Hand-held data collection computer terminal having power management architecture including switchable multi-purpose input display screen

• US 6,144,976 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Alt, Daniel E., Danielson, Arvin D., Beard, Paul, Schultz, Darald R., Boatwright, Darrell L., Austin, Rickey G., Friend, Steven Darren, Silva, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US08/721,820
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 364/707, 364/708.1, 395/750.03, 708/100, 713/321
• US Class Current: 708/100
• 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template. As a further embodiment an electromagnetic activation by a pen may be used to enter data into a data terminal. Power saving shutdown extends the battery life of the data terminal. A shutdown mode permits resumption of operations by depression of a key. During operations power consumption is reduced by efficient distribution of operations control between microprocessors. The microprocessors have shared access to and control of system operations.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the power consumption of a battery powered data terminal having a higher power processor and a lower power processor, comprising:

operating the data terminal in a higher power mode by controlling the data terminal with the higher power processor;

sharing information processed by one of the higher and lower power processors with the other of the higher and lower power processors such that either of the higher and lower power processors may control the data terminal;

monitoring for the occurrence of a predetermined condition;

upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition, saving the states of the data terminal in a memory such that the states may be subsequently retrieved to restore the data terminal to a condition of operation at the time of the occurrence of the predetermined condition;

operating the data terminal in a lower power mode by removing power from the data terminal including removing power from the higher power processor while maintaining power for the lower power processor such that the data terminal is controlled by the lower power processor;

monitoring for the occurrence of a predetermined event with the lower power processor; and

upon the occurrence of the predetermined event, restoring the operation of the data terminal to the condition of operation at the time of the occurrence of the predetermined condition by restoring power to the data terminal including applying power to the higher power processor and retrieving the states from memory whereby the data terminal is controlled by the higher power processor in a higher power mode.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, the predetermined condition being a low power condition.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, the predetermined condition being a predetermined duration during which no activity of the data terminal occurs.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, the predetermined condition being a low battery voltage level.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, said saving step including storing the states in a non-volatile memory.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, said saving step including storing the states in a power-backed memory.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, the predetermined event being the reception of a predetermined input.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, the predetermined event being the reception of power from an alternate power source.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of, prior to said restoring step, determining the output level of the battery, in the event output level is sufficient, executing said restoring step, and otherwise maintaining the data terminal in a lower power mode.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of, prior to said retrieving step, performing a memory test to determine the integrity of the states stored therein, in the event the integrity is sufficient, executing said retrieving step, and otherwise performing a full reset of the data terminal.

11. A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied thereon for causing a computer to execute steps for controlling the power consumption of a battery powered data terminal having a higher power processor and a lower power processor, the steps comprising:

operating the data terminal in a higher power mode by controlling the data terminal with the higher power processor;

sharing information processed by one of the higher and lower power processors with the other of the higher and lower power processors such that either of the higher and lower power processors may control the data terminal;

monitoring for the occurrence of a predetermined condition;

upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition, saving the states of the data terminal in a memory such that the states may be subsequently retrieved to restore the data terminal to a condition of operation at the time of the occurrence of the predetermined condition;

operating the data terminal in a lower power mode by removing power from the data terminal including removing power from the higher power processor while maintaining power for the lower power processor such that the data terminal is controlled by the lower power processor;

monitoring for the occurrence of a predetermined event with the lower power processor; and

upon the occurrence of the predetermined event, restoring the operation of the data terminal to the condition of operation at the time of the occurrence of the predetermined condition by restoring power to the data terminal including applying power to the higher power processor and retrieving the states from memory whereby the data terminal is controlled by the higher power processor in a higher power mode.

12. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the predetermined condition being a low power condition.

13. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the predetermined condition being a predetermined duration during which no activity of the data terminal occurs.

14. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the predetermined condition being a low battery voltage level.

15. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, said saving step including storing the states in a non-volatile memory.

16. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, said saving step including storing the states in a power-backed memory.

17. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the predetermined event being the reception of a predetermined input.

18. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the predetermined event being the reception of power from an alternate power source.

19. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the steps further comprising the steps of, prior to said restoring step, determining the output level of the battery, in the event output level is sufficient, executing said restoring step, and otherwise maintaining the data terminal in a lower power mode.

20. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11, the steps further comprising the steps of, prior to said retrieving step, performing a memory test to determine the integrity of the states stored therein, in the event the integrity is sufficient, executing said retrieving step, and otherwise performing a full reset of the data terminal.