Today you can find tablets mated with a flexible keyboards or notebooks that have displays that bend backwards to provide various configurations for presentations or watching TV without seeing the keyboard. While consumers are finally warming up to the idea of purchasing a hybrid notebook, Google's newly granted patent suggests that they may have a Surface Book challenger on the drawing board. It's like Google's Pixelbook but with a removable display option. An option that many will appreciate.
This week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a granted patent for Google that addresses this emerging foldable tablet/notebook hybrid device head on. They want the switch over process from Notebook UI to Table UI to be seamless so as to make the experience a positive one, removing complexity.
Google notes that personal computing devices available today have ever reducing form factors and increasing mobility. As device mobility increases due to the convergence of widespread broadband availability and enhanced computational capability, the ability of switching a user interface according to a specific configuration for a single device has become an attractive feature for consumers.
Currently, devices that operate in a hybrid desktop and tablet modes implement user interface adjustments between the two modes by requesting the user to select a specific user interface. This requires the user to perform an extra step when physically altering the configuration of a device from a desktop configuration to a tablet configuration, complicating the switching process and adding discomfort to the user experience.
Also, current mobile computation devices often require the user to perform at least two physical actions to switch a display from a first active application to a second active application, adding a delay and discomfort to the application switching process.
Google's granted patent covers a computer-implemented method for automatically transitioning a user interface in a personal computing device between a laptop configuration and a tablet configuration.
The method includes detecting a hardware configuration change in the personal computing device. When the hardware configuration changes to a tablet configuration, the computer-implemented method includes maximizing an active window in a display of the personal computing device and maximizing a second, inactive window, underneath the active window.
And when the hardware configuration changes to a laptop configuration, the computer-implemented method includes configuring the user interface to a windows icons menus and pointers (WIMP) mode.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a personal computing device having a base portion coupled to a display portion is provided. The personal computing device includes a touch sensitive screen in the display portion, the touch sensitive screen configured to operate in a laptop mode and a tablet mode.
Google's patent FIG. 3 below illustrates a plurality of hardware configurations of a personal computing device.
More specifically, Google's patent FIG. 3 above illustrates a plurality of hardware configurations being:
1) Laptop configuration #310
2) Tablet configuration #320
3) Stand display configuration #330, and
4) Tent configuration #340.
Any one of the configurations noted above is detected by a sensor #208 as shown in FIG. 2 below, located in the base of the device that communicates with the display.
More specifically, Google's patent FIG. 2 above illustrates a personal computing device including a switchable user interface #230. Personal computing device includes a display portion #201 having a display #206 having a touch sensitive display.
Google's patent FIG. 2 provides an overview of the components or elements associated with this hybrid device. There are two key components to highlight. The first is the all-important sensor #208 and the second being a hinge mechanism #215.
Google's sensor #208 is configured to detect and determine a hardware configuration for the device. In some embodiments the sensor may include sensing elements in both the display and base portions.
In some embodiments, sensor 208 includes a position sensor and a motion sensor, such as a gyroscope, to detect a relative motion between display portion 201 and base portion 202.
Google further points to the hinge mechanism #215 couples display portion 201 and base portion 202. In some embodiments the display portion and the base portion are adjustable relative to one another to provide multiple hardware configurations for personal computing device.
The hinge mechanism can take any of multiple forms, having one, two or more points of contact between the display portion and the base portion.
One specific configuration that is noteworthy is one where the hinge mechanism includes levers, arms and clips configured to physically separate, partially or completely, the display portion from the base portion.
The configuration noted above is in fact describing a configuration that mimics Microsoft's Surface Book where the display can separate from the base providing the user with a pure standalone tablet.
In Google's device configuration #320 noted in FIG. 3 above we're able to see that the user will be able to alternatively reverse the display from being on the inside of the device to being on the outside of the device if the user wants to keep both the base and display together.
By being able to separate or reverse the display, Google's hybrid will be able to challenge Microsoft's Surface Book – and hopefully one that is affordable to the average working person instead of elites.
Google's patent FIG. 4 below illustrates a flow chart in a method for switching a user interface upon detection of a change in hardware configuration.
Google's granted patent 10,353,530 that was granted on Tuesday was filed in Q4 2017. The inventors listed on the patent include Mr. Truong, Mr. Kuscher and Ms. Chen.
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