Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-29
2001-02-06
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185094
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic apparatus, and more particularly relates to docking station apparatus used to connect a portable computer to desktop computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse.
2. Description of Related Art
In computer parlance a “docking station” is an interface device to which a portable computer, such as the increasingly popular notebook computer, may be operatively and removably coupled to connect its central processing unit and other internal circuitry to desktop computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse. In this manner the portable computer may be used “on the road” by its owner, utilizing its own keyboard, monitor and mouse, and later used in a home or office desktop work station in conjunction with the larger desktop peripheral devices. Thus, a single computer can provide its user with both the compactness, light weight, portability and diminutive work space requirements of the notebook computer and the power and comfort of a desktop system with its larger work space and peripheral devices.
A conventionally configured docking station typically comprises a housing adapted to sit atop the desktop work space and containing the interface electronics used to connect the “docked” portable computer to the desktop peripheral devices operatively coupled to the docking station. The housing has a horizontal surface upon which the portable computer is rested, keyboard side up, before being horizontally moved rearwardly to removably couple a connector on the rear side of the computer to a corresponding docking connector on the docking station housing.
This horizontal orientation of the docking station is similar to that of the typical desktop computer in that it presents generally the same disadvantage—namely, its vertical footprint occupies a substantial desktop workspace area. With a desktop computer this problem may be substantially alleviated by configuring the computer to be vertically oriented in the now familiar “tower” configuration in which the desktop computer is basically tipped ninety degrees so that it is vertically elongated and rests on what used to be one of its relatively short vertical sides. In this vertical tower configuration the desktop computer may be positioned on the desktop, and occupy a substantially lesser horizontal portion of the work area, or placed on the floor to one side of or under the desk to conveniently eliminate the computer's desktop space requirement.
In order to achieve a similar kind of desktop work area space savings in a docking station application it would be desirable to provide a docking station system that could vertically orient a portable computer docked therein in a manner correspondingly reducing the vertical footprint of the overall docking station apparatus. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such a space-saving docking station system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred overall system embodiment thereof, space-saving computer docking apparatus is provided that comprises a specially designed stand structure, a docking station, and a portable computer, preferably a notebook computer.
The docking station has a bottom side, an electrical connector, and a guide structure upwardly spaced apart from and generally parallel to the bottom docking station side and along which the portable computer may be moved into docked coupling with the electrical connector.
The stand structure is configured to operatively support the docking station in an orientation in which its bottom side and guide structure are vertically oriented, and has a receiving portion upon which the portable computer, in a vertical orientation, may be placed; and a holding portion movable in response to placement of the vertically oriented portable computer on the receiving portion to engage the vertically oriented portable computer and hold it against the docking station guide structure for horizontal movement therealong into docked coupling with the docking station electrical connector.
According to one feature of the invention the holding portion includes a vertically oriented holding wall structure pivotally secured to a base portion of the stand structure for pivotal movement toward and away from the guide structure of the vertically supported docking station between an outwardly pivoted receiving position and an inwardly pivoted receiving position. The receiving portion is generally horizontally oriented and is transversely secured to a lower portion of the vertically oriented holding wall structure for pivotal movement therewith relative to the stand structure base portion.
When the vertically oriented portable computer is placed on the receiving portion with the holding wall structure in its outwardly pivoted receiving position, the weight of the computer automatically pivots the holding wall structure toward the docking station guide structure and to the support position of the holding wall structure. This, in turn, causes the holding wall structure to engage the portable computer and hold it against the vertically oriented docking station guide structure. Accordingly, the holding wall structure automatically maintains the computer in horizontal alignment with the docking station electrical connector, while the receiving portion holds the computer in vertical alignment therewith, to permit the vertically oriented portable computer to be moved horizontally along the guide structure into docked coupling with the docking station electrical connector.
According to another feature of the invention, the holding wall structure is provided with a horizontally adjustable portion that permits selective variation of the minimum horizontal distance between the holding wall structure and the vertically oriented guide structure, whereby vertically oriented portable computers of varying horizontal widths may be accommodated by the stand structure.
In a preferred embodiment of this horizontal width adjustment feature the holding wall structure includes a vertically oriented hollow body portion with an inner side that faces the guide structure, is horizontally spaced apart therefrom, and has an opening therein. The adjustable portion is an adjustment member supported within the body portion interior for movement therein to various releasably lockable positions in which a curved side surface portion of the adjustment member projects outwardly through the opening a selectively variable distance outwardly beyond the inner side of the body portion.
According to a further feature of the invention, the receiving portion has a vertically movable top side platform portion upon which the vertically oriented portable computer may be placed. The platform is interconnected to the stand structure base portion by springs that resiliently bias the holding wall structure to its outwardly pivoted receiving position, and resiliently bias the platform portion toward an upper limit position thereof. This spring-supported platform portion serves to permit a vertical deflection thereof to compensate for small vertical misalignments between the vertically oriented portable computer and the docking station electrical connector.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5100098 (1992-03-01), Hawkins
patent: 5187645 (1993-02-01), Spalding et al.
patent: 5212628 (1993-05-01), Bradbury
patent: 5408382 (1995-04-01), Schultz et al.
patent: 5452180 (1995-09-01), Register et al.
patent: 5544010 (1996-08-01), Schultz et al.
patent: 5552957 (1996-09-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5619397 (1997-04-01), Honda et al.
patent: 5627727 (1997-05-01), Aguilera et al.
patent: 5633782 (1997-05-01), Goodman et al.
patent: 5644471 (1997-07-01), Schultz et al.
patent: 5687060 (1997-11-01), Ruch et al.
patent: 6-202760 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 94/00808 (1994-01-01), None
“Tadpole P1000 Series Docking Stations,”Tadpole Technology, Inc., copyright 1995.
Tadpole P1700: 166 MHz Workstation-Cla
Homer Steven S.
Ruch Mark H.
Compaq Computer Corporation
Feild Lynn D.
Sharp Comfort & Merrett P.C.
LandOfFree
Vertically oriented docking station apparatus for a portable... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vertically oriented docking station apparatus for a portable..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vertically oriented docking station apparatus for a portable... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2594767