotal attachment mechanism disposed at a side wall of the housing and configured to pivotally attach a cover to the electronic device, the cover comprising a flap, the flap comprising a first cover magnetic element that provides the magnetic field detectable by the first sensor only when the flap is in full contact with the display in a closed configuration, and a second cover magnetic element separate from and in proximity to the first cover magnetic element, the second cover magnetic element configured to magnetically attract the first magnetic element to secure the flap to the topmost protective layer.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 2, the flap further comprising:

a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end comprising the pivotal attachment mechanism and the second end comprising the first and second cover magnetic elements; and

a third segment disposed between the first and second segments, the first, second, and third segments each being independently foldable with respect to each other and the electronic device.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a first Hall Effect sensor.

5. The electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the second sensor is an image capture device.

6. The electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the second sensor is an ambient light sensor (ALS).

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the second sensor is a second Hall Effect sensor.

8. The electronic device as recited in claim 3, wherein a first folded state of the cover comprises the first and second segments overlaying each other to form a first side of a triangular support and the third segment forming a second side of the triangular support being in contact with a back portion of the housing supporting the electronic device in a display mode.

9. The electronic device as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a second folded state in which the first and third segments are each in contact with the topmost protective layer and the second segment is folded away from the topmost protective layer to reveal a first viewable portion of the display.

10. The electronic device as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor uses information from the first and second sensors to determine that the flap is configured in the second folded state and based upon the determination to instruct the electronic device to operate in a first peek mode in which visual content is presented at the first viewable portion of the display.

11. The electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the visual content presented in accordance with the first peek mode includes a graphical user interface having a size and shape in accordance with the first viewable portion.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, the electronic device further comprising:

a touch sensitive layer configured to detect a touch event at the display.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein a first portion of the touch sensitive layer corresponding to the first viewable portion of the display is active, the first portion of the touch sensitive layer configured to receive the touch event and provide a corresponding touch event signal to the processor.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to respond to the touch event.

15. The electronic device as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a third folded state in which the first segment is in contact with the topmost protective layer and the second and third segments are each folded away from the topmost protective layer to reveal a second viewable portion of the display, the second viewable portion being larger than and including the first viewable portion.

16. The electronic device as recited in claim 15, wherein the processor uses information from the first and second sensors to determine that the flap is configured in the third folded state and based upon the determination to instruct the electronic device to operate in a second peek mode in which visual content is presented at the second viewable portion of the display.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein a second portion of the touch sensitive layer corresponding to the second viewable portion of the display is active to receive the touch event and provide the corresponding touch event signal to the processor in the second peek mode.

18. The electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the visual content presented in the second viewable portion in the second peek mode comprises a second graphical user input having a size and shape in accordance with the second viewable portion and configured to respond to the touch event.

19. The electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the visual content presented in the second viewable portion in the second peek mode comprises a video presentation and an associated video playback control panel.

20. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer.