Lockable display and techniques enabling use of lockable displays

• US 10,120,420 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven Nabil, Panay, Panos C., Groene, Ralf, Gault, Joseph B., Hill, Andrew William
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schnirel, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/221,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence

Abstract

This document describes a lockable display and techniques enabling use of a lockable display. The techniques can enable computing devices to lock and unlock a display using little or no power and with a seamless design. The techniques and apparatuses can also enable integration between a lockable display and various computing devices, including to create a nearly seamless physical and functional design.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

orienting a lockable display using a magnetic flux fountain, the magnetic flux fountain providing an orienting force to orient a first lock region body portion of the lockable display to a second lock region body portion of a computing device, the first lock region body portion being located at an adjoining respective side of the lockable display, the adjoining respective side directly adjacent the second lock body portion;

receiving an indication through a sensor that the lockable display has locked to, or is in a process to lock to, the computing device, the computing device presenting content on an existing display of the computing device, the indication received at a controller configured to power an actuator to lock the lockable display to the computing device in response to the indication, the sensor providing the indication in response to sensing a magnetically permeable material or sensing proximity of a device having a magnetic field, wherein the magnetic flux fountain is provided through permanent magnets, the permanent magnets providing another magnetic field that is less powerful than a magnetic field provided by a diametrically magnetized magnet associated with locking the lockable display to the computing device; and

causing the computing device to switch presentation of the content from the existing display to the lockable display or to present the content jointly over the existing display and the lockable display, the causing performed without user selection or interaction other than to lock the lockable display.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the lockable display locks to the computing device using the diametrically magnetized magnet having the magnetic field and magnetic-field directors proximate the diametrically magnetized magnet, the diametrically magnetized magnet locking or releasing responsive to rotation of the diametrically magnetized magnet effective to cause the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the indication indicates that the lockable display is beginning the process to lock to the computing device and further comprising causing the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet effective to cause the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field to lock the lockable display to the computing device.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the lockable display further comprises a physical mechanism capable of manually locking and releasing the lockable display from the computing device.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the lockable display locks to the existing display of the computing device, the lockable display and the existing display having a same or substantially similar dimension, and causing the computing device to switch or present the content jointly presents the content jointly over the lockable display and the existing display.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein presenting the content jointly is effective to present the content over the lockable display and the existing display as a single user interface.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an orientation of the lockable display; and

determining, based on the orientation, whether to cause the computing device to switch presentation or to present the content jointly.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the lockable display locks to the computing device and causing the computing device to switch or present the content jointly switches the content to the lockable display and further comprising presenting a data-entry or control user interface on the existing display.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection to release the lockable display;

responsive to the selection, causing the actuator to release the lockable display from the existing display or the computing device;

receiving an indication that the lockable display has been released; and

ceasing to switch the content or to present jointly the content on the existing display and the lockable display.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the indication, activate an electro-magnet or partially rotate a permanent magnet to generate the orienting force of the magnetic flux fountain.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first lock region body portion includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of reducing a shear force.

12. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first lock region body portion includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of redirecting a shear force to a strain force.

13. A lockable display comprising:

a lock region;

a diametrically magnetized magnet having a magnetic field;

magnetic-field directors proximate the diametrically magnetized magnet and the lock region;

an actuator capable of rotating the diametrically magnetized magnet between a first position and a second position, the first position causing the magnetic-field directors to null or substantially weaken the magnetic field and the second position causing the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field to the lock region; and

a controller capable of electrically powering the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet between the first position and the second position, the rotation capable of releasing a device having a magnetically permeable material from the lock region or locking the device having the magnetically permeable material to the lock region, wherein the controller is further configured to receive, from a sensor of the lockable display, a communication indicating that the sensor has sensed the magnetically permeable material or that the sensor has sensed proximity of a device having a magnetic field, and responsive to the communication, powering the actuator to lock the device to the lockable display, and wherein the controller is further configured to assist the locking using a magnetic flux fountain, the magnetic flux fountain providing an orienting force to orient the lockable display to a retention structure of the device, wherein the magnetic flux fountain is provided through permanent magnets, the permanent magnets providing another magnetic field that is less powerful than the magnetic field provided by the diametrically magnetized magnet associated with locking the lockable display to the device.

14. The lockable display as described in claim 13, wherein the controller is further capable, responsive to powering the actuator to lock the device to the lock region of the lockable display, of causing content to be received and displayed.

15. The lockable display as described in claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the communication, cause a screen of the lockable display to request approval to lock the device to the lockable display and, responsive to receiving selection to lock the lockable display to the device, powering the actuator to lock the device to the lockable display.

16. The lockable display as described in claim 13, wherein the lock region includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of reducing a shear force or redirecting a shear force to a strain force.

17. The lockable display as described in claim 13, wherein the lockable display further comprises an external sensor through which user input can be received, the external sensor not part of a touch-sensitive screen of the lockable display, and wherein the controller is further capable of receiving a gesture made to the external sensor and, responsive to the gesture, powering the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet to release or lock the lockable display and the device.

18. A computing device comprising:

a lock region;

a diametrically magnetized magnet having a magnetic field;

magnetic-field directors proximate the diametrically magnetized magnet and the lock region;

an actuator capable of rotating the diametrically magnetized magnet between a first position and a second position, the first position causing the magnetic-field directors to null or substantially weaken the magnetic field and the second position causing the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field to the lock region; and

a controller capable of electrically powering the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet between the first position and the second position, the rotation capable of releasing a lockable display having a magnetically permeable material from the lock region or locking the lockable display having the magnetically permeable material to the lock region, wherein the controller is further configured to receive, from a sensor of the computing device, a communication indicating that the sensor has sensed the magnetically permeable material or that the sensor has sensed proximity of a lockable display having a magnetic field, and responsive to the communication, powering the actuator to lock the lockable display to the computing device, and wherein the controller is further configured to assist the locking using a magnetic flux fountain, the magnetic flux fountain providing an orienting force to orient the lockable display to a retention structure of the computing device, wherein the magnetic flux fountain is provided through permanent magnets, the permanent magnets providing another magnetic field that is less powerful than the magnetic field provided by the diametrically magnetized magnet associated with locking the lockable display to the computing device.

19. The computing device as described in claim 18, further comprising one or more computer processors and one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, implement an interface module, the interface module capable of performing operations comprising:

receiving an indication that the lockable display has locked to, or is beginning a process to lock to, the lock region of the computing device; and

responsive to the indication, switching presentation to the lockable display or presenting jointly content currently presented on an existing display associated with the computing device.

20. The computing device as described in claim 18, the computing device comprising a laptop computer or a tablet computer.