Wireless peripheral hub device

• US 9,414,166 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Randall W., Leck, Matthew Graeme, Hoggarth, Marcus Andrew, Briden, John Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELLERS, DANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/629,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20140086431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/80, 381/87, 381332-335
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/02 Details casings, cabinets or mounting therein for transducers covered by H04R1/02 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a wireless-enabled peripheral hub device. According to one embodiment, the hub device includes a communication module for wirelessly communicating with one of a plurality of mobile devices and a loudspeaker system configured to stream audio received from one of the mobile devices. Furthermore, the device housing includes a movable cover portion and an internal cavity area for storing an accessory input device for use with one of the plurality of mobile devices.

Claims

1. A peripheral hub device comprising:

a housing;

a communication module for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of mobile devices;

a processing unit to process wireless communications from the plurality of mobile devices;

a loudspeaker system to stream audio received from the plurality of mobile devices; and

an internal cavity area beneath the movable cover, the internal cavity area for storing at least one accessory input device for use with at least one of the plurality of mobile devices;

wherein the loudspeaker system comprises (i) a subwoofer formed on an underside of the housing opposite the movable cover, and (ii) a plurality of speaker areas formed around the underside of the housing and surrounding the subwoofer.

2. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit wirelessly synchronizes data stored on a respective one of the plurality of mobile devices with a main computing system.

3. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein when a respective one of the plurality of mobile devices comes within a communicable distance of the peripheral hub device, the processing unit automatically synchronizes and uploads data from the respective mobile device to a cloud server based on a profile associated with an operating user.

4. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the movable cover includes an induction coil for charging a mobile computing device having corresponding induction coil.

8. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of mobile devices via at least one of near field communication, Bluetooth, and wireless-fidelity protocol standards.

9. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit enables control over the peripheral hub device via operation of any one of the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the movable cover includes an electrical contact for charging a respective one of the plurality of mobile devices.

11. The peripheral hub device of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a notification display for displaying status information for the peripheral hub device.

12. The peripheral hub device of claim 11, wherein the notification displays a status indicator for at least one of battery life of the peripheral hub device.

13. The peripheral hub device of claim 11, wherein the notification display displays battery life for a connected one of the plurality of mobile devices.

14. The peripheral hub device of claim 11, wherein the notification display presents information of a currently streaming audio file of a connected one of the plurality of mobile devices.

5. The peripheral hub device of claim wherein the inters cavity area includes a plurality of cavities for storing multiple input devices.

6. The peripheral hub device of claim 5, wherein the multiple input devices comprise a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse device.

7. The peripheral hub device of claim wherein at least one of the plurality of cavities includes a connector for at least one of the multiple input devices.