Smart dock for auxiliary devices

• US 9,244,491 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Teltz, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US13/834,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/173, 345/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A multi-display device can interface with two or more different types of docking stations. The device can determine the type of dock and change the pin outs for a connector to interface with that dock. Once docked, the device can determine a charge status for the device and the dock to present the status to the user. Further, the dock can enter one of several modes, including a call receipt mode and an entertainment mode. The modes allow for expanded functionality for the device while docked. Two particular docks, the laptop dock and the smart dock, provide special functionality with the device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device, the device having a first display and a second display;

displaying a video associated with a video signal on the device;

providing a dock that mates with the device;

docking the device into the dock;

in response to the docking, the device entering an entertainment mode;

in response to entering the entertainment mode and to the docking, automatically sending the video signal to an auxiliary monitor connected to the dock;

in response to entering the entertainment mode and to the docking, stopping the display of the video on the first and second displays of the device;

after entering the entertainment mode, displaying at least one other function on at least one of the first and second displays, wherein the at least one other function is associated with a phone call;

in response to determining, by the device, that a peripheral device is connected to the dock,

sending, by the device, an audio signal associated with the phone call to the peripheral device; and

in response to determining, by the device, that a peripheral device is not connected to the dock, sending the audio signal associated with the phone call to the dock.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second displays of the device are on a common first screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dock includes one or more connections, wherein a first connection is an HDMI output to the auxiliary monitor, and wherein a second connection is one or more of a group comprising an audio output connection, a charging connection, and a universal serial bus connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, when docked, the device sends the video signal to the auxiliary monitor through the HDMI output of the dock.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a first screen with the first display, and wherein the device includes a different second screen with the second display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the phone call is executed on the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein user interfaces of the device may receive inputs from a user while the phone call is executed, and wherein a configurable area associated with at least one of the first and second displays is configured to control the phone call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dock includes a speaker.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device stores one or more docking rules that govern how the device interacts with devices connected to the dock when the device is docked.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an audio signal associated with the video is sent to an audio output connection of the dock when the device is docked based on the docking rules.

11. A device, comprising:

a first display;

a second display;

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the first display, and the second display, the processor programmed to;

present a video on the device before docking;

dock the device in a dock;

in response to the docking, enter an entertainment mode;

automatically send a video signal associated with the video to an auxiliary monitor connected to the dock;

in response to entering the entertainment mode and to the docking, stop the display of the video on the first and/or the second displays of the device;

after entering the entertainment mode, display at least one other function associated with a phone call on at least one of the first and second displays;

in response to determining that a peripheral device is connected to the dock,

send an audio signal associated with the phone call to the peripheral device; and

in response to determining that a peripheral device is not connected to the dock, send the audio signal associated with the phone call to the dock.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor stores one or more docking rules that govern how the device interacts with devices connected to the dock when the device is docked, wherein, when docked, the processor sends the video signal to the auxiliary monitor through an HDMI output of the dock, wherein, when docked, the processor sends an audio signal to an audio output of the dock, wherein the device includes a first screen with the first display, and wherein the device includes a different second screen with the second display.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first and second displays are still active and visible while the processor is sending the video signal to the auxiliary monitor, and wherein first and second displays of the device are on a common first screen.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the phone call on the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein user interfaces of the device may receive inputs from a user while the phone call is executed, and wherein a configurable area associated with at least one of the first and second displays is configured to control the phone call.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor of a device to execute a method for managing the docking of the device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to present a video on the device before docking;

instructions to determine the device has been docked with a dock;

in response to the determination that the device has been docked, instructions to enter an entertainment mode;

instructions to send automatically a video signal associated with the video to an auxiliary monitor connected to the dock;

in response to entering the entertainment mode and to the docking, instructions to stop the display of the video on the first and/or the second displays of the device;

after entering the entertainment mode, instructions to display at least one other function associated with a phone call on at least one of a first display and a second display of the device;

instructions to send, when a peripheral device is connected to the dock, an audio signal associated with the phone call to the peripheral device; and

instructions to send, when a peripheral device is not connected to the dock, the audio signal associated with the phone call to the dock.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions to access one or more docking rules that govern how the device interacts with devices connected to the dock when the device is docked, wherein, when docked, the processor sends the video signal to the auxiliary monitor through an HDMI output of the dock, wherein, when docked, the processor sends an audio signal to an audio output of the dock, wherein the device includes a first screen with the first display, and wherein the device includes a different second screen with the second display.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second displays are still active and visible while the processor is sending the video signal to the auxiliary monitor, and wherein first and second displays of the device are on a common first screen.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise

instructions to execute the phone call on the device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device includes a first screen with the first display, and wherein the device includes a different second screen with the second display.