IP Library Granted Patent US 12,461,563
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,563 · App. 17/957,343 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Electronic device

Inventor: Xiaoju Gao (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: LENOVO (BEIJING) LIMITED
G06F1/1647G06F1/1616G06F1/1618G06F1/1654G06F1/1669G06F3/1423G06F3/1454
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,563
App. No.
17/957,343
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a first body; a second body having a first display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, where if the second body is physically connected to the first body, the second body is rotatable relative to the first body; and a third body having a second display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, where if the second body is physically connected to the first body, the second body is rotatable relative to the first body.

Claims (86)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a first body including interface components;

a second body having a first display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, wherein if the second body is physically connected to the first body, the second body is rotatable relative to the first body; and

a third body having a second display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, wherein if the third body is physically connected to the first body, the third body is rotatable relative to the first body;

wherein:

the interface components include an area for identifying which of the second body and the third body faces toward the first body; and

the second body and the third body are configured to connect to the first body in a planar side-by-side configuration and in a back-to-back configuration, and in the back-to-back configuration, the first body stops supplying power to the second body and the third body in response to detecting that the first display device faces away from the first body.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first body includes an input device disposed at a first surface of the first body;

the second body includes a second surface and a third surface facing away from the second surface, the first display device is disposed at the second surface;

if the second body is physically connected to the first body in a first manner, the second body is able to be rotated to an attitude such that the first display device faces toward the first surface;

if the second body is physically connected to the first body in a second manner, the second body is able to be rotated to an attitude such that the third surface faces toward the first surface;

the third body includes a fourth surface and a fifth surface facing way from the fourth surface, the second display device is disposed at the fourth surface, and the third body is physically connected to the first body in a third manner or a fourth manner;

if the third body is physically connected to the first body in the third manner, the third body is able to be rotated to an attitude such that the second display device faces toward the first surface; and

if the third body is physically connected to the first body in the fourth manner, the third body is able to be rotated to an attitude such that the fifth surface faces toward the first surface.

3 . The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the second body and the third body are able to be physically connected to the first body at the same time.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the second body is physically connected to a first part of the first body;

the third body is physically connected to a second part of the first body;

the third surface and the fifth surface satisfy the condition of facing toward each other;

orientations of the first display device and the second display device satisfy the condition of facing away from each other; and

the second body and the third body are simultaneously rotatable relative to the first body.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein:

the second body includes the first connector;

the third body includes the second connector; and

the first connector and the second connector are able to be connected.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the second body is physically connected to a third part of the first body;

the third body is physically connected to a fourth part of the first body; and

the first display device and the second display device satisfy the coplanar condition.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the second body and the first body are physically connected and communicatively connected through wired communication, and the third body and the first body are physically connected and communicatively connected through the wired communication; or

one of the second body and the third body is physically connected to the first body and communicatively connected to the first body through wired communication, and the third body and the second body are physically connected and communicatively connected through the wired communication; or

one of the second body and the third body is physically connected to the first body and communicatively connected to the first body through wired communication, and the other of the second body and the third second body is communicatively connected to the first body through the wireless communication.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein if the third surface and the fifth surface satisfy the condition of facing toward each other:

the third surface includes the first wired communication component, the fifth surface includes the second wired communication component, and the first wired communication component and the second wired communication component are able to be connected together, such that the second body and the third body are communicatively connected through the first wired communication component and the second wired communication component; or

the third surface incudes the first wireless communication component capable of transmitting wireless data in at least the first direction, the fifth surface includes the second wireless communication component located at least in the first direction of the first wireless communication component, and the second body and the third body communicate with each other through the wireless communication by the first wireless communication component and the second wireless communication component.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a processor configured to control display devices in at least one of three scenarios:

if the second body and the first body are physically connected in the first manner or the second manner, the processor is configured to control the first display device to display; or

if the third body and the first body are physically connected in the third manner or the fourth manner, the processor is configured to control the second display device to display; or

if the second body and the third body both are physically connected to the first body, the processor is configured to control the first display device and/or the second display device to display.

10 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first display device and the second display device have different display parameters; or

the first display device and the second display device have different display principles.

11 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the second body and the third body are able to be physically connected to the first body at the same time.

12 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the second body is physically connected to a first part of the first body;

the third body is physically connected to a second part of the first body;

a third surface of the second body and a fifth surface of the third body satisfy a condition of facing toward each other;

orientations of the first display device and the second display device satisfy a condition of facing away from each other; and

the second body and the third body are simultaneously rotatable relative to the first body.

13 . The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein:

the second body includes a first connector;

the third body includes a second connector; and

the first connector and the second connector are able to be connected.

14 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the second body is physically connected to a third part of the first body;

the third body is physically connected to a fourth part of the first body; and

the first display device and the second display device satisfy a coplanar condition.

15 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the second body and the first body are physically connected and communicatively connected through wired communication, and the third body and the first body are physically connected and communicatively connected through wired communication; or

one of the second body and the third body is physically connected to the first body and communicatively connected to the first body through wired communication, and the third body and the second body are physically connected and communicatively connected through wired communication; or

one of the second body and the third body is physically connected to the first body and communicatively connected to the first body through wired communication, and the other of the second body and the third second body is communicatively connected to the first body through wireless communication.

16 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein if a third surface of the second body and a fifth surface of the third body satisfy the condition of facing toward each other:

the third surface includes a first wired communication component, the fifth surface includes a second wired communication component, and the first wired communication component and the second wired communication component are able to be connected together, such that the second body and the third body are communicatively connected through the first wired communication component and the second wired communication component; or

the third surface incudes a first wireless communication component capable of transmitting wireless data in at least a first direction, the fifth surface includes a second wireless communication component located at least in the first direction of the first wireless communication component, and the second body and the third body communicate with each other through wireless communication by the first wireless communication component and the second wireless communication component.

17 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a processor configured to control display devices in at least one of three scenarios:

if the second body and the first body are physically connected in the first manner or the second manner, the processor is configured to control the first display device to display; or

if the third body and the first body are physically connected in the third manner or the fourth manner, the processor is configured to control the second display device to display; or

if the second body and the third body both are physically connected to the first body, the processor is configured to control the first display device and/or the second display device to display.

18 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein:

one of the first display device and the second display device is an ink screen.

19 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first body is controlled to be in a sleep mode in response to determining that both the second body and the third body are separated from the first body.

20 . An electronic device, comprising:

a first body including interface components;

a second body having a first display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, wherein if the second body is physically connected to the first body, the second body is rotatable relative to the first body; and

a third body having a second display device and capable of being physically connected to or separated from the first body, wherein if the third body is physically connected to the first body, the third body is rotatable relative to the first body;

wherein;

the interface components include an area for identifying which of the second body and the third body faces toward the first body;

the second body and the third body are configured to connect to the first body in a planar side-by-side configuration and in a back-to-back configuration, and in the back-to-back configuration, the first body displays content with different display resolutions on the second body and the third body when the first display device is facing the first body and the second display device is facing away from the first body, the second body and the third body being interchangeable with each other in the back-to-back configuration; and

the first body stops supplying power to the second body and the third body in response to detecting that the first display device faces away from the first body.

21 . The electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the second body and third body in the back-to-back configuration are switched based on display resolutions of the first display device and the second display device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2022
From: GAO, XIAOJU
To: LENOVO (BEIJING) LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061272/0160 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202111587028.6 · Dec 23, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230205270A1 · Jun 29, 2023
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