Micro-personal digital assistant including a temperature managed CPU

• US 5,721,837 A
• Filed: 10/15/1996
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1993
• 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:
  US08/756,049
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 395/280, 395/281, 395/309, 395/750, 395/200.01, 395/800, 395/556, 395/750.04, 395/200, 395/3, 326/93
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 1/203 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 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 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 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• 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: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

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. In another embodiment the local CPU has temperature sensing circuitry incorporated in at least one portion of the IC comprising the CPU, clock adjustment circuitry connected to the at least one portion, and control circuitry connected to the temperature sensor and to the clock adjustment circuitry, the control circuitry configured for driving the clock adjustment circuitry to provide an operational clock rate as a function of a temperature indication provided by the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A digital assistant module, comprising:

an enclosure for enclosing and supporting internal elements;

a CPU within the enclosure for performing digital operations to manage functions of the digital assistant module, the CPU having a clock frequency input for providing frequency of operation for one or more portions of the CPU;

a memory connected to the CPU by a memory bus for storing data and executable routines;

a host interface bus coupled to the CPU and to a first portion of a host interface connector at a surface of the enclosure, the host interface bus providing address lines, data lines, and control signal lines, control signals on the control signal lines including read/write and at least one memory control signal;

temperature sensing circuitry connected to at least one portion of the CPU; and

clock frequency control circuitry connected to the clock frequency input;

wherein, upon the temperature sensing circuitry sensing a predefined rise in temperature, the clock frequency control circuitry lowers the clock frequency provided to the clock frequency input, thereby reducing power to the CPU and limiting temperature rise.

2. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 additionally comprising a touchscreen input/display apparatus implemented on a surface of the enclosure.

3. A digital assistant module as in claim 2 wherein the touchscreen input/display apparatus comprises an LCD display.

4. A digital assistant module as in claim 2 further comprising a pointer device for providing positional and directional input for control operations performed in conjunction with the touchscreen input/display apparatus.

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

6. A digital assistant module as in claim 5 wherein the nonvolatile storage device is an EEPROM device.

7. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 further comprising a user-accessible well having electrical connections for a storage battery for powering functional elements of the digital assistant module.

8. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 further comprising a solar energy conversion panel having electrical connections for attaching to and recharging a storage battery.