Personal digital assistant with wireless telephone

• US 20010044321A1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Felix N. Akveld, Jan B. Ausems, Lee Ann Barrett, Michiel R. Ausems
• Original Assignee: Felix N. Akveld, Jan B. Ausems, Lee Ann Barrett, Michiel R. Ausems
• Inventors: Ausems, Michiel R., Barrett, Lee Ann, Ausems, Jan B., Akveld, Felix N.
• Application Number:
  US09/900,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A wireless telephone engine, smart-card engine and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) engine are integrated in a single device, wherein an address book is shared by the wireless telephone engine and PDA engine. An associated display unit including a touch screen is coupled to the PDA. The smart-card engine is configured to communicate with external devices via a short-range transceiver. Additionally, the PDA engine is configured to automatically balance an electronic account ledger based upon point of sale transactions, and control a remote device by transmitting signals to the device via the short-wave transceiver and/or the wireless telephone engine. The PDA engine is also configured to receive signals from the remote device regarding the status of the remote device. Further, the PDA engine is configured to exchange data with a remote computer via the wireless telephone engine. The exchanged data includes information stored within the PDA engine and the address book.

In another embodiment, the device includes a digital camera for recording images, a modem coupled to the wireless telephone engine and the PDA engine, input/output (I/O) circuitry coupled to the wireless telephone engine, smart-card engine and the PDA engine, and speech recognition circuitry configured to access the wireless telephone engine, the address book and the PDA engine. In addition, the device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and a GPS engine coupled to the GPS antenna.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless telephone engine;

a smart-card engine;

a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) engine; and

an address book shared by to the wireless telephone engine and PDA engine.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising a display unit coupled to the PDA.

3. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein the smart-card engine is configured to communicate with external devices via a short-range transceiver.

4. The apparatus of

claim 3

, wherein the PDA engine is configured to automatically balance an electronic account ledger based upon point of sale transactions.

5. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising speech recognition circuitry.

6. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising a digital camera for recording images.

7. The apparatus of

claim 5

, wherein the speech recognition circuitry is configured to access the wireless telephone engine, the address book and the PDA engine.

8. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising a modem coupled to the wireless telephone engine and the PDA engine.

9. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising input/output (I/O) circuitry coupled to the wireless telephone engine, smart-card engine and the PDA engine.

10. The apparatus of

claim 2

, wherein the display unit comprises a touch screen.

11. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna; and

a GPS engine coupled to the GPS antenna.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a display screen set into a first side of the apparatus; and

a protective cover;

wherein the protective cover is configured to rotate between a position covering the display screen on the first side of the apparatus and a position on a second side of the apparatus, wherein the protective cover functions as a support stand for the apparatus while positioned on the second side of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of

claim 12

, further comprising:

a wireless telephone for sending and receiving signals; and

a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

14. The apparatus of

claim 13

, further comprising:

a telephone interface means; and

operational buttons for accessing the wireless telephone and the PDA.

15. The apparatus of

claim 14

, wherein the telephone interface means is located on the first side of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of

claim 14

, wherein the telephone interface means is located on the second side of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of

claim 13

, wherein the telephone interface means comprises:

a first speaker; and

microphone.

18. The apparatus of

claim 17

, wherein the telephone interface means further comprises a second speaker.

19. The apparatus of

claim 13

, wherein the wireless telephone may be accessed while the protective cover is covering the display screen.

20. The apparatus of

claim 12

, further comprising a smart-card reader.

21. The apparatus of

claim 12

, further comprising:

a means for storing smart-cards; and

a locking mechanism coupled to the means for storing smart-cards.

22. The apparatus of

claim 12

, further comprising a short-range transceiver, wherein the PDA engine is configured to control a remote device by transmitting signals to the device via the short-range transceiver and/or the wireless telephone.

23. The apparatus of

claim 22

, wherein the PDA is configured to receive signals from the remote device regarding the status of the remote device.

24. The apparatus of

claim 12

, wherein the PDA is configured to exchange data with a remote computer via the wireless telephone engine, wherein the data includes information stored within the PDA, including the address book.

25. The apparatus of

claim 12

, further comprising a pair of hinges coupled to the protective cover and apparatus, wherein the protective cover is configured to rotate around the pair of hinges.

26. The apparatus of

claim 13

, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS).

27. The apparatus of

claim 13

, further comprising a digital camera.

28. The apparatus of

claim 27

, wherein the apparatus operates as a video speakerphone.

29. A method of executing instructions on a wireless telephone with Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) comprising:

issuing a voice command into the wireless telephone;

determining whether the voice command is a recognizable instruction;

and, if so,

executing the voice command.

30. The method of

claim 29

, wherein the wireless telephone with PDA includes a microphone for receiving the issued voice command.

31. The method of

claim 30

, wherein the wireless telephone with PDA includes a voice recognition engine for determining whether the voice command is a recognizable instruction.

32. The method of

claim 29

, wherein the issued voice command is a request to initiate a telephone call.

33. The method of

claim 29

, wherein the issued voice command is a request to activate a Global Positioning System (GPS).

34. The method of

claim 29

, further comprising determining whether the voice that issued the command has an identifiable speech pattern if it is determined that the voice command is a recognizable instruction.

35. A method of executing a point of sale transaction at a device including a smart card engine coupled to a transceiver, the method comprising:

initiating a wireless communication link between an appliance and the smart card engine via the transceiver;

reading account information from a smart card stored within the smart card engine; and

transmitting the account information to the appliance.

36. The method of

claim 35

, wherein the device further includes a wireless telephone engine and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) engine.

37. The method of

claim 36

, further comprising:

transmitting confirmation information from the appliance to the smart card engine;

transmitting the confirmation information from the smart card engine to the PDA engine; and

updating a financial accounting record.

38. The method of

claim 37

, further comprising;

transmitting the updated financial accounting record to a financial institution via the wireless telephone engine; and

transmitting a new balance from the financial institution to the device.

39. The method of

claim 35

, wherein the appliance is a point-of-sale terminal.