Wireless detachable display

• US 20030160767A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lam, Lawrence, Wong, Yoon Kean, Hanson, William R., Oliver, Mark W.
• Application Number:
  US10/085,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1407 General aspects irrespective of display type, e.g. determination of decimal point position, display with fixed or driving decimal point, suppression of non-significant zeros

Abstract

A wireless detachable display for a handheld computing device is disclosed. The display system includes a visual display having a communications transceiver, a processing unit having a communications transceiver and sending display data to the transceiver of the visual display, a first power source for the processing unit, and a second power source for the visual display. The visual display is physically separable from the processing unit while displaying information according to communications from the processing unit between the visual display transceiver and the processing unit transceiver.

Claims

1. A display system for a handheld computing device, the display system comprising:

a visual display having a communications transceiver;

a processing unit having a communications transceiver and sending display data to the transceiver of the visual display;

a first power source for the processing unit; and

a second power source for the visual display, wherein the visual display is physically separable from the processing unit while displaying information according to communications from the processing unit between the visual display transceiver and the processing unit transceiver.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the visual display includes random access memory (RAM) and a processing unit (CPU).

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein the visual display CPU receives information over the wireless connection from the handheld computing device and stores the information in the visual display RAM.

4. The display system of claim 3, where the information communicated from the processing unit to the visual display includes information necessary to display the current display image and information related to the current display image.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein the information communicated from the processing unit to the visual display is web pages that have links in the current display.

6. The display system of claim 4, wherein the information communicated from the processing unit to the visual display is the contents of a drop down menu provided in the current display.

7. The display system of claim 4, wherein the information communicated from the processing unit to the visual display include images associated with thumbnail images displayed in the current display.

8. The display system of claim 2, wherein the visual display includes a display screen having input capabilities.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the visual display includes display screen that is flexible.

10. The display system of claim 1, wherein the visual display includes a display screen that is expandable.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein the display system includes display drivers capable of updating screen resolution and screen display size based upon the current expansion of the display screen.

12. The display system of claim 1, wherein the communications transceivers send and receive information using a custom wireless communication protocol.

13. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display system includes an alternative communication system to optionally provide wired communication between the display system and the handheld computing device.

14. A handheld computing device comprising:

a detachable display system including a wireless transceiver;

a processor;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor and communicating with the display system transceiver; and

an information storage system.

15. The handheld computing device of claim 14, wherein the display system includes a flexible screen display.

16. The handheld computing device of claim 14, further comprising:

a first power source associated with powering the processor; and

a second power source associated with powering the detachable display system.

17. The handheld computing device of claim 16, wherein the second power source is lighter in weight than the first power source.

18. The handheld computing device of claim 14, wherein the display system includes Random Access Memory (RAM) memory.

19. The handheld computing device of claim 18, wherein the transceiver transmits information related to current display screen information to the display system to store in the display system RAM while the current display screen information is being viewed.

20. A computing system, comprising:

a processing unit, the processing unit including a first processor, a first transceiver coupled to the first processor, a first memory coupled to the first processor, and a first power source coupled to the first processor;

a first display unit, the first display unit including a first display area, a second processor, a second transceiver coupled to the second processor and communicating with the first transceiver, a second memory coupled to the second processor, and a second power source coupled to the second processor; and

a second display unit, the second display unit including a second display area, a third processor, a third transceiver coupled to the third processor and configured for communications with the first transceiver, and a third power source coupled to the third processor;

wherein the first display unit and the second display unit may be interchangably used with the processing unit.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit is a handheld computing device.

22. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the first display unit requires a second power source that is lighter weight than the third power source.

23. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the first display unit is a ruggedized display unit.

24. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the first display area is a high resolution display and the second display area is a lower resolution display area.

25. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the first display unit is a non-flexible display unit and the second display unit is at least one of a flexible display unit and a foldable display unit.

26. A method of displaying data from a handheld computing device on a detached visual display unit, the method comprising:

wirelessly communicating primary images to the visual display unit;

displaying primary images on a visual display of the visual display unit while loading secondary images into a visual display unit memory; and

allowing a user of the handheld computing device to access secondary images.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the primary images provides links to the secondary images to facilitate access.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the links are hyperlinks.