Novel personal electronics device with appliance drive features

• US 20030159026A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dualcor Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GCV1 Incorporated
• Inventors: Cupps, Bryan T., Glass, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US10/341,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159026A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A novel personal electronic device includes a first (embedded) and second (non-embedded) processors including associated operating systems and functions. In one aspect, the first processor performs relatively limited functions, while the second processor performs relatively broader functions under control of the first processor. Often the second processor requires more power than the first processor and is selectively operated by the first processor to minimize overall power consumption. Protocols for functions to be performed by the second processor may be provided directly to the second processor and processed by the second processor. In another aspect, a display controller is designed to interface with both processors. In another aspect, the operating systems work with one another. In another aspect, the first processor employs a thermal control program. Advantages of the invention include a broad array of functions performed by a relatively small personal electronics device.

Claims

1. A personal electronics device for acting as an appliance drive to a personal computer comprising:

a non-embedded processor configured to perform a set of functions;

an embedded processor configured to perform a limited set of functions compared to the non-embedded processor and configured to control operation of the non-embedded processor;

a disk drive coupled to the embedded processor and responsive to commands therefrom; and

a terminal configured to connect to the personal computer.

2. The personal electronics device of claim 1, wherein the non-embedded processor is configured to communicate with the personal computer over the terminal and to perform tasks responsive to the personal computer.

3. The personal electronics device of claim 2, wherein the terminal is a USB port.

4. The personal electronics device of claim 2, wherein the embedded processor emulates a hard disk with the personal computer.

5. The personal electronics device of claim 4, wherein the terminal is a USB port.

6. The personal electronics device of claim 4, wherein the embedded processor allows a personal computer user to drag and drop objects to and from the disk drive.

7. The personal electronics device of claim 6, wherein the terminal is a USB port.