Handheld pda video accessory

• US 20060075342A1
• Filed: 11/28/2003
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Penning, Frank C
• Application Number:
  US10/539,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/704
• 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: G11B 2220/2591 SFFO discs, i.e. small form factor optical discs; Portable blue

Abstract

A portable video accessory apparatus (10) is adapted to be mated to a handheld computer (30), such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) (30). The video accessory apparatus (10) adds a video playback and recording functionality to the PDA (30). The video accessory device (10) is capable of controlling the playback and recording of small form factor optical (SFFO) discs thereby causing the PDA (30) to act in the capacity of a ‘smart’ display module. A video engine (12) of the video accessory (10) may be realized with a small form factor optical (SFFO) disc drive capable of playing back optical discs on the order of 25 to 50 mm in diameter. The small form factor video engine (12) is of comparable dimensions to the PDA device (30), allowing the two devices, once mated, to have the look and feel of a single integrated unit.

Claims

1. A video accessory (10) for use with a hand-held computer (30), said accessory (10) comprising:

means for playback and recording of small form factor optical (SFFO) discs; and

means for mating said video accessory (10) with said hand-held computer (30);

wherein said video accessory (10) is of comparable dimensions with said hand-held computer (30).

2. The video accessory (10) of claim 1, wherein said means for mating further comprises recognition means for recognizing when said video accessory (10) is mated to said hand-held computer (30).

3. The video accessory (10) of claim 1, further comprising navigation means (20) for controlling a combination of said video accessory (10) and said hand-held computer (30).

4. The video accessory (10) of claim 1, wherein said (SFFO) discs are on the order of 25 to 50 millimeters in diameter.

5. A video accessory (10) for use with a hand-held computer (30), said accessory (30) comprising:

a processor for controlling the operations of the video accessory (10);

an optical engine (12) coupled to said processor and configured to play small form factor optical (SFFO) discs;

an integrated circuit (IC) chipset (14);

input/output interface means (16)

navigation means (20) coupled to said processor, configured to allow a user to control a display said hand-held computer (30) and operations associated with said video accessory (10); and

internal interface means (22).

6. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said input/output interface means (16) is one of a USB2.0 port and an iLink.

7. The video accessory (10) of claim 6, wherein said ilinK is operated in accordance with an institute of electrical engineer (IEEE) standard.

8. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said navigation means (20) comprises one or more control buttons for controlling hand-held computer (30) operations.

9. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said internal interface (22) is one of an ATA/ATAPI (IDE) interface, an ATAPI Standard interface and a SCSI (SCSI Standard) interface.

10. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said video accessory (10) is of comparable dimensions to said hand-held computer (30).

11. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said hand-held computer (30) is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, wherein said optical engine (12) is comprised of an optical light-path, a blue laser and a photo-detector.

13. The video accessory (10) of claim 5, further comprising a housing for accommodating said processor, said optical engine (12) including at least one of said discs, said IC chipset (14), said display means (18), said input/output interface means (16).