IP Library Granted Patent US 10,296,053
Granted Patent B1
US 10,296,053 · App. 16/050,605 · Granted May 21, 2019

Multi-form factor information handling system (IHS) with attachable keyboard

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,296,053
App. No.
16/050,605
Granted
May 21, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

Embodiments of a multi-form factor Information Handling System (IHS) with an attachable keyboard are described. In some embodiments, an IHS may include a first display and a second display coupled to the first display, where the second display comprises one or more magnetic devices that provide a magnetic force configured to hold a bottom portion of a keyboard against a display surface of the second display.

Claims (29)

1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a first display; and

a second display coupled to the first display, wherein the second display comprises a first short side having a first set of one or more magnets and a second short side having a second set of one or more magnets, wherein the magnets provide a magnetic force configured to hold a bottom portion of a keyboard against a display surface of the second display, and wherein the first and second sets of magnets are positioned at locations that enable rendering of a User Interface (UI) feature on the second display in response to the keyboard being placed atop the display surface.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the keyboard comprises a third set of one or more magnets located on a first short side of the keyboard and having an opposite polarity than a polarity of the first set of one or more magnets, and a fourth set of one or more magnets located on a second short side of the keyboard and having an opposite polarity than a polarity of the second set of one or more magnets.

3. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the UI feature comprises a ribbon area above a long side of the keyboard.

4. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to:

produce a first UI feature in response to detection of the first and second displays in a first posture; or

produce a second UI feature in response to detection of the first and second displays in a second posture.

5. The IHS of claim 4 , wherein the first and second postures are selected from the group consisting of: laptop, tablet, book, and display.

6. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the UI feature comprises a virtual trackpad area below a long side of the keyboard.

7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of magnets allow a long side of the keyboard, in response to the keyboard being stored between the first and second displays, to rest against a hinge that couples the first display to the second display.

8. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising another set of magnets positioned alongside a long side of the second display farthest from the first display, at locations that cause a long side of the keyboard, in response to the keyboard being placed off of the display surface of the second display, to rest against the long side of the second display.

9. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge that couples the first display to the second display, wherein the hinge comprises one or more magnets that provide a magnetic force configured to hold a long side of a keyboard against the hinge in response to the keyboard being stored between the first and second displays.

10. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge that couples the first display to the second display, wherein the hinge comprises a stylus well configured to hold a stylus coupled to a long side of the keyboard in response to the keyboard being stored between the first and second displays.

11. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge that couples the first display to the second display, wherein the hinge comprises a synchronized hinge with two parallel axes, wherein the axes enable the first and second displays to swivel between: (i) a first posture where a back surface of the first display rests flush against a back surface of the second display; and (ii) a second posture where the keyboard is stored between the display surfaces of the first and second displays.

12. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge that couples the first display to the second display, wherein the hinge comprises at least one of:

an internal coaxial cable that connects the first display to the second display; or

a spring-loaded band configured to: (i) expand in response to the keyboard being inserted between the first and second displays, and (ii) contract in response to the keyboard being removed.

13. A method, comprising:

removing a keyboard from storage between a first and second display of an Information Handling System (IHS); and

placing the keyboard on a display surface of the second display, wherein the second display comprises a first short side having a first set of one or more magnets and a second short side having a second set of one or more magnets, wherein the magnets provide a magnetic force configured to hold a bottom portion of a keyboard against the display surface, and wherein the first and second sets of magnets are positioned at locations that enable rendering of a User Interface (UI) feature on the second display in response to the keyboard being placed atop the display surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the UI feature comprises a ribbon area on the second display in a display area above a long side of the keyboard.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the UI feature comprises a virtual trackpad on the second display in a display area below a long side of the keyboard.

16. A hardware memory device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor of an Information Handling System (IHS) having a first display coupled to a second display, cause the IHS to:

determine that a keyboard is placed on a display surface of the second display, wherein the second display comprises a first short side having a first set of one or more magnets and a second short side having a second set of one or more magnets, wherein the magnets provide a magnetic force configured to hold a bottom portion of a keyboard against the display surface, and wherein the first and second sets of magnets are positioned at locations that enable rendering of a User Interface (UI) feature on the second display; and

in response to the determination, provide the UI feature.

17. The hardware memory device of claim 16 , wherein the UI feature further comprises at least one of: a ribbon area positioned above a long side of the keyboard, or virtual trackpad positioned below the long side of the keyboard.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (047648/0422) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060160/0862 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 047648 FRAME 0346 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0510 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047648/0422 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047648/0346 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2018
From: QUINN, LIAM B.; ROBINETTE, CHRISTOPHER ALAN; KNOPPERT, MICHIEL SEBASTIAAN EMANUEL PETRUS
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 046514/0081 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,204,369