# US 12,222,769 B2 · Modular information handling system component connections

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- Number: US 12,222,769 B2
- Document ID: US12222769B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/549,696
- Filed: 2021-12-13
- Published: 2023-06-15
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-13
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: John Trevor Morrison; Jace W. Files; Michiel Sebastiaan Emanuel Petrus Knoppert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222769B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/1669: {Detachable keyboards}
- G06F 1/1635: {Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter}
- G06F 1/1656: {Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203)}
- G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)}
- G06F 1/1688: {the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers}
- G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)}
- G06F 1/203: {for portable computers, e.g. for laptops}
- G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device}
- G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface}
- G06F 11/3093: {Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes}
- G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment}
- G06F 11/3438: {monitoring of user actions (tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535)}
- G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position}
- G06F 1/1632: {External expansion units, e.g. docking stations}
- G06F 1/1637: {Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing}
- G06F 1/1662: {Details related to the integrated keyboard}
- G06F 1/206: {comprising thermal management}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A portable information handling system modular hybrid architecture separates components between rotationally coupled housing portions to minimize cabling, connectors and materials, and to provide improved durability that supports recycling and reuse of the components. For example, a secondary board coupled in a first housing portion exposes a keyboard connector that communicates with a keyboard connector interface when a cover having the keyboard couples over the first housing portion. A battery connector exposed at a side of the secondary board has pins that directly interface with a battery connector interface of a battery. The secondary board supports modular assembly and disassembly of the keyboard and battery for improved recycling of components to reuse.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information handling system comprising: a housing having first and second housing portions rotationally coupled by a hinge; a display coupled to the second housing portion; a circuit board coupled to the first housing portion, the circuit board having an embedded controller coupled directly to the circuit board to manage keyboard input and a keyboard connector mounted directly to the circuit board exposed at an upper surface, the embedded controller interfaced with the keyboard connector through the circuit board; a housing cover including a keyboard, the keyboard having a keyboard connector interface exposed at a lower surface, the housing cover coupled to the first housing portion to align and contact the keyboard connector and keyboard connector interface directly with each other when the housing cover couples over the first housing portion by sliding from a rearward position towards the display to a forward position that engages toolless couplers at front side of the first housing portion and leaves a gap at a rear side of the first housing portion, keyboard key input values communicated from the keyboard connector interface directly to the keyboard connector and from the keyboard connector through the circuit board to the embedded controller; and a keystone element coupling the housing cover to the first housing portion by filling the gap to prevent sliding of the housing cover rearward.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a main board coupled to the housing, the main board having a central processing unit and memory that cooperate to process information and that interfaces with the display to present the information as visual images at the display;
a touchpad included in the housing cover and operable to accept touch inputs at an upper surface of the housing cover;
wherein the touchpad interfaces with the embedded controller through the keyboard connector and keyboard connector interface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising:
a battery coupled to the first housing portion under the housing cover and having battery connector interface configured to communicate charge;
a battery connector coupled to the circuit board and exposed at a side location of the circuit board aligned with the battery connector interface to directly couple the battery to the circuit board.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising:
a data cable interfacing the main board and circuit board to communicate keyboard inputs to the central processing unit; and
a battery cable interfacing the main board and the circuit board to communicate battery charge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The information handling system of claim 4 further comprising:
a first cable connector coupled to the main board; and
a second cable connector coupled to the circuit board;
wherein the data cable and battery cable have a shared coaxial sheath and terminate at each opposing ends with a shared cable connector interface that couples to the first and second cable connectors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising:
a charger coupled to the circuit board and operable to charge the battery at a native battery voltage; and
an external power port coupled to the circuit board and interfaced with the charger to accept external power and communicate the external power to the charger.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the circuit board communicates power to the main board at the battery native voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a speaker disposed in the first housing portion and having speaker connector exposed at an upper side; and
a speaker connector interface exposed at a lower surface of the housing cover and interfaced with the keyboard connector interface to communicate audio information between the circuit board and the speaker through the keyboard connector interface and keyboard connector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the keyboard connector and the speaker connector comprise pogo pins biased upward and against contacts of the keyboard.

### Claim 10

An information handling system keyboard comprising: a circuit board configured to couple to a housing and having a keyboard connector directly mounted to the circuit board exposed at an upper surface and an embedded controller directly coupled to the circuit board and interfaced with the keyboard connector through the circuit board, the embedded controller operable to accept key inputs from a keyboard; a cover housing portion having the keyboard and configured to couple over the housing to align a keyboard connector interface into direct contact with the keyboard connector to communicate keyboard inputs to the circuit board, the cover housing portion sliding from a rearward position of the housing towards a forward position to engage toolless couplers; and a keystone element sized to fit in a gap between the cover housing portion and the housing from the sliding to prevent sliding of the cover housing portion rearward and to thereby maintain the toolless couplers engaged.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The information handling system keyboard of claim 10 wherein the keyboard connector comprises pogo pins biased upwards and against contacts of the keyboard connector interface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The information handling system keyboard of claim 10 further comprising a battery connector having plural pins exposed at a side surface of the circuit board and configured to couple with pin slots of a battery coupled to the housing.