Patent Abstract:
A section of a housing on a portable computing device is removed or folded away, thereby exposing a free edge of an LCD screen as well as electrical (data and power) connectors and structural connectors. Connectors are placed symmetrically across the exposed edge whereby a male connector on one side mates with a female connector on the other device. Two such devices are physically pushed together, with locking catches securing the two devices together. Upon docking, the two devices recognize the new configuration and re-map the desktop area of the display into a single display for the combined device. In a preferred embodiment, either a top edge or a side edge is selectively exposed independently on the same device, to mate two devices in either a portrait or landscape orientation.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of “tablet” form-factor digital devices. More specifically, the present invention is related to a modified “tablet” form-factor digital device which can physically “dock” with like devices to create a larger, more capable device.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of Related Art  
           [0004]    A tablet form factor is a “single slab” device which generally does not have a hinged keyboard section (in comparison to a notebook computer), but is essentially a screen device with some sort of touch screen as the primary input. Current examples on the market are the Fujitsu “Stylistic” series of tablet computers (representing Win9x devices), and at a smaller scale, Palm Pilot and handheld WinCE devices.  
           [0005]    Many times, work utilizing such tablet form factor devices involves two or more people in immediate proximity to each other collaborating on some task which involves the use of such devices. In most collaborative environments such as this, the devices are digitally linked in some manner (IR, radio, ethernet) where data is shared on a “virtual whiteboard”. This whiteboard displays redundant, identical information on each device, which each user can thereby modify independently on their own device.  
           [0006]    In these cases, the additional display, and essentially the entire hardware of the additional devices, are wasted due to their redundancy. In addition, portable products generally make sacrifices in screen area and hardware capability for the tradeoff of increased portability (smaller size and weight). Significant disadvantages result by failing to combine the resources, such as the displays, of each device in scenarios such as this.  
           [0007]    The technique of “tiling” CRT or LCD displays has been demonstrated before, however, all efforts have focused on creating a large, permanent, single purpose display. The driving reason behind such techniques is to create a lower-cost tiled display (due to economies of scale of smaller displays) in comparison to a single display of comparable size. Two companies which have been working in this area are Sharp Corp. and Rainbow Displays, Inc.  
           [0008]    The following US patents describe methods for tiling LCD screens together or the displaying of an image on multiple synchronized display units: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,760,388; 4,800,376; 4,844,068; 5,275,565; 5,661,531; 5,805,117; 5,838,405; 5,903,328; and 5,956,046.  
           [0009]    Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieve a collaborative environment wherein a modular display and computing device can be increased and decreased in size and function in response to the task at hand.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    One or more sections on a housing of a portable computing device are selectively removed or folded away, thereby exposing a free edge of the display screen as well as electrical connectors and structural connectors. Two or more such devices are docked utilizing the exposed connectors such that the exposed screen edges abut. Upon docking, the devices recognize the new configuration and re-map the desktop area of the display into a single display for the combined device.  
           [0011]    One embodiment of the present invention allows either, or both, the top edge or side edge of the housing to be simply pivoted underneath the device to expose the edge of the device screen. Electrical and structural connectors are exposed as well. The edges of the device are sharply angled, allowing the edge of the device to pivot under itself without adding any substantial thickness to the device. The two folding side sections are split at a 45 degree angle, allowing for independent rotation of the sections, while still providing the maximum potential protection to the screen edge. When one side is folded down, the other edge extends beyond the screen edge, and therefore must be accommodated for in the mating device with a corresponding cut-out area. These male and female shapes provide the added advantage of a visual cue as to how the two devices connect.  
           [0012]    Additionally, in another embodiment, other computing resources, such as RAM and CPU cycles, are shared when two such devices are docked.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 a  illustrates a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 b  illustrates a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention with one edge folded.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 a  illustrates a back plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 b  illustrates a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention with one edge folded.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 c  illustrates a back angled view of an embodiment of the present invention with one edge folded.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 illustrates docking of two devices of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 a  illustrates a landscape orientation of two docked devices of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 b  illustrates a portrait orientation of two docked devices of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 a  illustrates a landscape orientation of two docked devices of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing PDAs.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 b  illustrates a portrait orientation of two docked devices of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing PDAs.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    While this invention is illustrated and described in a preferred embodiment, the device may be produced in many different configurations, forms and materials. There is depicted in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as a exemplification of the principles of the invention and the associated functional specifications of the materials for its construction and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0024]    As part of the present invention a housing/mechanism for a tablet form-factor computing device allows the edge of the device&#39;s display to be exposed. Once exposed, the display may be abutted to another like display on a like device to create a larger display meta-device.  
         [0025]    One realization of the present invention is a device where just a single side of the device pivots. Although easier to implement, however, it limits the combined screen configuration to a single aspect ratio. With the advent of new low-temperature polysilicon LCD displays, LCD screens only need two edges of the display connected to driver circuitry, allowing two sides to be totally free of physical features that would prevent the abutment of the screens. When designed such that two sides can pivot, two aspect ratios can be created, 1) a long and thin landscape view, and 2) a more square portrait view, allowing for a choice of formats that will best fit the shape of the displayed data. In addition, by allowing more than one side to pivot, more than two such devices can be joined, allowing for a much larger combined display and computing power  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 a  illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the present invention. Tablet device  104  comprises a display  108  and a plurality of edges  100 ,  102 ,  112 , and  116 . Two of the edges  100 ,  102  are capable of being folded towards the back surface of the device such that the device is able to be docked with a similar device in two orientations, landscape or portrait, dependent upon which side is pivoted. Or, rather than just providing for two orientations, both sides are pivoted at the same time allowing more than two such devices to be combined. Edges  112 ,  116  are stationary and extend along perpendicularly oriented sides of the device while edges  100 ,  102  extend along the other perpendicularly oriented sides of the device. At the point where foldable edges  100 ,  102  meet  110 , edges  100 ,  102  are split at a  45  degree angle  114 . In addition, the corner where edges  100 ,  102  meet  110  is shaped rather than rectangular to provide male physical forms when one of edges  100 ,  102  are folded towards the back surface of the device. The ends of stationary edges  112 ,  116  which meet with foldable edges  100 ,  102  are provided with docking cutouts  106   a ,  106   b  so as to provide female forms when one of edges  100 ,  102  are folded towards the back surface of the device. The use of movable edge sections  100 ,  102  is advantageous as they provide protection to the connectors and the edge of the display which are exposed when the device is to be mated with a similar device.  
         [0027]    As illustrated in FIG. 1 b,  when one of the foldable edges, in this illustration edge  100 , is folded under, a male docking edge point  118  extending beyond the edge of LCD screen and female docking cutout  106   a  are exposed such that they may be mated with corresponding cutouts and edge points on another similar device having its corresponding edge folded. Corner  110  where edges  100 ,  102  meet and 45 degree split  114  of the edges provides for triangular edge point  118  extending beyond the edge of the LCD screen  108 . Additionally, docking cut  106   a  and LCD screen edge  120  become exposed when edge  100  is folded back.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  illustrate sequential back views of the device shown in FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b  having unfolded edges and a folded edge, respectively. As shown, sides  200  of the device are angled. In this manner, when edge  100  or edge  102  is folded under the device, the folded edge does not add thickness to the device.  
         [0029]    A three dimensional back view is illustrated in FIG. 2 c  which further illustrates male edge point  118 , female docking cutout  106 , and exposed screen edge  120 . Electrical connectors  202  are placed symmetrically across exposed edge  120  whereby a male electrical connector on one side would mate with a female electrical connector on the other device. The exact type (i.e. physical, optical, RF, etc.) and configuration of the connectors is determined by the size and type of device. Electrical connectors may include both power and data busses, or separate connectors may be provided for the power and data busses.  
         [0030]    Utilizing mating sections  106   a ,  118 , a second device  302 , with a corresponding edge folded down, and the entire device rotated 180 degrees, two devices are capable of being docked together, as is illustrated in FIG. 3. Device  104  has edge  100  folded exposing male edge point  118 , female docking cut out  106   a  and edge  120 . Device  302  has a corresponding edge also folded back (not shown) and is rotated 180 degrees such that male edge point  304  of device  302  is aligned to female docking cutout  106   a  of device  104  and male edge point  118  of device  104  is aligned with female docking cutout  306  of device  302 . Electrical connectors  202  (not shown in FIG. 3) are placed symmetrically across the exposed edges whereby a male electrical connector on one device mates with a female electrical connector on the other device. Devices  104  and  302  are physically pushed together and docked. Upon being docked, displays  108 ,  308  combine to form a single coplanar display surface and the two devices  104 ,  302  recognize the new configuration and re-map the desktop area of the display into a single display device. The specifics of re-mapping the display are not critical to the understanding of the present invention. Any known or future method of remapping two or more screens into one screen can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0031]    The physical and structurally linking of the two devices into a single monolithic device provides the advantage of displaying twice the screen area. Another advantage is obtained when hardware components, such as RAM and CPU cycles, are shared, creating a parallel processing device, that can run more demanding software than each individual unit could alone. Additionally, the physical connection allows for any new information created during the collaborative session to be immediately synchronized between the two devices, bypassing the secondary step of “beaming” information to the other device. The form factor of the linked devices also encourages positive social positioning of the two users in a side by side orientation, reinforcing a collaborative environmental setting.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  show two tablet computing devices according to the present invention docked together with their screens re-mapped to a single screen for the combined device. FIG. 4 a  shows the devices arranged such that a landscape orientation is produced. FIG. 4 b  shows the devices arranged such that a portrait orientation is produced.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  illustrate the use of the present invention in so-called “personal digital assistant” (PDA) computing devices. FIG. 5 a  illustrates two such equipped devices arranged in a landscape orientation, while FIG. 5 b  illustrates the devices arranged in a portrait orientation.  
         [0034]    While specific structures and shapes have been illustrated by the present disclosure, i.e. the structural docking points are located at opposite ends of the exposed edge and having a male-female relationship, the present invention should not be deemed limited by such disclosure. Other manners of providing a structural link, dependent upon the specific tablet form factor, can be utilized. Additionally, while a triangular shape has been illustrated for the structural docking points, other shapes can be used in a manner advantageous to the specific tablet form factor device being utilized. In addition, the embodiments have illustrated only two devices combined, however, the present invention is not limited thereto. More than one device is able to be combined with a device when more than one edge with electrical and structural connectors are exposed at the same time.  
       Conclusion  
       [0035]    A system and method has been shown in the above embodiments for the implementation of a tablet form factor device capable of being docked with a like device to increase display size and computing power. While various embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather, it is intended to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8