Abstract:
A docking station comprises a sliding member accessible to a user of the docking station and coupled to a post. The station also comprises a locking mechanism configured to couple to a lock and comprising a stop surface and an apparatus capable of physically restraining an electronic device to the docking station. When the locking mechanism and the lock are locked together, and when the sliding member is adjusted from an unlocked status to a locked status, the stop surface is fixed in a locked state, the stop surface thereby fixing the post in a locked position, the post thereby fixing the sliding member in the locked status. When the sliding member is fixed in the locked status, the apparatus physically restrains the electronic device to the docking station.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of, and incorporates by reference, provisional application Ser. No. 60/916,557, filed May 7, 2007, and entitled “Two-Stage Security. Lock for Notebook Docking Station.” 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable devices, such as notebook computers, are susceptible to theft. Various locking mechanisms may be available by which such portable devices can be physically restrained to structures, such as docking stations, furniture, etc. Such restraint and locking mechanisms occupy space which is at a premium in portable devices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an illustrative notebook computer resting on top of a docking station, in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  shows the notebook computer of  FIG. 1  in locking engagement with the docking station, in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  shows an illustrative embodiment of a portion of the docking station, in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  shows an illustrative ejector mechanism, in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show different views of an illustrative sliding member, in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  show an illustrative locking mechanism in an unlocked position, in accordance with various embodiments; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the locking mechanism of  FIGS. 7 and 8  in a locked position, in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE 
     Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect, direct, optical or wireless electrical connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection, through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections, through an optical electrical connection, or through a wireless electrical connection. A “docking station” may broadly be defined as any apparatus to which a computer (e.g., a notebook computer or laptop computer) may couple. In some embodiments, a “docking station” may be defined as a base into which laptop/notebook computers may be plugged when at a fixed location. In some embodiments, a “docking station” may be defined as a receptacle for a portable computer that allows the computer to connect to accessories such as monitors and keyboards when used as a desktop computer. Other well-known definitions for “docking stations” also may be used. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a locking mechanism that can be used to physically restrain portable devices (e.g., notebook computers, docking stations) to immovable or difficult-to-move structures (e.g., furniture), thereby preventing theft of the portable devices. The disclosed embodiments are advantageous at least because of their conservative use of portable device real estate. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show an illustrative notebook computer  10  resting on top of a docking station  12 . In turn, the docking station  12  rests on top of a surface such as a table  14 . The table  14  comprises one or more legs  16  or other structures by which the docking station may be restrained. In other embodiments, the docking station  12  may rest on top of other types of immovable or difficult-to-move objects, including desks, computer anchors, walls, various types of furniture, etc. 
     The docking station  12  comprises a sliding member  20 . In some embodiments, the sliding member  20  comprises a switch having a user-accessible surface that protrudes beyond a surface  13  of the docking station  12 . The sliding member  20  may be of any suitable shape (e.g., a rectangular prism) and size (e.g., between 0.5 cm and 3 cm in length, between 0.25 cm and 2 cm in height and between 0.25 cm and 6 cm in depth). The sliding member  20  can be slid in the direction of arrow  21  from an unlocked position (U) to a locked position (L). When the sliding member  20  is in the locked position, the notebook computer  10  is locked to the docking station and cannot be removed without damaging the computer and docking station. In accordance with various embodiments, the sliding member  20  is maintained in the locked position L by action of a docking station lock  23 , shown in  FIG. 2 . The lock  23  is inserted into slot  22  and turned, for example, with a key. The lock  23  couples to a cable  25  which, in turn, couples to any suitable, immovable (or difficult-to-move) object, such as leg  16  of the table  14 . In this way, the lock  23  locks the docking station  12  to the table  14  and also prevents the sliding member  20  from returning to the unlocked position U. By maintaining the sliding member  20  in the locked position L, the notebook computer  10  is locked to the docking station. One lock ( 23 ) thereby performs two locking functions: the locking of the notebook computer  10  to the docking station  12 , and the locking of the docking station  12  to the table  14 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an interior view of a portion of the docking station  12 . The view in  FIG. 3  is oriented as indicated by arrows  11  in  FIGS. 1-3 . The sliding member  20  is shown in the upper left-hand portion of the figure. An ejector bar  30  is also shown. As described in detail below, the ejector bar  30  slides to the left (i.e., in the direction of arrow  31 ) to cause the notebook computer  10  (not specifically shown in  FIG. 3 ) to be ejected (e.g., pushed away) from the docking station  12 . 
       FIG. 4  shows another view of the ejector bar  30 . The ejector bar  30  is caused to slide to the left (i.e., in the direction of arrow  31 ) by an end-user forcing ejector push member  32  to the right (in the direction of arrow  33 ). The ejector bar  30  and ejector push member  32  couple together by member  36 . Member  38  couples to ejector bar  30  and to another ejector bar not shown in  FIG. 4 . Member  38  pivots about pivot point  40 . When ejector push member  32  is pushed in the direction of arrow  33 , the ejector bar  30  is forced to move in the direction of arrow  31 . The ejector bar  30  comprises one or more hooks  47  that catch a bottom surface of the notebook computer  12  (e.g., using one or more corresponding orifices on the bottom surface of the notebook computer  12 ). The ejector bar  30  also comprises one or more plungers  50 . As the ejector bar  30  is moved in the direction of the arrow  31 , the hooks  47  pull back slightly to release from the notebook computer  12 . As the ejector bar  30  is forced further in the direction of the arrow  31 , the plungers  50  are forced upward by ramps  52  (no plunger is shown at the left-most plunger ramp  52 ). The upward force of the plungers pushes against the notebook computer  12 , thereby separating the notebook computer  12  from the docking station. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show top and bottom views, respectively, of the sliding member  20 . The sliding member  20  comprises a transverse post  67  and a pair of vertical posts  65  and  68  protruding downward from the bottom of the sliding member  20 . The transverse post  67  and vertical posts  65  and  68  may be of any suitable shape (e.g., cylindrical) and size (e.g., with radii between 1 mm and 5 mm and lengths between 5 mm and 40 mm). 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the sliding member  20  engaging a locking bracket  75 . The locking bracket  75  comprises an angled cam groove  77  in which the bottom end of the post  65  resides. As the sliding member  20  is slid to the right (in the direction of arrow  79 ), the rightward motion of post  65  in angled cam groove  77  forces the locking bracket  75  in an orthogonal direction, as indicated by arrow  81 . A spring  70  is disposed on transverse post  67  to apply pressure in the direction opposite the direction identified by arrow  79 . Spring  70  causes the sliding member  20  to naturally reside in the unlocked position U. The angled cam groove  77 , in some embodiments, is of an oval shape, has a length of between 4 mm and 20 mm and a depth of between 2 mm and 8 mm. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a bottom view of sliding member  20 , ejector bar  30 , locking bracket  75  and stop member  90 . The stop member  90  comprises an angled stop surface  92  and a spring  95 . The angled stop surface  92  may be of a substantially triangular shape or of a quadrilateral shape with all but one side parallel and/or perpendicular to the other sides. The size of the angled stop surface  92  ranges between 15 sq. mm and 45 sq. mm. The lock  23  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is inserted at slot  22 . When inserted, the lock  23  causes the stop member  90  to slide in the direction of arrow  94 . When the lock  23  is removed, spring  95  forces the stop member  90  in the direction opposite that of arrow  94 . The placement of stop member  90  is in an unlocked position. The ejector bar  30  is free to move left and right as needed to lock and eject the notebook computer  10  to/from the docking station  12 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the stop member  90  in a locked position due to the action of lock  23  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). Spring  95  is compressed. When the stop member  90  is pushed into the position shown in  FIG. 9 , the post  68  from the sliding member is at position  100 . As the end-user slides the sliding member  20  (using, for example, a finger) in the direction of arrow  21 , the post  68  moves from position  100  to position  102 . In so moving from position  100  to position  102 , the post  68  pushes against angled stop surface  92 , which forces the stop surface  92  upward in the direction of arrow  101 . This action further compresses spring  95 . When the post  68  is pushed to position  102 , the angled stop surface  92  is forced downward by the action of spring  95 . The left edge  105  of angled stop surface  92  prevents the post  68  from returning back to position  100 . The sliding member  20  is then locked in locking position L. 
     The action of forcing the sliding member  20  in the direction of arrow  21  causes locking bracket  75  to move downward in the direction of arrow  81 , as explained above. Because the sliding member  20  becomes locked in locking position L, the locking bracket  75  also becomes locked in the position illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The bottom portion  110  of the locking bracket  75  thereby provides a locking surface that prevents the ejector bar  30  from moving to the right in the direction of arrow  103 . Because the ejector bar  30  cannot move in the direction of arrow  103 , the hooks  47  do not disengage and the plungers  50  are not pushed upward. Accordingly, the notebook computer  10  is locked in place on docking station  12  until the lock  23  is removed. Removal of lock  23  permits the various aforementioned pieces to return to their unlocked states, which then permits full use of the ejector bar  30 . When the lock  23  is removed, spring  111  returns locking bracket  75  back to its unlocked position, as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.