Lockable display and techniques enabling use of lockable displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10120420-B2
Application number	US-201414221541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

This document describes a lockable display and techniques enabling use of a lockable display. The techniques can enable computing devices to lock and unlock a display using little or no power and with a seamless design. The techniques and apparatuses can also enable integration between a lockable display and various computing devices, including to create a nearly seamless physical and functional design.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
orienting a lockable display using a magnetic flux fountain, the magnetic flux fountain providing an orienting force to orient a first lock region body portion of the lockable display to a second lock region body portion of a computing device, the first lock region body portion being located at an adjoining respective side of the lockable display, the adjoining respective side directly adjacent the second lock body portion;
receiving an indication through a sensor that the lockable display has locked to, or is in a process to lock to, the computing device, the computing device presenting content on an existing display of the computing device, the indication received at a controller configured to power an actuator to lock the lockable display to the computing device in response to the indication, the sensor providing the indication in response to sensing a magnetically permeable material or sensing proximity of a device having a magnetic field, wherein the magnetic flux fountain is provided through permanent magnets, the permanent magnets providing another magnetic field that is less powerful than a magnetic field provided by a diametrically magnetized magnet associated with locking the lockable display to the computing device; and
causing the computing device to switch presentation of the content from the existing display to the lockable display or to present the content jointly over the existing display and the lockable display, the causing performed without user selection or interaction other than to lock the lockable display.

2. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the lockable display locks to the computing device using the diametrically magnetized magnet having the magnetic field and magnetic-field directors proximate the diametrically magnetized magnet, the diametrically magnetized magnet locking or releasing responsive to rotation of the diametrically magnetized magnet effective to cause the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field.

3. The method as described in claim 2 , wherein the indication indicates that the lockable display is beginning the process to lock to the computing device and further comprising causing the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet effective to cause the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field to lock the lockable display to the computing device.

4. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the lockable display further comprises a physical mechanism capable of manually locking and releasing the lockable display from the computing device.

5. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the lockable display locks to the existing display of the computing device, the lockable display and the existing display having a same or substantially similar dimension, and causing the computing device to switch or present the content jointly presents the content jointly over the lockable display and the existing display.

6. The method as described in claim 5 , wherein presenting the content jointly is effective to present the content over the lockable display and the existing display as a single user interface.

7. The method as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an orientation of the lockable display; and
determining, based on the orientation, whether to cause the computing device to switch presentation or to present the content jointly.

8. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the lockable display locks to the computing device and causing the computing device to switch or present the content jointly switches the content to the lockable display and further comprising presenting a data-entry or control user interface on the existing display.

9. The method as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving selection to release the lockable display;
responsive to the selection, causing the actuator to release the lockable display from the existing display or the computing device;
receiving an indication that the lockable display has been released; and
ceasing to switch the content or to present jointly the content on the existing display and the lockable display.

10. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the indication, activate an electro-magnet or partially rotate a permanent magnet to generate the orienting force of the magnetic flux fountain.

11. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first lock region body portion includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of reducing a shear force.

12. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first lock region body portion includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of redirecting a shear force to a strain force.

13. A lockable display comprising:
a lock region;
a diametrically magnetized magnet having a magnetic field;
magnetic-field directors proximate the diametrically magnetized magnet and the lock region;
an actuator capable of rotating the diametrically magnetized magnet between a first position and a second position, the first position causing the magnetic-field directors to null or substantially weaken the magnetic field and the second position causing the magnetic-field directors to direct the magnetic field to the lock region; and
a controller capable of electrically powering the actuator to rotate the diametrically magnetized magnet between the first position and the second position, the rotation capable of releasing a device having a magnetically permeable material from the lock region or locking the device having the magnetically permeable material to the lock region, wherein the controller is further configured to receive, from a sensor of the lockable display, a communication indicating that the sensor has sensed the magnetically permeable material or that the sensor has sensed proximity of a device having a magnetic field, and responsive to the communication, powering the actuator to lock the device to the lockable display, and wherein the controller is further configured to assist the locking using a magnetic flux fountain, the magnetic flux fountain providing an orienting force to orient the lockable display to a retention structure of the device, wherein the magnetic flux fountain is provided through permanent magnets, the permanent magnets providing another magnetic field that is less powerful than the magnetic field provided by the diametrically magnetized magnet associated with locking the lockable display to the device.

14. The lockable display as described in claim 13 , wherein the controller is further capable, responsive to powering the actuator to lock the device to the lock region of the lockable display, of causing content to be received and displayed.

15. The lockable display as described in claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the communication, cause a screen of the lockable display to request approval to lock the device to the lockable display and, responsive to receiving selection to lock the lockable display to the device, powering the actuator to lock the device to the lockable display.

16. The lockable display as described in claim 13 , wherein the lock region includes a retention structure, the retention structure having a non-smooth surface capable of reducing a shear force or redirecting a shear force to a strain force.

17. The lockable display as described in claim 13 , wherein the lockable display further comprises an exte

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Bathiche Steven Nabil
• Panay Panos C
• Groene Ralf
• Gault Joseph B
• Hill Andrew William

Classifications

• G06F1/1679 Primary

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1649

  the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user · CPC title

• G06F1/1647

  including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1632 Primary

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title