Dual-orientation stand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10454295-B2
Application number	US-201615262915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A dual-orientation stand for supporting a user input device in two device orientations is provided. The stand may comprise a first planar surface configured to rest on a support surface in a first stand orientation, and a second planar surface extending from the first planar surface at an obtuse angle. A third planar surface is spaced from the second planar surface and extends from the first planar surface. A concave portion between the second and third surfaces is configured to hold the device in a first device orientation when the stand is in the first stand orientation. The second planar surface is configured to support the device in a second device orientation when the stand is in a second stand orientation in which the third planar surface rests on the support surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dual-orientation stand for a user input device, comprising:
a first planar surface configured to rest on a support surface in a first stand orientation;
a second planar surface extending from the first planar surface at an obtuse angle to the first planar surface;
a third planar surface spaced from the second planar surface and extending from the first planar surface; and
a concave portion between the second planar surface and the third planar surface configured to hold the user input device in a first device orientation when the dual-orientation stand is in the first stand orientation,
wherein the second planar surface is configured to support the user input device in a second device orientation when the dual-orientation stand is in a second stand orientation in which the third planar surface rests on the support surface.

2. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the third planar surface extends from the first planar surface at an acute angle to the first planar surface.

3. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the second planar surface and the third planar surface are parallel.

4. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the obtuse angle to the first planar surface at which the second planar surface extends from the first planar surface is approximately 79.4 degrees.

5. The stand of claim 1 , further comprising a left side planar surface extending between the second planar surface and the third planar surface, and a right side planar surface opposite to the left side planar surface and extending between the second planar surface and the third planar surface.

6. The stand of claim 5 , wherein the left side planar surface and the right side planar surface are parallel.

7. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the user input device comprises a left handle and a right handle, and a bottommost surface of the concave portion of the stand is spaced from the first planar surface of the stand by a first supporting distance that causes a left distal end of the left handle and a right distal end of the right handle to either (1) contact the support surface when the user input device is held in the concave portion when the stand is in the first stand orientation, or (2) be spaced from the support surface by a distance of 1.0 mm or less when the user input device is held in the concave portion when the stand is in the first stand orientation.

8. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the user input device comprises a left handle and a right handle, and the second planar surface of the stand is spaced from the third planar surface of the stand by a second supporting distance that causes a left anterior distal end of the left handle and a right anterior distal end of the right handle to either (1) contact the support surface when the user input device is supported by the second planar surface when the stand is in the second stand orientation, or (2) be spaced from the support surface by a distance of 1.0 mm or less when the user input device is supported by the second planar surface when the stand is in the second stand orientation.

9. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the user input device comprises a user-facing surface comprising a plurality of user interface features, the concave portion of the stand positions the user-facing surface in a substantially upright posture relative to the support surface when the stand is in the first stand orientation holding the user input device in the first device orientation, and the second planar surface of the stand positions the user-facing surface in a substantially recumbent posture relative to the support surface when the stand is in the second stand orientation holding the user input device in the second device orientation.

10. The stand of claim 1 , further comprising a stand charging component configured to be electrically coupled with a device charging component of the user input device when the user input device is held in the first device orientation.

11. The stand of claim 10 , wherein the stand charging component is further configured to be electrically coupled with the device charging component of the user input device when the user input device is supported in the second device orientation.

12. The stand of claim 11 , wherein the stand charging component comprises an inductive charging component, the stand further comprising a pivoting support between the second planar surface and the third planar surface, wherein the inductive charging component is coupled to the pivoting support, and the pivoting support is configured to position the inductive charging component at a first angle to the first planar surface when the stand is in the first stand orientation, and to position the inductive charging component at a second angle to the first planar surface when the stand is in the second stand orientation.

13. The stand of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first stand charging component configured to be electrically coupled with a first device charging component of the user input device when the user input device is held in the first device orientation; and
a second stand charging component configured to be electrically coupled with a second device charging component of the user input device when the user input device is supported in the second device orientation.

14. The stand of claim 1 , further comprising a registration feature protruding from the concave portion and configured to be received in a corresponding indentation of the user input device when the user input device is held in the first device orientation.

15. The stand of claim 14 , wherein the registration feature is a first orientation registration feature, the stand further comprising a second orientation registration feature protruding from the second planar surface and configured to be received in the corresponding indentation of the user input device when the user input device is supported in the second device orientation.

16. A method for displaying a user input device in two device orientations on a stand, the method comprising:
positioning a first planar surface of the stand on a support surface in a first stand orientation;
seating the user input device in a concave portion of the stand between a second planar surface of the stand and a third planar surface of the stand, wherein the second planar surface extends from the first planar surface at an obtuse angle to the first planar surface, the concave portion holding the user input device in a first device orientation when the stand is in the first stand orientation;
removing the user input device from the concave portion;
positioning the third planar surface of the stand on the support surface in a second stand orientation; and
placing at least a portion of a rear surface of the user input device on the second planar surface of the stand, wherein the second planar surface is configured to support the user input device in a second device orientation when the stand is in the second stand orientation.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the user input device comprises a left handle, a right handle, and a central bottom portion between the left handle and the right handle, and wherein placing at least the portion of the rear surface of the user input device on the second planar surface of the stand further comprises orienting the stand and the user input device such that the central bottom portion of the user input device is closer to the first planar surface of the stand than to the concave portion of the stand.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the user input device comprises a user-facing surface comprising a plu

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Navin
• Kujawski Christopher
• Ledbetter Carl J
• Sarmast Sam Michael

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J7/025 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0044

  Electricity · mapped topic