Samsung receives a patent for a phone that docks to power a tablet

posted by Alan F.

Jul 14, 2013, 2:18 AM

Samsung receives a patent for a phone that docks to power a tablet

Based on a patent received by Samsung, it looks like the Korean manufacturer is ready to take on ASUS in the niche market for phones that dock to power a tablet. One difference between the ASUS Padfone and the device in the Samsung patent filing is in the shape of the product. The ASUS Padfone is a standalone smartphone that connects to a dock on a screen to turn that screen into a tablet. Samsung's device doesn't resemble a smartphone as much as the sides broaden out toward the top of the device to form the letter "T".

With this design, Samsung is able to allow its smartphone to be more easily dockable with the receptacle on the back of its tablet/screen. The design makes it look like the slate is a stand-alone tablet and only the user will know that it is actually being powered by a smartphone.

Originally filled in the first quarter of 2012 in Korea and the following quarter in the U.S., Samsung was awarded patent D685,774 for "Terminal for wireless communication". Will Samsung challenge ASUS with a smartphone that can dock to a screen to power a tablet? It certainly seems that way. Considering the recent speculation that Samsung, like Apple, has lost its mojo, it could be that Samsung is hoping that something like this will boost sales.

Samsung has received a patent for a dockable smartphone that will power a tablet

source: ZDNetKorea (translated), PatentBolt via SlashGear

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69 Comments

59. softfurryanus

Posts: 232; Member since: Jul 09, 2013

Really looking forward to samsung getting involved in this, I hope it becomes a new market. It would be great for the big hardware companies to start making better quality phone-tablets. It means they will get cheaper, better, and we won't have to pay for two data plans. Don't argue over companies competition, let the companies do it. And we reap the benefits of competition :)

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 10:09 PM 0

49. talon95

Posts: 1012; Member since: Jul 31, 2012

Has anyone who is commenting read the claims of the patent? It seems no one has a clue how patents work. First let me agree we need patent reform for the digital age. And second I disagree with any patent that is so broad as to try to corner a whole market segment and kill all competition. I think what you'll find is that Samsung (like any auto manufacturer) is trying to do is patent a particular method of docking that they think is easier or better. And enough with all your talk about copying, I'd like to never see a comment like that again unless it's in reference to a direct knockoff. Do you expect there to never be another padfone ever again? Of course others are going to build off the original idea and improve it with new tech and new ideas and of course patents. Please use just a little gray matter or refrain from commenting if you know nothing about the topic. Until we've read the full patent all this speculation is worthless.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 12:23 PM 1

56. -Hellfire-

Posts: 9; Member since: Jul 14, 2013

This is a design patent. There are no method claims in design patents.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 2:19 PM 1

47. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Every one is talking when nobody is listening.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 11:41 AM 2

40. -Hellfire-

Posts: 9; Member since: Jul 14, 2013

With all this talk of copying and yada yada yada, do any of you actually know how patents work?

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 9:48 AM 4

37. steelicon

Posts: 318; Member since: Apr 02, 2011

Samsung is a success because at first they copy, and they fail. They copy again, then they get traction, but still fail. They copy again, learn from their failures, still they fail again and again. They keep on copying, improving as they copy, tweaking, modifying, expanding, until they succeed. Kudos to Samsung. You are just imitating what Apple, Microsoft and most of the successful tech companies were doing and are still doing. Now copy Symbian Belle FP2, Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone and combine it with Android plus Android app compatibility to create your own software to beat your competitors at their own game!

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 9:25 AM 1

32. djripster

Posts: 141; Member since: Dec 10, 2011

I mean its clearly obvious that Samsung is copying Asus here, but to patent what you copy is just plain cheeky :)

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 8:14 AM 1

23. MistB

Posts: 581; Member since: Jul 07, 2012

The way I see it, Asus's phone/tablet connector hasn't really kicked off too well. If a top player can pull this off then it will maybe become a more popular concept, with HTC/Sony and LG all following Samsung's lead (once again) and although Asus came up with the concept and put it to market first, there's nothing to say that Samsung didn't already think about this concept way back in 2008 and filed for the patent much later. Asus have recently announced a 6 inch phablet with a stylus running intel, I'm surprised people already forgot about that one.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 6:49 AM 3

50. talon95

Posts: 1012; Member since: Jul 31, 2012

Agreed, thank you for a logical comment. If we used the reasoning of most of the people that frequent this site we would all sit on the same chair because in their minds anyone who makes a chair after the original is just a copy regardless of how much R&D went into making it better or less expensive. Every time they say the word copy I'd like to seat them on a block of wood as a time out until they can come up with a reason why improving from the original is a good thing and part of the process.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 12:31 PM 0

16. jo_Ny

Posts: 27; Member since: Sep 05, 2012

LMAO nothing new here, same good old Samsung. Samsung why do you copy? Because we can!

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 5:07 AM 4

22. Rehankhan

Posts: 323; Member since: Oct 24, 2012

this copy thingy is getting lame every company do copy without copy there would be no innovation

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 6:34 AM 1

29. ajac09

Posts: 1482; Member since: Sep 30, 2009

EVERY company copies some just do it so well you forget about the orginals

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 7:40 AM 1

15. poping unregistered

people who hates Samsung: 1. the competitors 2. the competitors' shareholders 3. the competitors' fanboys 4. people who were paid by the competitors to make a hate comments 5. people who think it's a fad 6. people who just hate everything and everybody but these peeps have one more thing common, they are all "closet galaxy users" xD

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 5:05 AM 5

17. jo_Ny

Posts: 27; Member since: Sep 05, 2012

LMAO Smasung is the one that was ACTUALLY caught paying people to trash competitors. Get your facts straight

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 5:09 AM 5

34. poping unregistered

why would samsung need to do that? just look at the competitor's sales for crying out loud.. even their own fanboys cant save them...

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 8:24 AM 3

42. jo_Ny

Posts: 27; Member since: Sep 05, 2012

Why? Isn't that obvious? To eliminate the competition, especially in Taiwan (home of HTC) and in Japan (home of Sony). But thats not the point. The point is that Samsung WAS CAUGHT and Samsung even ADMITED. Just search for "samsung admits paying students fake reviews" and you'll see. Samung is now the worst enemy of the Android ecosystem and of all us consumers.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 11:00 AM 0

48. poping unregistered

sorry, but i really don't see your point. why would samsung want to eliminate something that is already eliminating itself?

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 11:43 AM 0

62. jo_Ny

Posts: 27; Member since: Sep 05, 2012

Are you that dumb or just another samsung troll? Who do you think it's the leader in sales inTaiwan and Japan?? HTC and Sony respectively.

posted on Jul 15, 2013, 7:20 AM 0

69. poping unregistered

sooo you are an htc or a sony fanboy!!!! at least we narrowed that down to 2... well good luck to your htc and sony... is taiwan and japan the best they can do? hahaha...

posted on Jul 17, 2013, 12:15 AM 0

58. willard12 unregistered

Apple just get caught strong-arming publishers to eliminate competition and fix (raise) prices in a court of law. So, who is the enemy of consumers? Get your facts straight.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 2:39 PM 0

7. spiderpig2894

Posts: 597; Member since: Jan 10, 2012

They do copy unfortunately. They even once said that the Samsung Galaxy should look like an iPhone to sell more and counter iPhone.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 2:49 AM 2

11. hung2900

Posts: 966; Member since: Mar 02, 2012

Stupid trick for misleading from Apple. The comperison only said what was the better thing and why better on iPhone comparing to Galaxy S2, without any conclusion of copying or not (actually Apple cut this part intensionally, that J.K.S said cleary because of the loss against iPhone, they needed to make different to compete)

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 3:51 AM 2

12. spiderpig2894

Posts: 597; Member since: Jan 10, 2012

It wasn't about the S2. They referred to the first Galaxy

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 4:00 AM 0

27. hung2900

Posts: 966; Member since: Mar 02, 2012

OK Galaxy S, maybe my typo. The story is the same. Do not distort the truth by stupid statements from haters.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 7:23 AM 0

41. spiderpig2894

Posts: 597; Member since: Jan 10, 2012

Not really from the haters i guess 'cause I read it on the PA news in the patent war era.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 10:20 AM 0

6. nobelset

Posts: 270; Member since: Oct 17, 2012

Does anyone here actually read the article before commenting? Yeah, if you could, that would be great.

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 2:47 AM 3

9. abcdefgh

Posts: 471; Member since: Mar 29, 2013

^this is what you comment when.you are newbie at PA no offence

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 3:07 AM 0

19. nobelset

Posts: 270; Member since: Oct 17, 2012

Dude I've been here for quite a while now. I think I am qualified to say my previous statement

posted on Jul 14, 2013, 5:43 AM 0

68. ncarlosmiguel

Posts: 206; Member since: May 14, 2013

I think he means you should be used to people at PA commenting without reading or comprehending the article first or you should be used to people incapable of comprehension at all.