ATTACHING COMPUTING DEVICE TO MOUNT BY MAGNETS

• US 20160239053A1
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiple, Bryan, Matsumoto, George, Lee, Ji Heun
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683

Abstract

According to an example embodiment, a base may include a frame, a keyboard enclosed by the frame, and a mount hingedly attached to the frame. The keyboard may be configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device. The mount may include at least one magnet configured to retain the computing device.

Claims

1. A base comprising:

a frame;

a keyboard enclosed by the frame, the keyboard being configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device; and

a mount hingedly attached to the frame, the mount comprising at least one magnet configured to retain the computing device.

2. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount has a rectangular planar shape.

3. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by at least one friction hinge.

4. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by a first friction hinge and a second friction hinge, the first friction hinge having a friction of at least one kilogram per centimeter.

5. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by at least one friction hinge, the at least one friction hinge having a first friction in a first direction that is greater than in a second friction in a second direction.

6. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by at least one friction hinge, the at least one friction hinge having a first friction of between four and six kilograms per centimeter in a first direction when the mount rotates toward the keyboard and a second friction of between eight and twelve kilograms per centimeter in a second direction when the mount rotates away from the keyboard.

7. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by at least one friction hinge, the at least one friction hinge having a first friction of between three and four kilograms per centimeter in a first direction when the mount rotates toward the keyboard and a second friction of between four and five kilograms per centimeter in a second direction when the mount rotates away from the keyboard.

8. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame by at least one friction hinge, the base further comprising a torsion spring applying torque to the friction hinge in a direction to reduce torque required to rotate the mount away from the keyboard.

9. The base of claim 1, wherein a location at which the mount is hingedly attached to the frame is at least one fifth of a depth of the frame away from a rear portion of the frame.

10. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount includes:

a first column of magnets extending in a first direction, the first direction being generally perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the hinge about the frame;

a second column of magnets extending in the first direction; and

a row of magnets extending in a second direction, the second direction being generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge about the frame.

11. The base of claim 10, wherein the row of magnets is closer to the keyboard than to an end portion of the frame opposite from the keyboard.

12. The base of claim 1, wherein the mount includes at least a first magnet in a first corner portion of the mount and a second magnet in a second corner portion of the mount.

13. The base of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor included in the mount,

wherein the base is configured to initiate wireless communication with the computing device in response to the sensor detecting proximity of the computing device.

14. The base of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, the sensor being configured to detect a proximity of a magnet in the computing device and prompt the keyboard to power on.

15. The base of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes a hall-effect sensor.

16. A tablet computing device comprising:

a display;

a housing enclosing the display, the housing having a length in a first direction and a width in a second direction, the width being greater than the length;

a first column of magnets extending in the first direction from a lower end portion of the housing;

a second column of magnets extending in the first direction from the lower end portion of the housing; and

a row of magnets extending in the second direction in the lower end portion of the housing.

17. The tablet computing device of claim 16, wherein the first column of magnets extends less than half the length of the housing from the lower end portion of the housing and the second column of magnets extends less than half the length of the housing from the lower end portion of the housing.

18. A system comprising:

a base comprising;

a frame;

a keyboard enclosed by the frame, the keyboard being configured to wirelessly communicate with a tablet computing device; and

a mount hingedly attached to the frame, the mount comprising;

a first base column of magnets extending in a first direction, the first direction being generally perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the mount about the frame;

a second base column of magnets extending in the first direction; and

a base row of magnets extending in a second direction, the second direction being generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the mount about the frame; and

a tablet computing device comprising;

a display;

a housing enclosing the display, the housing having a length in the first direction and a width in the second direction, the width being greater than the length;

a first tablet column of magnets extending in the first direction from a lower end portion of the housing and aligned with the first base column of magnets;

a second tablet column of magnets extending in the second direction from the lower end portion of the housing and aligned with the second base column of magnets; and

a tablet row of magnets extending in the second direction from the lower end portion of the housing and aligned with the base row of magnets.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the mount extends from the frame at an angle between twenty and eighty degrees; and

the tablet extends through a plane that is perpendicular to the frame and extends along an end portion of the frame that is opposite from the keyboard.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the mount is hingedly attached to the frame at a location sufficiently far from an end portion of the frame opposite from the keyboard to prevent the system from tipping along an axis at the end portion of the frame opposite from the keyboard.