Portable information handling system management of transformation between clamshell and all-in-one positions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635132-B1
Application number	US-201916263624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A portable information handling system transformation between clamshell and all-in-one configurations is managed by a position manager that senses main and display housing positions to restrict configuration actions if predetermined conditions are detected. For example, transformation to an all-in-one configuration may be restricted if display housing location and rotational orientation are not set before extension of a stand that raises the main housing rear surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable information handling system comprising:
a main housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front side and a rear side;
processing components disposed in the main housing cooperating to process information, the processing components including at least a keyboard controller;
a display housing rotationally coupled to the main housing to rotate between closed and open positions at a pivot axis, the display housing moving the pivot axis along the upper surface between the front side and rear side;
a display disposed in the display housing to present the information as visual images;
a stand coupled to the lower surface, the stand having a retracted position and an extended position, the extended position raising the rear side relative to the front side; and
a position manager executing on the keyboard controller and controlling end user interactions with the display hosing pivot axis and stand based upon one or more predetermined factors.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the position manager restricts rotation of the display housing to not greater than a predetermined rotational orientation about the pivot axis if a keyboard attaches to the upper surface.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the position manager restricts movement of the pivot axis along the upper surface to not greater than a predetermined distance if a keyboard attaches to the upper surface.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the position manager restricts extension of the stand to not greater than a predetermined amount if a keyboard attaches to the upper surface.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the position manager restricts extension of the stand to not greater than a predetermined amount if the display housing has less than a predetermined rotational orientation.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the position manager slides the pivot axis towards the rear side in response to closing of the display housing against the main housing upper surface.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 6 wherein the position manager restricts closing of the display housing against the main housing upper surface unless a keyboard attaches to the upper surface.

8. The portable information handling system of claim 7 further comprising a component tracker executing on the keyboard controller and issuing an alert if the display housing closes over the main housing upper surface unless a predetermined component attaches to the main housing.

9. The portable information handling system of claim 8 wherein the predetermined component comprises a keyboard.

10. A method for transforming a portable information handling system to a vertical configuration, the method comprising:
removing a keyboard from an upper surface of a main housing of the portable information handling system;
sliding a display housing from a rear position at the main housing to a front position;
extending a stand from a bottom surface of the main housing to raise a rear side of the main housing; and
restricting one or more of the sliding and extending based upon one or more predetermined conditions.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting the sliding if the keyboard couples to the main housing upper surface.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting rotation of the display housing to not greater than a predetermined rotational orientation if the keyboard couples to the main housing upper surface.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting extension of the stand to not greater than a predetermined amount if the keyboard couples to the main housing.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising automatically detaching the keyboard from the main housing upper surface if the display rotates past a predetermined rotational orientation.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting extension of the stand to not greater than a predetermined amount until after the sliding the display housing.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting extension of the stand to not greater than a predetermined amount until the display housing front position is closer to the main housing front side than a stand hinge that rotates the stand to an extended position.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting rotation of the display to less than a predetermined open rotational orientation if the stand has an extended position.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising restricting rotation of the display to less than a predetermined open rotational orientation if the keyboard is detached from the main housing.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Brocklesby Brandon J
• Gajiwala Priyank
• Hernandez David J
• Hrehor Robert D
• Morrison Jason S
• Regimbal Laurent A
• Sanchez Anthony J

Classifications

• G06F1/166

  related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle · CPC title

• G06F1/1624 Primary

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• 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

• G06F1/1669

  Detachable keyboards · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  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 title