Personal computer system having a docking bay and a hand-held portable computer adapted to dock in the docking bay by a full-service parallel bus

• US 5,600,800 A
• Filed: 07/19/1994
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inpro II Licensing SARL
• Original Assignee: Elonex IP Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Dornier, Pascal, Seiler, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US08/277,158
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 395/325, 395/800, 395/275, 395/425, 395/725, 395/155, 395/281, 395/306, 395/309, 395/800, 395/200.01, 345/160, 345/169, 345/173, 379/93, 379/96, 364/709.09, 320/21, 361/683, 361/686
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 1/1656 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 1/169 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 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/052 reductible in size, e.g. for transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 : Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 : Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 : Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 : in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• 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 1/00236 : using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 : using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 : Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 : the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 : Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 : with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 : the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 : By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0051 : Card-type connector, e.g. PCMCIA card interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 : Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 : Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 : Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1308 : Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 : Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 : Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 : Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 : Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 : Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 : Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13322 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0273 : having extensions for peripherals, e.g. LAN, antennas details of antennas H01Q1/2275

Abstract

A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant system, comprising:

a personal digital assistant module having an enclosure, a local CPU within the enclosure for performing digital operations, a memory connected to the local CPU by a memory bus, a power supply coupled to power-using elements, a display on a surface of the enclosure, input apparatus connected to the local CPU for providing commands and data, and a host interface system including a host interface parallel bus connected to the local CPU and to a first portion of a host interface connector at a surface of the enclosure, the host interface bus including address lines, data lines, and control signal lines, the control signal lines including read/write control signals and at least one memory control signal; and

a modular computer having a plurality of enclosed module bays configured in a common plane and opening to at least one edge of the modular computer, the modular computer having an internal bus compatible in structure and protocol with the host interface bus, with at least one module bay adapted with a bus connector matable to the host interface connector to dock the personal digital assistant module and establish digital communication between the personal digital assistant module over the host interface bus.

2. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one module bay is adapted for docking the personal digital assistant module according to one of Personal Computer Memory Card International Association standards Type I, Type II, and Type III.

3. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the internal bus and the host interface bus are compressed buses for multiplexing data and addresses on a common set of conductors.

4. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the module bays open to two opposite edges of the modular computer, and the internal bus is implemented in a central spine between inboard ends of opposite module bays.

5. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the module bays open to adjacent edges of the modular computer.

6. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 comprising four module bays, two module bays opening to each of two opposite edges of the modular computer.

7. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the personal digital assistant module additionally comprises an expansion bus interface comprising an expansion bus connected to the local CPU and to a first portion of an expansion bus connector for connecting the local CPU to a peripheral device.

8. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 additionally comprising a nonvolatile storage device connected to the local CPU and containing a code unique to the personal digital assistant module, for uniquely identifying the personal digital assistant module to connecting digital devices.

9. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 8 wherein the nonvolatile storage device is an EEPROM device.

10. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the power supply comprises a user-accessible well having electrical connections for a storage battery for powering functional elements of the digital assistant module.

11. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the power supply comprises a solar energy conversion panel having electrical connections for attaching to and recharging a storage battery.

12. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 having a form factor being one of Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard Type II or Type III, the host interface bus is a PCMCIA standard bus, and the host interface connector is a PCMCIA standard connector.

13. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an LCD display, and the input apparatus comprises a transparent, touch-sensitive screen at least partially overlying the display, the touch-sensitive screen and display forming a substantially flat I/O apparatus on one surface of the enclosure.

14. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the input apparatus comprises a pointer device for providing positional and directional input for control operations performed in conjunction with the display.

15. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 14 wherein the pointer device comprises a thumbwheel implemented at one corner of the enclosure.

16. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 14 wherein the pointer device comprises a four-way pressure-sensitive region on a surface of the enclosure.

17. A personal digital assistant system as in claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a ROM portion for storage of executable routine and a RAM portion for storage of data.