Computing device with a secondary display

• US 9,922,619 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Konanur, Anand S., Karacaoglu, Ulun, Huttula, Justin M., Adrangi, Farid
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Chun-Nan
• Application Number:
  US14/670,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/023 using energy recovery or conservation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a computing device configured to send display data to a display through a near-field communication (NFC) interface. The computing device includes a chassis, a primary display, and a near-field communication interface to transmit display data to a secondary display.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing device comprising;

a chassis;

a processor to generate display data;

a primary display to receive display data from the processor through a communication bus; and

a first near-field communication antenna; and

a secondary display device comprising;

a bistable display that maintains a generated image without consuming electrical energy; and

a second near-field communication antenna to receive display data from the processor through the first near-field communication antenna;

wherein the chassis comprises a mechanical coupling mechanism that enables the secondary display device to be attached to or disconnected from the computing device and, when attached, aligns the first near-field communication antenna with the second near-field communication antenna to enable a near-field communication interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary display device comprises an E-paper display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary display device is powered solely by energy received from the near-field communication interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary display device comprises a display driver coupled to a display screen via a low power bus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a smart phone and the secondary display device is included in a protective phone cover.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a tablet computer and the secondary display device is included in a carrying case.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a laptop computer and the secondary display device is included in a card that can be coupled to an external surface of a chassis of the laptop computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary display device comprises circuitry for transmitting user input to the computing device.

9. A display device, comprising:

a display screen comprising a bistable display that maintains a generated image without consuming electrical energy;

a first near-field communication antenna;

a microcontroller to receive display data from a computing device through the first near-field communication antenna, wherein the computing device comprises a primary display and a second near-field communication antenna; and

a display driver to receive the display data from the microcontroller and drive the display screen with the display data;

wherein the display device is attachable to the computing device by a mechanical coupling mechanism that aligns the first near-field communication antenna with the second near-field communication antenna to enable a near-field communication interface.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the display screen is an E-paper display.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the display device is powered solely by energy received from the second near-field communication antenna.

12. The display device of claim 9, comprising a low-power bus to couple the display driver to the display screen.

13. The display device of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a smart phone and the display device is included in a protective phone cover.

14. The display device of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a tablet computer and the display device is included in a carrying case.

15. The display device of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a laptop computer and the display device is included in a card that can be coupled to an external surface of a chassis of the laptop computer.

16. The display device of claim 9, comprising circuitry for transmitting user input to the computing device through the first near-field communication antenna.

17. A method, comprising:

generating, by a processor of a computing device, first display data for a primary display; and

sending the first display data from the processor to the primary display through a communication bus;

receiving a coupling of a secondary display via a mechanical coupling mechanism that aligns a first near-field communication (NFC) antenna of the computing device with a second NFC antenna of the secondary display to enable a NFC interface between the computing device and the secondary display;

generating, by the processor of the computing device, second display data for the secondary display; and

sending the second display data from the processor to the secondary display through the NFC interface.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising powering the secondary display through the NFC interface.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving, by the secondary display, the second display data through the second NFC antenna; and

driving a display screen of the secondary display using the second display data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein driving the display screen comprises generating an image on a bistable display.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein driving the display screen comprises generating an image on an E-paper display.