Patent Publication Number: US-6667881-B2

Title: Alignment mechanism for a computer system having a portable computer and a docking station

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/628,230 filed on Jul. 28, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,101, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the electronics circuitry field. More particularly, this invention is an alignment mechanism for a computer system having a portable computer and a docking station. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Portable computers have grown in popularity over the last several years. Despite the fact portable computers are by their nature small, lightweight, and easy to carry from place to place, their capabilities, memory and processing power rivals that of their much larger sibling, the desktop computer. In fact, portable computers are so handy, especially for today&#39;s mobile computing professionals, that it is difficult to see why anyone needs a large, bulky desktop computer anymore. 
     One major drawback of portable computers is their relative inflexibility to easily attach peripherals, such as printers, modems, external speakers, external monitors, external input devices, and the like. If a portable computer is going to truly replace a desktop computer when the user is in his or her office, the quick, easy, flexible attachment of peripherals is important. 
     More recently, docking stations have been developed for portable computers that allows them to more flexibly attach peripherals. Docking stations vary in complexity from relatively simple manually operated port replicators to more complex mechanically operated full-fledged docking systems. When a portable computer is connected to these docking stations, such as when a user is in his or her office, substantially all of the benefits of a desktop system can be achieved, while maintaining the flexibility the user has to take the portable computer with him or her on the road. 
     While docking stations have made it possible for portable computers to be true desktop replacements, they are not without their problems. One such problem is the relatively difficult nature of connecting a portable computer to the docking station in the first place. If the docking station does not have a complex mechanical mechanism to assist the user with this docking process, many users will be unable to successfully accomplish the docking process in a repeated manner, and may even damage the docking station, the portable computer, or both. Unfortunately, the existence of a complex mechanical mechanism greatly adds to the cost, size, and weight of the docking station. As the docking station gets bigger, heavier, and more expensive, the benefits of the portable computer and docking station over a desktop computer become less apparent. 
     Another problem is that the high demands for processing power of a notebook computer, coupled with the small size of the notebook computer, can result in the notebook computer getting quite hot. This problem can be exasperated when the notebook computer is docked in a docking station, since the cover on the notebook computer is typically closed, and the air movement around the notebook computer can be blocked by the docking station. A prior attempt to solve this problem places a fan in the docking station to help cool off the notebook computer when docked. Another attempt simply slows down the processor when it gets too hot. While both of these attempts have some merit, they can be costly in terms of added components in the docking station, reduced capabilities of the portable computer, or both. In either case, the overall expense of the computing system is increased, and again makes the benefits of a portable computer and docking station versus a desktop computer less apparent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A docking station for a portable computer contains a platform and a movable guide bar connected to the docking station and extending over the platform. The guide bar is capable of guiding the portable computer into proper alignment with the docking station when the portable computer is placed on the guide bar and pressed downwardly into the platform. 
     The guide bar may contain a thermally conductive guide protrusion capable of mating with a heat sink on the portable computer. Heat is transferred from the heat sink on the portable computer to the guide protrusion on the guide bar. The guide bar itself may also be thermally conductive, providing a further avenue for heat to be transferred from the portable computer to the docking station. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows the docking station of the computing system of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a portion of the portable computer used in the computing system of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of the docking station of FIG. 1, with a portable computer of the preferred embodiment of the invention resting on the guide bar in the guiding position. 
     FIG. 4 shows a side view of the docking station of FIG. 1, after the portable computer and the guide bar have been pressed down into a docked position. 
     FIG. 5 shows a portion of the docking station of FIG. 1 in more detail. 
     FIG. 6 shows a top view of the docking station docked with a portable computer in the preferred embodiment of the invention, where the portable computer is shown in dashed lines so as not to obscure the docking station when in a docked position. 
     FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the guide bar of the docking station in an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows the docking station of the computing system of the preferred embodiment of the invention. Docking station  20  has housing  21  and platform  24 . Housing  21  has I/O connectors  23 . Platform  24  also contains docking connector  22 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that docking connector  22  could be located differently from that shown in FIG.  1  and still fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     Docking station  20  also contains guide bar  50 . Guide bar  50  contains end portions  51  and  52 , guide protrusions  55  and  56 , and retention pads  58  and  59 . Guide bar  50  is movable between a guiding position extending over platform  24 , as is shown in FIG. 1, to a docked position, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, as will be described in more detail later. Details of the mechanism that moves guide bar  50  from a guiding position to a docked position and back again will be described in more detail later in conjunction with the discussion of FIG.  5 . 
     Platform  24  also contains recessed portion  30 . Recessed portion  30  provides a place for guide bar  50  when guide bar  50  is in the docked mode. When in the docked mode, guide bar  50  is retained in recessed portion  30  by retention mechanism  31  and  32 . Retention mechanism  31  and  32  retain retention pads  58  and  59  on guide bar  50 . In the preferred embodiment, guide bar  50  is spring biased in the guiding position, as will be explained in more detail later. 
     Platform  24  also contains alignment pins  28  and  29 . Alignment pins  28  and  29  are capable of mating with alignment apertures on a portable computer when the portable computer is docked in the docking station, as will be described in more detail later. 
     Docking station  20  also contains on/off switch  70 , and grounding pins  71  and  72 . On/off switch  70  allows a user to turn the docked portable computer on and off. Grounding pins  71  and  72  contact connectors  171  and  172  on the portable computer (FIG. 2) to provide a ground path for them. These connectors are not used when the docking station docks the portable computer, and ground pins  71  and  72  help reduce the electromagnetic interference of the portable computer when docked. 
     For purposes of this invention, a “docking station” refers to any device that provides convenient connections for a portable computer at a desktop or other generally fixed location (e.g., office, home, automobile, hotel, airplane, etc.). A docking station is typically connected to one or more of a wide variety of devices, such as a mouse, a printer, a keyboard, a display, a network cable, a telephone cable, speakers, an AC power adapter, a security lock, additional media drives, etc. Once the portable computer is docked with the docking station, it can access the device(s) the docking station is connected to without making additional connections. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term “docking station” would include a “full-fledged” motorized docking station, a slice, a port replicator, or other similar devices. 
     FIG. 2 shows bottom portion  101  of portable computer  100  of the computing system of the preferred embodiment of the invention. Computer connector  122  is preferably located on bottom portion  101  of portable computer  100 , those skilled the art will appreciate the computer connector  122  could be located elsewhere. Bottom portion  101  has recessed guide grooves  155  and  156 . Guide grooves  155  and  156  allow guide protrusions  55  and  56  to travel into an aligned position. Guide grooves  155  and  156  contain guide portions  110  and  111  respectively, and heat sink portions  120  and  121 , respectively. In the preferred embodiment, heat sink portions  120  and  121  are deeper than guide portions  110  and  111 . Guide portions  110  and  111  preferably start at or near the service of bottom portion  101  and become gradually more recessed until reaching heat sink portions  120  and  121 . Heat sink portions  120  and  121  are preferably coupled thermally to one or more heat producing components within portable computer  100 , such as a microprocessor. While two guide portions, heat sink portions, and guide protrusions are shown in FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment has been contemplated where only one of these elements is present. Other alternate embodiments have been contemplated with other numbers of these elements, from zero to three or more. 
     Bottom portion  101  of portable computer  100  also contains alignment apertures  128  and  129 . These apertures are capable of mating with alignment pins  28  in  29  when portable computer  100  is docked with docking station  20 , as will be described a more detail later. 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of computer system  10 , with portable computer  100  resting on guide bar  50  of docking station  20  in the guiding position. When the user originally puts portable computer  100  on guide bar  50 , guide protrusion  56  eventually lands in recessed guide groove  156 . If necessary, the user then pushes portable computer  100  forwards until guide protrusion  56  comes to a stop at the end of recessed guide groove  156 , as shown in FIG.  3 . Note that guide protrusion  56  is proximate to and mates with heat sink  121  in this position. This allows heat sink  121  to conduct heat to guide protrusion  56 . 
     Preferably, guide bar  50  is also thermally conductive, and heat can conduct from guide protrusion  56  to guide bar  50 . Heat then radiates out of guide bar  50 . In the preferred embodiment, guide protrusion  56  and guide bar  50  are made of steel or other similar highly conductive material. Also preferably, guide protrusion  56  rolls freely around guide bar  50 , although those skilled in the art will appreciate that protrusion  56  could be secured to guide bar  50  in a manner that does not permit it to roll. 
     In one alternate embodiment, guide protrusion  56  is not thermally conductive and heat sink  121  is not present to preferably transfer heat from heat sink  121  to the thermally conductive guide protrusion  56 . In this embodiment, guide portion  56  and guide groove  156  perform a guiding/alignment function but do not transfer heat from portable computer  100  to docking station  20 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a side view of computer system  10 , after portable computer  100  and guide bar  50  have been pressed down into a docked position. When portable computer  100  and guide bar  50  are in a docked position, alignment pin  28  mates with alignment aperture  128 , and alignment pin  29  mates with alignment aperture  129 . Also, computer connector  122  mates with docking connector  22 . Since docking connector  22  is operatively coupled to I/O connectors  23  (FIG. 1) docking station  20  enhances the input/output functionality of portable computer  100  when docked by providing convenient connections for portable computer  100 . 
     Note also from FIG. 4 that when portable computer  100  is docked in docking station  20 , guide protrusion  56  mates with heat sink  121  and portable computer  100 . This allows heat from portable computer  100  to conduct to docking station  20  via guide protrusion  56 , as has been discussed. 
     FIG. 5 shows the operation of guide bar  50  of docking station  20  in more detail. Guide bar  50  is connected to spring rod  81 . Spring rod  81  contains one or more springs  82  secured to spring rod  81  by screw or other attachment mechanism  83 , and secured to frame of docking station  20  by spring stop  84 . Springs  82  serve to bias guide bar  50  in an upright, guiding position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     When portable computer  100  is placed on guide bar  50  and pressed downwardly into platform  24 , springs  82  on spring rod  81  compress and resist this downward pressure. But when portable computer  100  is pressed down far enough, retention pads  58  and  59  of guide bar  50  engage with retention mechanism  31  and  32 . Retention mechanism  31  and  32  holds guide bar  50  in a downward, docked position, such as that shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, thereby counteracting the upward bias on guide bar  50  via springs  82 . 
     When the user wishes to undock portable computer  100  and release it from docking station  20 , she activates lever  60 . Preferably, lever  60  is activated by rotation. This action rotates lever rod  91  and moves cams  92  and  93  into sliders  94  and  95 . Sliders  94  and  95  cause pins  96  and  97  to rotate downwardly. As pins  96  and  97  rotate downwardly, retention mechanism  31  and  32  rotates upwardly, pivoting on pivot points  98  and  99 , respectively. When retention mechanism  31  and  32  rotates upwardly, they disengage from retention pads  58  and  59 , releasing the pressure on spring  82  and causing guide bar  50  to spring into an upright, guiding position. 
     Another alternative embodiment has been contemplated where docking station  20  includes a security mechanism that prevents portable computer  100  from being undocked unless a key or password is provided. In this embodiment, retention mechanism  31  and  32  would not release even if lever  60  was activated, unless the key had unlocked the docking station, or a signal was received via docking connector  22  that the user provided a valid password. 
     Yet another alternative embodiment would prevent guide bar  50  from being retained by retention mechanism  31  and  32  unless portable computer  100  was present. This would prevent a user from manually pushing guide bar  50  down into a docked position directly with their fingers, which could become pinched by guide bar  50 . Also, this would prevent guide bar  50  from snapping back up from a docked position into a guiding position when lever  60  is activated, perhaps causing minor injuries to a user if a portable computer is not resting on guide bar  50 . This interlock function could be performed either by electrical means (through the verification that signals are being received from docking connector  22  before retention mechanism  31  and  32  is activated) or via mechanical means (such as one or more interlock pins pushed in by the portable computer when docked). 
     FIG. 6 shows a top view of computer system  10 , with portable computer  100  docked with docking station  20  in the preferred embodiment of the invention, where portable computer  100  is shown in dashed lines so as not to obscure docking station  20  when in a docked position. Note that retention mechanism  31  and  2  engage with retention pads  58  and  59 , and that guide bar  50  rests in recessed portion  30  of platform  24 . 
     An alternate embodiment has been contemplated where heat sink  121  (FIG. 4) is replaced or augmented by a transmitter. In this embodiment, electrical signals are transmitted from the transmitter to guide protrusion  56 , and then out to guide bar  50 , where guide bar  50  acts as an antenna. This allows portable computer  100  to transmit information to other electronic devices, such as other computers, cell phones, peripherals, etc., via guide bar  50 . Those skilled the art will appreciate that guide bar  58  could also serve to receive signals from such devices and provide the signals to personal computer  100  via a receiver in place of or addition to heat sink  121 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment has been contemplated where guide bar  50  contains outer portion  53  and inner core  54 . In this embodiment, outer portion  53  is made of a thermally conductive material, such as steel, while core  54  is made up a liquid, such as water. When outer portion  53  of guide bar  50  heats up, heat is transferred to the liquid in core  54 . The liquid within core  54  moves the heat from hotter areas of guide bar  50  to cooler areas of guide bar  50 . While this is preferably done naturally through convection, an embodiment has been contemplated where liquid coolant is circulated by a refrigerating, circulating mechanism, such as that found traditionally in refrigerators albeit on a much smaller scale, through guide bar  50 .