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

• US 7,715,187 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• 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:
  US12/030,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 361/679, 361/685, 361/730, 361/755, 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.09, 361/679.26, 361/679.3, 361/679.32, 361/679.41, 361/679.52, 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, 312/223.1, 312/223.3, 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, 439/188, 439/504, 375/130, 710/303, 307/104, 320/106, 320/108, 320/115, 336/83, 336/130, 336/212
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• 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, 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, and

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, the docking station 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,

wherein the alignment features include a first alignment system for the first orientation, wherein the first alignment system includes first horizontal and vertical alignment features, and wherein a spacing of the first vertical alignment features of the first alignment system coincide with a length of the portable electronic device, and

wherein the alignment features include a second alignment system for the second orientation, wherein the second alignment system includes second horizontal and vertical alignment features, and wherein a spacing of the second vertical alignment features of the second alignment system coincide with the width of the portable electronic device.

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 first and second vertical alignment features are surfaces.

4. The docking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second vertical alignment features are posts.

5. The docking system as recited in claim 1, wherein a coupling between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is contact based.

6. 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,

wherein the first orientation has a long edge of the portable electronic device horizontal and the second orientation has the long edge vertical.

7. The docking system as recited in claim 6, wherein a coupling between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is contact based.

8. The docking system as recited in claim 7, 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.

9. The docking system as recited in claim 8, 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.

10. The docking system as recited in claim 8, 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.

11. The docking system as recited in claim 6, wherein the coupling between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is inductive based.

12. The docking system as recited in claim 6, 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.

13. The docking system as recited in claim 6, 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.

14. The docking system as recited in claim 13, 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.

15. The docking station as recited in claim 14, 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.

16. The docking station as recited in claim 14, 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.

17. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more alignment features support all angles through 360 degrees.

18. 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; 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 include a first orientation and a second orientation,

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, and

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, the docking station 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,

wherein the alignment features include a first alignment system for the first orientation, wherein the first alignment system includes first horizontal and vertical alignment features, and wherein a spacing of the first vertical alignment features of the first alignment system coincide with a length of the portable electronic device, and

wherein the alignment features include a second alignment system for the second orientation, wherein the second alignment system includes second horizontal and vertical alignment features, and wherein a spacing of the second vertical alignment features of the second alignment system coincide with the width of the portable electronic device.

19. The docking station as recited in claim 18, wherein the first and second vertical alignment features are surfaces.

20. The docking station as recited in claim 18, wherein the first and second vertical alignment features are posts.

21. The docking station as recited in claim 18, wherein the coupling between the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface is inductive based.