One of the trends that we're likely to see in 2013 is the titlable touch desktop display. A recent patent application from Lenovo reveals a future desktop display that's on the drawing board. They've also designed a variant display stand design that could hold a large tablet. These kinds of displays will support Windows 8 and provide users with a sound ergonomic design for typing, gaming, drawing and drafting. Our report presents you with supporting patent figures for this new kind of display from both Lenovo and HP
Lenovo's Flexible Monitor Stand
Lenovo's patent FIG. 3 shown above presents their example system that includes a keyboard and an example of a monitor that includes touch input capabilities. The stand assembly could provide a touch mode angle with respect to a work surface that readily allows for touching by a user's fingers or other implement (e.g., a pen, pointer, etc.).
Lenovo filed their patent application in Q2 2011. Even though Lenovo's name isn't shown on the patent, one of their Senior Engineers by the name of Tim Farrow is listed as one of the inventors. Companies don't have to be assigned the patent until the patent is in the process of being granted. To review the details of this invention, see patent application 20120320513.
HP's Auto Keyboard Action on Titled Display
In HP's patent FIG. 4 shown below we see a similar idea that they introduced in May of this year. HP's patent filing describes a stand-alone display and/or all-in-one computer display including an accelerometer (see #455 of patent figure 4) that may generate data that could be used by the computing system to determine the position of an onscreen virtual keyboard.
If for example the display is in a first or upright position (405a) and the user wants to enter text, the display may be adjusted to a second position (405b). If the computer system determines from the accelerometer that the display is in the second position, the system may display a virtual keyboard on the display surface which will automatically disappear when returned to the first or upright position.
HP shows icon # 535 in between the split keyboard in patent FIG. 5 above. The user will be able to simply touch that icon to have the virtual keyboard disappear if the user wishes to play a game or perform another kind of task not requiring a keyboard.
Hewlett-Packard's patent was filed in Q1 2012 in the US and published by the US Patent Office in May 2012. For more details on this invention, see patent application 2012020016. HP has been a leader in multitouch displays on desktop computers and their new Envy model continues that leadership. The Envy however doesn't provide for full display tilt nor the feature noted above.
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