LTE upgrade module

• US 9,774,721 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Jouin, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US13/841,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 455 111, 353 10, 353122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

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 screen, a second screen, at least one sensor, a device state module operable to determine a state of the device through a signal received from the at least one sensor, and a display configuration module operable to determine a configuration for each of the first screen and the second screen, the first screen and the second screen connected together with a hinge, the device not including an internal transceiver module, the device configured to operate in at least a closed state, an open state, a modified easel state and an easel state;

providing an external transceiver module;

determining the state of the device by the device state module, wherein determining the modified easel state comprises receiving a signal from the at least one sensor that one of the first and second screens is facing downwardly and is substantially horizontal;

determining the display configuration for each of the first and second screen by use of the display configuration module;

adjusting the display configuration of at least one of the two screens if the device state module determines that the device is in an open state;

docking the device and the external transceiver module by physically docking the external transceiver module to the device through a device port;

determining if the device and the external transceiver module are electrically connected to enable data transmittal and receipt;

determining if the external transceiver module is working properly; and

if the external transceiver module is working properly, and the device and the external transceiver module are electrically connected, sending data over the transceiver module;

wherein, when the device operates in the opened state, the first screen and the second screen are juxtaposed and form a common plane, wherein, when the device operates in the modified easel state, one of the first and second screens operates as a stand and faces down on a surface, wherein, when the device operates in the easel state, the first screen and the second screen are in different relative positions to one another and face away from one another, and wherein, when the device operates in the closed state, the first screen and the second screen are back-to-back in different planes, the display of the first screen is on, and the display of the second screen is off and further comprising, while the device continues to operate in the closed state, the display of the second screen is switched on in response to a user input or an application operation without opening the first and second screens or transitioning the device from the closed state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver module is a cellular communications transceiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transceiver module provides cellular communications to the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is configured to provide a device cellular communications capability upon establishment of the connection between the device and the transceiver module through the device port.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a visual representation of the external transceiver module working properly, and the device and the external transceiver module electrically connected, is provided to at least one of the display of the first and second screens.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising if the transceiver module is not available, disabling cellular communications at the device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the device may further operate in a modified easel state wherein one of the first and second screens operates as a stand and faces down on a surface, wherein when the device operates in a modified easel state, the one of the first and second screens operating as a stand and facing down is turned off.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transceiver module is upgradeable.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

10. A device, comprising:

a first screen;

a second screen;

a device state module operable to determine a state of the device;

a display configuration module operable to determine a configuration for each of the first screen and the second screen;

a hinge connecting the first screen and the second screen;

a memory;

an external transceiver;

a processor in communication with the memory, the first screen, the second screen, the device state module, the display configuration module, and the external transceiver, the processor operable to;

dock the device and a transceiver module by physically docking the external transceiver to the device through a device port, wherein the device does not include a cellular transceiver;

determine the state of the device by the device state module, wherein determining the modified easel state comprises receiving a signal from the at least one sensor that one of the first and second screens is facing downwardly and is substantially horizontal;

determine the device configuration by use of the determined device state;

configure each of the first screen and the second screen based at least on the determined device configuration;

determine if the device and the transceiver are electrically connected to enable data transmittal and receipt;

determine if the transceiver is working properly;

if the transceiver is working properly, and the device and the transceiver are electrically connected, send data over the transceiver module;

wherein the device may operate in at least four hinge states;

a first opened state wherein the first screen and the second screen are juxtaposed and form a common plane, a second easel state wherein the first screen and the second screen are in different relative positions to one another and face away from one another, a third closed state wherein the first screen and the second screen are back-to-back in different planes, the display of the first screen is on, and the display of the second screen is off, and further comprising, while the device continues to operate in the closed state, the display of the second screen is switched on in response to a user input or an application operation without opening the first and second screens or transitioning the device from the closed state.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the transceiver module is a cellular communications transceiver and provides cellular communications to the device.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein a visual representation of the transceiver working properly, and the device and the transceiver electrically connected, is provided to at least one of the display of the first and second screens.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the transceiver module is upgradeable.

14. 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 transceiver module connected to a device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to establish a physical connection between the device and a transceiver module, wherein the device does not include a cellular transceiver;

instructions to determine if the device and the transceiver module are electrically connected to enable data transmittal and receipt;

instructions to determine if the transceiver module is working properly;

if the external transceiver module is working properly, and the device and the transceiver module are electrically connected, instructions to send data over the transceiver module;

instructions to determine a state of the device, wherein determining the modified easel state comprises receiving a signal from the at least one sensor that one of the first and second screens is facing downwardly and is substantially horizontal;

instructions to configure the device based on the determined state of the device;

wherein the device has a first screen and a second screen, the first screen and the second screen connected together with a hinge;

wherein the device may operate in at least four hinge states;

a first opened state wherein the first screen and the second screen are juxtaposed and form a common plane, a second easel state wherein the first screen and the second screen are in different relative positions to one another and face away from one another, a third modified easel state wherein one of the first and second screens operates as a stand and faces down on a surface and is substantially horizontal, and a fourth closed state wherein the first screen and the second screen are back-to-back in different planes, the display of the first screen is on, the display of the second screen is off, and wherein, while the device continues to operate in the closed state, the display of the second screen is switched on in response to a user input or application operation without opening the first and second screens or transitioning the device from the closed state.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the transceiver module is a cellular communications transceiver and provides cellular communications to the device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transceiver module is upgradeable.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

instructions to provide a visual representation of the transceiver module working properly, and the device and the transceiver module electrically connected, to at least one of the display of the first and second screen.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the device may further operate in a modified easel state wherein one of the first and second screens operates as a stand and faces down on a surface, wherein when the device operates in a modified easel state, the one of the first and second screens operating as a stand and facing down is turned off.