Method for integrating a mobile communication device and a portable electronic device and portable computer module thereof

• US RE46,036 E1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Wen-Chin, Tsai, Tsung-Hsien, Hung, Ming-Hua, Chin, Pei-Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US14/697,609
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72527 provided by interfacing with an external accessory hands-free H04M1/6041

Abstract

A method for integrating a mobile communication device and a portable electronic device is disclosed. A protection cover and an electronic-device body of the portable electronic device are pivotally connected for containing the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device is removably and rotatably connected to the electronic-device body. The method includes detecting whether the mobile communication device is coupled to the electronic-device body by the mobile communication device, detecting whether the protection cover is open by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device detects electrical connection of the mobile communication device to the electronic-device body, detecting whether the mobile communication device is rotated to a position parallel to a horizontal surface to generate a detection result by the mobile communication device when the protection cover is open, and switching the mobile communication device to a touch mode or an image capturing mode according to the detection result.

Claims

1. A method for integrating a mobile communication device and a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device comprising an electronic-device body and a protection cover, the protection cover being pivotally connected to the electronic-device body for containing the mobile communication device cooperatively with the electronic-device body, the mobile communication device removably and rotatably connected to a side of the electronic-device body, the method comprising:

detecting whether the mobile communication device is electrically connected to the electronic-device body by the mobile communication device;

detecting whether the protection cover is open by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device detects electrical connection of the mobile communication device to the electronic-device body;

and

when the protection cover is open, detecting whether the mobile communication device is rotated relative to the portable electronic device to a first position parallel to a horizontal surface to generate a detection result by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device detects that the protection cover is open; and

switching the mobile communication device to a touch mode or an image capturing mode according to the detection result switching the mobile communication device to a first operation mode or a second position switching the mobile communication device to a second operation mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein switching the mobile communication device to the touch mode or the image capturing mode according to the detection result the first operation mode is a touch mode, and detecting whether the mobile communication device is rotated relative to the portable electronic device to the first position switching the mobile communication device to the first operation mode or the second position switching the mobile communication device to the second operation mode comprises:

switching the mobile communication device to the touch mode when the mobile communication device detects rotation of the mobile communication device to the first position parallel to the a horizontal surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein switching the mobile communication device to the touch mode or the image capturing mode according to the detection result the second operation mode is an image capturing mode, and detecting whether the mobile communication device is rotated relative to the portable electronic device to the first position switching the mobile communication device to the first operation mode or the second position switching the mobile communication device to the second operation mode comprises:

switching the mobile communication device to the image capturing mode when the mobile communication device detects rotation of the mobile communication device to a the second position unparallel to the a horizontal surface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an operation image corresponding to the mobile communication device by the electronic-device body when the mobile communication device detects the electrical connection of the mobile communication device to the electronic-device body and detects that the protection cover is close for covering the mobile communication device in the containing space.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

switching the mobile communication device to a power saving mode when the mobile communication device detects that the protection cover is close for covering the mobile communication device in the containing space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device has a display screen and the method further comprises:

activating the display screen by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device detects that the protection cover is open.

7. A portable computer module comprising:

a portable electronic device comprising;

an electronic-device body having a containing space; and

a protection cover pivotally connected to a first side of the containing space for covering the containing space; and

a mobile communication device selectively contained in the containing space, the mobile communication device comprising;

a communication-device body removably and pivotally connected to a second side of the containing space for detecting whether the communication-device body is electrically connected to the electronic-device body;

a sensing unit electrically connected to and disposed on the communication-device body for detecting whether the protection cover is open when the communication-device body is electrically connected to the electronic-device body; and

an accelerometer electrically connected to and disposed on the communication-device body for detecting whether the communication-device body is rotated relative to the portable electronic device to a first position parallel to a horizontal surface relative to the electronic-device body to generate a detection result switching the mobile communication device to a first operation mode or a second position switching the mobile communication device to a second operation mode when the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is open;

wherein the mobile communication device switches to a touch mode or an image capturing mode according to the detection result.

8. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the first operation mode is a touch mode, and the communication-device body switches to the touch mode when the accelerometer detects that the communication-device body is parallel to the a horizontal surface.

9. The portable computer module of claim 8, wherein the protection cover supports the electronic-device body to stand obliquely at a side of the communication-device body when the communication-device body is parallel to the horizontal surface.

10. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the second operation mode is an image capturing mode, and the communication-device body switches to the image capturing mode when the accelerometer detects that the communication-device body is unparallel to the a horizontal surface.

11. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein when the communication-device body detects that the communication-device body is electrically connected to the electronic-device body and the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is close for covering the communication-device body in the containing space, the electronic-device body displays an operation image corresponding to the communication-device body.

12. The portable computer module of claim 8, wherein when the communication-device body detects that the communication-device body is electrically connected to the electronic-device body and the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is close for covering the communication-device body in the containing space, the electronic-device body displays an operation image corresponding to the communication-device body.

13. The portable computer module of claim 10, wherein when the communication-device body detects that the communication-device body is electrically connected to the electronic-device body and the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is close for covering the communication-device body in the containing space, the electronic-device body displays an operation image corresponding to the communication-device body.

14. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein when the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is close for covering the communication-device body in the containing space, the communication-device body switches to a power saving mode.

15. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the communication-device body has a display screen, and the communication-device body activates the display screen when the sensing unit detects that the protection cover is open.

16. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises:

a rotating shaft pivotally connected to the second side of the containing space; and

a connection terminal disposed on the rotating shaft and electrically connected to the electronic-device body for electrically connecting to the communication-device body, so as to make the communication-device body electrically connected to the electronic-device body and rotatable relative to the electronic-device body via the rotating shaft.

17. The portable computer module of claim 8, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises:

a rotating shaft pivotally connected to the second side of the containing space; and

a connection terminal disposed on the rotating shaft and electrically connected to the electronic-device body for electrically connecting to the communication-device body, so as to make the communication-device body electrically connected to the electronic-device body and rotatable relative to the electronic-device body via the rotating shaft.

18. The portable computer module of claim 10, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises:

a rotating shaft pivotally connected to the second side of the containing space; and

a connection terminal disposed on the rotating shaft and electrically connected to the electronic-device body for electrically connecting to the communication-device body, so as to make the communication-device body electrically connected to the electronic-device body and rotatable relative to the electronic-device body via the rotating shaft.

19. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is a tablet computer, and the mobile communication device is a smart phone.

20. The portable computer module of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is a portable docket station, and the mobile communication device is a smart phone.