System and method for mounting a keyboard and display assembly in a 1U rack space

Abstract

A rack mount computing system having a keyboard and display assembly mountable in a 1U rack space. The keyboard and display assembly are provided in a clamshell configuration to reduce space consumption of the keyboard and display assembly to facilitate mounting in the 1U rack space.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A rack mountable device for a rack mount computing system, comprising: a user interaction assembly mountable in a 1 U thick rack space of the rack mount computing system, the user interaction assembly comprising: 
 an input device; and    a panel display rotatably disposed adjacent the input device.    
     
     
         2 . The rack mountable device of  claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a keyboard.  
     
     
         3 . The rack mountable device of  claim 2 , wherein the input device comprises a graphical coordination device disposed adjacent the keyboard.  
     
     
         4 . The rack mountable device of  claim 3 , wherein the graphical coordination device comprises a trackball.  
     
     
         5 . The rack mountable device of  claim 3 , wherein the graphical coordination device comprises scroll buttons.  
     
     
         6 . The rack mountable device of  claim 1 , wherein the input device and the panel display are rotatable between open and closed orientations in a clamshell configuration.  
     
     
         7 . The rack mountable device of  claim 6 , wherein the panel display is nested within the input device in the clamshell configuration.  
     
     
         8 . The rack mountable device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interaction assembly comprises: 
 computing circuitry; and    a component housing for the computing circuitry.    
     
     
         9 . The rack mountable device of  claim 8 , wherein the component circuitry comprises a video controller for the panel display.  
     
     
         10 . The rack mountable device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interaction assembly has a width of less than 21 inches.  
     
     
         11 . The rack mountable device of  claim 10 , wherein the width is approximately 17.5 inches.  
     
     
         12 . The rack mountable device of  claim 10 , wherein the user interaction assembly has a depth of less than 19.25 inches in a closed configuration of the input device and the panel display.  
     
     
         13 . The rack mountable device of  claim 1 , wherein the panel display is less than  1 / 2  U thick.  
     
     
         14 . The rack mountable device of  claim 13 , wherein the input device is less than ¾ U thick.  
     
     
         15 . A user interaction device mountable in a rack computer assembly, comprising: 
 a user interaction assembly having a clamshell configuration mountable in a 1 U rack space, comprising: 
 a keyboard; and  
 a display rotatably disposed adjacent the keyboard.  
   
     
     
         16 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , comprising a graphical coordination device disposed adjacent the keyboard.  
     
     
         17 . The user interaction device of  claim 16 , comprising scroll buttons disposed adjacent the graphical coordination device.  
     
     
         18 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , comprising a component housing disposed adjacent the keyboard, the component housing having a video controller for the display.  
     
     
         19 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , wherein the user interaction assembly has a width of between 10.5 inches and 21 inches.  
     
     
         20 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , wherein the display is less than ½ U thick.  
     
     
         21 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , wherein the keyboard is less than ¾ U thick.  
     
     
         22 . The user interaction device of  claim 15 , wherein the display is nested within the keyboard in the clamshell configuration.  
     
     
         23 . A rack mount computing system, comprising: 
 a rack structure having a plurality of rack spaces for mounting computing devices; and    a user interaction assembly disposed in one of the plurality of rack spaces having a height of 1 U, comprising: 
 an input device; and  
 a display rotatably disposed adjacent the input device.  
   
     
     
         24 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , wherein the input device comprises a keyboard.  
     
     
         25 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , wherein the display comprises a flat panel display assembly.  
     
     
         26 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , wherein the input device and the display are rotatable between open and closed orientations in a clamshell configuration.  
     
     
         27 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 26 , wherein the closed orientation has the display nested within the input device.  
     
     
         28 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , wherein the user interaction assembly comprises a component housing disposed adjacent the keyboard, the component housing comprising a video control assembly for the display.  
     
     
         29 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , wherein the user interaction assembly has a width of between 10.5 inches and 21 inches.  
     
     
         30 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 29 , wherein the display is less than ½ U thick.  
     
     
         31 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 30 , wherein the input device is less than ¾ U thick.  
     
     
         32 . The rack mount computing system of  claim 23 , comprising at least one computing device mounted in the rack structure.  
     
     
         33 . A method for rack mounting a keyboard and a display in a rack mount computer system, comprising the act of: 
 disposing a keyboard and a display in a 1 U rack space;    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 providing a graphical coordination device adjacent the keyboard.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 providing the keyboard with a thickness of less than ¾ U.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 providing the display with a thickness of less than ½ U.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 disposing the keyboard and the display in a server rack.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 providing a closed clamshell configuration for storage of the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the act of providing the closed clamshell configuration comprises the act of: 
 nesting the display within the keyboard.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the act of disposing the keyboard and the display in the 1 U rack space comprises the act of: 
 providing an open clamshell configuration for operation of the keyboard and the display in an operational orientation of the keyboard and the display that is at least partially withdrawn from the 1 U rack space.    
     
     
         41 . A method of forming a rack mountable keyboard and display assembly, comprising the acts of: 
 providing a ¾ U or thinner display;    providing a ¾ U or thinner keyboard; and    rotatably coupling the display to the keyboard to form an assembly having a 1 U or thinner thickness in a closed configuration.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the display comprises a flat panel display.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the keyboard comprises a pointing device.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the display is thinner than ½ U and the keyboard is thinner than ½ U.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , comprising the act of: 
 forming a nest in the keyboard for the display.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , comprising the act of: 
 coupling a linear positioning structure to the assembly to facilitate slidable mounting into a rack structure.    
     
     
         47 . A method of operating a rack mounted keyboard and display assembly, comprising the acts of: 
 slidably removing a keyboard and a display from a 1 U thick rack space; and    rotatably opening the display.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the act of slidably removing the keyboard and the display comprises the act of: 
 accessing the keyboard and the display in a closed clamshell configuration.    
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the display is nested within the keyboard in the closed clamshell configuration.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the act of rotatably opening the display comprises the act of: 
 rotating the display about a hinge structure disposed between the display and the keyboard.