Mounting a computer in a transport vehicle

• US 20060161713A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Belady, Christian L.
• Application Number:
  US11/039,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161713A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0252 for personal computers, e.g. laptops, notebooks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

An apparatus for use with a transport vehicle comprises a docking station for removably mounting a computer in an upside-down orientation to an inside the transport vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a transport vehicle comprising:

a docking station for removably mounting a computer in an upside-down orientation to an inside of the transport vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be electrically coupled to a vehicle computer in the transport vehicle to enable the docked computer to communicate with the vehicle computer through the docking station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to removably mount a notebook computer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be electrically coupled to the transport vehicle to enable the computer to receive information from a sensor in the transport vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station enables the sensor to communicate information to the computer for display on the computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be attached to a ceiling of the transport vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station has a wireless element to communicate wirelessly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless element of the docking station is adapted to communicate wirelessly with a keyboard.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless element of the docking station is adapted to communicate wirelessly with a remote control device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless element of the docking station is adapted to communicate a signal to a radio of the transport vehicle to play audio on the radio.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station has at least one engagement member to flexibly adjust to a size of the computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be electrically coupled to power provided by the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to communicate with a control device of the transport vehicle to enable the computer to communicate with the control device of the transport vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station has a releasable latch to releasably attach the computer to the docking station once the computer is docked to the docking station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the docking station further comprises a strap to further secure the computer to the docking station.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station has a strap to secure the computer to the docking station.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage medium containing a software module executable in the computer to re-orient an image displayed by a monitor of the computer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the software module is executable in the computer to re-orient the image displayed by the monitor of the computer to be viewable in an upside-down orientation.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be coupled to receive global positioning system (GPS) information from a module in the transport vehicle to enable the computer to display the GPS information.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking station is adapted to be coupled to an antenna of the transport vehicle to enable the computer to act as a telephony device.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the computer,

the computer having a display monitor, the computer further to display entertainment content on the display monitor of the computer.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer comprises a drive for loading a removable storage medium, the entertainment content displayed by the computer on the display monitor being stored on the storage medium.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the computer,

wherein the computer is adapted to display a navigation map on the display monitor of the computer.

24. An article comprising at least one storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a computer that is capable of being docked to a docking station to:

detect that the computer has been docked to the docking station;

in response to detecting that the computer has been docked to the docking station, adjusting an image on a display monitor of the computer to re-orient the image on the display monitor.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein detecting that the computer has been docked to the docking station comprises receiving an indication from an orientation sensor regarding the orientation of the computer.

26. The article of claim 24, wherein adjusting the image on the display monitor comprises re-orienting to image to an upside-down orientation on the display monitor.

27. A computer capable of being docked to a docking station, comprising:

a processor;

a display monitor; and

a software module executable on the processor to rotate an image on the display monitor to re-orient the image on the display monitor in response to the computer being docked to the docking station.

28. The computer of claim 27, further comprising an orientation sensor to sense an orientation of the computer when the computer is docked to the docking station, the software module executable to rotate the image on the display monitor in response to an orientation indication provided by the orientation sensor.

29. The computer of claim 27, wherein the software module is executable to re-orient the image to be viewable in an upside-down orientation on the display monitor.

30. A system comprising:

a transport vehicle having a docking station for removably docking a computer, the transport vehicle having a front instrument console, the docking station positioned a distance away from the front instrument console,

the transport vehicle having an electrical device,

wherein the docking station is electrically coupled to the electrical device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the transport vehicle has a ceiling, the docking station being mounted to the ceiling of the transport vehicle.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the docking station has at least a latch to engage the computer once the computer is docked to the docking station, wherein the latch is actuatable to release the computer to enable undocking of the computer from the docking station.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein docking station is adapted to receive the computer in an upside-down orientation in response to the computer being docked to the docking station.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the electrical device comprises a sensor to measure a characteristic of the transport vehicle, the docking station to enable the computer to receive information relating to the measured characteristic from the sensor.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the electrical device comprises a control device to control a component of the transport vehicle, the docking station to enable the computer to communicate with the control device to control the control device.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the transport vehicle has a vehicle display monitor to display information about the transport vehicle, wherein the vehicle display is adapted to receive information through the docking station from the computer for display.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the transport vehicle has a vehicle computer, the docking station to enable the computer dockable to the docking station to communicate with the vehicle computer.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the vehicle computer is adapted to perform at least one of wired and wireless communication with the computer dockable to the docking station.

39. A method of displaying information in a transport vehicle, comprising:

removably docking a computer to a docking station mounted in the transport vehicle, wherein the transport vehicle has a front instrument console, and the docking station is positioned a distance away from the front instrument console;

communicating with an electrical device of the transport vehicle with the computer; and

displaying information associated with the electrical device in a display monitor of the computer.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising displaying entertainment content in the display monitor of the computer.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein displaying entertainment content comprises displaying entertainment content from a removable storage medium loaded in a drive of the computer.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising displaying at least one of an e-mail message and a web page in the display monitor of the computer.

43. The method of claim 39, further comprising displaying a navigation map in the display monitor.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising displaying video images associated with an electronic game in the display monitor.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the transport vehicle has a display monitor separate from the display monitor of the computer, the computer presenting information for display on the vehicle display monitor.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the transport vehicle has a vehicle computer, the method further comprising the computer docked to the docking station communicating with the vehicle computer.

47. The method of claim 39, further comprising peripheral devices wirelessly communicating with the computer while the computer is docked to the docking station.

48. The method of claim 39, wherein the docking station comprises a universal docking station, the method further comprising docking more than one type of computer in the docking station.