Holder for a tablet computer

(54) Name:

Väderstad Holding AB, Box 167, 590 21 Väderstad SE Crister STARK, VÄDERSTAD SE Gustav PREJER, VADSTENA SE Bengt-Arne ALBREKTSSON, LINKÖPING SE Stefan VÅLBERG, LINKÖPING SE

IPQ IP Specialists AB, Docketing, Box 42, 683 21, Hagfors SE Holder for a tablet (56) Published publications: US 20120206867 A1 US 20010045938 A1 US 20120113034 A1 US

20130058659 A1 (57) Summary:

The invention relates to a holder (1, 101) for a removable tablet / tablet (2, 102) or the like having a screen (15, 115), which holder has a frame (3, 103) which comprises a socket (3a, 103a). ) for receiving the tablet and a handle portion or a handle side portion (4, 104) with buttons (9, 11) or sensors; which are arranged to control a machine and which are actuable by finger touch / contact to communicate with certain functions of the tablet (2,102) and / or of the machine which it is arranged to control. Said machine may be an agricultural machine, such as a seed drill or the like.

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SUMMARY

The invention relates to a holder (1, 101) for a removable tablet / tablet (2, 102) or the like having a screen (15, 115), which holder has a frame (3, 103) which comprises a socket (3a, 103a). ) for receiving the tablet and a handle portion or a handle side portion (4, 104) with buttons (9, 11) or sensors; which are arranged to control a machine and which are actuable by finger touch / contact to communicate with certain functions of the tablet (2,102) and / or of the machine which it is arranged to control. Said machine may be an agricultural machine, such as a seed drill or the like.

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A SURFACE PLATE HOLDER

Technical area

The present invention relates to a holder for a removable tablet / tablet or the like according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background of the invention

In line with the technological development of agriculture and other technology areas, electronics in agricultural machinery and other machinery have become increasingly central. Electrical / electronic systems were initially simple on agricultural machines such as seed drills. Eventually, systems have been developed both by individual manufacturers and as standardized protocols, the type of ISO bus. In line with the general development of electronics and the fact that specific software has been developed for the management of agriculture and the economy, increasing demands are placed on electronics for the control, monitoring and operation of items. show drills. It is also in the nature of the question to integrate the electronics available on agricultural machines and other machines with the systems that are available for the farm's and companies' overall management.

In recent decades, we have seen a very strong development and use of GPS systems for, for example, logging the position of an agricultural machine, which logging can be done in quick time, for example after every second. In this logging, a number of parameters other than the geographical position can also be logged. This can be the machine's working depth, the applied traction, the nature of the soil, the amount of fertilizer or seed discharged, the meteorological conditions or any other task / parameter that one wishes to document and relate to geographical positions. Similar developments can be seen in other machines such as aircraft, construction machinery, etc.

In recent years we have seen a dramatic development of mobile electronics such as smartphones, tablets or tablets. These can be, for example, in the form of iPads or iPhones. The tablets open up new opportunities to develop even more electronic aids for agriculture and other mobile equipment and vehicles.

An increasing number of functions need to be controlled on a modem machine. A seed drill is used here as an example of a machine, although this technology can also be applied to other types of machines, such as planters (precision seed drills) and machines used outside agriculture.

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It may be necessary to control the amount of fertilizer, seed or pesticide used. This may include lifting, lowering the entire machine or adjusting different tools or applying seed drills with different pressures on different parts of the field. This may involve translating a measured value to a desired value, for example with regard to drilling depth, working depth or other.

In construction machines there are also similar conditions.

An increasing amount of data is required for various reasons, some may be plant cultivation technical, others may be regulatory requirements. For example, some work can only be performed under certain wind conditions. It may then be relevant to log and document the speed, temperature, time, etc. for a certain work. Maps have become of central importance in modern agriculture and in contracting activities it is often relevant to create maps for various jobs such as sowing, excavation. It may be appropriate to apply different amounts of fertilizer, seed or chemicals. This may need to be documented in real time on one or more maps.

One need may be to order spare parts directly from the field in case of wear or breakdown.

The list can be made even longer with desirable functions that the farmer or contractor may have. It is then natural to consider using new technology in the form of, for example, a tablet in the form of an iPad or a Smartphone. These "appliances" have enormous potential to solve the above functions. They are not only computers, but they can also communicate via GSM, WiFi and Bluetooth. However, they have a major disadvantage with the touch screens in the environment in which they work. These are difficult to operate with the precision required in a shaky environment. They can also be too fragile for the environment in which they work.

The object of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a holder for a mobile tablet / tablet or the like of the kind mentioned above which solves the above-mentioned problems.

This object is achieved with a holder for a tablet / tablet or the like, which holder has been provided with the features of claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the holder according to the invention have been given the features of the subclaims.

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Summary of the Invention

All of the above wishes can be combined into a tablet / tablet holder or the like, where the holder has special features. In the following, a tablet, tablet, smartphone or the like will be referred to as a collective term as tablet. Thus, according to the invention, a holder for a tablet is provided. The holder according to the invention can ideally be mounted in a tractor cab or machine cab, cockpit or the like. It can be attached there and can be seen and served in a good way. The holder is designed to make the tablet easily removable and removable and it should also protect the tablet. Conveniently, the holder is equipped with a shadow screen that shades the tablet screen during work, especially under sunny conditions. The tablet can be built in so that it needs no more connection than power supply. The communication can be carried out wirelessly.

The holder according to the invention is preferably designed in such a way that a number of buttons are arranged for the operation of the machine, at least to the extent that all the usual occurring steps can be carried out without the need to use the touch screen. The idea of ​​the invention is that the holder is provided with an ergonomic handle on one side. The hand grip is conveniently formed with the finger grip positions. In these modes, buttons / sensors or the like may be accessible. Each "button" activates a function of the machine. The word "button" here is the collective term for all kinds of buttons like buttons, touch buttons or the like. When this function is enabled, commands can be executed with the buttons on the top of the console, which is conveniently executed with the thumb, in an embodiment of the invention directly on the touch screen. The driver then gets a sturdy handle that is easy to grip while driving and he also makes good and ergonomic contact with the buttons on the bottom of the console, which makes it easy to safely choose which function he wants to serve. A further improved function is obtained by giving each button a matching icon on the tablet screen. When a button and thus function is activated, the icon lights up from being half-extinguished. The driver then receives a visual confirmation that he has activated the function he wishes. It facilitates the work further and makes the machine operations even safer.

Another advantage is that the driver can only carry the tablet with the holder out of the tachograph's cab or out of the driver's seat and outside the tractor's cab or the other. the driver's seat make certain maneuvers that are approved from a safety point of view.

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Technically, the "buttons" can communicate with the tablet via a cable that powers both the buttons, its electronics and the tablet. They can also communicate via, for example, Bluetooth.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show preferred embodiments.

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a holder according to the invention with a tablet inserted.

Fig. 2 shows a side view through a window of a vehicle with a single carrier according to Fig. 1 with a tablet, the holder being mounted on an arm.

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the holder of Fig. 1 according to the invention without a tablet inserted.

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the holder of Fig. 1 without a tablet inserted.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a holder in a released state.

Fig. 6 shows a detailed side view of the holder of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a view similar to Fig. 5 of the holder of Fig. 5 in another released state.

Figs. 8a and 8b show perspective views from the front of two possibilities of attaching a removable key portion to the holder of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view inside a vehicle with a holder according to Fig. 5 with a tablet, said holder being mounted on an arm.

Description of preferred embodiments

Figs. 1-4 illustrate an embodiment of a holder 1 according to the invention for a tablet 2 or the like. The holder 1 includes a frame 3 with a handle side 4 (to the right in Fig. 1). On the opposite side 5 (to the left in Fig. 1) there are connections 6 for charging, lighting etc. The holder 1 is provided with a mount 3a arranged on the frame 3 with a substantially rectangular shape for an adapted tablet plate 2 or the like. A sun visor 7 is provided along the upper part of the holder 1 for clearer reading

540 658 tablet 2, for example in direct sunlight. On the front side of the holder 1 there is a first set of control buttons 8 for operation, preferably with the thumb of the right hand. In the example shown, there are four buttons 9 or sensors for operating the functions up, down, right and left. On the reverse side of the holder 1 is a second set of control buttons 10 arranged for the fingers of the right hand with preferably up to four buttons 11 or sensors. Each button 11 of the second set of control buttons 10 may, as shown in the drawings, be arranged in a recess 12 for more secure access of the buttons 11.

In Fig. 2, it is shown how a holder 1 with inserted tablet 2 can be arranged on an arm outside an openable window of a vehicle, preferably a towing vehicle, such as a tractor, whereby the holder and the tablet are used to control certain functions of a towed machine. such as a drawn agricultural machine, such as a seed drill or the like.

The first set of control buttons 8 could also be arranged on the lower end of the right side for a left-handed person. In this case, connections corresponding to the terminals 6 could be doubled or left as the screen 15 of the tablet 2 can be automatically turned when the tablet is turned. Alternatively, connections, such as terminals 6, may also be provided on either side of holder 1. In this case, the user would turn on holder 1. In such an embodiment, the sun visor 7 would be removable to the opposite side of the holder 1.

Icons and surfaces 15a on the screen 15 of the tablet 2 refer to the functions of the machine. The graphical interface of the tablet 2 can be provided with icons or surfaces 15 a, which match the buttons 9, 11 and which are arranged to change the character, for example illuminate, when a button 9, 11 is activated. One of the buttons 9, 11 or a button not yet shown may be arranged to activate the tablet 2 so that it can be operated through the holder, ie. a so-called "dead man's grip". The buttons 9, 11 can be activatable in two steps, i. first, a function such as a button 11 on the underside of the holder 1 is selected, after which a function such as right, left, up, down, etc. is operated with a button 9 on the top of the holder or vice versa.

One of the buttons 11 on the underside can activate an icon 15 a, which can be pressed or touched to control predetermined functions of the machine, whereby an icon 15a on the screen 15 can be used and other icons 15a remain inactive, the icons 15a on the screen 15 of the tablet 2 can replace the buttons 9 on the front, ie. the buttons 9 activated with the thumb. The buttons 9, 11 and their electronics can also be built into the holder 1. Alternatively, the buttons 9, 11 on the holder 1 may be adapted to communicate wirelessly with the tablet 2. The holder 1 may be provided with a terminal 16 for a charging cable 13 for the tablet 2 and / or the holder 1, whereby the charging cable 13

540 658 is removed, only certain functions of the holder 1 can be activated. This could be a way to limit the functions when the driver takes the tablet 2 outside the vehicle's cab. When the charging cable 13 is removed from the tablet 2 or when the tablet 2 is removed from the holder 1, only certain functions of the tablet 2 can be allowed / activated, ie. some features of the machine can be blocked and can no longer be controlled through the tablet. It is also arranged that some functions can still be activated on the holder 1 when the tablet is removed from it.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a recess 17 is provided to facilitate the removal of the tablet plate 2 from the holder. In addition, additional recesses can be provided for camera lenses and speakers on the tablet 2.

Figures 5-9 show a second embodiment of a holder 101 according to the invention for a tablet plate or the like. The holder 101 includes a frame 103 with a detachable handle portion 104 (to the right in Fig. 5). On the opposite side 105 of the frame 103 (to the left in Fig. 5) there are terminals 106 for charging, lighting, etc. The holder 101 is provided with an outlet 103a provided in the frame 103 with a substantially rectangular shape for a suitable tablet plate 102 or similar. The detachable handle side portion 104 of the holder 101 consists of a one-piece key portion. On the front side of the handle side portion 104 of the holder 101 is provided a first set of 108 operating buttons 109 for actuation, preferably with the thumb of the right hand. In the example shown, there are four buttons 109 or sensors to control the functions up, down, right and left. On the back of the handle side portion 104 of the holder 101 is arranged a second set of 110 operating buttons 111 adapted for the other fingers of the right hand with preferably up to four buttons in 11 or touch sensors. Each button 111 of the second set of 110 operating buttons may, as shown in the drawings, be arranged in a recess 112 for safer access to the buttons 111.

Fig. 9 shows how a holder 101 with a tablet plate 102 inserted can be arranged on an arm inside a vehicle, preferably a tractor such as a tractor, whereby the holder and tablet are used to control certain functions of the towed machine, such as a drawn agricultural machine, such as a seed drill or the like.

Icons and surfaces 115a on the screen 115 of the tablet 102 refer to the functions of the machine. The graphical interface of the tablet 102 may be provided with icons or surfaces 115a that match the buttons 109, 111 and are adapted to change character, for example, illuminate when a button 109,111 is activated. One of the buttons 109,111 or one

540 658 not shown may be adapted to activate the tablet 102 so that it can operate through the holder, i.e. a so-called "dead man's grip". The buttons 109, 111 can be activated in two steps, i. first, a function such as left, right, up, down, etc. is selected with a button 109 on the top of the holder, or vice versa.

One of the buttons 111 on the underside can activate an icon 115a, which can be pushed up / down or alternatively right / left, whereby an icon 115a on the screen 115 can be used and other icons 115a remain inactive, whereby the icons 115a on the screen of the tablet 102 can replace the buttons 109 on the front, ie. the buttons 109 which are activated with the thumb. The buttons 109, 111 and their electronics can also be built into the holder. Alternatively, the buttons 109, 111 on the holder 101 may be adapted to communicate wirelessly with the tablet 102. The holder 101 may be provided with an outlet 116 for a charging cable 113 for the tablet 102 and / or the holder 101, whereby the charging cable 113 is removed only certain functions of the holder 101 are possible to activate. This could be a way of eliminating the features as the driver takes the tablet 102 outside the cab of the vehicle. Only certain functions of the tablet 102 can be allowed / activated, i.e. some functions may be blocked when the charging cable 113 is removed from the tablet 102.

As shown in Figures 5-9, the holder 101 according to the invention of the second embodiment differs from the holder 1 of the first embodiment in that the gripping side 104 with the key portion is removable and can be mounted either on the short side of the holder 101 or on its long side. Reference numeral 120 denotes snap buttons inserted into holes 121 to lock the handle side portion 104 to the rest of holder 101. The release of the handle side portion 104 from the holder 104 may be such that it is simply pulled out of the snap rope, which consists of the buttons 120 and the holes 121, see in particular Fig. 6.1. of the holder 101. The charging cable 113 is connected to the tablet plate 102 on the input side of the holder 101.

In Fig. 7, the tablet plate 102 is inserted by pushing it according to an arrow 119 in the holder from one side of the holder 101. The charging cable 122 is on the opposite side compared to the application of Fig. 5 where the tablet is snap into the recess 3a of the frame 3. A charging cable outlet 122 of the tablet 102 is to be connected to an outlet 123 on the holder. The terminal 123 will then be connected to the terminal 124 on the handle side portion 104. A socket similar to socket 123 will be mounted on the long side of the holder 101 to supply energy to the key portion 101a when it is removably mounted on the long side of the

540 658 holder 101 for use when the user intends to engage the hanging grip side portion 104 on the long side of holder 101. The position of the handle side portion 104 on the long or short side of the holder 101 depends on the space needed inside the tractor cab or on the user's wishes. Regardless of how the tablet 102 is aligned in the holder 101, it is important that the position of the buttons 109, 111 on the hang grip side portion 104 is comfortable and ergonomic. Consequently, it may be significant that the tablet may be rotated to different oriented positions.

If the electrical supply is interrupted to the holder 1,101, the holder can still operate the other way with the remaining energy supplied from the tablet 2, 102.

Accordingly, the buttons on the handle side 4 and the handle side portion 104 can control functions of the tablets 2 and 2 respectively. 102, and vice versa. If the low voltage of the bracket 2, 102 is broken, the built-in battery can supply the electronic circuits of the hang grip side 4 and the handle side portion 104. This may be desirable as the user will use the holder 1,101 with mounted tablet 2, 102 separated from the normal operating mode with power supply to wirelessly operate and test a machine function or any other result which must be performed without voltage supply directly from the machine.

The holder 1,101 does not necessarily consist of a frame, but may also consist of a frame of gripping arms which holds the tablet plate 2, 102 in a known manner. This frame customer may include at least one outlet on its long side or short side for attaching a handle portion, which is either fixed or detachably attached thereto.

The holders 1 and 101 according to the invention for a tablet 2 and 1 respectively. 102 or the like may be modified within the scope of the claims with respect to combinations of structural details described above.

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