Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING VISUAL CONTENT FROM A
SMART DEVICE
FIELD
100011 The present disclosure generally relates to the field of docking
stations for devices,
and, in particular, to apparatuses and methods for presenting visual content
from a smart device.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] Smartphone users often interact with their smartphones using the
smartphone's screen.
Users may have many tasks to complete using their smartphone and their
productivity may be
limited by the limitations of the smartphone used. Accessories can be
expensive and may pose
compatibility issues with various smartphones.
SUMMARY
100031 In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a device for presenting
visual content
from a smart device. The device has a housing that includes a base pivotably
connected to a
display panel; and a receiver configured to receive a signal from the smart
device and transmit
the signal from the smart device to the display panel. The housing is not
configured to transmit a
control signal to the smart device.
[0004] In some embodiments, the receiver is operably connected directly to the
base.
100051 In some embodiments, the receiver is positioned within a recess
dimensioned to receive
the smart device.
[0006] In some embodiments, the receiver is operably connected directly to the
display panel.
[0007] In some embodiments, the receiver is operably connected directly to the
display panel at
a surface opposite to a visual component of the display panel.
100081 In some embodiments, the receiver includes a USB cable.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
2
100091 In some embodiments, the receiver includes a lightning cable.
[0010] In some embodiments, the receiver includes an interface operable to
receive a wireless
connection.
100111 In some embodiments, the receiver is configured to transmit electrical
power.
[0012] In some embodiments, the base is connected to a keyboard input
component operably
connected to the smart device.
100131 In some embodiments, the keyboard input component is operably connected
to the smart
device by Bluetooth.
[0014] In some embodiments, the display panel is configurable to display the
visual content
based on the signal.
100151 In some embodiments, the smart device is connected to the housing via
the receiver.
100161 In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a method for presenting
a visual from a
smart device including receiving, at a housing, a signal from the smart device
for configuring a
display included in the housing; and configuring the display based on the
signal. The housing is
not configured to transmit a signal to the smart device.
100171 In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving directly
from a keyboard
input component, at a processor in the smart device, a data indicator
representing keyboard input.
100181 Other aspects and features and combinations thereof concerning
embodiments
described herein will be become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the
art upon review of the
instant disclosure of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying
figures.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
3
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] In the figures, embodiments are illustrated by way of example. It is to
be expressly
understood that the description and figures are only for the purpose of
illustration and as an aid
to understanding. Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference
to the attached figures, wherein in the figures:
100201 FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a device for presenting a visual
from a smart
device, according to some embodiments;
[0021] Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the device illustrated in Fig.
1, according to some
embodiments; and
100221 FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a device for presenting a visual
from a smart
device, according to some embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Utilizing a smartphone to work in place of a laptop may be desirous
in several
situations. Notably, many owners may want to reduce the number of devices they
carry.
Smartphones may contain enough computing power to carry out several tasks
including word
processing and playing videos but typically have small screens. Due to the
small size of
smartphones, both laptops and smartphones may be typically needed to
accomplish tasks.
100241 Embodiments described herein provide a device for presenting a
visual from a smart
device, such as a smartphone. In some embodiments, the device includes a
display panel such as
a screen that is larger than screens typically included in smart devices so
that users are provided
with an enhanced display panel. In some embodiments, the device does not
include an operating
system or software applications or capability to receive input from keyboards
or cameras to
direct as input to the smart device. For example, in some embodiments, the
device is attached to
or houses a Bluetooth keyboard that communicates directly with the smart
device to provide
keystroke data to the smart device without requiring processing or computing
capability in the
device itself In some embodiments, the device is operable to receive output
signals from the
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
4
smart device (e.g., HDMI, USB-C, lightning, Bluetooth, Wifi) and configure or
present visual
content on the display panel without requiring a controller in the device for
sending signals or
data to the smart device. The output signals can be transmitted wirelessly or
via a wired
connection in various embodiments. This can help provide a simple and improved
design such
that the device does not have an operating system or require software updates
that could interfere
with the functionality of the smartphone or display or pose compatibility
issues. This can allow
for an increased variety of smart devices that can connect and interoperate
with the device to
present a visual to the user, as well as allowing for the device to not
require replacement when
new smart devices (e.g., having different operating systems or software
applications) are
introduced to the market.
[0025] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are perspective views of an example device for
presenting a visual
from a smart device 150, according to some embodiments. The example device
includes a
housing 100 having a base 110 pivotably connected to a display panel 120. The
connection can
allow the base 110 to form an angle with the display panel 120 such that a
user can easily or
comfortably position oneself and interact with the device in a way similar to
a laptop. The
display panel 120 can be a visual display, a monitor, or a screen, for
example. The housing 100
includes a receiver 140 configured to receive a signal from the smart device
150 and be operable
to transmit a signal from the smart device 150 and to the display panel 120.
In some
embodiments, this signal is transmitted to enable display panel 120 to present
a visual without
the housing 100 requiring an operating system or software applications. In
some embodiments,
the housing 100 is not operable to transmit a signal to the smart device 150.
In some
embodiments, the housing 100, for example, at receiver 140, is not operable to
transmit a signal
to the smart device 150 except to establish a connection such as a
communication channel. The
communication channel can be only operable to enable display of a visual on
the display panel
120, for example. In some embodiments, the housing 100 is operable to receive
a signal from
the smart device 150 and use same to configure or display a visual on the
display panel 120. In
some embodiments, the housing is not configured to transmit or provide a
control signal to the
smart device 150 such as to provide configuration input (such as keyboard,
camera, or accessory
input) to the smart device 150. In some embodiments, the housing is not
configured to process
data from the smart device 150 by executing a software program. In some
embodiments, an
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
5
input (such as from a keyboard or camera or accessory device) is communicated
to the smart
device 150 directly (e.g., not via the housing 100; not involving processing
by the housing 100;
not involving manipulation of the data; and/or not involving execution of a
software program
using or in relation to the data). In some embodiments, housing 100 is
operable to decode a
signal received from the smart device 150 at receiver 140 to enable display of
a visual on the
display panel 120 and is not operable to transmit input from an accessory
device (e.g., keyboard,
camera, microphone, etc.) to the smart device 150. In some embodiments,
housing 100 is
operable to display a visual on display panel 120 using input, data, or a
signal from a smart
device 150 and is not operable to provide input from a keyboard to the smart
device 150. In
some embodiments, housing 100 is operable to display a visual on display panel
120 using input,
data, or a signal from a smart device 150 and is not configured with an
operating system and/or
is not configured with software applications. These designs can greatly
improve the versatility
of the housing 100 for use with a wide variety of smart devices running
different operating
systems and software and/or can provide a greater simplicity for docking
stations or display
devices for use with smart devices such as in a laptop-like configuration, in
some embodiments.
100261 The signal received from the smart device 150 can be processed by
decoding the signal at
a graphics processing unit. The receiver 140 can be operable to receive the
signal from the smart
device 150 via a USB-C connection, lightning cable, Wifi, Bluetooth, 5G
technology, or other
physical or wireless connection, for example. The receiver 140 can transmit
electrical power to
the smart device 150 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the receiver
140 is a
communication channel established between the display panel 120 and the smart
device 150.
The communication channel is operable to receive signals from the smart device
150, where the
signals can be used (e.g., decoded) to present content such as a visual at the
display panel 120.
In some embodiments, the receiver 140 is positioned and/or attached to the
display panel 120, for
example, at a surface opposite a surface where a visual (e.g., visual content
received from the
smart device 150) is presented to the user. In some embodiments, the visual
content can be a
video, image, animation, graphics, hologram, other visually detectable
indicator, and/or
combination of same, for example.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
6
100271 The housing 100 is not operable to transmit signals to the smart device
150 for
controlling (e.g., requesting data from, sending keystroke data to) the smart
device 150. For
example, an input device such as a keyboard, camera, or microphone can be
attached to the
housing 100 or placed in proximity to the smart device 150 and communicate
directly with the
smart device 150, for example, over a physical or wireless connection, such as
a connection
compatible with USB-C, lightning, Wifi, Bluetooth, and/or 5G technology. As
another example,
the housing 100 simply receives a signal or signals from the smart device 150
that can be used
and/or decoded to present visual content on the display panel 120 of the
housing 150. This can
be enabled without the use of an additional process or controller apart from a
processor in the
smart device. For example, in some embodiments, housing 100 is not operable to
transmit a
signal to the smart device 150. For example, in some embodiments, housing 100
is not operable
to transmit data to the smart device 150 requesting visual content to be
provided to the monitor
120 and is not operable to process data (using software applications) received
from the smart
device 150 to customize, at the housing 100, visual content for display on the
monitor 120. In
some embodiments, housing 100 simply receives signals from the smart device
150 for decoding
to present visual content on the monitor 120.
100281 In some embodiments, a monitor controller board is used to send a video
signal to the
display panel 120 from a smart device 150. The monitor controller board can be
powered by a
power bank, for example, and can include an HDMI-compatible connection or
other connection
(e.g., USB-C, lightning, Wifi, Bluetooth, 5G interface) that is configured to
receive a smart
device 150 signal.
[0029] In some embodiments, the user can use the smart device 150 and cause
the display panel
120 to depict visual content corresponding to the actions on the smart device
150. For example,
the smart device 150 screen may be duplicated or replaced by the display panel
120. The
processing associated with selection of visual content for presentation on the
display panel 120
can occur at a processor within the smart device 150, rather than housing this
processing
capability within the housing 100.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
7
100301 In some embodiments, the housing 100 is not configured for processing
input (e.g., from
a keyboard and/or camera) to a smart device 150 connected at the receiver 140.
For example, in
some embodiments, a keyboard input component 130 is connected to the housing
100 at the base
110 by a connection. The connection can be a physical connection such as
within a recess in the
base 110. As another example, the connection can be a receiver that is
operable to receive a
signal via a physical or wireless connection, such as a connection compatible
with HDMI,
Bluetooth, Wifi, or 5G technology. The keyboard input component 130 is then
operably
connected to the smart device 150, such as via Bluetooth or USB, and can
receive keystrokes
from a user and transmit keystroke data input and/or signals to the smart
device 150 via the
connection, without intermediation (e.g., processing) at the housing 100.
[0031] In some embodiments, there is provided an apparatus for retrofitting a
smartphone to a
docking station. For example, display panel 120 can be a monitor that connects
to a smartphone
through a connection such as a monitor controller board. A video signal is
sent from the
smartphone through the monitor controller board to the display panel 120. The
apparatus is a
docking station shell that uses the smartphone's operating system and does not
contain additional
software to operate.
100321 A wide variety of types of smart devices can be connected to the
housing 100 via a wide
variety of types of connections, including physical or wireless connections. A
smart device can
be a smartphone or a portable processing device, for example, and different
smart devices can
run on different operating systems and be used with the same housing 100.
100331 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example device for presenting a
visual from a smart
device, according to some embodiments. As shown, the receiver 240 is
positioned at and/or
attached to the base 210 of the housing 200. The receiver 240 can be
positioned within a recess
in the base 210, the recess sized and dimensioned to receive a smart device.
The configuration
can improve the ease with which a user positioned at the device can configure
the smart device,
for example, to select or indicate one or more visuals to be presented on the
display panel 120.
In other respects, the components can operate similarly to that described in
reference to the
embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, where components 200, 210, 220,
230, and 240
correspond to components 100, 110, 120, 130, and 240. For example, receiver
240 is configured
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
8
to receive a signal from the smart device. The signal is transmitted to enable
display panel 220
to present a visual without the housing 100 requiring an operating system or
software
applications. In some embodiments, the housing 100 is not operable to transmit
a signal to the
smart device.
100341 In some embodiments, there is provided a docking station that enables a
device (e.g.,
smart phone) to present features (e.g., visual content such as images, videos,
or animations;
indications on a display panel) on a display panel. The display panel can be a
large display, for
example, larger than a display included in a connected device such as a smart
phone. The
docking station does not have an operating system or software. In some
embodiments, the
docking station does not transmit signals to the device.
[0035] In some embodiments, there is provided a docking station that enables a
device (e.g.,
smart phone) to present features (e.g., visual content such as images, videos,
or animations;
indications on a display panel) on a display panel. The display panel can be a
large display, for
example, larger than a display included in a connected device such as a smart
phone. The
docking station does not transmit control signals to the device. The docking
station does not
transmit input from an accessory device such as a keyboard, mouse, or camera
to the device.
100361 In some embodiments, there is provided an apparatus for retrofitting a
smart device to a
docking station. The apparatus has a docking station that has a monitor,
Bluetooth keyboard, and
wired or wireless connections for the smart device. The wired or wireless
connection can be
located near the keyboard, within a recess in a base of the docking station,
and/or near or at the
display panel or in a receiving component attached to the docking station.
[0037] In some embodiments, there is provided an apparatus having a display
panel and a
controller board to connect a smartphone to the display panel. The controller
board is powered
by a power bank or battery and sends video signal from a connected smartphone
to the display
panel.
[0038] In some embodiments, the device or apparatus described herein can help
reduce the
number of devices and operating systems a user uses, for example, by
facilitating an environment
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
9
where the user can rely on only one main device for all day to day jobs. This
can improve
computer security by reducing the number of points of attack and can provide
an improvement to
cybersecurity protocols. For example, an infected operating system, hard
drive, and/or installed
applications can compromise a user's data. Further, this can save on costs
associated with
upgrading additional devices such as laptops and allow the same housing or
display panel to be
used with a wide variety of types of smart devices, including having different
operating systems.
In some embodiments, the device or apparatus described herein can provide a
simplified design
for presenting visual content on a monitor from a smart device without
requiring the device or
apparatus to be configured with an operating system or a processor configured
to enable
transmission of data or signals to the smart device.
[0039] The discussion herein provides example embodiments of the technology.
The technology
is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements.
Accordingly, if one
embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C and a second embodiment comprises
elements B
and D, then embodiments of the technology are contemplated to also comprise
elements A, B, C,
and D, as well as other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not
explicitly disclosed.
100401 Although embodiments have been described in detail, it should be
understood that
various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein. Moreover,
the scope of the
present application is not intended to be limited to the particular
embodiments of the process,
machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps
described in the
specification.
100411 As can be understood, the examples described herein and illustrated are
intended to be
exemplary only.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
