Method and apparatus for interacting with a portable computer

• US 6,300,946 B1
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey C., Lincke, Scott D., Sipher, Joseph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/087,742
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345/184, 345/167, 345/168, 345/169, 343/702
• US Class Current: 715/700
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable computer system incorporates mechanical buttons that combine the task of powering-up the portable computer system and starting a particular computer application. The same mechanical buttons can be used to navigate the computer application to find the information that is most likely needed by the user. External computers can be coupled to the portable computer system in a manner that allows an external hardware device to initiate specific computer applications that cooperate with the external hardware device. Some embodiments of the portable computer system comprise an antenna for wireless communications with a base station. Wireless computer applications available in the portable computer system are activated by moving the antenna from a first position to a second position. Some embodiments of the invention provide a communication system comprising a portable computer system having such wireless application activation, and a base station. The base station has a transceiver adapted to exchange signals with the portable computer system. The portable computer system has a transceiver adapted to exchange signals with the base station.

Claims

1. A method of activating a computer application on a handheld computer, the handheld computer comprising a housing, a display accessible on the housing, and an antenna coupled to the housing to pivot from a first position adjacent to the housing to a second position away from the housing, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal corresponding to an antenna of the portable computer moving from a first position to a second position;

responsive to receiving the first signal, automatically activating a first computer application for wireless communications; and

automatically configuring the display according to the first computer application being activated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises waking a processor in response to the first signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises powering up the portable computer system if the portable computer system is not already powered on.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computer system has an operating system, and wherein activating the first computer application further comprises:

powering up the portable computer system if the portable computer system is not already powered on; and

initializing the operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises powering up the portable computer system if the portable computer system is not already powered on, and powering up the portable computer system comprises waking a processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises powering up the portable computer system if the portable computer system is not already powered on, powering up the portable computer system comprises waking a processor, and waking the processor comprises interrupting the processor such that the processor enters an interrupt service routine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises determining whether the first computer application is a predetermined application to be executed in response to receiving the first signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a predetermined computer application is executed in response to receiving the first signal, the predetermined computer application being accessible through a user preference data base, the use preference data base indicating which computer application is a predetermined application to be executed in response to receiving the first signal;

and

wherein activating the first computer application further comprises performing a review of the use preference data base to determine which computer application is identified in the use preference data base as predetermined.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a second computer application prior to receiving the first signal so that the first signal interrupts the second computer application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a second computer application prior to receiving the first signal; and

responsive to the first signal, causing a message to be sent to the second computer application to cause the second computer application to determine a response to the first signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a second computer application prior to receiving the first signal; and

determining a response of the second computer application to the first signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a second computer application prior to receiving the first signal the second computer application operable in a wired mode and a wireless mode, the second computer application operable in the wired mode prior to receiving the first signal;

responsive to the first signal, determining to operate the second computer application in the wireless mode.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling an interrupt in response to the first signal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first signal includes receiving an interrupt signal corresponding to the antenna moving from the first position to the second position.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first computer application further comprises:

powering up the portable computer system if the portable computer system is not already powered on, wherein powering up the portable computer system comprises waking a processor; and

interrupting the processor such that the processor enters an interrupt service routine, and the interrupt service routine tests a register to determine that the first signal is an antenna movement interrupt signal.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating a third computer application, the third computer application adapted to determine whether wireless communications can occur between the portable computer system and a base station.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the first signal, activating a third computer application adapted to determine whether wireless communications can occur between the portable computer system and a base station;

then

if the third computer application determines that wireless communication can occur, generating a third signal indicating that wireless communication can occur; and

if the third computer application determines that wireless communications cannot occur, generating a fourth signal indicating that wireless communications cannot occur.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the first signal, activating a third computer application adapted to determine whether wireless communications can occur between the portable computer system and a base station;

then

the third computer application determines that wireless communication can occur, generating a third signal indicating that wireless communications can occur; and

if the third computer application determines that wireles communications cannot occur, generating a fourth signal indicating that wireless communications cannot occur in response to the first signal; and

responsive to the third signal, generating an audible tone.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the first signal, activating a third computer application adapted to determine whether wireless communications can occur between the portable computer system and a base station;

then

the third computer application determines that wireless communications can occur, generating a third signal indicating that wireless communications can occur; and

if the third computer application determines that wireless communications cannot occur, generating a fourth signal indicating that wireless communications cannot occur in response to the first signal; and

responsive to the fourth signal, generating a dialog window indicating that wireless communications cannot occur in response to the first signal and providing options for further use of the portable computer system.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the first signal, activating a third computer application adapted to determine whether wireless communications can occur between the portable computer system and a base station selected from a group of base stations;

the third computer application executed within the portable computer system; and

responsive to a user generated signal, activating a fourth computer application adapted to select a base station with which the portable computer system is to establish wireless communications.

21. A method of activating a computer application in a portable computer system, the portable computer system having a plurality of computer applications, a first computer application of the plurality of computer applications being primarily for wireless processing, a second computer application of the plurality of computer applications being primarily for wired processing, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal corresponding to an antenna moving from a first position to a second position;

b

responsive to receiving the first signal, automatically activating the first computer application;

receiving a second signal corresponding to an application button being pressed; and

responsive to receiving the second signal, activating the second computer application.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising bringing the first computer application into a state that has been chosen to best supply information being sought.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the portable computer system has a plurality of application buttons, and receiving a second signal comprises detecting a first pressing of a first application button;

and wherein;

activating the first computer application further comprises waking a processor in response to the first signal.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein

accepting a second pressing of the application button after having begun execution of the first computer application;

and

responsive to accepting the second pressing of the application button, changing a state of the first computer application.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein activating the first computer application further comprises waking a processor in response to the first signal, the user input further comprises a first pressing of the application button, and wherein the method further comprises:

accepting a second pressing of the application button after having begun execution of the first computer application; and

changing a state of the first application by accessing a different set of data.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein waking the processor in response to the first pressing of the first application button further comprises interrupting the processor such that the processor enters an interrupt service routine;

the interrupt service routine testing a register to determine which application button of the plurality of application buttons has been pressed.