A METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A COMPUTER MONITOR TO A MINICOMPUTER AND A MINICOMPUTE

Abstract

A minicomputer (1) comprises a computer monitor (2) configured from a computer monitor (3) by mounting a microcomputer device (25) and a power supply (35) for powering the microcomputer device (25) on a component tray (10) secured to a screen support housing (7) of the computer monitor (3). The microcomputer device (25) comprises a microcomputer board sold under the trade name Raspberry Pi. The microcomputer device (25) is configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote computer with a keyboard (4) and with a mouse (5), and to control a visual display screen (6) of the computer monitor (2) through a screen controller (18), also located on the component tray (10). A card receiving slot (39) of the microcomputer device (25) is accessed through a card accommodating opening (38) formed in the component tray (10) and through a card access opening (42) formed in a rear wall (12) of a rear housing (8) of the computer monitor (3). The card receiving slot (39) of the microcomputer device (25) is configured to receive a Micro SD Card (40), which acts as a hard drive of the microcomputer device (25), for selecting the communications mode and the communications protocol with which the microcomputer device (25) is to communicate with the remote computer.

Claims

1.-54. (canceled)

55. A method for configuring a computer monitor as a minicomputer, the computer monitor comprising a housing defining a hollow interior region and an open mouth to the hollow interior region closed by a visual display screen, a component tray located within the hollow interior region, a screen controller and a power supply mounted on the component tray, the power supply being configured for producing a power supply to power the screen controller and the screen from a mains AC electricity power source, the method comprising mounting a microcomputer board on the component tray and configuring the microcomputer board to communicate wirelessly with at least one of a keyboard and a mouse, and to communicate wirelessly with a remote computer.

56. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the microcomputer board is configured to control the visual display screen through the screen controller, and preferably, the microcomputer board is located on the component tray, so that at least one of the ports of the microcomputer board is accessible through the housing.

57. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the position of the screen controller on the component tray is altered to accommodate the microcomputer board thereon to provide access to the at least one of the ports of the microcomputer board through a port access opening originally formed in the housing to provide access to at least one port of the screen controller.

58. A method as claimed in claim 57 in which the microcomputer board is located on the component tray with the at least one of the ports thereof accessible through the port access opening in the housing, and preferably, the port access opening in the housing is provided along a lower end of the housing, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer over a telecommunications network, and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer in any one or more of LAN or Wi-Fi, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is Wi-Fi enabled, and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer by broadband over a telecommunications network.

59. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer in any one or more of the following protocols: Digital Signage, VPN, OpenVPN, HDX (Citrix JPG H.264), Horizon (VMWare BLAST PCoIP), Media Player, NX (NoMachine), Performance Monitor, RDP (Microsoft RDP RemoteFX), SPICE, SSH, TN3270 (IBM), Telnet, User Defined(Bespoke), VNC, Web, X11 and IOT (Internet of Things), and preferably, the remote computer with which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate comprises one or more of a remote main frame computer, a remote computer server, a remote desktop computer, a cloud computer and any other remote computing means, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with any one or more of the following screen sharing applications, namely, AnyDesk, Logmein, Splashtop, RDP, RDPfx, XfreeRDP, VNC, Chrome Remote Desktop, Join.me, Alpemix, Brosix, Jitsi, TeamViewer, Discord, Google Hangouts, Thinfinity Remote Desktop, and ThinLinx, and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with any one or more of cross platforms, namely, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS and IOS.

60. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the microcomputer board comprises a Micro SD Card receiver for receiving one of a plurality of Micro SD Cards.

61. A method as claimed in claim 60 in which the microcomputer board is configured so that when the Micro SD Card is located in the Micro SD Card receiver, the Micro SD Card acts as a hard drive for the microcomputer board, and preferably, the communications mode of the microcomputer board is configured by the Micro SD Card located in the Micro SD Card receiver, and advantageously, a Micro SD Card access opening is formed in the housing for accommodating a Micro SD Card therethrough for insertion in the Micro SD Card receiver of the microcomputer board, and preferably, a closure element is provided for selectively closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and advantageously, the closure element is operable between a closed state closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and an open state providing access through the Micro SD Card access opening, and preferably, the closure element is pivotally coupled on the housing, and is pivotal between the open state providing access through the Micro SD Card access opening and the closed state closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and advantageously, the Micro SD Card access opening is located in the rear of the housing.

62. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate wirelessly with both the mouse and the keyboard, and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the at least one of the mouse and the keyboard in a Bluetooth protocol.

63. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which a microcomputer board power supply is located on the component tray for providing a power supply to the microcomputer board from the mains AC electricity supply source.

64. A method as claimed in claim 55 in which the microcomputer board comprises a microcomputer board sold under any of the following trade names: Raspberry Pi, NanoPC-T4, Banana Pi R64, LattePanda Alpha 864, ODROID-XU4, Udoo x86 II, Ultra, ODROID-C1+, VoCore2, ASUS Tinker Board S, NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit, Onion Omega2+, ClockworkPi, Arduino Mega 2560, Rock64 Media Board, PocketBeagle, Le Potato, Banana Pi M64, Orange Pi Zero, VIM2 SBC by Khadas, NanoPi NEO2, Helios64 by Kobol and ODROID-HC2, and preferably, the microcomputer board comprises a microcomputer board sold under the trade name Raspberry Pi.

65. A minicomputer converted from a computer monitor by the method as claimed in claim 55, the minicomputer comprising a computer monitor comprising a housing defining a hollow interior region and an open mouth to the hollow interior region closed by a visual display screen, a component tray located within the hollow interior region, a screen controller and a power supply mounted on the component tray, the power supply being configured for producing a power supply to power the screen controller and the screen from a mains AC electricity power source, a microcomputer board located on the component tray and configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one of a keyboard and a mouse, and to communicate wirelessly with a remote computer.

66. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board is configured to control the visual display screen through the screen controller, and preferably, the microcomputer board is located on the component tray, so that at least one of the ports of the microcomputer board is accessible through the housing.

67. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board is configured to control the visual display screen through the screen controller, and preferably, the microcomputer board is located on the component tray, so that at least one of the ports of the microcomputer board is accessible through the housing.

68. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer over a telecommunications network, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer in a Wi-Fi protocol, and preferably, the remote computer with which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate comprises one or more of a remote main frame computer, a remote computer server, a remote desktop computer, a cloud computer and any other remote computing means, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer in any one or more of LAN or Wi-Fi, and preferably, the microcomputer board is Wi-Fi enabled, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer by broadband over a telecommunications network.

69. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the remote computer in any one or more of the following protocols: Digital Signage, VPN, OpenVPN, HDX (Citrix JPG H.264), Horizon (VMWare BLAST PCoIP), Media Player, NX (NoMachine), Performance Monitor, RDP (Microsoft RDP RemoteFX), SPICE, SSH, TN3270 (IBM), Telnet, User Defined(Bespoke), VNC, Web, X11 and IOT (Internet of Things), and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with any one or more of the following common screen sharing applications, namely, AnyDesk, Logmein, Splashtop, RDP, RDPfx, XfreeRDP, VNC, Chrome Remote Desktop, Join.me, Alpemix, Brosix, Jitsi, TeamViewer, Discord, Google Hangouts, Thinfinity Remote Desktop and ThinLinx, and advantageously, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with any one or more of cross platforms, namely, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS and IOS.

70. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board comprises a Micro SD Card receiver for receiving one of a plurality of Micro SD Cards.

71. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 70 in which the microcomputer board is configured so that when the Micro SD Card is located in the Micro SD Card receiver, the Micro SD Card acts as a hard drive for the microcomputer board, and preferably, the communications mode of the microcomputer board is configured by the Micro SD Card located in the Micro SD Card receiver, and advantageously, a Micro SD Card access opening is formed in the housing for accommodating a Micro SD Card therethrough for insertion in the microcomputer board, and preferably, a closure element is provided for selectively closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and advantageously, the closure element is operable between a closed state closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and an open state providing access through the Micro SD Card access opening, and preferably, the closure element is pivotally coupled on the housing, and is pivotal between the open state providing access through the Micro SD Card access opening and the closed state closing the Micro SD Card access opening, and advantageously, the Micro SD Card access opening is located in the rear of the housing.

72. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board is configured to communicate wirelessly with both the mouse and the keyboard, and preferably, the microcomputer board is configured to communicate with the at least one of the mouse and the keyboard in a Bluetooth protocol.

73. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which a microcomputer board power supply is located on the component tray for providing a power supply to the microcomputer board from the mains AC electricity supply source.

74. A minicomputer as claimed in claim 65 in which the microcomputer board comprises a microcomputer board sold under any of the following trade names: Raspberry Pi, NanoPC-T4, Banana Pi R64, LattePanda Alpha 864, ODROID-XU4, Udoo x86 II, Ultra, ODROID-C1+, VoCore2, ASUS Tinker Board S, NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit, Onion Omega2+, ClockworkPi, Arduino Mega 2560, Rock64 Media Board, PocketBeagle, Le Potato, Banana Pi M64, Orange Pi Zero, VIM2 SBC by Khadas, NanoPi NEO2, Helios64 by Kobol and ODROID-HC2, and preferably, the microcomputer board comprises a Raspberry Pi microcomputer board.

Description

[0056] The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is given solely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0057] FIG. 1 is a front view of a minicomputer according to the invention,

[0058] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the minicomputer of FIG. 1 with a portion of the minicomputer removed, and with components of the minicomputer illustrated partly in block representation,

[0059] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top plan view of a portion of the minicomputer of FIG. 1, and

[0060] FIG. 4 is a rear end elevational view of a detail of the minicomputer of FIG. 1.

[0061] Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a minicomputer according to the invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The minicomputer 1 comprises a computer monitor 2 which has been configured from a computer monitor 3 by a method also according to the invention. A keyboard 4 and a mouse 5 are provided, and both the keyboard 4 and the mouse 5 are configured to communicate wirelessly with the minicomputer 1 through respective USB Wi-Fi transmitters (not shown), as will be well known and understood by those skilled in the art.

[0062] The original computer monitor 3 is of the type which comprises a flat visual display screen 6, typically, a liquid crystal display screen, which is supported in a screen support housing 7. A rear housing 8 is secured to the rear of the screen support housing 7 and defines with the screen support housing 7 a hollow interior region 9, within which a component tray 10 is located, as will be described below. The rear housing 8 comprises a rear wall 12 and a pair of spaced apart narrow side walls 14 extending forwardly and outwardly from the rear wall 12 and joined by a narrow top wall 15 and a narrow bottom wall 16 both of which also extend forwardly from the rear wall 12. The rear wall 12, side walls 14, top and bottom walls 15 and 16 together with the screen support housing 7 define the hollow interior region 9. The side walls 14 and the top and bottom walls 15 and 16 define an open mouth 11 to the hollow interior region 9 which is closed by the screen support housing 7. The component tray 10 located in the hollow interior region 9 is secured to the screen support housing 7.

[0063] A screen controller 18 and a screen power supply unit 19 are located on a base panel 20 of the component tray 10. The screen power supply unit 19 provides suitable power supplies to the screen controller 18 and to the visual display screen 6 for powering thereof. The screen power supply unit 19 is configured to receive a mains AC electricity supply from a mains AC electricity source (not shown) through a mains electricity port 21.

[0064] Originally, the screen controller 18 was located on the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 of the computer monitor 3 in the lower left-hand corner of the computer tray 10 when the computer monitor 3 is viewed from the front as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that ports (not shown) of the screen controller 18 were aligned with a port access opening 22 formed in the bottom wall 16 of the rear housing 9.

[0065] In the method according to the invention for configuring the computer monitor 3 to the computer monitor 2, initially the screen controller 18 is moved from a position adjacent the lower left-hand corner 23 of the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2, where the screen controller 18 is located adjacent the top end of the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 and is substantially centrally located on the component tray 10 between opposite sides 24 of the component tray 10. A microcomputer board, which in this embodiment of the invention comprises a microcomputer device 25 and which is sold under the trade name Raspberry Pi, is located on the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 adjacent a bottom left-hand corner 23 of the component tray 10. The microcomputer device 25 is supplied under the trade name Raspberry Pi by Raspberry Pi (Trading) Limited of Maurice Wilkes Building, St. John's Innovation Park, Cowley Road, Cambridge, England. The microcomputer device 25 is located on the component tray 10, so that ports 27 of the microcomputer device 25 are aligned with and accessible through the port access openings 22 in the bottom wall 16 of the rear housing 8.

[0066] The ports 27 of the microcomputer device 25 which are accessible through the port access opening 22 are a local area network (LAN) port 27a, two USB3 ports 27b and two USB2 ports 27c. Additional port access openings 28a, 28b and 28c are also formed in the bottom wall 16 of the rear housing 8 for accommodating a HDMI auxiliary (second screen) connection port 30, an audio auxiliary connection port 31 and a spare auxiliary connection port 32, respectively. The connection ports 30, 31 and 32 are hardwired to the microcomputer device 25.

[0067] A microcomputer device power supply 35 is located on the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 for providing a power supply to the microcomputer device 25. The microcomputer device power supply 35 is powered from the mains AC electricity supply which is applied to the screen power supply unit 19 through the mains electricity port 21.

[0068] A HDMI cable 36 communicates the microcomputer device 25 with the screen controller 18 for operating the screen controller 18 for controlling the display on the visual display screen 6.

[0069] The microcomputer device 25 is configured to communicate wirelessly with the keyboard 4 and mouse 5 through the respective USB Wi-Fi transmitters (not shown) of the keyboard 4 and the mouse 5.

[0070] The microcomputer device 25 is configurable to communicate wirelessly with a remote computer (not shown), which may be a remote main frame computer, a cloud computer, a remote virtual computer, a remote computer server, a remote desktop computer, or any other remote computing means. Depending on the remote computing means with which the microcomputer device 25 is configured to communicate, the microcomputer device 25 is configured to communicate via Wi-Fi and broadband over a telecommunications network, or directly over a telecommunications network, or by other suitable wireless communicating means. As will be described below the microcomputer device 25 is configurable to communicate in any suitable communications protocol, for example, Digital Signage, VPN, Open VPN, HDX (Citrix JPG H.264), Horizon (VMWare BLAST PCoIP), Media Player, NX (NoMachine), Performance Monitor, RDP (Microsoft RDP, RemoteFX), SPICE, SSH, TN3270 (IBM), Telnet, User Defined(Bespoke), VNC, Web, X11 and IOT (Internet of Things).

[0071] The screen controller 18, the screen power supply unit 19, the microcomputer device 25 and the microcomputer power supply 35 are located on the base panel 20 of the component tray 10, so that when the component tray 10 is secured to the screen support housing 7, the screen controller 18, the screen power supply unit 19, the microcomputer device 25 and the microcomputer power supply 35 are located between the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 and the screen support housing 8, with the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 adjacent the rear wall 12 of the rear housing 8.

[0072] A card accommodating opening 38 is formed in the base panel 20 of the component tray 10 to provide access to a card receiving slot 39 in the rear of the microcomputer device 25 through the base panel 20. The card receiving slot 39 of the microcomputer device 25 is configured for receiving one of a plurality of Micro SD Cards 40, such Micro SD Cards will be well known to those skilled in the art. A card access opening 42 is formed in the rear wall 12 of the rear housing 8 to provide access to the card receiving slot 39 of the microcomputer device 25 through the card accommodating opening 38. A closure means, in this embodiment of the invention a closure plate 44 is provided for closing the card access opening 42. The closure plate 44 is pivotally coupled to the rear wall 12 of the rear housing 8 by a pivot pin 45 located just above the card access opening 42, and the closure plate 44 is pivotal about the pivot pin 45 between an open state illustrated in FIG. 4 and a closed state (not shown) closing the card access opening 42.

[0073] The Micro SD Card 40 acts as the hard drive for the microcomputer device 25 and configures the communicating mode and the communications protocol of the microcomputer device 25 for communicating with the desired remote computer (not shown) in a suitable communications protocol. Storage pockets 47 are located on the exterior surface of the rear wall 12 of the rear housing 8 for storing Micro SD Cards 40, which are adapted to configure the microcomputer device 25 to communicate in other communications protocols. It is also envisaged that other hard drive (boot) devices may be used in the USB3 port, for example NVMe hard drives for controlling the microcomputer device 25.

[0074] In use, with the minicomputer 1 configured from the computer monitor 3 connected to a mains AC electricity supply through the mains electricity port 21, and the keyboard 4 and the mouse 5 powered by respective batteries (not shown), the minicomputer 1 is ready for use. Depending on the remote computer with which the minicomputer 1 is to be configured to communicate, the appropriate Micro SD Card 40 is inserted in the card receiving slot 39 of the microcomputer device 25. The minicomputer 1 is then operated as a normal computer through the keyboard 4 and/or the mouse 5, with the microcomputer device 25 communicating commands from the keyboard 4 and the mouse 5 to the remote computer, and the microcomputer device 25 operating under the control of the remote computer, the keyboard 4 and the mouse 5 for controlling the display on the visual display screen 6 through the screen controller 18.

[0075] While the microcomputer device has been described as comprising a microcomputer device sold under the tradename Raspberry Pi, any other suitable microcomputer board having similar capabilities as the microcomputer device 25 may be used, for example, NanoPC-T4, Banana Pi R64, LattePanda Alpha 864, ODROID-XU4, Udoo x86 II, Ultra, ODROID-C1+, VoCore2, ASUS Tinker Board S, NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit, Onion Omega2+, ClockworkPi, Arduino Mega 2560, Rock64 Media Board, PocketBeagle, Le Potato, Banana Pi M64, Orange Pi Zero, VIM2 SBC by Khadas, NanoPi NEO2, Helios64 by Kobol and ODROID-HC2.

[0076] While a microcomputer device power supply has been provided separate from the screen power supply, in some embodiments of the invention depending on the output power available from the screen power supply unit 19, the microcomputer device may be powered directly from the screen power supply unit 19.

[0077] While in the embodiment of the minicomputer described it was necessary to move the screen controller 18 of the computer monitor 3 to a position on the component tray adjacent the top of the component tray, in some embodiments of the invention this may not be necessary, and it may be possible to mount the microcomputer device 25 on the component tray, without having to move the screen controller 18. However, in general, it is envisaged that this would require providing additional port access openings for the ports 27 of the microcomputer device.

[0078] While the keyboard and the mouse have been described as being wireless enabled, it will be appreciated that the minicomputer may be operated with a keyboard and a mouse hardwired to the minicomputer.