Mobile device with user-operable cover for exposing thermally conductive panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018091183-A1
Application number	US-201615278799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile device may include circuitry, a thermally-conductive panel in thermal communication with the circuitry, and a housing with a user-operable thermal access cover that has a closed position to cover the thermally-conductive panel and an open position to expose the thermally-conductive panel. Embodiments may include a dock with which the mobile device may be engaged, wherein the dock may include a thermal transfer device to engage the thermally-conductive panel of the mobile device.

First claim

1 . A mobile device, comprising:
circuitry; a thermally-conductive panel in direct thermal contact or in thermal communication via a thermally-conductive gap filler with the circuitry, to remove thermal energy from the circuitry; a case base to house the circuitry and the thermally-conductive panel; and a case top slidably coupled with the case base in a closed position where the thermally-conductive panel is enclosed and not exposed to ambient environment of the mobile device, and in an open position where the thermally-conductive panel is at least partially exposed to the ambient environment of the mobile device.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry includes a processor, and a first region of the thermally-conductive panel is in direct thermal contact or in thermal communication via a thermally-conductive gap filler with the processor and the thermal access cover in the open position provides exposure to the first region.

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is to mate with a dock that includes a thermal transfer device to engage the thermally-conductive panel with the case base and case top slidably coupled in the open position, in lieu of at least partially exposing the thermally-conductive panel to the ambient environment of the mobile device.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein the thermally-conductive panel, with the case base and case top slidably coupled in the open position, is to make contact with a contact surface of the thermal transfer device.

5 . The device of claim 4 wherein the thermal transfer device includes a convective heat sink.

6 . The device of claim 3 wherein the thermal transfer device provides powered, active cooling of the thermally-conductive panel.

7 . The device of claim 3 wherein the circuitry comprises a processor operable in first and second operating modes, wherein the first operating mode includes a first sustained power usage, the second operating mode includes a second sustained power usage, and the first sustained power usage is greater than the second sustained power usage, and wherein the mobile device operates in the first operating mode when the thermal transfer device engages the thermally-conductive panel with the case base and case top slidably coupled in the open position, and wherein the mobile device otherwise operates in the second operating mode.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the case base and case top are slidably coupled via a slide track to move between the open position and the closed position.

9 . The device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device has planar internal dimensions within the case base and the thermally-conductive panel has planar dimensions substantially equal to the planar internal dimensions of the case base.

10 . A system, comprising:
a mobile device that includes a processor, a thermally-conductive panel with a first region in direct thermal contact or in thermal communication via a thermally conductive gap filler with the processor, a case base to house the processor and the thermally-conductive panel, and a case top to slidably coupled with the case base in a closed position where the thermally-conductive panel is enclosed and not exposed to ambient environment of the mobile device, and in an open position to at least partially expose the thermally-conductive panel, including the first region, to the ambient environment of the mobile device, and wherein the mobile device includes one or more device electrical connections; and a dock that includes one or more dock electrical connections to provide one or more couplings to the one or more device electrical connections, and a thermal transfer device to engage the first region of thermally-conductive panel with the case base and case top slidably coupled in the open position, in lieu of at least partially exposing the thermally-conductive panel, including the first region, to the ambient environment of the mobile device.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the thermal transfer device includes a contact surface that is positioned to make contact with the first region of the thermally-conductive panel when the case base and case top are slidably coupled in the open position.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the thermal transfer device includes a convective heat sink.

13 . The system of claim 10 wherein the thermal transfer device provides powered, active cooling.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the powered, active cooling employs a fan.

15 . The system of claim 13 wherein the powered, active cooling employs thermo-electric cooling.

16 . The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is operable in first and second operating modes, wherein the first operating mode includes a first sustained power usage, the second operating mode includes a second sustained power usage, and the first sustained power usage is greater than the second sustained power usage, and wherein the mobile device operates in the first operating mode when the dock provides the one or more couplings to the one or more device electrical connections of the mobile device and the thermal transfer device engages the first region of the thermally-conductive panel with the case base and case top slidably coupled in the open position.

17 . The system of claim 10 wherein the case base and case top are slidably coupled via a slide track to move between the open position and the closed position.

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . A system, comprising:
a mobile device that includes circuitry, including a memory to store executable instructions and a processor to execute the executable instructions, one or more device electrical connections, and heat spread means to selectively dissipate heat generated by the circuitry; wherein the heat spread means include a heat spreader panel where at least a portion of the heat spreader panel is in direct thermal contact or in thermal communication via a thermally conductive gap filler with the circuitry, wherein the mobile device further includes a case base to house the circuitry, the one or more device electrical connections and the heat spread means, and a case top to slidably couple with the case base in a closed position to enclose and not expose the heat spreader panel to ambient environment of the mobile device, and in an open position that at least partially exposed the heat spreader panel to the ambient environment of the mobile device; and a dock to engage the mobile device, wherein the dock includes one or more dock electrical connections to provide one or more couplings to the one or more device electrical connections and heat transfer means to engage with the heat spreader panel in lieu of exposing the heat spreader panel to the ambient environment of the mobile device, and to operate with the heat spreader panel to transfer from the mobile device heat generated by the circuitry.

21 . The system of claim 20 further including operating mode means to operate the mobile device in one of first and second operating modes according to whether or not the mobile device is engaged with the dock, respectively, wherein the circuitry in the first operating mode employs more power than in the second operating mode.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The system of claim 20 wherein the heat transfer means further includes a contact surface that is positioned to make contact with the thermally-conductive panel when the case base and the case top slidably coupled in the open position.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Basak Sankarananda
• Een Joshua
• Browning David W

Classifications

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• H04M1/0202

  Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03) · CPC title

• H04M1/0235

  Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts · CPC title