Information processing terminal

• US 6,189,056 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ogura, Akihiro, Yuzawa, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/081,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710/72, 710/73, 709/224, 709/236, 709/237
• US Class Current: 710/62
• 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 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• 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 1/1698 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: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• 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 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

Providing an information processing terminal of a folded structure comprising a first housing portion having a form factor defined by PCMCIA and a second housing pivotally coupled to the first housing portion with an improved reliability of a cable passing through the coupling portion. The data processing part, which is a core part of the PDA function, is contained within the second housing portion which is not subject to restriction of shape and size. As a result, the first housing portion which has to conform to the PCMCIA/JEIDA specification may be relatively easily designed. For example, while the information processing apparatus is provided with a key input means in the first housing portion, it is possible to use a high function key board such as a keyboard of an excellent feel of key touch or a back lighted keyboard.

Claims

1. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member dimensioned to be attachable to a standard confirming recessed connecting portion of said external computer system said first housing member having a standard conforming interface for communication to the external computer;

a second thicker housing member pivotally hinged on one end of said first housing member which second housing member does not conform to the interface standard for insertion into the recessed connection portion;

a key imput means and microphone contained within said first housing member;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member;

a display means and a speaker and other elements needed for aural wireless telephone communication provided within said second housing member;

a connect/disconnect switch for indicating whether the first housing member is electrically connected to the external computer; and

a transmission means for transmitting multiplexed signals between said first and said second housings said interface being responsive to said connect/disconnect switch to select between input signals from the key input means and those signals transmitted over the standard conforming interface between the first housing and the external computer.

2. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member attachable to a recessed connecting portion of said external computer system;

a bus connector part provided on one end of said first housing for electrical connection to said recessed connection portion;

a second housing member pivotally hinged on the other end of said first housing member;

a key imput means contained within said first housing member;

a display means provided within said second housing member;

a connect/disconnect switch indicating whether the first housing member is electrically connected to the external computer system;

a multyplexing means for electrically connecting the first and the second housing members said multiplexing means being responsive to the connect/disconnect switch to seclect between input signals entered through the key imput means and those signals passing through the bus connector part;

a wireless communication means contained within said second housing member; and

an antenna attached to said second housing member.

3. The information processing terminal of claim 2 in which said data processing part comprises a processor unit for arithmetic processing of data and a memory for storing a program and data.

4. The information processing terminal of claim 2 in which said multiplexing circuit multiplexes the address bus and the data bus in the PCMCIA bus.

5. The information processing terminal of claim 2 in which a wireless communication means is integrated in said second housing member with a microphone in the first housing member.

6. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA,

a key entry device in the first housing member;

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing member for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a second housing member having a form facto not conforming to PCMCIA/JEIDA standards pivotally hinged on the other end of said first housing member;

a connect/disconnect switch for indicating whether or not the first housing member is electrically connected to the external computer;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit having a bus into which at least a part of the bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed, said multiplexing circuit being responsive to the connect and desconnect switch to seclect between signals from the key entry device when the first housing member and the external computer are disconnected;

a cable for transmitting between said first and said second housing members the multiplexing circuit bus into which at least a part of the bus signal lines from the PCMCIA bus are multiplexed; and

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable.

7. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said data processing part comprised a processor unit for arithmetic processing of data and a memory for storing a program and data.

8. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said multiplexing circuit multiplexes the address bus and the data bus in the PCMCIA bus.

9. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said PCMCIA interface contains an address decoder for converting the address bus in said PCMCIA bus to such a bit width that may be able to address the memory space in said data processing part.

10. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said second housing has an index for correlating the address specified on said PCMCIA bus to the address on the memory space in said data processing part.

11. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said PCMCIA interface contains an attribute memory for storing an attribute information as a PC card.

12. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which a wireless communication means is integrated in said second housing member.

13. The information processing terminal of claim 6 in which said data processing part comprises a processor

unit for arithmetic processing of data and a memory for storing a program and data.

14. An information processing terminal detachably attached to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA;

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing member for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a second housing member pivotally hinged on the other end of said first housing;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit for generating a bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed;

a key input means provided on the top surface of said first housing member;

a key input control circuit contained within said first housing member for generating a scan code in response to

a key input operation by said key input means;

a cable for electrically connecting said first and said second housing members;

a signal switching means contained within said first housing member for selectively transmitting either one of said multiplexed bus signal and said scan code signal;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable; and

a display provided in the front surface of said second housing member for displaying processed data.

15. The information processing terminal of claim 14 in which said data processing part comprises a processor unit for arithmetic processing of data and a memory for storing a program and data.

16. The information processing terminal of claim 14 in which said PCMCIA interface contains an address decoder for converting the address bus in said PCMCIA bus to such a bit width that may be able to address the memory space in said data processing part.

17. The information processing terminal of claim 14 in which a wireless communication means is integrated in said second housing member with a microphone in the first housing member.

18. An information processing terminal detachably attached to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA;

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing member for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a second housing member pivotally hinged on the other end of said first housing member;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit for generating a bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed;

a key input means provided on the top surface of said first housing member;

a key input control circuit contained within said first housing member for generating a scan code in response to a key input operation by said key input means;

a cable for electrically connecting said first and said second housing members;

an attachment/detachment detection means for detecting whether or not said PCMCIA connector is electrically connected to an external computer system;

a signal switching means for transmitting said multiplexed bus to said cable in response to said PCMCIA connector being connected to an external computer system and for transmitting said scan code signal in response to said PCMCIA connector not being connected to any external computer system over said cable;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable; and

a display provided on the front surface of said second housing member for displaying processed data.

19. The information processing terminal of claim 18 in which said data processing part comprises a processor unit for arithmetic processing of data and a memory for storing a program and data.

20. The information processing terminal of claim 18 in which said PCMCIA interface contains an attribute memory for storing an attribute information as a PC card.

21. The information processing terminal of claim 18 in which a wireless communication means is integrated in said second housing member.

22. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member attachable to a recessed connecting portion of said external computer system for transmission of signals therebetween;

a larger second housing member electrically connected to said first housing member, which second housing member is unable to fit the recessed connection portion;

connect/desconnect means for determining if the first housing member is electrically connected to the external computer;

a key input means contained within said first housing member;

a data processing part contained within said second housing

a transmission means for transmitting a signal between said first and said second housing for transmitting a signal between said first and said second housing members, said transmission means being responsive to the connect/disconnect means to selectively transmit one or the other of input signals from the key input means or those between the first housing member and the external computer system.

23. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member attachable to a recessed connecting portion of said external computer system;

a bus connector part provided on one end of said first housing member for electrical connection to said recessed connection portion;

a pivotable second housing member electrically connected to said first housing member;

a key imput means contained within said first housing member;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member;

a display means provided within said second housing member; and

a transmission means for electrically connection the first and the second housing members in a form different from said bus connector part said transmission means having less connections than said bus connector part and transmitting multiplexed signals from the bus connector part or key input signals depending on whether bus connector is electrically connected to the external computer system.

24. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member attachable to a recessed connecting portion of said external computer system;

a bus connector part provided on one end of said first housing member for electrical connection to said recessed connecting portion;

a larger second housing member incapable of insertion into the recessed connection portion electrically connected to said first housing member;

a key input means and a microphone contained within said first housing member;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member;

a display means provided within said second housing member;

a transmission means for electrically connection the first and second housing members in a form different from said bus connector part said transmission means providing in the alternative multiplexed signals from the external computer system or signals from the key imput means;

a wireless communication means contained within said second housing member; and

an antenna attached to said second housing member.

25. An information processing terminal for detachably attaching to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA,

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing member for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal from the external computer system in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a data input mechanism in the first housing member for providing data when the information processing terminal is not attached to the external computer system;

a larger second housing member which does not have a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA standards electrically connected to said first housing member;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit for generating a bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed which PCMCIA interface is responsive to the attachment and detachment of the information terminal from the external computer to seclect between signals from the data input mechanism and those on the bus signal lines;

a cable for transmitting between said first and said second housing members said bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines are multiplexed; and

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable.

26. An information processing terminal detachably attached to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA;

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a second housing member electrically connected to said first housing member;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit for generating a bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed;

a key input means provided on the top surface of said first housing member;

a key input control circuit contained within said first housing member for generating a scan code in response to a key input operation by said key input means;

a cable for electrically connecting said first and said second housing members;

a signal switching means contained within said first housing member for selectively transmitting either one of said multiplexed bus signal and said scan code signal;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable; and

a display provided on the front surface of said second housing member for displaying processed data.

27. An information processing terminal detachably attached to an external computer system comprising:

a first housing member having a form factor defined by PCMCIA/JEIDA;

a PCMCIA connector provided on one end of said first housing member for sending and receiving a PCMCIA bus signal in a form not multiplexing each bus signal line;

a second housing member electrically connected to said first housing member;

a PCMCIA interface contained within said first housing member having a multiplexing circuit for generating a bus into which at least a part of bus signal lines of said PCMCIA bus are multiplexed;

a key input means provided on the top surface of said first housing member;

a key input control circuit contained within said first housing member for generating a scan code in response to a key input operation by said key input means;

a cable for electrically connecting said first and said second housing members;

an attachment/detachment detection means for detecting whether or not said PCMCIA connector is electrically connected to an external computer system;

a signal switching means for transmitting said multiplexed bus to said cable in response to said PCMCIA connector being connected to an external computer system and for transmitting said scan code signal in response to said PCMCIA connector not being connected to any external computer system over said cable;

a data processing part contained within said second housing member for processing data exchanged through said cable; and

display provided on the front surface of said second housing member for displaying processed data.