US 20060190652 A1
An expansion device is provided for expanding the functionality of a mobile electronic device while in a mobile mode and/or in a desktop mode. The expansion device may be a media slice that provides multimedia functionality to a mobile electronic device. The media slice may be configured to receive an electromechanical interface from the mobile electronic device and to replicate the electromechanical interface for connecting to another expansion device, such as to a docking station or a port replicator. The expansion device and the mobile electronic device may be connected via a latch mechanism that easily couples and de-couples the devices. An expansion system is also provided that includes a support stand for providing orientation and support features for a computing device and/or an expansion device.
1. An expansion unit for providing expanded functionality to a mobile computer while bridging a connection from the mobile computer to a docking device, the expansion unit comprising:
a first peripheral device providing expanded functionality to the mobile computer when electrically connected to the mobile computer;
a first connector permitting the mobile computer to interface with the first peripheral device when the first electrical connector is electrically connected to the mobile computer;
a second connector electrically connected to the first connector and permitting the mobile device to interface with the docking device via the first and second connectors when the second connector is electrically connected to the docking device.
2. The expansion unit of
3. The expansion unit of
4. The expansion unit of
5. The expansion unit of
6. The expansion unit of
7. The expansion unit of
8. The expansion unit of
9. The expansion unit of
10. The expansion unit of
11. The expansion unit of
12. The expansion unit of
13. The expansion unit of
a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for operating the computing device in the stand-alone mode;
an input device connector for interfacing with an input device;
a video adaptor for providing display information to a monitor; and
a processor in communication with the storage medium, the input device connector, and the video adaptor, the processor configured to perform steps comprising:
receiving user input via the input device connector;
executing instructions stored in the storage medium; and
providing display instructions to the video adaptor.
14. The expansion unit of
15. A media slice for a portable computer, the media slice comprising:
a media player;
an audio speaker in communication with the media player;
a first connector configured to connect with an expansion connector of the portable computer and to permit the portable computer to interact with the media player; and
a second connector configured to replicate the expansion connector of the portable computer, the second connector electrically connected with the first connector to enable an expansion device connected to the second connector to interface with the portable computer while the portable computer is connected to the first connector.
16. The media slice of
17. The media slice of
a recess formed in a base of the media slice for receiving a portion of the portable computer when the first connector is connected to the personal computer;
an integrated unit that combines the media player, the audio speaker, the media player, the first connector, the second connector, the recess and the base in a single unit;
a carrying case having a storage cavity for retaining the integrated unit in a storage mode; and
DVD storage sleeves attached to the carrying case and disposed in the recess of the base in the storage mode.
18. The media slice of
a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for operating the media player;
a processor in communication with the storage medium and the media player; and
an input device for receiving media player instructions from a user.
19. A portable computing device expansion system for providing expanded functionality to a portable computing device, the system comprising:
a first expansion device comprising:
a first peripheral device;
a first connector configured to connect with an expansion connector of the portable computing device and to permit the portable computing device to interface with the first peripheral device; and
a second connector configured to replicate the expansion connector of the portable computing device, the second connector electrically connected with the first connector; and
a second expansion device connected to the first expansion device, the second expansion device comprising:
a second peripheral device; and
a third connector configured to connect with the second connector of the first expansion device and to permit the portable computing device to interface with the second peripheral device via the first expansion device.
20. The portable computing device expansion system of
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer expansion system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an expansion device for interfacing with a mobile electronic device to expand the functionality and/or connectivity of the mobile electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Mobile electronic devices are becoming increasingly thin and light, which can improve their mobility and extend their battery life. However, these mobile devices often sacrifice functionality, such as optical drives and multimedia devices (e.g., speakers), to improve their mobility characteristics. Such mobile devices can be connected to individual peripheral devices to expand their functionality as desired, but this can be inconvenient or cumbersome when connecting multiple devices. They can also be connected to docking stations and port replicators to provide expanded functionality while in a desktop mode.
Conventional docking stations and port replicators permit mobile devices to be quickly converted into stationary, desktop workstations via simple connections to peripheral devices. When the mobile device is attached to the docking station or port replicator, the mobile device accesses the peripheral devices connected to the docking station or port replicator, which increases its functionality for use in desktop mode. The mobile device quickly connects to the docking station or port replicator via a connector port, such as a universal serial bus connector or a small computer systems interface connector.
Conventional docking stations connect to a keyboard, a mouse, a network card and a power supply. Some docking stations also provide slots for expansion cards, furnish bays for optical drives and hard drives, include multimedia speakers, and/or offer connectivity to an external monitor. Further, some docking stations include a stand for supporting an external monitor. Conventional port replicators are similar to docking stations in that they permit peripheral devices to be attached to the mobile device to convert it to a desktop workstation. However, port replicators tend to be smaller than docking stations and are not as readily expandable as a docking station. Further, port replicators do not include a monitor stand, expansion cards, supply bays for optical drives and hard drives, or multimedia speakers.
Users of conventional mobile computing devices have the option of limited functionality of the device while in a mobile mode, the option of connecting individual devices to the mobile device for expanding specific functionality as desired, or the option of using a port replicator or docking station to connect multiple devices thereto while in a desktop mode.
The present invention provides an expansion device for quickly expanding the functionality of a mobile electronic device while in a mobile mode and/or in a desktop mode. Aspects of the invention include an expansion device that receives an electro-mechanical interface from the mobile electronic device, and that replicates the electro-mechanical interface for connecting the expansion device to another expansion device. In one embodiment, the expansion device is a media slice that provides multimedia functionality to a mobile electronic device. The media slice may be configured to receive an electromechanical interface from the mobile electronic device and to replicate the electromechanical interface of the mobile device for connecting to another expansion device, such as to a docking station or to a port replicator.
Various aspects of the invention include an interface system for connecting the mobile electronic device to a first expansion device, and for connecting the first expansion device to the second expansion device. The expansion devices and the mobile electronic device may be connected via a latch mechanism that couples and de-couples respective device and indicates the connected status of the expansion device. Additional aspects of the invention may include orientation and support features for an expansion device.
In other aspects, computer-executable instructions for implementing the disclosed methods are stored on computer-readable media. These and other aspects are addressed in relation to the figures and related description.
The computing device may be a mobile PC, such as tablet PC 106 shown in
PC 106 is configured to interface with media slice 104 using a connector, such as a small computer systems interface (SCSI) connector, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a serial port, a parallel port, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) connector, a PCI express connector, an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus connector, a wireless transmitter/receiver and/or another type of connector. Similarly, media slice 104 is configured to interface with stand 102 via the same type connector; although it may interface with the stand using a different type of connector. In the example shown in
PC 106 in the present example is a thin, lightweight tablet PC that does not include multimedia speakers or an optical drive. The lack of these devices may improve the mobility, weight, and battery longevity characteristics of the tablet PC. However, it may be desirable for the user of the tablet PC to have expanded multimedia functionality on the tablet PC as needed. For instance, it may be desirable for the user to watch a DVD on the tablet PC while traveling with it in a portable mode, but otherwise to exclude this functionality and its mobility disadvantages from the tablet PC. The expanded functionality may be provided by connecting the PC 106 to media slice 104. After watching the movie, the user can remove the media slice to reduce weight and/or to improve portability of the PC when the expanded functionality is not needed.
In another example, media slice 104 can provide expanded functionality to a desktop configuration of the PC in addition to that provided by docking station 102. In such a configuration, media slice 104 connects to PC 106 via an expansion connector, such as a SCSI connector of the PC. The media slice preferably replicates the expansion connector of the PC for connecting the PC/media slice combination to the docking station in a daisy chain fashion. However, the media slice could also interface with the PC using a different type of interface than that the interface between the media slice and the stand. Use of a common type of interface between these devices, though, simplifies connections and readily provides for daisy chain connections between multiple devices.
A basic input/output system 360 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer 300, such as during start-up, is stored in the ROM 340. The computer 300 also includes a hard disk drive 370 for reading from and writing to a hard disk (not shown). It could also include a magnetic disk drive 380 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 390, and an optical disk drive 391 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 392 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. The hard disk drive 370, magnetic disk drive 380, and optical disk drive 391 are connected to the system bus 330 by a hard disk drive interface 392, a magnetic disk drive interface 393, and an optical disk drive interface 394, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the personal computer 300. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media that can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROMs), and the like, may also be used in the example operating environment.
A number of program modules can be stored on the hard disk drive 370, magnetic disk 390, optical disk 392, ROM 340 or RAM 350, including an operating system 395, one or more application programs 396, other program modules 397, and program data 398. A user can enter commands and information into the computer 300 through input devices such as a keyboard 301 and pointing device or other input device 302. Other input devices (not shown) may include a directional input device, a microphone, a joystick, a game pad, a satellite dish, scanner or the like.
These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 310 through a serial port interface 306 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, a game port or a universal serial bus (USB). Further still, these devices may be coupled directly to the system bus 330 via an appropriate expansion connector 331, such as a SCSI connector, a PCI connector, a PCI express connector, or an ISA connector. In addition, an expansion connector 331 may be used for connecting to an expansion device, such as media slice 104, or to a plurality of expansion devices connected in a daisy chain configuration. A monitor 307 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 330 via an interface, such as a video adapter 308. In addition to the monitor, personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers and printers.
In one embodiment, a pen digitizer 365 and accompanying pen or stylus 366 are provided to digitally capture freehand input. Although the digitizer 365 is shown apart from the monitor 307, the usable input area of the digitizer 365 may be co-extensive with the display area of the monitor 307. Further still, the digitizer 365 may be integrated in the monitor 307, or may exist as a separate device overlaying or otherwise appended to the monitor 307.
The computer 300 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 309. The remote computer 309 can be a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 300, although only a memory storage device 311 has been illustrated in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 300 is connected to the local network 312 through a network interface or adapter 314. When used in a WAN networking environment, the personal computer 300 typically includes a modem 315 or other means for establishing a communications over the wide area network 313, such as the Internet. The modem 315, which may be internal or external, is connected to the system bus 330 via the serial port interface 306. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the personal computer 300, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. Further, the system may include wired and/or wireless capabilities. For example, network interface 314 may include Bluetooth, SWLan, and/or IEEE 802.11 class of combination abilities. It is appreciated that other wireless communication protocols may be used in conjunction with these protocols or in place of these protocols.
It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are illustrative and other techniques for establishing a communications link between the computers can be used.
The existence of any of various well-known protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like is presumed, and the system can be operated in a client-server configuration to permit a user to retrieve web pages from a web-based server. Any of various conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulate data on web pages.
As shown in
First expansion connector 434 provides an electro-mechanical interface through which media slice 104, PC stand 102 or another expansion device can be simply and directly attached to it. Connector 434 may be a first part of a SCSI, PCI, PCI express, USB or other type of high-speed bus connection for connecting PC 106 to one or more peripheral devices that can expand functionality of the PC. Preferably, connector 434 is configured to permit hot swapping of devices connected thereto, as well as the connection of plug and play devices that do not need to be pre-installed on the PC. Although shown as a single connector, a plurality of connectors may also be used for interfacing with media slice 104 or other expansion devices. Further, PC 106 may optionally be configured to wirelessly connect to media slice 104, such as via a BLUETOOTH connection or a WLAN connection.
Media slice additionally includes an integrated optical drive, such as CD/DVD player 517, a set of stereo speakers 518, and an optional auxiliary battery pack 520. These are merely example peripheral devices built into the media slice. It is understood that media slice 104 could be an expansion device that includes a wide variety of peripheral devices, which may or may not be specialized for particular functions. For instance, it could be an expansion device that includes a second hard drive, a backup storage system for periodic backups of a computing device, a set of extended life batteries, analog audio and video converters converting analog signals to digital signals and vice versa, etc.
In the present example, media slice 104 provides expanded multimedia functionality to PC 106 for playing compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs) and for providing stereo audio output in association therewith. It also optionally provides a supplemental power supply from battery pack 520 to support the power requirements of the additional multimedia functionality. However, the additional functionality may also be powered by PC 106 through connector 516 and/or by an external power source to the media slice. The media slice can permit a user of the PC that lacks DVD player functionality to watch DVDs on the PC in a mobile or desktop mode as desired. By connecting the PC to the media slice when the expanded functionality is desired, the user can maintain the mobility and battery life advantages of the PC at other times. In other words, the user can have a lightweight, highly portable PC when desired, and can connect to the media slice to provide DVD playing functionality when such functionality is desired.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Release button 512 provides the further advantage of easily identifying to the user the connection state of the PC with the media slice. If the release button is in its engaged position (to the left in
As shown, PC stand 102 is configured to have a small shape relative to PC 106 such that it generally does not extend beyond the perimeter of the PC when mated thereto. Further, back 804 may be transparent to make the stand unobtrusive when empty. As shown, the stand has tilt adjustment in the direction of angle 818, height adjustment along slide 820, and orientation (rotation) adjustment in the direction of arc 822. The plurality of adjustments provides near/tilted positions, such as shown in
PC stand 102 may act as docking station to provide expanded functionality to PC 106 while in a desktop mode, such as connecting it to a full-sized keyboard, an external monitor, a mouse, etc. (not shown). Further, the PC stand may provide minimal expanded functionality, such as a wired power supply, or provide no expanded electronic functionality at all. The stand may omit connector 816 if it does not provide expanded electronic functionality therewith. Further, as shown in
In an optional embodiment shown in
With the advent of high-speed bus connections, such as PCI express, media slice 1102 may operate as an independent computing device in a further embodiment, which is also illustrated by
Referring now to
Aspects of the present invention have been described in terms of illustrative embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure. In particular, it is understood that aspects of the invention may practiced with a large variety of computing devices, including personal computers, mobile devices, PDAs, and mobile terminals. Further, it is understood that aspects of the invention may be used with expansion devices, peripheral devices, PC stands, docking stations, port replicators and computing devices, either alone, in combination, and/or as part of system.