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US 6,807,055 B2Granted
Connection enhancement apparatus and information processing apparatus
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsHideyuki Usui, Hiroaki Agata, Kazuhiko Yamazaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A docking station is provided with a floppy disk drive and a CD-ROM drive used to extend a function of a lap-top PC. A station body has a pocket formed so as to house and hold the lap-top PC therein. The docking station is of a vertical type and the lap-top PC is also held as a vertical position therein. Consequently, the docking station is effective in space-saving. In addition, because the lap-top PC can be docked to the docking station from the front side of the docking station, the docking can be done safely and easily.
Claims8
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a mounting surface having a pocket formed therein, wherein the mounting surface is a surface on said housing selected from the group consisting of a surface with the largest area and a surface essentially parallel to a plane containing the surface with the largest area;
- an enhancement connector, disposed on the pocket, and which supports connection to a plurality of I/O ports of a portable information processing apparatus;
- a holding member, coupled to said housings which holds the portable information processing apparatus in a closed position, and substantially vertical to said housing and in connection with said enhancement connector.
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing, having a mounting surface wherein the mounting surface is a surface on said housing selected from the group consisting of a surface with the largest area and a surface essentially parallel to a plane containing the surface with the largest area, and adapted to house a portable information processing apparatus in a closed position substantially vertical to an installation surface on which the portable information processing apparatus is installed;
- an enhancement connector, disposed on said housing, which supports connections of a plurality of I/O ports of the portable information processing apparatus;
- and
- a stopper, coupled to the mounting surface, which supports the portable information processing apparatus to be connected to said housing;
- wherein the mounting surface of said housing initially enables the portable information processing apparatus to be downwardly connected to said housing in a direction opposed by the installation surface.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a mounting surface wherein the mounting surface is a surface on said housing selected from the group consisting of a surface with the largest area and a surface essentially parallel to a plane containing the surface with the largest area, and adapted to house a portable information processing apparatus in a closed position substantially vertical to an installation surface on which the portable information processing apparatus is installed;
- an enhancement connector, disposed on said housing, which supports connections of a plurality of I/O ports of the portable information processing apparatus;
- and
- a stopper, coupled to the mounting surface, which supports the portable information processing apparatus to be connected to said housing;
- wherein said housing further includes a pocket on the mounting surface having an opening substantially vertical to the installation surface, and
- said stopper is formed at any one of four side walls of said pocket.
3 more elements
A processing apparatus, comprising:
- a vertically oriented connection enhancement apparatus adapted to support connections of a plurality of I/O ports and defining a front surface having a pocket formed therein, wherein the front surface is a surface on said connection enhancement apparatus selected from the group consisting of a surface with the largest area and a surface essentially parallel to a piano containing the surface with the largest area;
- a portable information processing apparatus removably attached to said connection enhancement apparatus from the front facing surface side;
- and
- a holding members coupled to said connection enhancement apparatus, which holds the portable information processing apparatus in a closed position and a substantially vertical orientation and in connection with said connection enhancement apparatus.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a mounting surface having a pocket formed therein, wherein the mounting surface is a surface on said housing selected from the group consisting of the surface with the largest area and the surface essentially parallel to a plane containing the surface with the largest area;
- a rotatable member extended from said housing;
- and
- an enhancement connector, disposed on said rotatable member, which supports connection to a plurality of I/O posts of a portable information processing apparatus;
- wherein said rotatable member is rotatably movable from an initial horizontal position to the installed vertical position and supports the portable information processing apparatus in a closed position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.