Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to mobile computing devices, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for supporting mobile computing devices in operative orientations.
Mobile computing devices, such as laptop computers, electronic tablets, smart phones, and various other handheld devices, are ubiquitous. A slate-style mobile computing device includes an input interface, such as a keyboard, that slides out from a main housing. For example, a known cellular smart phone includes a main housing that includes a display and a number pad and keyboard that slides out from the main housing in a direction that is parallel to a plane in which the display resides. In contrast, a flip-type cellular phone includes a pivotal interface at which an input interface pivots between open and closed position, similar to a book.
A known type of mobile computing device includes a stand that unfolds from a back of a main housing. In an unfolded position, the stand allows the mobile computing device to stand upright, so that a user may view a display and interact therewith, such as through an interactive touch screen.
Another known type of mobile computing devices includes a keyboard that unfolds from a front of a main housing. In an unfolded position, the keyboard supports the main housing in an upright orientation.
As can be appreciated, however, a computing device that is supported through a support stand extending from a rear surface, or with a keyboard extending from a front surface, may be susceptible to tipping over. For example, when a stand extends from a rear surface of a main housing, a force exerted into a top rear surface of the main housing may cause the computing device to tip over, such that a display screen may impact a surface of a structure on which it is positioned. In this manner, the computing device may be damaged.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method of safely and easily supporting a mobile computing device in an operative orientation.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system that may include a main housing having one or more processors and a display screen. An input interface support stand may include an input interface integrally connected to a stabilizer. The input support stand is movably secured to the main housing and movable between a retracted position in which the input interface support stand is securely retracted in relation to the main housing, and a supporting position in which the input interface support stand supports the main housing in a supported operative orientation.
In at least one embodiment, the input interface is positioned to a first side of a plane in which the display screen resides in the supporting position, and the stabilizer is positioned to a second side of the plane in the supporting position. The first side is opposite from the second side, such as a front side and a back side.
The input interface and the stabilizer may have a common central plane. For example, a common central plane may pass through both the input interface and the stabilizer.
In at least one embodiment, the input interface support stand is movable between the retracted position and an extended position in which the input interface outwardly extends from the main housing. A base of the input interface support is parallel to a plane in which the display screen resides in the extended position. The input interface support stand may be pivoted between the extended position and the supporting position.
The stabilizer includes may include a flat panel. Alternatively, the stabilizer may include one or more beams, braces, or the like. The input interface may include one or both of a keyboard and a touchscreen, for example. In at least one embodiment, the input interface is removably connected to the stabilizer.
The user interface support stand may include a pivot member, and the main housing may include one or more guide tracks having one or more pivot terminals. One or more portions of the pivot member are retained within the one or more guide tracks.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that may include movably securing an input interface support stand to a main housing of a mobile computing device. The input interface support stand may include an input interface integrally connected to a stabilizer. The main housing may include one or more processors and a display screen. The method may also include moving the input interface support stand between a retracted position, in which the input interface support stand is securely retracted in relation to the main housing, and a supporting position, in which the input interface support stand supports the main housing in a supported operative orientation.
It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations in addition to the described example embodiments. Thus, the following more detailed description of the example embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments, as claimed, but is merely representative of example embodiments.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or the like in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obfuscation. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain example embodiments.
The mobile computing device 100 may include a main housing 102 and an input interface support stand 104 that is movably secured to the main housing 102. The interface support stand 104 may be moved between a retracted position, in which the interface support stand 104 is securely retained within a recessed or other such area of the main housing 102, an extended position, in which the interface support stand 104 outwardly extends in relation to the main housing 102 (for example, the input interface support stand 104 outwardly sliding in a direction that is parallel to a display screen 108 of the main housing 102), and a supporting position, in which the input interface support stand 104 supports the main housing 102 in an operative orientation, such as an upright orientation.
The main housing 102 may include an outer frame 106 that securely contains and support a display screen 108, such as a monitor that is configured to display various types of data, such as video, text, and the like. The main housing 102 also securely contains various computing and/or processing devices (not shown in
As shown, the display screen 108 is positioned on a front surface 110 of the main housing 102. In a retracted position, the input interface support stand 104 is securely connected within a retaining area, such as a recessed area, formed within or on a rear surface 112 of the main housing 102 by opposed lateral brackets 114.
The input interface support stand 104 includes an input interface 116 integrally connected to a stabilizer 118, such as a flat panel, board, brace(s), beam(s), or the like. A pivot member 120, such as a pin, post, stud, cylinder, tube, or the like, outwardly extends from lateral surfaces of the input interface support stand 104 between the input interface 116 and the stabilizer 118. For example, the pivot member 120 may outwardly extend from a middle portion of the input interface support stand 104.
In the retracted position as shown in
While not shown in
In operation, in order to support the mobile computing device in an upright orientation and expose the input interface 116, the input interface support stand 104 is engaged by a user and urged in a direction that is parallel to a plane 127 in which the display screen resides in the direction of arrow 128. For example, as shown in
Alternatively, the lateral brackets 114 may not include guide tracks that extend to pivot terminals, as shown. Instead, the lateral brackets 114 may include retaining channels at one end and the pivot terminals at an opposite end. In this manner, the input interface support stand may simply be removed from the retaining channels and slid down towards the pivot terminals without the use of connecting guide tracks.
Referring to
The stabilizer 118 and the input interface 116 of the input interface support stand 104 have a common central plane 133. The base 130 of the input interface support stand 104 may be a flat surface that is parallel with the common central plane 133. The pivot axis 132 extends through at least a portion of the common central plane 133.
As shown, the input interface 116 may be or include a keyboard. Optionally, the input interface 116 may be or include various other interfaces that allow a user to interact with the mobile computing device 100. For example, the input interface 116 may be or include an electronic touchscreen, an electronic stylus pad, a roller controller, and/or the like.
In order to stow the input interface support stand 104 in the retracted position, the operation is reversed. For example, the input interface support stand 104 is pivoted into a position in which the base 130 is parallel with the display screen 108, such as shown in
Next, at 202, it is determined whether the input interface support stand is able to continue to be slid outwardly from the main housing. If so, the process returns to the 200 in which the input interface support stand continues to be outwardly slid in relation to the main housing. If not, such as when at least a portion of a pivot member is pivotally retained within one or more pivot terminals of brackets of the main housing, the process continues to 204, in which the input interface support stand is pivoted in relation to the main housing. For example, the input interface support stand may be pivoted about a pivot axis of the pivot member, which is pivotally retained within the one or more pivot terminals.
At 206, it is determined whether the main housing is at a desired orientation in relation to the input interface support stand. If not, the process returns to 204 in which the input interface support stand continues to be pivotally adjusted in relation to the main housing. If so, the process continues to 208, in which the input interface support stand is placed on a surface of a structure, such as a table, to support the mobile computing device in an supported operative orientation, such as an upright orientation (in which the display screen is visible and a rear surface of the main housing does not contact the surface of the structure).
As shown, the pivot member (hidden from view) may not be at a middle portion of the input interface support stand 402. Instead, the pivot member may be shifted such that the stabilizer support 404 is shorter than the input interface 406, or vice versa.
Referring to
The input and output devices 509, 510 may each include a variety of visual, audio, and/or mechanical devices. For example, the input devices 509 can include a visual input device such as an optical sensor or camera, an audio input device such as a microphone, and a mechanical input device such as a keyboard, keypad, selection hard and/or soft buttons, switch, touchpad, touch screen, icons on a touch screen, a touch sensitive areas on a touch sensitive screen and/or any combination thereof. Similarly, the output devices 510 can include a visual output device such as a liquid crystal display screen, one or more light emitting diode indicators, an audio output device such as a speaker, alarm and/or buzzer, and a mechanical output device such as a vibrating mechanism. The display may be touch sensitive to various types of touch and gestures. As further examples, the output device(s) 510 may include a touch sensitive screen, a non-touch sensitive screen, a text-only display, a smart phone display, an audio output (e.g., a speaker or headphone jack), and/or any combination thereof.
The local storage medium 506 can encompass one or more memory devices of any of a variety of forms (e.g., read only memory, random access memory, static random access memory, dynamic random access memory, etc.) and can be used by the processor 504 to store and retrieve data. The data that is stored by the local storage medium 506 can include, but need not be limited to, operating systems, applications, user collected content and informational data. Each operating system includes executable code that controls basic functions of the communication device, such as interaction among the various components, communication with external devices via the wireless transceivers 502 and/or the component interface 514, and storage and retrieval of applications and data to and from the local storage medium 506. Each application includes executable code that utilizes an operating system to provide more specific functionality for the communication devices, such as file system service and handling of protected and unprotected data stored in the local storage medium 506.
Other applications stored in the local storage medium 506 may include various application program interfaces (APIs). The power module 512 may include a power supply, such as a battery, for providing power to the other components while enabling the mobile device 500 to be portable, as well as circuitry providing for the battery to be recharged. The component interface 514 provides a direct connection to other devices, auxiliary components, or accessories for additional or enhanced functionality, and in particular, can include a USB port for linking to a user device with a USB cable.
Each transceiver 502 can utilize a known wireless technology for communication. Exemplary operation of the wireless transceivers 502 in conjunction with other components of the mobile device 500 may take a variety of forms and may include, for example, operation in which, upon reception of wireless signals, the components of mobile device 500 detect communication signals and the transceiver 502 demodulates the communication signals to recover incoming information, such as voice and/or data, transmitted by the wireless signals. After receiving the incoming information from the transceiver 502, the processor 504 formats the incoming information for the one or more output devices 510. Likewise, for transmission of wireless signals, the processor 504 formats outgoing information, which may or may not be activated by the input devices 510, and conveys the outgoing information to one or more of the wireless transceivers 502 for modulation to communication signals. The wireless transceiver(s) 502 convey the modulated signals to a remote device, such as a cell tower or a remote server (not shown).
In accordance with at least one embodiment herein, to the extent that mobile computing devices are discussed herein, it should be understood that they can represent a very wide range of devices, applicable to a very wide range of settings. Thus, by way of illustrative and non-restrictive examples, such devices and/or settings can include mobile telephones, tablet computers, and other portable computers such as portable laptop computers.
While various spatial and directional terms, such as top, bottom, lower, mid, lateral, horizontal, vertical, front and the like may be used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, it is understood that such terms are merely used with respect to the orientations shown in the drawings. The orientations may be inverted, rotated, or otherwise changed, such that an upper portion is a lower portion, and vice versa, horizontal becomes vertical, and the like.
It is to be understood that the subject matter described herein is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description herein or illustrated in the drawings hereof. The subject matter described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings herein without departing from its scope. While the dimensions, types of materials and coatings described herein are intended to define various parameters, they are by no means limiting and are illustrative in nature. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the embodiments should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects or order of execution on their acts.