Magnetic coupling and de-coupling of a tablet information handling system to a stand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11822387-B2
Application number	US-202217706974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A tablet information handling system selectively couples to a charging stand and charging dock with opposing sets of spaced magnets to have magnetic attraction hold a wireless charging receiver aligned with a wireless charger. Magnetic attraction is greatest when the tablet information handling system couples in a landscape or portrait orientation and is reduced for removal of the tablet information handling system by rotating to an offset orientation so that magnets align with opposing spaces, resulting in a reduced magnetic attraction. A sensor disposed in a space detects the offset rotation by detecting the increased magnetic flux of the magnet aligning with the space so that a user interface can provide an end user with an indication that the tablet information handling system is positioned for separation from the charging stand or charging dock.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a portable housing;
a processor disposed in the portable housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;
a memory disposed in the portable housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;
a display coupled to a first side of the portable housing and interfaced with the processor, the display operable to present the information as visual images;
a wireless charging receiver disposed in the portable housing at a second side opposite the display;
a first set of plural spaced magnets coupled to the portable housing at the second side; and
a wireless charger disposed in a charger housing separate from the portable housing, the charger housing having a second set of spaced magnets, the first and second sets of magnets aligned at a first predetermined orientation to provide a first magnetic attraction, the portable housing rotating relative to the charger housing to a second predetermined orientation to align spaces with magnets of the first and second set of opposing magnets to provide a second magnetic attraction of less than the first magnetic attraction, at least some of the first and second sets of magnets aligned throughout the rotating of the portable housing relative to the charger housing through 360 degrees of rotation.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a sensor disposed in the portable housing and operable to detect the second predetermine orientation; and
a user interface presented at the display to indicate alignment associated with separation of the portable housing from the charger housing.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the sensor comprises a Hall sensor disposed in a space of the first set of spaced magnets and aligned with a magnet of the second set of spaced magnets in the second predetermined orientation.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the first set of spaced magnets are disposed in a circular shape around the wireless charging receiver; and
the second set of spaced magnets are disposed in a circular shape around the wireless charger so that at least a first space of the first set of spaced magnets aligns with a first space of the second set of spaced magnets.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the first and second sets of spaced magnets have symmetrical space locations.

6. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the second set of spaced magnets have a C-shape with one space.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a first charger housing having the wireless charger disposed in a vertically raised stand position; and
a second charger housing having the wireless charger disposed in a desktop charging dock position.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the first charger housing second set of magnets have a C-shape with one space; and
the second charger housing second set of magnets have a circular shape with plural spaces.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the second set of spaced magnets have a greater surface area of magnets and a smaller surface area of space than the first set of spaced magnets.

10. A method for coupling a portable information handling system to a wireless charger, the method comprising:
aligning a first set of plural spaced magnets included in the portable information handling system with a second set of plural spaced magnets included in a charger housing of the wireless charger to hold the wireless charger in proximity to a wireless charging receiver of the portable information handling system; and
rotating the portable information handling system relative to the charger housing to partially align a magnet of the first set of spaced magnets with a space of the second set of spaced magnets to reduce magnetic attraction coupling the portable information handling system to the charger housing.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
sensing increased magnetic flux in a space of the first set spaced magnets related to the rotating; and
in response to the sensing, presenting a user interface at the portable information handling system to pull to separate the portable information handling system from the charger housing.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
coupling the charger housing to a stand aligned to hold the portable information handling system in a vertical viewing position;
arranging the first and second sets of spaced magnets to provide a first magnetic attraction when the portable information handling system is in a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation; and
partially aligning the magnet of the first set of spaced magnets with the space of the second set spaced magnets only when the portable information handling system rotates to an orientation between the landscape and portrait orientations.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
arranging the second set of spaced magnets around the wireless charger in a C-shape with one space at a bottom of the wireless charger.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
coupling the charger housing to a desktop dock to hold the portable information handling system in a writing position;
arranging the first and second sets of spaced magnets to provide a first magnetic attraction when the portable information handling system is in a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation; and
partially aligning the magnet of the first set of spaced magnets with the space of the second set of spaced magnets only when the portable information handling system rotates to an orientation between the landscape and portrait orientations.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
arranging the first and second set of spaced magnets to have symmetrical locations for plural magnets and plural spaces in each of the first and second sets of spaced magnets.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least some of the magnets of the first set of spaced magnets remained aligned with at least some of the magnets of the second set of spaced magnets when the portable information handling system rotates through 360 degrees relative to the wireless charger housing.

17. A system for coupling a portable information handling system to a wireless charger stand, the system comprising:
a charging stand having a vertically configured wireless charger and a first set of spaced magnets;
a desktop charging dock having a horizontally configured wireless charger and a second set of spaced magnets;
a wireless charging receiver configured to couple to the portable information handling system; and
a third set of spaced magnets configured to couple to the information handling system to selectively align the wireless charging receiver with each of the vertically configured wireless charger and the horizontally configured wireless charger, the third set of spaced magnets positioned to interact with each of the first and second sets of spaced magnets to have a first predetermined magnetic attraction when the portable information handling system is in a landscape or portrait orientation and a second predetermined magnetic attraction when the portable information handling system rotates to an offset orientation of between the landscape and portrait orientations.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:
the first set of spaced magnets have a C-shape and one space;
the second set of spaced magnets have a circular shape and plur

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Pelissier Gerald R
• Chen Tzu-Chau
• Lee Hsu-Feng
• Law Mark John
• Tay Benedict Tiong Chee

Classifications

• G06F1/1632 Primary

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

• 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

• G06F1/1626

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

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16M11/105

  the horizontal axis being the roll axis, e.g. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation · CPC title