Patent Abstract:
A display device on a supporting base utilizes the surface area of the support base to house a handset of a wireless telephone, a small touch screen, a microphone, a loudspeaker, and a switch. A communication module within the support base permits wireless communication between all components, incoming and outgoing calls may be managed on a hands-free basis, and the display of information relevant to external communications may be switched between the touch screen and a large upper screen of the display device.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to display devices, and particularly to a display device for computing systems. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Display devices of computing systems have a display portion and a supporting portion. The supporting portion includes a bracket and a base. Usually, the base has no function beyond being used to support the display portion and real estate on desks is consumed for very little return. In addition, in many offices where the display devices are used, fixed telephones may be required which require their own space on the desks. Further, the fixed telephone may have a small display for displaying communication information. The displayed communication information may be limited and not clear enough due to dimensions of the small display. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a display device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a touch screen of the display device rotated out from a receiving groove of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded schematic view of the display device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Examples of the present embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numbers are used, in the drawings and the description, to refer to the same or like parts. 
         [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a display device  100  according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. The display device  100  includes a display portion  1 , a supporting portion, a touch screen  33 , a telephone receiver  37 , and a communication module  39 . The display portion  1  displays information under the control of an electronic device electronically connected to the display portion  1 . The display portion  1  includes a display screen and a shell that accommodates and supports the display screen. 
         [0011]    The supporting portion  20  includes a bracket  21  and a base  22 . In this embodiment, the base  22  is in shape of an elongated circle. One end of the bracket  21  is perpendicularly fixed to the base  21 , and another end of the bracket  21  is fixed to or pivots from the shell of the display portion  1  to support the display portion  1 . 
         [0012]    One side of the base  22  defines first receiving groove  38 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first receiving groove  38  is defined at the right side of the bracket  21  and is cuboid shaped. The telephone receiver  37  is fixed to and partially received in the first receiving groove  38 . The communication module  39  is embedded within the inner space of the first receiving groove  38  to communicate with external communication devices (e.g., other phones) and the telephone receiver  37 . The communication module  39  receives electronic signals from the external communication devices and audibly outputs the received electronic signals through the telephone receiver  37 . Further, the communication module  39  receives sounds input by a user using the telephone receiver  37 , and transmits the sounds as signals to an external communication device which communicates with the communication module  39 . In one embodiment, the telephone receiver  37  is a wireless receiver. The communication module  39  may include a wireless communication module, such as a BLUETOOTH® module, corresponding to the telephone receiver  37 , to establish a wireless communication between the telephone receiver  37  and the communication module  39 . 
         [0013]    Size of the touch screen  33  is smaller than that of the screen of the display portion  1 , and is electronically connected to the communication module  39 . The touch screen  33  displays information relevant to the communication module  39 , such as phone numbers of incoming calls, phone directory, communication counts and durations, and other information. The touch screen  33  includes a virtual keypad to provide a dialing function for the communication module  39 . In an alternative embodiment, a physical keypad is defined on the telephone receiver  37 , to provide the dialing function of the communication module  39 . 
         [0014]    The base  22  further defines a second receiving groove  330 . In this embodiment, the second receiving groove  330  is defined in front of the bracket  31  and spaced from the first receiving groove  38 . The second receiving groove  330  receives and supports the touch screen  33 . The touch screen  33  includes a rotating shaft  32  at a side, to rotatably attach the touch screen  33  to a sidewall of the second receiving groove  330  far away from the bracket  21 . In the embodiment, the sidewall of the second receiving groove  330  far away from the bracket  21  defines two notches. Two opposite ends of the rotating shaft  32  are inserted into the notches. Thus, the touch screen  33  can be laid flush in the second receiving groove  330  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) by rotating the touch screen  330  towards the bracket  21 . When the touch screen  33  is rotated up and out of the second receiving groove  330 , the touch screen  33  stands on the base  22  at an angle between the touch screen  33  and the base  22  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0015]    In the embodiment, the display device  100  further includes a speaker  30 , a microphone  31 , a switching button  34 , a hands free button  35 , and a network interface  36 . The microphone  31 , the switching button  34 , and the hands free button  35  are lined along a line in front of the second receiving groove  330 . The speaker  30  is defined at another side of the base  22  opposite to the telephone receiver  37 . The microphone  31 , the speaker  30 , and the hands free button  35  are electronically connected to the communication module  39  to provide a hands free communication function for the communication module  39 . When the communication module  39  receives an incoming call from the external communication device, signals of the incoming call are output as audio through the speaker when the hands free button  35  is pressed. At this time, the microphone  31  receives sounds input by the user and transmits the sounds as signals to the external communication device through the communication module  39 , thereby realizing the hands free communication function of the communication module  39 . 
         [0016]    The network interface  36  is defined at a backside of the base  22 , to connect the display device  100  to a network. 
         [0017]    The switching button  34  is configured to switch information between display on the display portion  1  and display on the touch screen  33 . For example, when the switching button  34  is pressed, the information displayed on the display portion  1  is switched to the touch screen  33 , conversely the information displayed on the touch screen  33  is switched to the display portion  1 . 
         [0018]    In the embodiment, the display device  100  further comprises an image capturing device  11  installed on the display portion  1 . The image capturing device  11  captures images of the scene in front of the display device  100  to realize a video communication function of the display device  100 . When a video communication is established between the display device  100  and an external communication device, one of the display portion  1  and the touch screen  33  displays the images captured by the image capturing device, and another of the display portion  1  and the touch screen  33  displays images transmitted from the external communication device. The images captured by the image capturing device  11  are transmitted to the external communication device through the communication module  39 . The image capturing device  11  may be, for example, a camera mounted on the top edge of the display portion  1 . 
         [0019]    In other embodiments, the display screen of the display portion  1  may be touch screen which includes a virtual keyboard, to provide the dialing function of the communication module  39  using the display screen of the display portion  1 . 
         [0020]    Although numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7