Hewlett-Packard is seeking buyers for some of its mobile-computing patents, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter, as Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman tries to bolster the company’s financial position. The Silicon Valley computer maker has approached potential buyers about the portfolio of patents, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The intellectual property includes those related to WebOS, the smartphone and tablet-computer operating system that Hewlett-Packard bought through its 2010 acquisition of Palm Inc., which it later wrote down. In recent months, Hewlett-Packard has removed some restrictive conditions that made the patents unattractive to buyers, said two people who have reviewed the portfolio. That made the patents more appealing to prospective buyers, and more likely to fetch a higher price, these people said.