Electronic device having a detachable tablet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823702-B2
Application number	US-201314129252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided that includes a base portion having an input device, a tablet having a display and a docking connector with a plurality of second electrical connectors, and a docking connector to move relative to the base portion. The docking connector may include a first docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle, and a plurality of first electrical connectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a base portion having an input device;
a display portion having a display and a docking receptacle with a plurality of second electrical connectors, the docking receptacle being in a box-shape that has inner surfaces and outer surfaces, the inner surfaces of the docking receptacle including inner side surfaces and inner end surfaces, and the plurality of second electrical connectors are provided on at least one of the inner side surfaces of the docking receptacle; and
a docking connector to move relative to the base portion, and the docking connector including:
a first docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle, the first docking pole including outer side surfaces and outer end surfaces, and
a plurality of first electrical connectors on at least one of the outer side surfaces of the first docking pole, wherein the plurality of first electrical connectors on the one of the outer side surface of the first docking pole to respectively contact the plurality of second electrical connectors on the inner side surface of the docking receptacle.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second electrical connectors includes a first set of connectors at a first inner side surface of the docking receptacle, and a second set of connectors at a second inner side surface of the docking receptacle.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first set of connectors at the first inner side surface of the docking receptacle is to contact the plurality of first electrical connectors at an outer side surface of the first docking pole when the docking receptacle is provided at the first docking pole in a first configuration, and
the second set of connectors at the second inner side surface of the docking receptacle is to contact the plurality of first electrical connectors at an outer side surface of the first docking pole when the docking receptacle is provided at the first docking pole in a second configuration.

4. An electronic device comprising:
a base portion having an input device;
a display portion having a display and a docking receptacle with a plurality of second electrical connectors on the docking receptacle; and
a docking connector to move relative to the base portion, and the docking connector including:
a first docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle, and
a plurality of first electrical connectors on a top edge surface of the first docking pole, the plurality of first electrical connectors includes a first set of connectors and a second set of connectors,

wherein the first set of connectors is a plurality of connectors arranged in a first row at the top edge surface of the first docking pole, and the second set of connectors is a plurality of connectors arranged in a second row at the top edge surface of the first docking pole, and the first row of the connectors is parallel to the second row of the connectors.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of second electrical connectors at the docking receptacle is to contact the first set of connectors at the top edge surface of the first docking pole when the docking receptacle is provided at the first docking pole in a first configuration, and
the plurality of second electrical connectors at the docking receptacle is to contact the second set of connectors at the top edge surface of the first docking pole when the docking receptacle is provided at the first docking pole in a second configuration.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a base portion having an input device;
a display portion having a display and a docking receptacle with a plurality of second electrical connectors, wherein the docking receptacle includes a first hook receptacle and a second hook receptacle; and
a docking connector to move relative to the base portion, and the docking connector including:
a first docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle,
a second docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle,
a plurality of first electrical connectors being between the first docking pole and the second docking pole, and the first electrical connectors to engage with the second electrical

connectors of the docking receptacle, wherein the first docking pole includes a first latch hook that extends from an outside edge of the first docking pole in a direction away from the plurality of first electrical connectors, and the second docking pole includes a second latch hook that extends from an outside edge of the second docking pole in a direction away from the plurality of first electrical connectors, wherein the first latch hook is to engage with an edge inside the first hook receptacle, and the second latch hook is to engage with an edge inside the second hook receptacle, and
a release button at the docking connector to release the docking receptacle from both the first docking pole and the second docking pole by disengaging the first latch hook from the edge inside the first hook receptacle at the display portion and disengaging the second latch hook from the edge inside the second hook receptacle at the display portion, wherein the release button is to release the docking receptacle in response to an action at the release button.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a base portion having an input device;
a display portion having a display and a docking receptacle with a plurality of second electrical connectors; and
a docking connector to move relative to the base portion, and the docking connector including:
a docking pole to extend from the docking connector and to engage with the docking receptacle,
a plurality of first electrical connectors,
a slider provided within the docking pole, and the slider to move with respect to the docking pole, the slider including at least one slot and at least one protrusion, and
at least one ball to move based on movement of the slider, the at least one ball having a ball shape, and the at least one ball to move from the at least one slot based on movement of the slider.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one protrusion is to move the at least one ball in a first direction from a first position to a second position when the slider moves with respect to the docking pole, and the ball is to move in a second direction from the second position to the first position when the docking receptacle disengages from the docking pole.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the docking receptacle includes a magnetic device to cause the slider to move toward the magnetic device based on a magnetic force between the magnetic device and the slider.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the docking receptacle further includes an electric magnetic component to provide a magnetic force stronger than the magnetic force between the magnetic device and the slider.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a power supply to supply power, and when power is to be supplied to the electric magnetic component, the slider to be released from the magnetic device and move away from the magnetic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the display is to display a release image, and the display portion includes logic to receive a touch input on the display with respect to the release image, and
in response to receiving the touch input at the display, the power is to be provided to the electric magnetic component and the slider is to move away from the magnetic device.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Ming
• Crocker Michael T
• Sheng Xiaofeng Shawn
• Tate Alan W
• Deng Shanjun
• Kane Kapil
• Wang Minglei
• Beauregard Russell

Classifications

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

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

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

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