Moveable keyboard lattice for a portable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678535-B2
Application number	US-201314761353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a moveable keyboard lattice frame for a portable electronic device. According to one embodiment, the portable electronic device includes a display housing and a base housing. The base housing is attached to the display housing via hinge members and also includes a keyboard input area comprising of a plurality of input keys. Furthermore, a moveable keyboard lattice frame is formed within the base housing and includes key openings corresponding with positions of the plurality of input keys. Moreover, the keyboard lattice frame is configured to rise and lower based on rotational movement of the display panel and hinge members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device comprising:
an upper housing having a display;
a base housing having an input area and attached to the upper housing at a common end with hinge members, wherein the input area includes a keyboard input surface comprising a plurality of input keys; and
a moveable keyboard lattice frame formed within the base housing and having openings corresponding with positions of the plurality of input keys,
wherein the keyboard lattice frame is moveable between a lowered position and a raised position based on rotational movement of the upper housing and hinge members, and wherein the keyboard lattice frame is moveable between the lowered position and the raised position while the plurality of input keys remain stationary.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , where in the upper housing of the portable electronic device is rotatable from a first operating mode to a second operating mode.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of input keys are substantially flush with a contact surface of the base housing.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein when in the first operating mode, the keyboard lattice frame is positioned within the base housing and below the keyboard input surface.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4 , wherein when in the second operating mode, the keyboard lattice frame is flush with the plurality of input keys of the keyboard input surface.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a battery module positioned between the hinge members.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first operating mode is a clam-shell mode of the portable electronic device, and the second operating mode is a tablet mode of the portable electronic device.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the keyboard lattice frame comprises a plurality of holding portions that are positioned under respective input keys of at least a subset of the plurality of input keys, and the plurality of holding portions are moveable, relative to the respective input keys, upwardly and downwardly corresponding to movement of the keyboard lattice frame between the raised position and the lowered position
wherein the plurality of holding portions are spaced apart from the respective input keys when the keyboard lattice frame is in the lowered position, and
wherein the plurality of holding portions are contacted to the respective input keys when the keyboard lattice frame is in the raised position, to place the respective input keys in a locked position to prevent actuation of the respective input keys.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of holding portions when spaced apart from the respective input keys of the at least a subset of the plurality of input keys allows actuation of the respective input keys.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:
an upper housing having a display and rotatable from a first operating mode to a second operating mode;
a base housing having an input area and attached to the upper housing at a common end with hinge members, wherein the input area includes a keyboard input surface comprising a plurality of input keys;
a moveable keyboard lattice frame formed within the base housing and having openings corresponding with positions of the plurality of input keys; and
a battery module positioned between the hinge members,
wherein the keyboard lattice frame is configured to rise and lower based on rotational movement of the upper housing and hinge members, and wherein the rotational movement of the upper housing and hinge members from the first operating mode to the second operating mode causes both the battery module to lower and the keyboard lattice frame to rise to the keyboard input surface.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the keyboard lattice frame includes a plurality of holding elements to maintain the plurality of input keys in a fixed position when the upper housing is rotated to the second operating mode.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first operating mode is a clam-shell orientation and the second operating mode is a tablet orientation.

13. A keyboard lattice frame structure formed within a convertible electronic device having a keyboard and hinges connecting a display panel and a base housing, the keyboard lattice frame structure comprising:
a plurality of key openings corresponding with positions of a plurality of input keys associated with the keyboard; and
a plurality of guide members for engaging with connecting rods coupled to the hinges of the convertible electronic device, wherein each guide member includes a ramp aperture for receiving a guide pin associated with a respective connecting rod of the connecting rods, and wherein each of the hinges includes an offset pin configured to move within a guide aperture formed within a respective connecting rod of the connecting rods,
wherein the keyboard lattice frame structure is configured to rise and lower based on rotational movement of the display panel, and
wherein rotation of the display panel from a clam-shell operating mode to a tablet operating mode causes the hinges to rotate and push the respective offset pin forward within the respective guide aperture of the respective connecting rod such that the guide pins of the connecting rods move and push the guide members and keyboard lattice frame structure towards a keyboard surface of the base housing.

14. The keyboard lattice frame structure of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plurality of holding elements formed with the key openings and configured to maintain the plurality of input keys of the keyboard in a fixed position when the display panel is rotated to the tablet operating mode.

15. The keyboard lattice frame structure of claim 13 , wherein the guide aperture formed within each connecting rod extends in a vertical direction.

16. A portable electronic device comprising:
a display housing configured to rotate from a clam-shell orientation to a tablet orientation;
a base housing having an input area and coupled to the display housing with hinge members, wherein the input area includes a keyboard input surface comprising a plurality of input keys substantially flush with a contact surface of the base housing; and
a moveable keyboard lattice frame formed within the base housing and having openings corresponding with positions of the plurality of input keys, wherein the keyboard lattice frame is configured to rise and lower based on rotational movement of the display panel and hinge members,
wherein the keyboard lattice frame is positioned within the base housing and below the keyboard input surface when the display housing is positioned in the clam-shell orientation;
wherein the keyboard lattice frame is immediately adjacent and flush with the plurality of input keys of the keyboard input surface when the display housing is positioned in the tablet orientation.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the keyboard lattice frame is moveable between a raised position and a lowered position while the plurality of input keys remain stationary.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Senatori Mark David

Classifications

• G06F1/1666

  Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys (G06F1/1664 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1618 Primary

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• G06F3/0221

  Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys (G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666) · CPC title

• G06F3/0208

  Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of a keyboard, e.g. pivoting legs (for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1667) · CPC title