Removable module for a portable electronic device having stand-alone and system functionality

• US 20050076088A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vulcan Portals Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vulcan Portals Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Chao-Chi, Perrin, Stephen L., Fleck, Rod G., O'Connell, Craig W., Kee, Martin J., Clarke, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 1/1626 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 1/1643 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A computer system has a removable module that contains a processor, other electrical components, and a battery. When the module has been removed from the computer system, the processor runs an application that interacts with the electrical components in the module to provide stand-alone functionality. When the removable module is in the computer system, the module is accessed by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform some of the functionality provided by the module. The functionality provided by the removable module includes receiving emails, displaying an appointment calendar, displaying a contacts listing, providing audio content, providing cellular telephone service, obtaining a video image, providing biometric identification information, sensing position, and displaying a television picture.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a module comprising;

a first processor;

a first application running on the first processor using a first operating system platform;

a first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application to provide an operating feature when the module is being used in a stand-alone manner; and

a battery supplying power to the first processor and the first electronic component; and

a chassis removably receiving the module, the chassis comprising;

a second processor;

a display operatively coupled to the second processor;

a keyboard operatively coupled to the second processor;

a second application running on the second processor using a second operating system platform, the second application running on the second processor interacting with the first application running on the first processor when the module is received by the chassis; and

a power supply providing electrical power to the second processor and display.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor comprises an email application, and wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a display for viewing emails provided by the email application.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor comprises an appointment calendar application, and wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a display for viewing a calendar provided by the appointment calendar application.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor comprises a contacts listing application, and wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a display for viewing contacts provided by the contacts listing application.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor comprises an audio player application, and wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises non-volatile memory storing audio files for use with the audio player application.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a video camera.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first application running on the first processor and interacting with the first electronic component comprises a digital photograph capture application.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first application running on the first processor and interacting with the first electronic component comprises a video capture application.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the first application running on the first processor and interacting with the first electronic component comprises a web cam application.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a microphone, an earphone and cellular telephone components.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the first application running on the second processor and interacting with the first electronic component comprises a wireless communication application.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor comprises a security application, and wherein the first component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a biometric identification device.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the biometric identification device comprises a fingerprint reader.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a global positioning system receiver.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the first application running on the first processor and interacting with the first electronic component comprises a mapping application.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a television receiver.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electronic component interacting with the first processor running the first application comprises a satellite radio receiver.

18. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the chassis further comprises a battery charger coupled to the battery in the module, the battery charger being operable to charge the battery when the module is received by the chassis.

19. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first application running on the first processor using a first operating system platform is also runable on the second processor using the second operating system platform when the module is received by the chassis.

20. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the chassis comprises a portable personal computer chassis.

21. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the chassis is pivotally connected to a lid housing the display, and wherein the module is received in the lid.

22. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first operating system is different from the second operating system.

23. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the second processor may be placed in a quiescent power saving mode, and wherein the module is operable to cause the second processor to transition from the power saving mode to an active normal operating mode when the module is received by the chassis.

24. A computer system, comprising:

a computer system chassis including hardware and software operable to provide a first predetermined feature; and

a module removably received by the computer system chassis, the removable module having an internal battery and including hardware and software operable to a provide a second predetermined feature when the module has been removed from the chassis, the module further being operable to interact with the hardware and software in the computer system chassis when the module is received by the computer system chassis.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the first predetermined feature provided by the hardware and software in the module comprises at least one of email, appointment calendar, contacts listing, audio player, cellular telephone, video camera, biometric identification, position sensing and TV signal reception features.

26. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the module provides the computer system chassis with at least one of the email, appointment calendar, contacts listing, audio player, cellular telephone, video camera, biometric identification, position sensing and TV signal reception features when the module is received by the computer system chassis.

27. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the computer system chassis further comprises a battery charger coupled to the internal battery in the module, the battery charger being operable to charge the internal battery when the module is received by the computer system chassis.

28. A method of operating a computer system having a removable module, comprising:

operating the computer system with the removable module attached in the computer system, the removable module causing the computer system to perform a first computing function; and

removing the module from the computer system and operating the module to provide a second computing function when the module is physically removed from and electrically isolated from the computer system.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first computing function is substantially the same as the second computing function.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the second computing function comprises at least one of receiving emails, displaying an appointment calendar, displaying a contacts listing, providing audio content, providing cellular telephone service, obtaining a video image, providing biometric identification information, sensing position and displaying a television picture.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the module further comprises an internal battery for supplying electrical power to the module when the module has been removed from the computer system, and wherein the method further comprises charging the battery from the computer system when the removable module is in the computer system.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

placing the computer system in a quiescent power saving mode when the module is removed from the computer system; and

automatically transitioning the computer system from the power saving mode to an active normal operating mode when the module is placed in the computer system.