Convertible computing device

• US 9,791,943 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hulford, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Watko, Julie Anne
• Application Number:
  US13/976,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• 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 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

An apparatus may include a first panel having a first user interface that includes a keyboard. The apparatus may also include a second panel coupled via a hinge to the first panel in a clamshell structure. The second panel may include a first display side to present information in a first display mode when the apparatus is arranged in an open position, and a second display side to present information in a second display mode when the apparatus is arranged in a closed position. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor,

a first panel having a first input device that includes a keyboard;

a second panel coupled via a hinge to the first panel, the second panel comprising a display panel operably coupled to the processor, the display panel comprising;

a first display side to present information in a first display mode when the apparatus is arranged in an open position; and

a second display side to present information in a second display mode when the apparatus is arranged in a closed position, the second panel arranged to provide a transparent display when the apparatus is in the open position such that an image is visible via the first display side and the second display side; and

a display adjusting module, at least a portion of the display adjusting module comprised in a software module, the display adjusting module to provide information to the processor to cause the display panel to present the image in one of a first orientation or a second orientation when the apparatus is arranged in the open position based on whether a swiping motion input is received from the first display side or the second display side, the display adjusting module to cause, via information provided to the processor, the display panel to;

present the image in the first orientation responsive to receiving the swiping motion input from the first display side and the apparatus is arranged in the open position, and

present the image in the second orientation responsive to receiving the swiping motion input from the second display side and the apparatus is arranged in the open position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the first panel comprising a QWERTY keyboard.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the second panel comprising a transparent light emitting diode (TLED) display.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the TLED display arranged to switch between a multiplicity of viewing states when in the open position, two or more viewing states providing a different level of display transparency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the first display side arranged to present information based on user input through the keyboard.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the second panel comprising:

a transparent light emitting diode (TLED) layer to generate an image in the second panel; and

a transparency-adjusting layer to adjust a level of light transmitted through the second panel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising a touch screen interface layer disposed on the second display side, the transparency-adjusting layer being disposed between the touch screen interface layer and the TOLED layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a display mode management module, at least a portion of the display mode management module comprised in the software module, the display mode management module to provide information to the processor to cause the display panel to automatically switch between the first display mode and second display mode when the apparatus is changed between the open and closed positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising a second touch screen interface layer disposed on the first display side.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, the transparency-adjusting layer comprising an electrochromic layer, a liquid crystal display layer, or a combination of the two.

11. A system, comprising:

a keyboard panel to receive input to control the system through a keyboard;

a display panel coupled to the keyboard panel through a clamshell hinge and operable to;

present information in a first display mode when the keyboard and the display panel are in an open position and to present information in a second display mode when the keyboard and the display panel are in a closed position, the open or closed position based on one or more position signals, the display panel arranged to provide a transparent display when in the first display mode such that an image is visible via a first display side and a second display side,

present the image, when in the open position, in a first orientation responsive to a swiping motion input signal indicating a swipe motion input from the first display side, and

present the image, when in the open position, in a second orientation responsive to the swiping motion input signal indicating the swipe motion input from the second display side; and

a processor operably coupled to the display panel, the processor to;

receive the one or more position signals indicating the open or closed position, and

receive one or more swipe motion input signals indicating whether a swipe motion input was entered via the first display side or the second display side.

12. The system of claim 11, the first display mode comprising presenting information on a first side of the display panel, and the second display mode comprising presenting information on a second side of the display panel opposite the first side.

13. The system of claim 12, the second side comprising a touch screen.

14. The system of claim 13, the second side comprising a capacitive touch screen.

15. The system of claim 11, the display panel comprising a multilayer stack that includes an electrochromic layer to change opacity of the display panel.

16. The system of claim 15, the multilayer stack comprising a transparent light emitting diode (TLED) layer to display information.

17. The system of claim 16, the TLED layer comprising an active matrix TLED layer.

18. The system of claim 11, the display panel to switch between a transparent and an opaque state when in the open position.

19. The system of claim 11, the display panel to switch to a transparent state when the keyboard and the display panel are placed in a closed position.

20. An article of manufacture, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a system to:

determine whether the system comprising a display panel and keyboard panel coupled to the display panel in a clamshell manner is in an open or closed position;

set a first touch screen display mode when the system is in the closed position;

set a second touch screen display mode when the system is in the open position, the display panel to be at least partially transparent when in the second touch screen display mode such that an image is visible via a first display side and a second display side;

receive a swiping motion input;

present the image in a first orientation responsive to determining that the swiping motion input was entered via the first display side and the display panel is in the open position; and

present the image in a second orientation responsive to determining that the swiping motion input was entered via the second display side and the display panel is in the open position.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to set a transparency of the display panel to a transparent state when the system is in the closed position.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to switch orientation of an image presented on the display panel when the system changes from an open to closed position.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 20, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to turn off indicator lights in the keyboard panel when the system is in the closed position.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 20, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to activate a pointer in the display panel when the system is placed in the closed position.

25. A method, comprising:

determining whether a device comprising a display panel and a keyboard panel coupled to the display panel in a clamshell manner is in an open or closed position;

setting a first display mode in which input is to be received through the keyboard panel when the device is in an open position;

setting a second display mode in which input is to be received via a touch screen in the display panel when the device is in the closed position; and

setting a transparency of the display panel when the device is in the open position such that an image is visible via the first display side and the second display side;

receiving a swiping motion input;

presenting the image in a first orientation responsive to determining that the swiping motion input was entered via the first display side and the display panel is in the open position; and

presenting the image in a second orientation responsive to determining that the swiping motion input was entered via the second display side and the display panel is in the open position.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising switching orientation of an image presented on the display panel when the device changes from an open to closed position.