ADAPTER UNIT FOR A PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT HAVING AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURABLE APPLICATION BUTTONS

• US 20080133807A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Sandler, Robert, Salvato, Dominick H., Landron, David D., Sasloff, Michael J., Sidor, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to an adapter unit for a personal digital assistant. More specifically, this invention relates to an adapter unit that provides additional functionality, and improved ergonomics and increased ruggedness to the personal digital assistant. The additional functionality includes the ability to automatically change the function of one or more of the application buttons on the personal digital assistant upon the attachment of the adapter unit.

Claims

1. A system that modifies functionality of at least one input on a personal electronic device, comprising:

an adapter apparatus that removably secures and electrically couples to the personal electronic device, the adapter apparatus provides one or more additional capabilities to the personal electronic device; and

a configuration component that detects attachment of the adapter apparatus, the configuration component changes the functionality of at least one input on the personal electronic device based at least in part on the provided one or more additional capabilities.

2. The system of claim 1, the configuration component further detects detachment of the adapter apparatus.

3. The system of claim 2, the configuration component automatically changes the functionality of the at least one input of the personal electronic device to a previous setting.

4. The system of claim 3, the previous setting is a setting of the at least one input prior to attachment of the adapter apparatus.

5. The system of claim 1, the adapter apparatus includes one or more interface components that engage at least one of a scanner, a wireless communication module, a global positioning system module, a PCMCIA module or a synchronization cradle.

6. The system of claim 1, the adapter apparatus includes one or more integrated components, the integrated components include at least one of a scanner, a wireless communication module or a global positioning system module.

7. The system of claim 6, the adapter apparatus communicatively couples the one or more integrated components to the personal electronic device to provide the one or more additional capabilities.

8. The system of claim 1, the adapter apparatus further comprises a product identification reader.

9. The system of claim 8, the configuration component changes the functionality of the at least one input to function as an actuator that activates the product identification reader.

10. The system of claim 1, the one or more additional capabilities includes a memory storage that is accessible by the personal electronic device.

11. The system of claim 1, the adapter apparatus includes at least one of a disposable battery or a rechargeable battery.

12. The system of claim 11, the adapter apparatus employs the at least one of the disposable battery or the rechargeable battery to provide extra power to the personal electronic device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration component is retained on a remote system.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for implementing a method that configures a personal electronic device, comprising:

detecting attachment of an adapter unit to the personal electronic device;

identifying at least one of additional capability provided by the adapter unit;

automatically changing a function associated with at least one input button of the personal electronic device based at least in part on the at least one identified additional capability, the function is changed from a primary function to a secondary function.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

detecting detachment of the adapter unit from the personal electronic device; and

automatically reverting the function associated with the at least one input button to the primary function.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the secondary function associated with the at least one input button activates the at least one additional capability provided by the adapter unit.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising ascertaining an identification code of the adapter unit.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising querying for configuration data based at least in part on the ascertained identification code.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, automatically changing the function comprises employing the configuration data to switch from the primary function to the secondary function.

20. A method that facilitates backing up memory on a mobile computing device, comprising:

monitoring an energy level of a battery source that supplies power to the mobile computing device;

determining if the energy level of the battery source is below a threshold value; and

automatically copying information retained in volatile memory of the mobile computing device to a nonvolatile memory of a detachable adapter apparatus.