EHF enabled display systems

• US 9,740,448 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Isaac, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US15/357,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/127 with a circular, elliptic, or parabolic cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

Display systems that use contactless connectors for transmitting data are provided. The contactless connectors are electromagnetic connectors that form an electromagnetic communications link. The electromagnetic communications link can be established within different locations of the same device, or between two different devices. The communications link can be established using at least two transceivers. The transceivers can be incorporated in different enclosures that are hinged together, or the transceivers can be incorporated within a hinge that enables two enclosures to move with respect to each other. A transceiver can be incorporated into a display device that can receive data from an active surface that has a transceiver. When the display device is placed on the active surface, the display device may serve as an access point to content contained within the active surface.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for contactless use with an active surface apparatus, the contactless display apparatus comprising:

a display;

display controller coupled to the display; and

at least one extremely high frequency (EHF) transceiver coupled to the display controller, wherein the at least one EHF transceiver receives data from the active surface apparatus via a close proximity coupling that exists when the contactless display apparatus and the active surface apparatus are separated by no greater than a threshold distance, wherein the display activates when the display apparatus is placed in proximity of the active surface apparatus, and wherein the received data is processed by the display controller for presentation on the display; and

a processor operative to;

transmit access credentials to the active surface apparatus via the at least one EHF transceiver; and

receive content via the at least one EHF transceiver that is commensurate with the access credentials provided to the active surface apparatus.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one EHF transceiver comprises at least two EHF transceivers.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface, wherein user interface commands are transmitted to the active surface apparatus via the at least one EHF transceiver.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

authentication circuitry that identifies the contactless display apparatus to the active surface apparatus.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4 receives data commensurate with the identity provided to the active surface apparatus.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source operative to independently provide power to the display, display controller and the at least one EHF transceiver.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising power circuitry for receiving power from a remote power source, wherein the power transfer circuitry is operative to provide received power to the display, display controller and the at least one EHF transceiver.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power circuitry wirelessly receives power from the remote power source.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display, the display circuitry, and the at least one EHF transceiver reside on a flexible substrate.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein a user can navigate through content available on the active surface apparatus using the user interface.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising user interface circuitry that processes user interface events and provides user interface event data to the at least one EHF transceiver, which transmits the user interface data to the active surface apparatus via a close proximity coupling.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user interface data is selected from the group consisting of audio data, video data, touch event data, and combination thereof.

13. The display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen user interface and fingerprint scanner.

14. The displays apparatus of claim 2, wherein a distance between any two immediately adjacent EHF transceivers is less than 5 centimeters.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the distance is less than 1 centimeter.