UNIVERSAL DOCK FOR CONTEXT SENSITIVE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20120144083A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Gupta, Yatharth, Rao, Ravi, Anders, Billy R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A dock for interacting with a computing device. The computing device configures itself for operations based on its context, which may be determined form the dock by reading a value from a tag on the dock. The computing device may use low power transmissions such that receiving a value from the tag provides an indication of proximity to the dock. The value read provides an indication of a desired operation, and, in response to reading a value of the tag, the computing device may launch an application, pair with devices in the vicinity of the dock, or take other actions that configure the computing device. A universal dock, usable with computing devices of a plurality of form factors, may be implemented by providing an array of tags and, in some cases, a non-contact power supply.

Claims

1. A dock (230) for a portable computing device (30), the dock comprising:

a support structure having a surface (222) configured to receive the computing device; and

a tag (232A), encoded with a value (310), adjacent the surface, the tag configured to emit radiation representing the value.

2. The dock of claim 1, wherein:

the dock comprises a two-dimensional array (232A . . . 232J) of tags disposed across the surface (522); and

the tag comprises a portion of the array.

3. The dock of claim 2, wherein:

the two-dimensional array substantially covers the surface.

4. The dock of claim 2, further comprising:

a non-contact power-supply (550) adjacent the surface.

5. The dock of claim 2, wherein:

each of a plurality of tags in the two-dimensional array is encoded with the same value.

6. The dock of claim 2, wherein:

each of the a plurality of tags in the two-dimensional array is encoded with different values according to an error control code

7. The dock of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tags comprise passive tags.

8. The dock of claim 1, wherein the tag comprises an active tag, the active tag comprising:

a radio;

a controller, coupled to the radio, the controller configured for;

detecting, in a signal received by the radio, an indication of a computing device in the vicinity of the dock; and

in response to detecting the indication, controlling the radio to transmit the value.

9. A method of operating a dock (632) for a computing device (630), the method comprising:

receiving radiation (710) from a computing device in proximity to the dock; and

in response to receiving the radiation, emitting (720) radiation encoding a value identifying an operation for execution on the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the emitted radiation has a power between 0.2 milliwatts and 1 milliwatt.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving radiation from the computing device comprises receiving a beacon; and

the value identifying the operation comprises a value identifying at least one device in the vicinity of the dock for pairing with the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the value identifies a plurality of human interface devices for pairing with the computing device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the received radiation comprises a control packet comprising an information element;

the method further comprises analyzing the information element; and

the emitting radiation comprises emitting radiation in response to the analyzing determining that the information element identifies a service available from a device in the vicinity of the dock.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

radiating power from a power-supply within the dock; and

charging a battery of a computing device placed on the dock from the power radiated from the power-supply.

15. A dock for a portable computing device, the dock comprising:

a support structure having a surface configured to receive the computing device; and

a tag, encoded with a value, adjacent the surface, the tag configured to emit radiation representing the value; and

a non-contact power supply.

16. The dock of claim 15, wherein:

the non-contact power supply is configured for inductively coupling power to a computing device placed on the surface.

17. The dock of claim 15, wherein:

the non-contact power supply is configured for capacitively coupling power to a computing device placed on the surface.

18. The dock of claim 15, wherein:

the support structure comprises a member for holding the computing device against the surface with a screen of the computing device positioned with a predetermined orientation; and

the value identifies a software application that, when executed, formats information for presentation on the screen in the orientation.

19. The dock of claim 15, wherein:

the support structure is configured for receiving a computing device with a slate form factor.

20. The dock of claim 19, wherein:

the dock is in combination with at least one wireless computer peripheral; and

the value indicates to the computing device to perform a pairing ceremony with the at least one wireless computer peripheral.