[Acadian]

iPhone Docking Station Patent Application Shows Multi-Orientation Design, Possible Table PC Compatibility

When there were only iPods, docking and synchronizing them with with your Mac or PC was a pretty straightforward proposition. You just put your iPod into a docking cradle and it works. But what about iPhone? It can work both in horizontal and vertical position. Which way should you dock it? Any way, says Apple.

When developing an iPhone, Apple has also thought of the newish docking station that will be needed to operate it comfortably when charging and synchronizing iPhone with your computer.

Two designs for Apple iPhone docking stations have just surfaced in an Apple patent application, showing cradles that allow the iPhone to be docked and viewed in either horizontal or vertical orientation. The patent application describes "Methods and apparatuses for docking a portable electronic device that has a planar like configuration and that operates in multiple orientations."

An intriguing aspect of the illustrations is the possibility that one of the cradle designs is not only intended for the iPhone, but also might encompass a tablet PC. The second illustration shows a slightly different method, one that would also be appropriate for a tablet.

The patent application even mentions the term "tablet PC."

"The portable electronic device may correspond to a tablet, and the base may serve as a location for accessing the Internet or connecting to peripheral devices such as printers, fax machines, scanners, and the like.... In cases such as these the portable electronic device may correspond to a monitor, tablet PC..."

It works in a similar way to rotating LCD monitors, letting you dock and view the iPhone in whichever direction you prefer.

Gizmodo

[JedixJarf]

vertical docking for me please

[raj]

Since the iPhone has Bluetooth and WiFi, it doesn't really need a docking station cable in order to transfer info to/from your Mac. The only reason it would need any type of cable at all would be charge the battery, and now that other companies have shown charging solutions which induce a charge in a battery by simply resting the device on a special material, I'm actually wondering if it could be the case that the iPhone is completely sealed with no external ports at all.

Interestingly, the charging cradle pictures seem to show some type of magnetic coupling and don't show any obvious connector. We've also never seen any connector in any of the pictures or ads, I don't think...

Oops! So much for that dream. Looking at the Belkin iPhone case, one can finally see the sides and see that there are, indeed, ports.

[Cody Overcash]

Originally Posted by raj

Since the iPhone has Bluetooth and WiFi, it doesn't really need a docking station cable in order to transfer info to/from your Mac. The only reason it would need any type of cable at all would be charge the battery, and now that other companies have shown charging solutions which induce a charge in a battery by simply resting the device on a special material, I'm actually wondering if it could be the case that the iPhone is completely sealed with no external ports at all.

Interestingly, the charging cradle pictures seem to show some type of magnetic coupling and don't show any obvious connector. We've also never seen any connector in any of the pictures or ads, I don't think...

Oops! So much for that dream. Looking at the Belkin iPhone case, one can finally see the sides and see that there are, indeed, ports.

I agree I hate cables I plan to dock via bluetooth

oh and vertical for me if I have to

[JedixJarf]

wifi syncying would be sweet.

[Kyle Matthews]

Vertical docking is better for me, too. I do see a cool situation though--I use all of my screen real estate while working on my computer (which is all the work I do), and docking my iPhone horizontally would allow me to watch movies on the side while working. Could be fun.

[Acadian]

Originally Posted by cash7c3

I agree I hate cables I plan to dock via bluetooth

oh and vertical for me if I have to

Originally Posted by JedixJarf

wifi syncying would be sweet.

Originally Posted by poetic_folly

Vertical docking is better for me, too. I do see a cool situation though--I use all of my screen real estate while working on my computer (which is all the work I do), and docking my iPhone horizontally would allow me to watch movies on the side while working. Could be fun.

Somehow I think Apple is going to make this a very sweet setup for all needs, once they get things into production/release. Hopefully though, the WiFi/BT capabilities don't flop like they did with some of our beloved Motos (like my v710...) and good thing it is Apple that is putting the phone and perhiperals out: Apple always seems to do things the right way (I hope that never comes back to haunt me because everyone thought that about Sony too...).

[JedixJarf]

Originally Posted by poetic_folly

Vertical docking is better for me, too. I do see a cool situation though--I use all of my screen real estate while working on my computer (which is all the work I do), and docking my iPhone horizontally would allow me to watch movies on the side while working. Could be fun.

That would be nice.