Methods and apparatuses for docking a portable electronic device that has a planar like configuration and that operates in multiple orientations

• US 7,352,567 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pabon, Gus, Hotelling, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US11/200,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 361/679, 361/685, 361/730, 361/755, 248/122.1, 248/923, 248/346.1, 248/179, 248/346, 248/918, 248/489, 248/510, 248/289.1, 248/296, 248/278, 248/279, 312/235.A, 3122231-2233, 395/282, 395/283, 395/891, 395/892, 395/825, 395/500, 370/821, 345/156, 345/1.1, 345/169, 345/905, 439/159, 439/165, 439/142, 439/341
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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. A docking system, comprising:

a portable electronic device capable of operating in multiple orientations including a first orientation and a second orientation, 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 in any of its multiple orientations, the docking station including a second electrical interface and a third electrical interface, the first electrical interface being different from the second electrical interface;

wherein;

the second electrical interface is configured for coupling with the first electrical interface along the first orientation;

the third electrical interface is configured for coupling with the first electrical interface along the second orientation; and

the first orientation and the second orientation are different.

2. The docking system as recited in claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld computing device.

3. The docking system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second electrical interface and the third electrical interface are rotationally symmetric about an axis so as to ensure communication between the docking station and the portable electronic device if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the first orientation and to ensure communication between the docking station and the portable electronic device if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the second orientation.

4. The docking system as recited in claim 3 wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are configured to transfer data between the portable electronic device and the docking station if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the first orientation and to transfer data between the portable electronic device and the docking station if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the second orientation.

5. The docking system as recited in claim 3 wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are configured to transfer power between the portable electronic device and the docking station if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the first orientation and to transfer power between the portable electronic device and the docking station if the portable electronic device is coupled with the docking station along the second orientation.

6. The docking system as recited in claim 3 wherein the second electrical interface and the third electrical interface are contact based.

7. The docking system as recited in claim 3 wherein the second electrical interface and the third electrical interface are inductive based.

8. A docking system, comprising:

a portable electronic device including a front side and a substantially planar back side opposite the front side, the front side including a full screen display, the substantially planar back side including a first power transfer mechanism, the full screen display being configured to display content in an upright manner whether the portable electronic device is used horizontally or vertically; and

a docking platform including a substantially planar front side configured to support the substantially planar backside of the portable electronic device thereon, the substantially planar front side including a second power transfer mechanism;

wherein;

the first power transfer mechanism and the second power transfer mechanism are aligned along an axis and juxtaposed relative to one another when the portable electronic device is supported by the docking platform

the first power transfer mechanism includes a first power transferring interface;

the second power transfer mechanism includes a second power transferring interface and a third power transferring interface, the second power transferring interface and the third power transferring interface being arranged rotationally symmetric about the axis such that the first power transfer mechanism and the second power transfer mechanism maintain communication with one another whether the portable electronic device is docked horizontally or vertically with the docking platform;

the second power transferring interface is configured for coupling with the first power transferring interface horizontally; and

the third power transferring interface is configured for coupling with the first power transferring interface vertically.

9. A docking station, comprising:

a platform that allows a substantially planar portable electronic device to be docked in multiple orientations about an axis; and

an interface mechanism located at the platform, the interface mechanism including a first electrical interface and a second electrical interface;

wherein;

the first electrical interface is configured for coupling with a corresponding electrical interface located at the portable electronic device along a first orientation;

the second electrical interface is configured for coupling with the corresponding electrical interface located at the portable electronic device along a second orientation; and

the first orientation and the second orientation are different.

10. The docking station as recited in claim 9 wherein the platform is arranged as a easel and wherein the platform includes a substantially planar front side configured to receive a substantially planar backside of the portable electronic device.

11. The docking station as recited in claim 9 wherein the interface mechanism is rotationally symmetric so as to ensure communication between the portable electronic device and the platform when the portable electronic device is docked with the platform in any of the multiple orientations.

12. The docking station as recited in claim 11 wherein the interface mechanism is configured to transfer data between the portable electronic device and the platform.

13. The docking station as recited in claim 11 wherein each of the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is configured to form a plurality of inductively based interface mechanisms with the corresponding electrical interface.

14. The docking station as recited in claim 11 wherein the interface mechanism is configured to transfer power between the portable electronic device and the platform.

15. The docking station as recited in claim 11 wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface each include a plurality of electrical contacts.

16. The docking station as recited in claim 11 wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface each are configured to transfer data and power between the portable electronic device and the platform.

17. The docking station as recited in claim 9 wherein the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface each include a transceiver for transferring data between the portable electronic device and the docking station and an inductor for transferring power between the portable electronic device and the docking station.

18. A docking station, comprising:

a substantially planar platform for receiving a substantially planar portable electronic device thereon, the substantially planar platform configured to couple with the portable electronic device in a plurality of orientations about a platform axis, the plurality of orientations including at least a first orientation and a second orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being different;

a first interface mechanism including a first electrical interface and a second electrical interface, the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface each disposed in the substantially planar platform, including a center located at the platform axis, and configured to communicate with a second interface mechanism disposed in the substantially planar portable electronic device; and

one or more alignment features for aligning the first interface mechanism and the second interface mechanism along the platform axis in the first orientation and for aligning the first interface mechanism and the second interface mechanism along the platform axis in the second orientation;

wherein the first interface mechanism is configured to form a transfer mechanism with the second interface mechanism if the substantially planar portable electronic device is coupled with the substantially planar platform in the first orientation, and is further configured to form the transfer mechanism with the second interface mechanism if the substantially planar portable electronic device is coupled with the substantially planar platform in the second orientation.

19. The docking station as recited in claim 18 wherein the transfer mechanism includes a power transfer mechanism, the power transfer mechanism being inductively based.

20. The docking station as recited in claim 19 wherein the first interface mechanism includes a primary inductive coil configured to couple with a secondary inductive coil of the second interface mechanism.

21. The docking station as recited in claim 20 wherein a longitudinal axis of the primary inductive coil is circular in order to ensure rotational symmetry about the platform axis.

22. The docking station as recited in claim 18 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.

23. The docking station as recited in claim 18 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.

24. The docking station as recited in claim 18 wherein the one or more alignment features support all angles through 360 degrees.