Magnetic retention of peripheral device for a tablet computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139926-B2
Application number	US-201514967147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A peripheral device for a computing device comprises a body configured for insertion into a storage cavity in the computing device, a first magnet, and a second magnet. The first magnet is disposed within the body proximate a first external surface of the body and having a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of a second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented toward the first external surface. The second magnet is disposed within the body between a second external surface and the first magnet and having a first pole of the first polarity and a second pole of the second polarity, wherein the first pole of the second magnet is oriented toward the second external surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A peripheral device for a computing device, the device comprising:
a body configured for insertion into a storage cavity in the computing device;
a first magnet disposed within the body proximate a first external surface of the body and having a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of a second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented toward the first external surface; and
a second magnet disposed within the body between a second external surface and the first magnet and having a first pole of the first polarity and a second pole of the second polarity, wherein the first pole of the second magnet is oriented toward the second external surface,
wherein the first pole of the first magnet and the first pole of the second magnet are aligned along a first axis that includes a centerline of the body.

2. The peripheral device of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer element disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet.

3. The peripheral device of claim 2 , wherein the spacer element is in contact with the second pole of the first magnet and the second pole of the second magnet.

4. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein a line between a center point of the first magnet and a center point of the second magnet is substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the body.

5. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned symmetrically about the centerline of the body.

6. The peripheral device of claim 5 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned along the centerline of the body such that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, at least a portion of the first magnet and a portion of the second magnet overlap at least a portion of a third magnet and a portion of a fourth magnet that are disposed within the computing device proximate the storage cavity.

7. The peripheral device of claim 6 , wherein the third magnet includes a first pole of the first polarity that is oriented away from the storage cavity and a second pole of the second polarity that is oriented toward the storage cavity.

8. The peripheral device of claim 6 , wherein, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, a center point of the first magnet is closer to an insertion opening of the storage cavity than a center point of the third magnet.

9. A computing device, comprising:
a housing with a storage cavity shaped to accommodate a peripheral device;
a first magnet that is disposed within the housing and proximate a first surface of the storage cavity and has a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of a second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented toward the first surface; and
a second magnet that is disposed within the housing and proximate a second surface of the storage cavity and has a first pole of the first polarity and a second pole of the second polarity, wherein the first pole of the second magnet is oriented toward the second surface and the second surface is parallel to the first surface.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the storage cavity is shaped such that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, there is clearance between an outer surface of the peripheral device and the first surface and the second surface.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned symmetrically about a centerline of the storage cavity.

12. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned along the centerline of the storage cavity such that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, at least a portion of the first magnet and a portion of the second magnet overlap at least a portion of a third magnet and a portion of a fourth magnet that are disposed within the peripheral device.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the third magnet includes a first pole of the first polarity that is oriented away from the closest external surface of the peripheral device and a second pole of the second polarity that is oriented toward the closest external surface of the peripheral device.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the fourth magnet includes a first pole of the first polarity that is oriented away from the closest external surface of the peripheral device and a second pole of the second polarity that is oriented toward the closest external surface of the peripheral device.

15. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the peripheral device has a shape configured to orient the second pole of the third magnet toward the first pole of the first magnet and the second pole of the fourth magnet toward the first pole of the second magnet.

16. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein a line between a center point of the first magnet and a center point of the second magnet is substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the storage cavity.

17. A computing system, comprising:
a housing with a storage cavity shaped to accommodate a peripheral device, the housing comprising:
a first magnet that is disposed within the housing and proximate a first surface of the storage cavity and has a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of a second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented away from the first surface and the second pole is oriented towards the first surface; and
a second magnet that is disposed within the housing and proximate a second surface of the storage cavity and has a first pole of the first polarity and a second pole of the second polarity, wherein the first pole of the second magnet is oriented away from the second surface and the second pole is oriented towards the second surface; and

a peripheral device with a body configured for insertion into the storage cavity, the peripheral device comprising:
a third magnet disposed within the body proximate a first external surface of the body and having a first pole of the first polarity and the second pole of a second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented toward the first external surface; and
a fourth magnet disposed within the body between a second external surface of the body and the third magnet and having a first pole of the first polarity and a second pole of the second polarity, wherein the first pole is oriented toward the second external surface,

wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are positioned along a centerline of the body such that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, at least a portion of the third magnet and a portion of the fourth magnet overlap at least a portion of the first magnet and a portion of the second magnet.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral device further comprises a spacer element disposed between the third magnet and the fourth magnet.

19. The computing system of claim 17 wherein, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, a center point of the third magnet is closer to an insertion opening of the storage cavity than a center point of the first magnet.

20. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the storage cavity is shaped such that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the storage cavity, there is clearance between the first exterior surface of the peripheral device and the first surface and the second surface.

Assignees

• Nvidia Corp

Inventors

• Murauyou Sergey
• Au Nelson
• Wernig Glenn
• Miller Don
• Johnson Mark
• Lee Tommy

Classifications

• G06F2200/1632

  Pen holder integrated in the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title