Wireless gimbal connection for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088864-B2
Application number	US-201414497534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A wireless gimbal connection of use with electronics devices such as computer notebooks relatively pivotable portions such as a lid and base. The gimbal includes a carriage on which transmitter and receiver chips are mounted, and further has a magnet whose magnetic forces may be used to bring the gimbaled carriage into a predetermined alignment with the base, which may be used to arrange the chips and any sensors as may be used into alignment as well. As the orientation of the lid varies with respect to the base, the carriage within seeks alignment with the base due to the magnetic forces present. Where the base is located on a flat surface, gravitational forces also contribute to the alignment.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first portion;
a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion about a pivot axis;
a carriage pivotally attached to the first portion about a gimbal axis;
at least one receiver attached to said carriage;
at least one transmitter attached to the second portion;
at least one magnet attached to the carriage; and
at least one magnet attached to the second portion so that a magnetically attractive force exists between the carriage and the second portion;
wherein the at least one magnet attached to the carriage and the at least one magnet attached to the second portion are positioned to urge the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver into alignment with one another by rotating the carriage about the gimbal axis,

wherein the carriage includes surfaces defining a recessed cut-out portion to receive a circuit board, and surfaces defining at least one hole are located adjacent to the recessed cut-out portion to accommodate the at least one magnet attached to the carriage,
wherein the carriage comprises a central portion bound by ring portions, and
wherein the first portion comprises a display and the second portion comprises a base.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a computer.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are detachable from one another.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the carriage has a center of gravity that lies below the gimbal axis.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the central portion is bound by two spaced apart ring portions, the centers of the two spaced apart ring portions defining a carriage axis, and
wherein the central portion comprises the at least one hole to accommodate the at least one magnet.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the transmitter comprises a transmitter chip and the receiver comprises a receiver chip and each of the transmitter chip and the receiver chip is mounted to said circuit board, and wherein the circuit board is attached to the central portion of the carriage.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the gimbal axis is coincident with the carriage axis.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver are arranged so as to be in line-of-sight with one another across a plurality of pivot angles between the first portion and the second portion.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a ferromagnetic material to attract at least one of the at least one magnet attached to the carriage and the at least one magnet attached to the second portion.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bearing connected to each ring portion; and
two spindles, wherein a spindle is engaged with the bearing.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the electronic device comprises a display, the second portion of the electronic device comprises a keyboard, and wherein spindles are connected to the first portion so that the carriage may gimbal with respect to the first portion.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is a computer tablet.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one magnet attached to the carriage and the at least one magnet attached to the second portion is made of a ferromagnetic material.

14. A gimbal assembly of use with an electronic device having relatively pivotable first and second portions, comprising:
first and second gimbal pivots defining a gimbal axis therebetween; first and second bearings that are connected to the first and second gimbal pivots;
a carriage having a central portion bound by ring portions that are attached to the first and second bearings so as to permit the carriage to rotate about the gimbal axis;
a first magnet that is attached to the central portion of the carriage; and a first circuit board having a transmitter circuit and/or a receiver circuit, the first circuit board being attached to the central portion of the carriage;
wherein the gimbal assembly is attached to a pivotable portion of the electronic device,

wherein the carriage includes surfaces defining a recessed cut-out portion to receive the first circuit board, and surfaces defining at least one hole are boated adjacent to the recessed cut-out portion to accommodate the first magnet, and
wherein the first portion comprises a display and the second portion comprises a base.

15. The gimbal assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first and second bearings are roller bearings and the gimbal pivots are part of spindles.

16. The gimbal assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second circuit board having a receiver circuit and/or a transmitter circuit, the second circuit board being attached to that portion of the electronic device to which the gimbal assembly is not attached.

17. The gimbal assembly of claim 14 , comprising a second magnet arranged on a portion of the electronic device so as to permit an attractive magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet capable of rotating the carriage.

18. An apparatus to enable a wireless connection between a relatively pivotable first portion and second portion of a computer system, comprising:
a carriage pivotally attached to the first portion of the computer system about gimbal axis;
a receiver circuit and a transmitter circuit that are attached the carriage;
a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit that are attached to the second portion of the computer system;
at least one magnet and/or a magnetic material attached to the carriage;
at least one magnet and/or a magnetic material attached to the second portion so that there exists a magnetic attraction urging the carriage towards the second portion, and wherein the carriage includes surfaces defining a recessed cut-out portion to receive a circuit board, and surfaces defining at least one hole are located adjacent to the recessed cut-out portion to accommodate one or more of the at least one magnet or a magnetic material attached to the carriage,
wherein the carriage comprises a central portion bound by ring portions, and
wherein the first portion comprises a display and the second portion comprises a base.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit of the carriage are so positioned on the carriage that the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit face the receiver and transmitter circuits of the second portion.

20. A method of manufacturing a device, comprising:
providing a first magnet, a first transmitter, and a first receiver on a carriage that has a gimbal connection with respect to a first pivotable section; and
attaching a second magnet, a second transmitter, and a second receiver to a second pivotable section, wherein an attractive force between the first magnet and the second magnet brings the first receiver, the first transmitter, the second receiver and the second transmitter into line-of-sight alignment with one another,
wherein the carriage includes surfaces defining a recessed cut-out portion to receive a circuit board, and surfaces defining at least one hole are located adjacent to the recessed cut-out portion to accommodate the first magnet,
wherein the carriage comprises a central portion bound by ring portions, and
wherein the first pivotable section comprises a display and the second pivota

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Aoki Russell S
• Browning David W

Classifications

• G06F1/1683

  for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• F16M11/2007

  comprising means allowing pivoting adjustment · CPC title

• G06F1/1662

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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 title