METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DOCKING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT HAS A PLANAR LIKE CONFIGURATION AND THAT OPERATES IN MULTIPLE ORIENTATIONS

• US 20100177476A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pabon, Gus, Hotelling, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A docking system is disclosed. The docking system includes a portable electronic device capable of operating in multiple orientations including vertical and horizontal. The docking system also includes a docking station configured to mechanically accept and operatively interface with the portable electronic device in any of its multiple orientations including vertical and horizontal.

Claims

1-49. -49. (canceled)

50. A docking station configured to mechanically accept and operatively interface with a portable electronic device having a first electrical interface, the docking station comprising:

a platform having a surface for receiving a backside of the portable electronic device, the platform including a second electrical interface;

a leg that supports the platform, wherein the leg is configured to support the docking station such that the portable electronic device is in an upright position when its backside is being received by the surface of the platform,

wherein the portable electronic device is capable of interfacing with the docking station in multiple orientations relative to the platform, wherein the orientations include a first orientation and a second orientation, and

wherein;

the second electrical interface is configured for transferring power to the first electrical interface when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation;

the second electrical interface is further configured for transferring power to the first electrical interface when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation; and

the first orientation and the second orientation are different relative to the platform.

51. The docking system as recited in claim 50, wherein the first electrical interface includes a first center contact and a first outer contact, wherein the second electrical interface includes a second center contact and at least one second outer contact, wherein the first center contact is aligned with the second center contact when the portable device is in the first orientation and in the second orientation.

52. The docking system as recited in claim 51, wherein the second outer contact forms a concentric ring around the second center contact, and wherein a distance from the second center contact to the concentric ring is equal to a distance from the first center contact to the first outer contact.

53. The docking system as recited in claim 51, wherein the at least one second outer contact includes a plurality of segmented outer contacts, each equidistant from the second center contact, and wherein a distance from the second center contact to the segmented outer contacts is equal to a distance from the first center contact to the first outer contact.

54. The docking system as recited in claim 50, wherein the coupling between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is inductive based.

55. The docking system as recited in claim 50, wherein the first and second electrical interfaces are rotationally symmetric about an axis so as to ensure transfer of power if the portable electronic device is in the first orientation and if the portable electronic device is in the second orientation.

56. The docking system as recited in claim 50, wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are aligned along an axis and juxtaposed relative to one another when the portable electronic device is respectively supported by the platform in the first orientation and in the second orientation.

57. The docking system as recited in claim 56, further comprising:

one or more alignment features for aligning the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface along the axis in the first orientation and along the axis in the second orientation.

58. The docking station as recited in claim 57, wherein the one or more alignment features support only one of the first orientation and the second orientation, the first orientation being vertical, the second orientation being horizontal.

59. The docking station as recited in claim 57, wherein the one or more alignment features support multiple orientations of the first orientation and the second orientation, the first orientation being vertical, the second orientation being horizontal.

60. The docking station as recited in claim 57, wherein the one or more alignment features support all angles through 360 degrees.

61. The docking station as recited in claim 60, wherein the platform includes a recess into which a protrusion from the portable electronic device fits, and wherein the recess includes the second electrical interface.

62. A docking system, comprising:

a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including a first electrical interface; and

a docking station configured to mechanically accept and operatively interface with the portable electronic device, the docking station including;

a platform having a surface for receiving a backside of the portable electronic device, the platform including a second electrical interface; and

a leg that supports the platform, wherein the leg is configured to support the docking station such that the portable electronic device is in an upright position when its backside is being received by the surface of the platform,

wherein the portable electronic device is capable of interfacing with the docking station in multiple orientations relative to the platform, wherein the orientations are upright and include a first orientation and a second orientation, and

wherein;

the second electrical interface is configured for transferring power to the first electrical interface when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation;

the second electrical interface is further configured for transferring power to the first electrical interface when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation; and

the first orientation and the second orientation are different relative to the platform.

63. The docking system as recited in claim 62 wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld computing device.

64. The docking system as recited in claim 62, wherein the first and second electrical interfaces are rotationally symmetric about an axis so as to ensure transfer of power if the portable electronic device is in the first orientation and if the portable electronic device is in the second orientation.

65. The docking system as recited in claim 62, wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are aligned along an axis and juxtaposed relative to one another when the portable electronic device is respectively supported by the platform in the first orientation and in the second orientation.

66. The docking system as recited in claim 62, further comprising:

one or more alignment features for aligning the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface along the axis in the first orientation and along the axis in the second orientation.

67. The docking system as recited in claim 66, wherein the one or more alignment features support all angles through 360 degrees.

68. The docking system as recited in claim 67, wherein the platform includes a recess into which a protrusion from the portable electronic device fits, wherein the protrusion includes the first electrical interface, and wherein the recess includes the second electrical interface.