Abstract:
A hybrid computer system is provided. The hybrid computer includes a display portion attached to a base portion via hinge. The display portion can be folded flat against the base portion such that the display screen faces outwards, for use in a tablet computer configuration. The display portion can alternatively be tilted upwards relative to the base portion, with the display portion being hinged at a front edge of the display and in a middle section of the base portion. When the display is articulated upwards, a support structure can be deployed between the backside of the display and the base portion, in order to provide physical support to the display and resistance against hinge movement in response to a user pressing on the display to engage touchscreen functionality.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates in general to the computer field, and in particular, to a new category of portable computer that combines the advantages of a laptop computer and a tablet. 
         [0002]    Tablet computers have grown in popularity because of their portability and ease of touchscreen input. However, some shortcomings and obstacles remain which limit the practical application of a tablet to only some applications such as checking email or playing simple games. More elaborate applications still require a real computer, such as a laptop computer. There are several reasons for that limitation, such as a) the lack of a keyboard for faster, more reliable and more convenient input than a touchscreen, b) generally tablets are underpowered for real computer work which usually requires more storage capacity, more memory, more peripheral devices, faster processors, more battery capacity and generally more computer resources than current tablets normally provide. 
         [0003]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a typical prior art tablet computer  10  includes a computer housing  11  and a touchscreen  12  which is used for visual output as well as for user input. Inside the housing  11  and underneath the touchscreen panel  12  there are the internal components of the tablet computer (not shown in  FIG. 1 ), such as the motherboard, the data storage device, the battery and others. 
         [0004]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-section of the tablet computer. 
         [0005]      FIG. 2A  shows a typical state of the art laptop computer with a base  212  and a display  213 . This type of computers typically provides enough power for real computer work, but until now they generally lack the user-friendliness of a laptop computer. Some attempts have been made to equip this type of laptops with a touchscreen to provide tablet-like user-friendliness, but some obstacles have been encountered which have prevented the adoption by the users. One of those obstacles has been the fact that when a laptop as the one in  FIG. 2A  is equipped with a touchscreen as part of its display unit  213 , said display unit tends to move and oscillate when the user touches the touchscreen to enter some input, which is uncomfortable because the image is moving and vibrating in front of the user. Even with a stronger and tighter hinge it is difficult to avoid this problem because of the distance between the hinge and the points of touch. A moving, slightly oscillating display can make a user dizzy or frustrated, making touchscreen usage impractical for such type of computer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a prior art tablet computer. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of the prior art tablet computer. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a prior art laptop computer. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a hybrid computer, according to a first embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a cross-section of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , with the display articulated into an angled position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  in portrait orientation. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  in a landscape orientation. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a side view cross-section of a hybrid computer with articulated display. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8A  is a side view cross-section of a hybrid computer with articulated display and display support member. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a hybrid computer according to another embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a hybrid computer embodiment having a compact keyboard. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view of a hybrid computer embodiment without keyboard. 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a side view cross section of the embodiment of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a side view cross section of a further embodiment having a display unit that is separable from a base unit. 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a side view of a prior art laptop computer in a space-constrained environment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  is a side view of a hybrid computer in accordance with embodiments described herein, in the space-constrained environment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 16  is a side view cross section of a further embodiment of a hybrid computer having a deployable keyboard in a stowed position. 
           [0024]      FIG. 17  is a side view cross section of the embodiment of  FIG. 16 , with the keyboard in a deployed position. 
           [0025]      FIG. 18  is a side view cross section of another embodiment of a hybrid computer having a deployable keyboard in a stowed position. 
           [0026]      FIG. 19  is a side view cross section of the embodiment of  FIG. 18 , with the keyboard in a deployed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    The hybrid computer of the illustrated embodiments may provide the convenience and user-friendliness of a tablet combined with the more powerful resources and capabilities of a conventional laptop computer. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of one embodiment of the invention. The hybrid computer can also be referred to as the Laplet (laptop-tablet computer), a term that describes this new category of computer and which the inventor uses as the trademark for this product. The hybrid computer  30  consists of a housing  31 , which contains the display screen  32 , a keyboard  36 , a touchpad  33  and buttons  34  and  35 . The cavities  39  are intended to facilitate the lifting of the display by the user by inserting his fingertips into said cavities. The display screen  32  is preferably equipped with a touchscreen to enable the computer to function both as a laptop computer and as a tablet. Another possible embodiment of this invention could omit the touchpad  33 , which is not essential, since the display provides touch sensing capability that can be used in lieu of a touchpad. Another possible embodiment could omit the touchscreen in order to provide a laptop-only configuration at lower cost. Another possible embodiment could include a touchscreen in a laptop-only configuration with touch capability, in order to use a touch-oriented operating system such as Window 8 in a full-fledged laptop computer that is not intended to operate also as a tablet. Therefore concepts described herein apply not only to hybrid computers, but also to laptops and tablets. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-section of the hybrid computer of this invention. The basic components shown include the housing  41 , the display screen  42  and the keyboard  46 . The internal components such as the motherboard, the batter, the optical drive and other devices (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) are located inside the housing  41  and underneath the display screen  42  and the keyboard  46 . 
         [0030]    As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the display screen  42  is rotatably attached to the housing  41  through hinges  47 . The display screen  42  is typically a touchscreen, and can be based on any the prior art touchscreen technologies such as capacitive, resistive, SAW, IPS or others. The display itself is typically a liquid crystal display (LCD), but it can also be an OLED display, a digital ink display or any other type of visual display. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  shows that the user can lift the display screen  52  to a desired optimal viewing angle by causing the display screen  52  to rotate about the hinges  57 . The deployment of the display screen can be achieved in a manual or automated way. An automated deployment can be achieved using a small electric motor, a solenoid mechanism, a spring release mechanism or other methods where the user can press a button, switch or other release mechanism to cause the display to rotate into position. The stowing of the screen back into its bay  58  can also be manual or automated. 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  shows that the user can use the hybrid computer in tablet mode by holding it in his/her arm like a typical tablet while using the other hand for input through the touchscreen  62 . In tablet mode the screen has been folded down on the base by rotating down about the hinges  67  and  68 . In  FIG. 6  the user is using the hybrid computer in tablet mode and in portrait orientation. 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 7  the user is using the hybrid computer in tablet mode and in landscape orientation. This orientation has the advantage that the user can use the keyboard  76  for input, in addition to the touchscreen  72 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  shows a cross-section of hybrid computer  80  being used in laptop mode, i.e. with the computer housing  81  resting on a surface  88 . The surface  88  can be the lap of the user or the surface of a desk or table. In this mode the hybrid computer can be used like a regular full-fledged laptop computer for jobs of any level of complexity (not just for very simple applications like a tablet). 
         [0035]      FIG. 8A  illustrates another embodiment. The embodiment of  FIG. 8A  includes features which may address oscillation issues arising during use of computing device with touchscreen, particularly with a hinged display such as typical laptop computers. The display  382  is equipped with a support  388 , which pivots around the pivot  387  and rests on the base  381  to firmly support the display  382 . Support  388  can act to prevent movement and oscillation when a user touches the touchscreen display  382 . As illustrated, support  388  rests against a rear edge of base  381  in order to support and stabilize display  382 . Optionally, base  381  may include indentations or grooves  389  or similar features which physically engage with support  388  in one or more alternative positions to restrain support  388  from movement in response to the application of pressure to touchscreen  382 . While the embodiment of  FIG. 8A  provides grooves  389  to restrain movement of support  388  and prevent support  388  from sliding along the length of base  381 , it is expressly contemplated and understood that alternative means of restricting the movement of support  388  relative to base unit  381  could readily be implemented. For example, magnets can be provided under the surface of the base  381  or inside the support  388 , which interact with other magnets or ferromagnetic counterparts to maintain the support at a selected one of one or more positions. Furthermore, in embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8A , support  388  is rotatably attached to display  382  via hinge structure  387 ; however, it is understood that in other embodiments, support  388  can be articulated at a pivot point on the base  381  (instead of the display  382 ), in which case the support may engage with grooves, slots, magnets or other movement-constraining structures within the display. 
         [0036]    An additional advantage of certain embodiments described herein is that because of the display support, it may be possible to use simple non-frictional hinges for articulation of the display relative to the base, which are not only less expensive, but also much smaller and lighter, and enable further size and weight reduction in laptops, tablets and hybrid computers, which are typically important design criteria for these devices. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  shows a variation of the previously described embodiment of the invention wherein the touch pad and the touch buttons have been eliminated. The touch pad and the touch buttons (previously identified as items  32  through  35  in  FIG. 3 ). The touchpad and the buttons are not essential since the touchscreen  92  can provide that functionality. Eliminating them creates more space at the bottom of the base for a large, comfortable keyboard  96 . It also reduces cost of course, without reducing functionality. 
         [0038]      FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the keyboard  103  has been streamlined to provide a reduced height H, which makes it possible to use a larger screen  102 . There are several ways to reduce the keyboard height H, such as reducing the number of rows and increasing the length L, or using re-assignable keys with a smart keyboard. A smart keyboard can be achieved for instance based on each key having a miniature display, possibly with e-ink technology, so that the keys can display a different label depending on user choice or context. 
         [0039]      FIG. 11  shows another embodiment of the invention without a keyboard. All input has to rely on the touchscreen  112 . The advantage of this embodiment with respect to a conventional tablet is that it can be used like any regular tablet at any time but it can also be resting on the surface of a desk or table. Optionally this embodiment can also have a support as previously shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . 
         [0040]      FIG. 12  shows a cross-section of  FIG. 11 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 13  shows that the display  132  can be made as a separable tablet, which can operate independently with its own motherboard, battery and other internal devices. The display/tablet  132  can be plugged into the pivoting connector  132 , which connects the display/tablet  132  to the housing  136  both mechanically and electrically. The housing  136  can contain an additional battery  137 , additional storage (hard disk or solid state disk)  138  and other components not shown in  FIG. 13A , such as an optical drive, additional memory, a second motherboard, communications hardware and software and other components that can expand the basic functionality of the tablet to allow it to function n as a real computer when the tablet/display  132  is plugged into the housing  136 . 
         [0042]      FIGS. 14 and 15  illustrate some of the advantage of the computer of this invention in an airplane seat.  FIG. 14  shows how a conventional laptop computer  140  may be difficult to open and adequately locate on an airplane table  144 , because the screen  142  clashes with the back of the reclined seat  141 . Therefore the user may not be able to achieve the right viewing angle for the screen. By contrast,  FIG. 15  shows how the hybrid computer  150  of this invention is easy to open, even in a tight airplane seat, because the hinge is closer to the user and therefore screen  151  does not clash with the back of the front seat  152  and can be easily oriented at an optimum viewing angle. 
         [0043]      FIG. 16  shows that the hybrid computer can be equipped with a deployable keyboard  166  (similar to a deployable CD-ROM drive). In  FIG. 16  the deployable keyboard is shown in stowed position.  FIG. 17  shows the keyboard in deployed position. 
         [0044]      FIG. 18  shows a keyboard  186  attached to the bottom of the hybrid computer.  FIG. 19  shows the keyboard  196  in deployed position. 
         [0045]    The above disclosures and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. A person skilled in the art can modify the above described embodiments while still remaining within the scope of the invention.