Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Xerox Corporation

Eastman-kodak Company

Applied Science Fiction, Inc.

Other

Joseph Benjamin Gault

Michael Cameron Gordon

Scott Douglas Bowers

Karsten Aagaard

Brian David Bitz

Edward Francis Burress

Barry Daniel Reeves

Andrew William Hill

John S Campbell

Ralf Groene

Abu Saeed Islam

Eric Paul Witt

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Roger Gaylord Leighton

Kabir Siddiqui

Richard A Patterson

Anthony Reed

Avi R Geiger

Scott J Phillips

Alexander J Fioravanti

Kosta S Selinidis

Brent Rodney Jones

Daniel Clark Park

Paul Henry Dietz

Robyn Rebecca Reed McLaughlin

Leland A Lester

Duane Martin Evans

James Bruce Campbell

Paul J McConville

Stephan V Drappel

Bruce Earl Thayer

Palghat Srinivas Ramesh

Hua Wang

Trevor James Snyder

Ernest I Esplin

Jeffery H Banning

Jan Raken

Kurt Jenkins

Panos Costa Panay

Ivan Andrew McCracken

Richard Guy Chambers

Michael E Jones

Kaitlyn Schoeck

Eric Davis

Bin Zhang

Larry Eugene Hindman

Anthony James Hewett

Matthew R Thomas

James David Wahl

Anthony Ernest Hillyerd

Michael Joel Edwards

Bernard K Rihn

Yazan Aldehayyat

Devin Richard Bailly

Frank Alexander Weissig

Aseem Singla

Darryl I Jensen

Kelly Anne Kessler

Michael R Thering

Stephen C Klein

Stephan Alexander Cummings

John J Straigis

Eric C Segerstrom

Steven Kent Brown

Stacy S Cook

Michael Gordon Oldani

David Ian Rosen

Cesar Ambriz Rios

Patrick W Lea

G Gregory Mooty

Homero Saldana

William D Mapel

Anthony George Picardo

James Dudley Padgett

Jeffrey Russell Kohne

Mike F Deily

Anthony John Peters

Brian G Russell

Le Chang

Bruce K Baur

John Charles Meyer

Han Li

Nathan Michael Thome

Scott Jeffrey Korn

Nishant Srinivasan

Edward Giaimo

Shuanghu Zhang

Brian T Whitman

Paul N Winberg

Vineet Thuvara

Daniel Dhondt

Michael Francis Deily

Christina Ashley Yee

Zhicong Yao

Steve Klein

Marlo E Castillo

Richard Marc Watson

David J Pearce

Justin Carl Lind

Lee James O'Brien

An electronic device includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. A torque-optional hinge connects the third portion to the second portion, and a support hinge connects the third portion to the first portion. The torque-optional hinge has a hinge axis and a means for selectively generating a torque around the hinge axis. The means for selectively generating the torque has a high-torque state and a low-torque state. The high-torque state provides a greater rotational resistance around the hinge axis than the low-torque state. The support hinge rotatably connects the first portion and the third portion and provides a torque around a support axis.

Electronic device with torque-optional hinge

An improved method and system for providing a magnetic closure system for an electronic device () may include a first portion (), a second portion (), a connecting element () pivotally connecting the first portion to the second portion and configured to enable the electronic device to fold between a closed position and an open position, and a magnetic element () for providing a closure force to bias the electronic device in the closed position. The magnetic element may include a first magnet pair and a second magnet pair, each of the first magnet pair and second magnet pair including a first magnet housed within the first portion and a second magnet housed within the second portion. The first magnet pair may provide an attractive magnetic force that biases the electronic device in the closed position, while the second magnet pair may provide a repelling magnetic force that partially counteracts the biasing from the attractive magnetic force as a gap between the first portion and the second portion decreases, and a pole size of the second magnet pair is smaller than a pole size of the first magnet pair.

Magnetic closure system for a device

This patent relates to hinged devices, such as computing devices. One example includes a first portion and a second portion. A dynamic fulcrum hinge includes a flexible material extending between the first portion and the second portion and configured to begin rotation proximate to the first portion and finish rotation proximate to the second portion when the first portion is rotated toward the second portion.

Fabric hinged device

A method of manufacturing an electronic device housing includes obtaining a monolithic body of RF transparent material and plating a surface of the monolithic body with a nanograin coating to increase the structural rigidity of the monolithic body. A portion of the nanograin coating is thereafter removed to create an RF window.

Systems and methods for manufacturing electronic device housings

A computing device comprises a base that comprises a base surface configured to support the computing device on a supporting surface, and a front wall adjoining and extending away from the base surface. The computing device also includes a chassis adjoining the base, the chassis comprising a planar user interactive surface comprising one or more user input components. The chassis also comprises an overhanging brim that extends beyond at least the front wall of the base and comprises at least one magnet configured to removably retain a stylus underneath the overhanging brim.

Computing device with stylus retention

The present description relates to devices that include portions that are moveable relative to one another. One example device includes a leaf spring positioned to receive forces between a first portion and a second portion. The leaf spring can extend from a first end to a second end and can define a perimeter where the first end and the second end are contained within the perimeter and the first end and the second end are not secured to either the first portion or the second portion.

Compact leaf spring assemblies

A foldable electronic device includes a first portion, a second portion, and a hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion. The hinge is configured to allow pivoting movement of the first portion relative to the second portion, wherein the hinge has a hinge force. One or more magnets are coupled to the first portion, and a plurality of metal members are coupled to the second portion. Each metal member of the plurality of metal members is configured for individual removal from the second portion to define a magnetic force based on the hinge force, thereby allowing the first and second portions to be maintained together when in a closed orientation and allowing for easy one finger opening operation from the closed orientation.

Opening force control for foldable electronic devices

Conventional laptop computers may utilize a door-hinge style or in a bezel-behind-base style hinge to connect a display with a keyboard of the laptop computer. Typically, these hinges present a discontinuous visual impression to the user. Presenting a more continuous visual impression of the hinge to the user suggests a higher overall quality of the computing device to the user and is thus desirable to the user. The disclosed virtual pivot hinge pivots about a pivot axis running between the display and the keyboard. The hardware of the hinge is located away from the pivot axis, which creates a virtual pivoting action about the axis that maintains a consistent front gap distance (or no front gap) between the display and the keyboard. The resulting visual impression to the user is that the display is floating above keyboard at the same or similar distance regardless of the display angle.

Virtual pivot hinge with sliding friction coupler

A computing device is described. The computing device includes a first portion with a protrusion and a second portion separably connected to the first portion. The second portion has a receptacle. An undocking assist mechanism is configured to separate the first portion from the second portion when the protrusion is at least partially inserted into the receptacle. An actuator is configured to actuate the undocking assist mechanism. Methods of use are also described.

Undocking assist mechanisms and methods of use

A low-pressure hinge includes a plurality of segments with at least one upper frictional element and at least one lower frictional element where the at least one upper frictional element and the at least one lower frictional element are positioned on opposing sides of a segment of the plurality of segments. The hinge further includes a compression element that compresses the at least one upper frictional element and at least one lower frictional element against the segment with a compression force having a pressure less than 5,000 pounds per square inch.

Low-pressure friction hinge

A lock for actively locking an electronic device includes an engagement member that is movable by an actuator. The actuator moves the engagement member to the locked position with a first amount of power from the power source and from the locked position to an unlocked position with a second amount of power from the power source. The engagement member will passively remain in the unlocked position or the locked position.

Indexed sequential lock

Virtual pivot hinge with multi-part friction linkage

In some embodiments, an apparatus for locking a computing device includes an actuator, a locking protrusion connected to a first portion of the computing device, a locking receptacle connected to a second portion of the computing device, a shape memory material (SMM) wire, and a force conditioner. The SMM wire has a first state and a second state and is movable between states by the actuator. The first state and the second state have first and second lengths, respectively. Moving from the first state to the second state applies a contraction force along a longitudinal direction of the SMM wire. The force conditioner is configured to apply a return force to the SMM wire that opposes the contraction face. The return force returns the SMM wire toward the first state while moving a maximum available force of the SMM wire to the second state of the SMM wire.

Method of optimizing memory wire actuator energy output

A docking mechanism is described. The docking mechanism may include a locking protrusion and a locking receptacle configured to receive the locking protrusion and having an inclined surface. The docking mechanism may include a wedging member abutting the inclined surface. The docking mechanism may include a locking detent. The locking detent may have a spring configured to bias the locking detent towards the locking protrusion. Computing devices that include docking mechanisms are also described. Methods of use of the docking mechanisms are also described.

Docking mechanisms and methods of restraining two portions of a computing device

A computing device is described. The computing device may include a first portion and a second portion separably connected to the first portion. A locking mechanism may be configured to lock the first portion to the second portion. The locking mechanism may include a locking receptacle connected to the first portion and a locking protrusion connected to the second portion. The locking receptacle may include a rotating lock and may have an aperture through which the locking protrusion is insertable. The computing device may include an actuator mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism and configured to unlock the first portion from the second portion.

Locking mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Joseph Benjamin Gault