DEVICE FOR PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS, DATA COLLECTION AND DATA PROCESSING, AND A CIRCUIT CARD

• US 20100331024A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Inventors: Paajanen, Reijo, Wilska, Kari-Pekka, Hamalainen, Jari, Terho, Mikko
• Application Number:
  US12/875,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331024A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00397 : Switches, knobs or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 : Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 : Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/00 : Selecting arrangements H04Q5/00 - H04Q11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

The object of the invention is a device for personal communication, data collection and data processing, which is a small-sized, portable and hand-held work station comprising a data processing unit (2); a display (9); a user interface (10, 11); a number of peripheral device interfaces (12, 17); at least one memory unit (13); a power source, preferably a battery (3); and an application software. According to the invention the device also comprises a camera unit (14). The camera unit (14) comprises a camera (14a), preferably a semiconductor camera, and optics (14b) connected thereto, which are placed in the housing (1) of the device. Alternatively, the camera unit (14) is fitted on a PCMCIA card (15) which can be connected to the PCMCIA card slot (16) of the device. An object of the invention is also a PCMCIA card (15) provided with a camera unit (14).

Claims

1. A portable apparatus implementing mobile communication, electronic mail, and camera-related functions, the portable apparatus comprising:

a processing unit configured to run software, perform information processing, and input digital image data from a camera unit, wherein the information processing includes handling the inputted digital image data;

a display that displays information, wherein the display is capable of displaying the digital image data handled by said processing unit;

a user interface responsive to a user'"'"'s interaction with the portable apparatus;

an external device interface that facilitates data communication between the portable apparatus and an external device when the external device is connected to said portable apparatus via said external device interface;

a memory unit having sufficient amount of memory space for storing at least a part of an operating system, an application program and digital image data;

a radio frequency communication unit that is configured for transmitting speech, text, and the digital image data handled by said processing unit; and

a housing that integrates said processing unit, said display, said user interface, said external device interface, said memory unit, and said radio frequency communication unit into a portable unit,

wherein the software includes an application program that utilizes a phone list and provides a way to send the digital image data handled by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit using recipient information selected from the phone list.

2. A portable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the software includes a utility function that provides a way to send digital image data processed by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit using recipient information manually input by a user or selected from said phone list.

3. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said application program further provides a way to send digital image data processed by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit using recipient information manually input by a user.

4. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said application program is an electronic mail application program.

5. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said phone list comprises electronic contact information and the electronic contact information includes fields for an e-mail address, a telephone number, and a name of a recipient.

6. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein a field of said phone list is modifiable with a handler used by a suitable application program of said portable apparatus.

7. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information retrieved from the phone list in response to a user'"'"'s selection depends on an application program utilizing the phone list.

8. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software performs pattern recognition on the inputted digital image data.

9. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a keypad.

10. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a digitizer pad.

11. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software includes a graphic handler configured to let a user select a picture and modify the selected picture.

12. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency communication unit is GSM compatible.

13. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing unit comprises a RISC processor.

14. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing unit processes image information into a suitable form for presentation to a user of the portable apparatus.

15. A portable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power source that provides electric power to said portable apparatus.

16. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external device interface comprises at least one of an infrared connection and a cable connection.

17. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software includes calendar, scheduler, clock, and alarm clock functions.

18. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable apparatus implements mobile telephone and PC interface functions.

19. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable apparatus implements a SMS (Short-Messaging Services) function.

20. A portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said handling of digital image data by the processing unit comprises image processing.

21. A method of running a portable apparatus that implements mobile communication, electronic mail and camera-related functions, said portable apparatus comprising a processing unit, a memory unit, a display and a radio frequency communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

running software on the portable apparatus that includes an application program;

providing a user interface related to said application program;

inputting digital image data corresponding to an optical image;

performing handling of said inputted digital image data on the processing unit, wherein said handling relates to said application program;

storing said digital image data handled by said processing unit on said memory unit;

displaying said digital image data handled by said processing unit on said display;

transmitting text through said radio frequency communication unit;

transmitting speech data through said radio frequency communication unit; and

transmitting said digital image data handled by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit,

wherein said application program running on said portable apparatus utilizes a phone list and provides a way to send said digital image data handled by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit using recipient information selected from said phone list.

22. A method of claim 21, wherein said application program further provides a way to send digital image data processed by said processing unit through said radio frequency communication unit using recipient information manually input by a user.

23. A method of claim 21, wherein said application program is an electronic mail application.

24. A method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

selecting information from the phone list based on a user input, wherein said information selected from the phone list depends on said application program utilizing the phone list.

25. A method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

modifying a field of said phone list by a suitable application program of said portable apparatus.

26. A method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

performing pattern recognition of the inputted digital image data.