Mobile computer

• US 6,552,899 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: XYBERNAUT CORPORATION
• Inventors: Wong, Andrew, Ronzani, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lea-Edmonds, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/850,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 361/687, 361/704, 361/688-690, 361/683
• US Class Current: 361/679.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

This is a body-supported computer that has safeguards against the heated computer housing injuring the user. A grille that is heat insulating is used on at least one outer surface of the housing. This grille, together with heat dissipating housing materials, keeps the temperature of the body-supported computer and its housing within tolerable limits.

Claims

1. A mobile body supported computer comprising a computer housing, a heat insulating grille, hands-free activation means, and means for supporting said computer housing by a user;

said computer housing comprising substantially all of the components of a conventional computer, said housing having outside surfaces that when in use at least a portion are adjacent a body of the user, at least a portion of said outside surfaces of said housing are constructed of a heat conducting material, said outside surfaces comprising a front and a bottom section, said bottom section is closest the user when in use, and wherein at least one section of said housing is overlayed by said insulating grille.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein all heat-conducting sections of said exposed portions are overlayed by said insulating grille.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein a front and said bottom section of said housing are overlayed by said grille.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein said insulating grille is a permanently secured component of said computer.

5. The computer of claim 1 wherein said insulating grille is a removable component of said computer.

6. The computer of claim 1 wherein said grille provides heat protective means for a user to handle said computer, wherein said grille additionally provides at least one heat sink for the dissipation of heat from the interior of said housing to an atmosphere surrounding said housing.

7. The computer of claim 6 wherein in addition to said grille a second heat sink(s) is located in any suitable location on said computer housing except for said bottom section, said grille and second heat sink having means to conduct and dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing to the atmosphere.

8. The computer of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said housing is constructed of a heat conducting material.

9. The computer of claim 1 wherein said bottom section is overlayed by a portion of said grille having belt loops therein;

said belt loops providing means for attachment to a user.

10. The computer of claim 1 wherein all heat-conducting portions of said computer housing is surrounded in spaced relationship by said insulating grille, when said computer is worn means are provided to allow an airspace between said bottom section and said user'"'"'s body.

11. The computer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the following means is used in addition to said insulating grille to dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing:

a. heat sink(s) in said housing;

b. at least portions of said housing constructed of heat-conducting and heat-insulating materials;

or

c. means to provide an air space between said bottom section and a user'"'"'s body, said grille constructed of heat-insulating materials.

12. The computer of claim 1 wherein said grille enclosure is constructed of an insulating material to withstand an appreciable amount of heat, said material selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastic, fiberglass and mixtures thereof.

13. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a PC card housing having means to contain a PC card when used therein.

14. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a compartment for housing a removable hard drive.

15. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises means in said computer housing for connection to a member selected from the group consisting of an IrDA transceiver, Blue Tooth cell phones, radio frequency devices and mixtures thereof.

16. The computer of claim 1 wherein an outer section of said housing comprises means for connection to mouse control means.

17. The computer of claim 1 wherein said computer has connecting means to a power supply, a keyboard or a monitor.

18. The computer of claim 1 wherein said hands-free activation means is selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means, head and arm-tracking means and mixtures thereof.

19. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing has attachment means to a member selected from the group consisting of a vest, a body-supported holster, and a user-supported docking means.

27. The computer of claim 16 wherein said housing comprises a compartment for housing a removable hard drive and an opening in said front section of said computer housing for internal connection to a an IrDA transceiver.

30. The computer of claim 16 wherein said hands-free activation means is selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means, head and arm-tracking means and mixtures thereof.

20. A mobile body-worn computer comprising a computer housing, hands-free activation means, means for attaching said computer housing to a user, said computer housing comprising therein substantially all of the components of a conventional computer, said housing containing front, back, top, bottom and side sections, at least a major portion of said front, back, top and side sections constructed of a highly heat-conducting material and at least a portion of said bottom section constructed of a substantially heat-insulating material wherein said bottom section when said computer is worn has means to allow a spaced relationship of said housing to said user'"'"'s body, thereby providing an insulating air space, and a substantially heat insulating grille encircling at least a portion of said computer housing.

21. The computer of claim 20 wherein substantially all of the housing is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of a heat-insulating material, a heat-conducting material and mixtures thereof.

22. The computer of claim 20 wherein said top section comprises an entrance means for a PCMCIA or compact flash compartment, said entrance means constructed of a heat-insulating material.

23. The computer of claim 20 wherein a heat sink is located in any suitable location on said computer housing except for said bottom section, said heat sink in addition to said grille having means to dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing to the atmosphere.

24. The computer of claim 20 wherein said computer housing has an insulating overlay in the form of said grille, said overlay attached to at least a portion of the bottom section, when said computer is worn there are means to provide an airspace between said bottom section and said user'"'"'s body.

25. The computer of claim 20 wherein at least one of the following means in addition to said grille is used to dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing:

a. heat sinks in said housing;

or

b. at least portions of said housing constructed of heat-conducting materials;

or

c. air space between said housing and said grille and air space between said grille and said user.

26. The computer of claim 20 wherein said housing comprises a PC card housing having means to contain substantially an entire PC card when contained therein.

28. The computer of claim 20 wherein a said section of said housing comprises mouse control means.

29. The computer of claim 20 wherein said computer has connecting means to a power supply, a keyboard or a monitor.

31. The computer of claim 20 wherein said heat-conducting material is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, lightweight metals, higher weight conductive plastics and mixtures thereof.

32. The computer of claim 20 wherein said heat-insulating material is selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastic, fiberglass or mixtures thereof.

33. A heat-insulating grille having means to be used with and around a wearable computer, said grille constructed of a low heat conducting material and being configured so as to be attached to at least a section of an outside portion of said wearable computer and having means to vent heat generated by said wearable computer, at least one user attachment side of said grille having integral therein slots to accommodate passage of a belt there through so as to attach said computer to said user, said user attachment side having means to contact the user to protect the user from heat generated when said computer is worn and in use.

34. The grille of claim 33 wherein the configuration of said grille is a checkerboard-like construction having cross pieces and spaces between said cross pieces, said spaces having means to allow said heat generated to pass there through.

35. The grille of claim 33 wherein said slots are located on at least two terminal portions of said attachment side of said grille.