Article of furniture including an integrated display device

Abstract

Apparatus that include an article of furniture and a display device are disclosed. One apparatus includes an article of furniture and a display device integrated with the article of furniture in which the display device is coupleable with an external computing device. Also disclosed are methods for operating an apparatus including a display device integrated with an article of furniture. The methods include opening a top portion of an article of furniture from a closed position to an open position to expose a storage compartment of the article of furniture and opening a display device to a viewing position external to the storage compartment from a storage position within the storage compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an article of furniture; and   a display device integrated with the article of furniture,   wherein the display device is coupleable with an external computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the article of furniture comprises one of a desk and a workstation. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the one of the desk and the workstation comprises a storage compartment; and   the storage compartment is configured to conceal the display device after the display device is housed in the hidable compartment to enable use of a top surface of the one of the desk and the workstation while the display device is housed in the hidable compartment.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the article of furniture comprises a storage compartment; and   the storage compartment is configured to conceal the display device after the display device is housed in the storage compartment.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a hinge coupled to the article of furniture and the display device,   wherein the hinge is configured to:
 position the display device in an open configuration during use, and 
 position the display device in a closed configuration within the storage compartment during storage to enable use of a top surface of the article of furniture while the display device is within the storage compartment. 
   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the storage compartment comprises:
 a bottom portion;   a retractable top portion; and   a space between the bottom portion and the top portion, the space comprising a three-dimensional area sufficient to house the display device.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the retractable top portion is configured to move along a horizontal plane between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom portion is configured to move along a vertical plane between a bottom position and a top position. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the bottom portion is configured to move to the top position after the retractable top portion is at the open position; and   the top position of the bottom portion is co-planar with the retractable top portion after the retractable top portion is at the open position to enable use of a top surface of the bottom portion while the display device is housed in the hidable compartment.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the article of furniture is one of a desk and a workstation. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the display device is configured to open to a viewable position after the retractable top portion is moved to the open position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the retractable top portion is configured to move to the closed position after the display device is opened to the viewable position to enable use of a top surface of the retractable top portion while the display device is at the viewable position. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the article of furniture is one of a desk and a workstation. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the display device is wirelessly coupleable with the external computing device;   and   the external computing device comprises one of a mobile computing device and a static computing device.   
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 opening a top portion of an article of furniture from a closed position to an open position to expose a storage compartment of the article of furniture;   opening a display device to a viewing position external to the storage compartment from a storage position within the storage compartment; and   moving a bottom portion of the article of furniture from a bottom position to a top position that is co-planar with the top portion at the open position to allow use of a first top surface of the top portion and a second top surface of the bottom portion while the display device is at the viewing position,   wherein the display device is integrated with the article of furniture.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 returning the bottom portion of the article of furniture from the top position to the bottom position;   closing the display device to the storage position within the storage compartment from the viewing position external to the storage compartment; and   closing the top portion of the article of furniture to the closed position to allow use of the first top surface of the top portion while the display device is at the storage position.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 opening the display device to the viewing position comprises folding open the display device to the viewing position; and   closing the display device to the storage position comprises folding closed the display device to the storage position.   
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 opening a top portion of an article of furniture from a closed position to an open position to expose a storage compartment of the article of furniture;   opening a display device to a viewing position external to the storage compartment from a storage position within the storage compartment; and   closing the top portion of the article of furniture to the closed position to allow use of a top surface of the top portion while the display device is at the viewing position,   wherein the display device is integrated with the article of furniture.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 re-opening the top portion of the article of furniture from the closed position to the open position to re-expose the storage compartment;   closing the display device to the storage position within the storage compartment from the viewing position external to the storage compartment; and   closing the top portion of the article of furniture to the closed position to allow use of the top surface of the top portion while the display device is at the storage position.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 opening the display device to the viewing position comprises folding open the display device to the viewing position; and   closing the display device to the storage position comprises folding closed the display device to the storage position.