User interface apparatus

• US 20020149559A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sowden, Anthony, Girard, James John, Chuang, Christine Ching-Hui
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203

Abstract

User interface apparatus (1) comprising electronic user interface device (2) and storage device (3), the electronic user interface device being operative to convey information to a user, the information being derived from a resource which is remote from the user interface device, the storage device being portable and interfaceable with said user interface device and the arrangement being such that in use whilst the storage device is interfaced with the user interface device, the storage device stores a reference to the resource so that the user may access that resource at a subsequent time.

The electronic user interface could be a viewer comprising a screen. So, a user could read the text of a piece of literature which is accessed from an Internet resource by way of a URL. If the user wishes to discontinue reading, the reference of that part of the text where he discontinued reading is stored on the storage device. Thus when he desires to continue reading the text at a subsequent time, insertion of the storage device into the user interface will allow him to continue from where he finished.

The inventive apparatus (1) could be configured to allow the user to store any references in the subject matter being accessed and not only the reference to that part of the resource which was last accessed.

The storage device (3) may advantageously be configured to allow the purchase of resources such as media products accessible via the Internet.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising an electronic user interface device and a storage device, the electronic user interface device being operative to convey information to a user, the user interface device comprising a network connection and the information being derived from a resource which is accessible through the network connection, the storage device being portable and removably interfaceable with said user interface device and the arrangement being such that in use whilst the storage device is interfaced with the user interface device the storage device stores a reference to the resource so that the user may access that resource at a subsequent time.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage device stores a reference to part of the resource so that the user may return to that part of the resource at a subsequent time.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage device stores a reference which allows the user to continue access to the resource from that part of the resource which he last accessed at a previous time.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the user interface device is configured to accept data input, transmit the input via the network connection to a data storage provider and store a reference on the storage means which enables the stored data input to be located.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage device stores a reference to an Internet resource.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which is configured such that when the storage device is interfaced with the electronic user interface device the resource to which a stored reference on the storage means corresponds is automatically accessed.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage device stores data relating to a parameter of the format of the information conveyed to the user.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage device comprises a processor operating an authentication routine which is required to be successfully completed before access to a resource is granted.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the user interface device is a portable computer.

13. Appeals as claimed in claim 1, in which the user interface devise is an electronic book.

9. Portable storage device which stores a reference to a resource, the storage device being interfaceable with an electronic user interface device, the storage device comprising memory containing a reference to a resource which is accessible through a network connection provided by the user interface device and the storage device comprising a processor operating an authentication routine, and the arrangement being such that in use a user may access the resource via the user interface provided the authentication routine has been successfully completed.

10. A portable storage device as claimed in claim 9 in which the authentication routine comprises provision of a digital certificate.

11. A portable storage device as claimed in claim 9 in which the memory contains a reference for an Internet resource.