Systems and methods for docking portable electronic devices

• US 8,930,605 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Bosse, Kevin, Semenik, Scott, Page, Richard, Teltz, Richard, Reeves, Brian, McAuliffe, Keith, Reeves, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaman, Faisal M
• Application Number:
  US13/251,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

Systems and methods for docking portable electronic devices. A master device may be docked to a slave device to control the operation of the slave device. The slave device may have a form factor different than that of the master device. For example, the slave device may be a tablet and the master device may be a handheld device such as a smart phone. The slave device may include a retention mechanism to retain the master device in a docked position with respect to the slave device. When in the docked position, the master device may be in operative communication with one or more hardware components of the slave device to control the operation thereof. The slave device may lack the ability to exploit the full functionality of the one or more hardware components of the slave device without communication with the master device.

Claims

1. A slave device for supportively engaging a master device, the slave device comprising:

one or more hardware components integrally provided with the slave device;

an envelope formed in the slave device, when in the docked position at least a portion of the master device is contained within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the envelope includes an aperture in a back panel of the slave device;

a retention mechanism operable to retain a master device in a docked position with respect to the slave device, wherein the retention mechanism comprises;

a connector disposed in the envelope, the connector being operable to establish a communication interface between the master device and the one or more hardware components for communication between the master device and the one or more hardware components when the master device is in the docked position;

a sled movably disposed in the envelope and configured to receive the master device through a sliding motion aligned with the aperture and hold the master device within the envelope, the sled conforming to a contour defined by an edge and at least partially by two adjoining edges of the slave device, wherein the sled is movably disposed within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the sled comprises;

two or more sidewalls to hold the master device;

a tab that extends from one of the sidewalls and holds a latch detachably connected to the slave device to retain and release the master device from the envelope; and

wherein the master device is operable to control the one or more hardware components of the slave device when the master device is in the docked position, wherein the one or more hardware components require communication with the master device to realize full functionality.

2. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the slave device comprises a tablet device, and wherein the master device comprises a handheld device.

3. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the retention mechanism includes frictional engagement of the master device by the slave device configured to prevent release of the master device.

4. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein at least one input device of the master device is exposed at an exterior of the slave device when the master device is in the docked position.

5. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware components includes a touch screen display disposed on a first side of the slave device, wherein, when the master device is in the docked position, display data provided to, and input data received from, the touch screen display is exchangeable between the slave device and the master device.

6. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the slave device does not include a wireless modem.

7. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the slave device does not include a processor operable to exploit full functionality of the one or more hardware components.

8. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a power interface for providing power between the master device and slave device.

9. A system for docking portable electronic devices, the system comprising:

a master device including a processor, the master device having a communication port in operative communication with the processor; and

a slave device including;

an envelope formed in the slave device, when in the docked position at least a portion of the master device is contained within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the envelope includes an aperture in a back panel of the slave device;

one or more hardware components integrally provided with the slave device;

a retention mechanism operable to retain the master device in a docked position with respect to the slave device, wherein when in the docked position at least a portion of the master device is contained within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the retention mechanism comprises;

a connector in operative communication with the one or more hardware components of the slave device;

a sled movably disposed in the envelope and configured to receive the master device through a sliding motion aligned with the aperture of the master device and hold the master device within the envelope, the sled conforming to a contour defined by an edge and at least partially by two adjoining edges of the slave device, wherein the sled is movably disposed within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the sled comprises;

two or more sidewalls to hold the master device;

a tab that extends from one of the sidewalls and holds a latch detachably connected to the slave device to retain and release the master device from the envelope; and

wherein the connector is operable to establish a communication interface with the communication port of the master device for communication between the processor and the one or more hardware components when the master device is in the docked position,

wherein the processor is operable to control the one or more hardware components when the master device is in the docked position, wherein the one or more hardware components require communication with the processor to realize full functionality, wherein the slave device comprises a tablet device, wherein the master device comprises a handheld device, wherein the retention mechanism is operable to selectively release the master device from the docked position, wherein the retention mechanism includes at least one engagement member that is interlockingly engageable with a correspondingly shaped engagement feature of the master device when the master device is in the docked position to securably retain the master device in the docked position, wherein the at least one engagement member is displaceable from interlocking engagement with the engagement feature for selectively releasing the master device, and wherein the engagement feature of the master device comprises a contour defined at least partially by the housing of the master device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the retention mechanism includes frictional engagement of the master device by the slave device configured to prevent release of the master device.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least one input device of the master device is exposed at an exterior of the slave device when the master device is in the docked position.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more hardware components includes a touch screen display disposed on a first side of the slave device, wherein, when the master device is in the docked position, display data provided to, and input data received from, the touch screen display is exchangeable between the slave device and the master device.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the slave device does not include a wireless modem.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the slave device does not include a processor operable to exploit full functionality of the one or more hardware components.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the communication interface includes a power interface for providing power between the master device and slave device.

16. A method for docking portable electronic devices, the method comprising:

positioning a master device in a docked position with respect to a slave device;

sliding the master device in alignment with an aperture in a back panel of the slave device;

engaging a sled configured to hold the master device within an envelope that includes the aperture, the sled conforming to a contour defined by an edge and at least partially by two adjoining edges of the slave device, wherein the sled is movably disposed within the envelope of the slave device, wherein the sled comprises two or more sidewalls to hold the master device and a tab that extends from one of the sidewalls and holds a latch detachably connected to the slave device to retain and release the master device from the envelope;

retaining, using the sled, the master device with respect to the slave device;

connecting, upon the positioning, a communication port of the master device with a connector of the slave device disposed with respect to the sled;

communicating data between the slave device and the master device; and

controlling, with the master device, one or more hardware components of the slave device, wherein the sled is operable to selectively release the master device from the docked position, wherein the sled includes at least one engagement member that is interlockingly engageable with a correspondingly shaped engagement feature of the master device when the master device is in the docked position to securably retain the master device in the docked position, wherein the at least one engagement member is displaceable from interlocking engagement with the engagement feature for selectively releasing the master device, and wherein the engagement feature of the master device comprises a contour defined at least partially by the housing of the master device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the connecting occurs during operation of the master device.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the communicating and controlling occurs without disruption of operation of the master device.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the slave device comprises a tablet and the master device comprises a handheld device.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method further includes providing power via the connector and communications port between the master device and the slave device.