Portable computer with multiple display configurations

• US 9,927,835 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiTL LLC (TRI Ventures, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LiTL LLC (TRI Ventures, Inc.)
• Inventors: Behar, Yves, Morenstein, Joshua, Hibmacronan, Christopher, Edahiro, Naoya, Day, Matthew David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US15/394,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A portable computer that is configurable between a plurality of display modes including a laptop mode (in which the portable computer has a conventional laptop appearance) and an easel mode in which the base of the computer and its display component stand vertically forming an inverted “V.” The portable computer includes a hinge assembly that couples the display component to the base of the computer, and allows the display component to be rotated about an axis along an interface between the display component and the base to configure the portable computer between a closed position, the laptop mode and the easel mode. The portable computer further comprises a scroll wheel and optional navigation buttons that permit a user to control or manipulate various aspects of operation of the portable computer (such as volume or display brightness) and/or content displayed the computer.

Claims

1. A portable computer configurable between a plurality of display modes including at least a first mode and a second mode, the portable computer comprising:

a display component;

a keyboard;

a display manager configured to display computer content on the display component and vary the computer content displayed responsive to a transition between at least the first and second modes, wherein the display manager is further configured to enlarge the computer content displayed on the display component responsive to a transition from the first mode to the second mode; and

an interface between the display component and the keyboard defining a longitudinal axis running along the display component and the keyboard about which the display component and the keyboard are rotatable, the interface being constructed and arranged to allow the display component to rotate about the longitudinal axis up to at least 320 degrees relative to the keyboard;

wherein the display component is oriented towards an operator and the keyboard is operable to receive input from the operator to control the portable computer when the portable computer is in the first mode; and

wherein the display component is oriented towards the operator and the keyboard is inoperable to receive input from the operator to control the portable computer when the portable computer is in the second mode.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a laptop mode where the keyboard is oriented to be accessible to the operator and wherein the second mode is an easel mode or a frame mode where the keyboard is oriented to be inaccessible to the operator.

3. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the computer content includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

an icon, a menu, an image, and a video.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the portable computer is configured to disable the keyboard when the portable computer is in the second mode.

5. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is integrated into a base and wherein the interface comprises at least one axle that rotatably couples the base to the display component.

6. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the keyboard and the display are only rotatable with respect to each other at the interface.

7. The portable computer of claim 1, further comprising at least one integrated navigation element that is accessible in at least the first and second modes.

8. The portable computer of claim 7, wherein the display manager is configured to transition to a home screen responsive to detecting activation of the navigation element.

9. The portable computer of claim 8, wherein the keyboard is integrated into a base and wherein the navigation element comprises a navigation button disposed on a side of the base.

10. A portable computer configurable between a plurality of display modes including at least a first mode and an second mode, the portable computer comprising:

a display component;

a keyboard;

a display manager configured to display computer content in a plurality of user interfaces comprising at least a first user interface and a second user interface that is different from the first user interface, wherein the display manager is further configured to display the first user interface responsive to the portable computer being in the first mode and display the second user interface responsive to the portable computer being in the second mode; and

an interface between the display component and the keyboard defining a longitudinal axis running along the display component and the keyboard about which the display component and the keyboard are rotatable, the interface being constructed and arranged to allow the display component to rotate about the longitudinal axis up to at least 320 degrees relative to the keyboard;

wherein the display component is oriented towards an operator and the keyboard is operable to receive input from the operator to control the portable computer when the portable computer is in the first mode; and

wherein the display component is oriented towards the operator and the keyboard is inoperable to receive input from the operator to control the portable computer when the portable computer is in the second mode.

11. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the first mode is a laptop mode and wherein the second mode is an easel mode or a frame mode.

12. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the display manager is configured to display a larger representation of the computer content in the second user interface than in the first user interface.

13. The portable computer of claim 12, wherein the computer content includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

an icon, a menu, an image, and a video.

14. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the portable computer is configured to disable the keyboard when the portable computer is in the second mode.

15. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the keyboard is integrated into a base and wherein the interface comprises at least one axle that rotatably couples the base to the display component.

16. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the keyboard and the display are only rotatable with respect to each other at the interface.

17. The portable computer of claim 10, further comprising at least one integrated navigation element that is accessible in at least the first and second modes.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the display manager is configured to transition to a first home screen in the first user interface responsive to detecting activation of the navigation element when the portable computer is in the first mode.

19. The portable computer of claim 18, wherein the display manager is configured to transition to a second home screen in the second user interface responsive to detecting activation of the navigation element when the portable computer is in the second mode, wherein the first home screen is different from the second home screen.

20. The portable computer of claim 18, wherein the keyboard is integrated into a base and wherein the navigation element comprises a navigation button disposed on a side of the base.