Portable electronic device docking station

• US 8,990,469 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Targus International LLC
• Original Assignee: Targus Group International Incorporated (Targus International LLC)
• Inventors: Benhard, Ryan Gordon, DeCamp, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaman, Faisal M
• Application Number:
  US13/365,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 710/303
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/14 Handling requests for interconnection or transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/38 Information transfer, e.g. on bus G06F13/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring

Abstract

A universal docking station for portable electronic devices is disclosed. In some embodiments, the docking station may utilize a universal interface to communicatively couple a portable electronic device to one or more inputs, displays, and/or accessory devices. In some embodiments, the universal interface may be a high-speed and/or super-speed universal data interface. In further embodiments, the universal docking station may be configured to provide electrical power to a portable electronic device. By utilizing a universal data interface, the universal docking station may be utilized with any portable electronic device having the universal data interface regardless of the manufacturer of the portable electronic devices.

Claims

1. A docking station for a laptop computer, the docking station comprising:

a body without a user input or output device;

a power receiving interface coupled to the body and configured to receive electrical power from a power adapter receiving and adapting power from a wall socket source that supplies power;

an accessory interface coupled to the body and configured to simultaneously communicatively couple the docking station with a plurality of user interchangeable accessory devices to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices;

a standardized non-proprietary, universal data interface coupled to the body and configured to operate according to a universal data communication standard to communicatively couple the docking station with the laptop computer and in electrical communication with the accessory interface to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices and to enable control of the user interchangeable accessory devices by the laptop computer, the standardized non-proprietary universal data interface comprising a first port and a first cable removably coupled to the first port, the first cable configured to communicate with the laptop computer to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communications between the laptop computer and the universal data interface; and

a standardized power providing interface in electrical communication with the power receiving interface and configured to operate according to a universal power communication standard to deliver electrical power to the laptop computer, the standardized power providing interface comprising;

a second port;

a second cable removably coupled to the second port;

a proprietary tip removably coupled to the second cable,

wherein the second cable and removable proprietary tip are configured to enable power communication between the laptop computer and the power receiving interface; and

wherein the power providing interface and the second cable are configured to provide power sufficient for the laptop computer.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the universal data interface and the power providing interface are integrated into a single universal interface.

3. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body is further configured to mechanically retain the laptop computer.

4. The docking station of claim 3, wherein the body further comprises a spring loaded mechanical clamp configured to mechanically retain the laptop computer.

5. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the universal data interface further comprises a high speed interface.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the universal data interface is configured to support the USB communication standard.

7. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the universal data interface comprises an interface selected from the group comprising:

a high speed USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a LightPeak™

interface, a CopperPeak™

interface, an Ethernet interface, an eSata interface, an HDMI interface, a DVI interface, a VGA interface, a ThunderBolt™

interface, and a Display Port interface.

8. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the universal data interface is configured to support a communication standard used by a plurality of manufacturers of portable electronic devices.

9. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking station further includes a reset button configured to reset the universal data interface.

10. The docking station of claim 9, wherein the reset button is further configured to reset the accessory interface.

11. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking station further includes a power button configured to control the electrical power delivered to the laptop computer by the power providing interface.

12. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to store cables associated with the accessory interface.

13. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to store cables associated with the power receiving interface.

14. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking station includes a lock slot configured to secure the body to a secure object.

15. The docking station of claim 14, wherein the lock slot includes a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the body to the secure object.

16. The docking station of claim 15, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to selectively lock the body to the secure object using a cable.

17. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to store accessories associated with the portable electronic device.

18. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises one or more user interchangeable ports.

19. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a non-audio input/output device.

20. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with an input device.

21. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a user viewable display.

22. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a printer.

23. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the accessory interface comprises a plurality of user interchangeable ports.

24. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to store power tips to enable communicative coupling with the universal interface.

25. A docking station for a laptop computer, the docking station comprising:

a body without a user input or output device;

a power receiving interface coupled to the body and configured to receive electrical power from a power adapter receiving and adapting power from a socket source that supplies power;

an accessory interface coupled to the body and configured to simultaneously communicatively couple the docking station with a plurality of user interchangeable accessory devices to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices;

a standardized non-proprietary, universal data interface coupled to the body and configured to operate according to a universal data communication standard to communicatively couple the docking station with the laptop computer and in electrical communication with the accessory interface to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices and to enable control of the user interchangeable accessory devices by the laptop computer, the standardized non-proprietary universal data interface comprising a first port and a first cable removably coupled to the first port, the first cable configured to communicate with the laptop computer to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communications between the laptop computer and the universal data interface; and

a standardized power providing interface separate from the standardized non-proprietary, universal data interface and in electrical communication with the power receiving interface and configured to operate according to a universal power communication standard to deliver electrical power to the laptop computer, the standardized power providing interface comprising;

a second port;

a second cable removably coupled to the second port;

a proprietary tip removably coupled to the second cable,

wherein the second cable configured to enable power communication between the laptop computer and the power receiving interface to thereby enable power communication from the socket source to the laptop computer.

26. A docking station for a laptop computer, the docking station comprising:

a body without a user input or output device;

a power receiving interface coupled to the body and configured to receive electrical power from a power adapter receiving and adapting power from a wall socket source that supplies power;

an accessory interface coupled to the body and configured to simultaneously communicatively couple the docking station with a plurality of user interchangeable accessory devices to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices;

a standardized non-proprietary, universal data interface coupled to the body and configured to operate according to a universal data communication standard to communicatively couple the docking station with the laptop computer and in electrical communication with the accessory interface to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communication between the laptop computer and the user interchangeable accessory devices and to enable control of the user interchangeable accessory devices by the laptop computer, the standardized non-proprietary universal data interface comprising a first port and a first cable removably coupled to the first port, the first cable configured to communicate with the laptop computer to enable non-audio, bi-directional data communications between the laptop computer and the universal data interface; and

a standardized power providing interface in electrical communication with the power receiving interface and configured to operate according to a universal power communication standard to deliver electrical power to the laptop computer, the standardized power providing interface comprising;

a second port;

a second cable removably coupled to the second port;

a non-universal tip removably coupled to the second cable,

wherein the second cable and removable non-universal tip are configured to enable power communication between the laptop computer and the power receiving interface; and

wherein the power providing interface and the second cable are configured to provide power sufficient for the laptop computer.

27. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the universal data interface and the power providing interface are integrated into a single universal interface.

28. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the body is further configured to mechanically retain the laptop computer.

29. The docking station of claim 28, wherein the body further comprises a spring loaded mechanical clamp configured to mechanically retain the laptop computer.

30. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the universal data interface further comprises a high speed interface.

31. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the universal data interface is configured to support the USB communication standard.

32. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the universal data interface comprises an interface selected from the group comprising:

a high speed USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a LightPeak™

interface, a CopperPeak™

interface, an Ethernet interface, an eSata interface, an HDMI interface, a DVI interface, a VGA interface, a ThunderBolt™

interface, and a Display Port interface.

33. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the universal data interface is configured to support a communication standard used by a plurality of manufacturers of portable electronic devices.

34. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the docking station further includes a reset button configured to reset the universal data interface.

35. The docking station of claim 34, wherein the reset button is further configured to reset the accessory interface.

36. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the docking station further includes a power button configured to control the electrical power delivered to the laptop computer by the power providing interface.

37. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the body is configured to store cables associated with the accessory interface.

38. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the body is configured to store cables associated with the power receiving interface.

39. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the docking station includes a lock slot configured to secure the body to a secure object.

40. The docking station of claim 39, wherein the lock slot includes a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the body to the secure object.

41. The docking station of claim 40, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to selectively lock the body to the secure object using a cable.

42. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the body is configured to store accessories associated with the portable electronic device.

43. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises one or more user interchangeable ports.

44. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a non-audio input/output device.

45. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with an input device.

46. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a user viewable display.

47. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises a port configured to communicatively couple with a printer.

48. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the accessory interface comprises a plurality of user interchangeable ports.

49. The docking station of claim 26, wherein the body is configured to store power tips to enable communicative coupling with the universal interface.