Detachable hand-held computer handle

• US 6,708,887 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GSL Solutions, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: GSL Solutions, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Louie, Shelton, Garrett, Stephen A., Smith, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US09/932,657
• Time in Patent Office: 948 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472, 235/462, 235/463, 361/683, 361/729, 361/731, 395/893
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A portable, hand-held computer handle that may be detachable secured to a conventional hand-held computer such as a personal digital assistant or the like. The handle preferably includes a substantially planar hand-held computer-mounting portion with an ergonomically-shaped joystick-style handle portion extending orthogonally therefrom. The handle portion includes a trigger in electrical communication with the hand-held computer such that one or more functions of the hand-held computer can be controlled by actuation of the trigger. In a preferred embodiment, the hand-held computer includes a conventional scanner or other data reader thereon, and the trigger on the handle portion activates the scanner. Preferably, the handle portion is aligned with the center of gravity of the handle and hand-held computer. More preferably, the forward and backward and side-to-side position and angle of the handle portion with respect to the computer-mounting portion is adjustable thereby allowing a user to individually adjust the position of the handle to their particular needs. In a preferred embodiment, the handle is sized to receive a conventional off-the-shelf hand-held computer, and it includes conventional connectivity jacks in electrical communication with the hand-held computer to facilitate charging of the hand-held computer and/or data transmittal and exchange between the hand-held computer and another computer system.

Claims

1. A portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer, the computer capable of performing at least one function, said portable computer handle comprising:

a computer-mounting portion for detachably receiving the hand-held computer;

a sliding member slidably secured to said computer-mounting portion such that said sliding member moves relative to said computer-mounting portion along a defined first direction;

an elongate handle slidably secured to said sliding member such that said elongate handle moves relative to said sliding member, independent of movement of said computer-mounting portion in said defined first direction, along a defined second direction, said second direction substantially orthogonal to said first direction, said elongate handle extending substantially orthogonally from said computer-mounting portion; and

,

a trigger operably secured to said elongate handle in electrical communication with the portable computer such that depressing the trigger actuates the at least one function on the hand-held computer.

2. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said elongate handle is a joystick-type handle.

3. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 2, wherein said joystick-type handle includes a handle grip portion.

4. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said hand-held computer is operably secured to a data reader, and said at least one function includes operating the data reader.

5. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 4, wherein the data reader is a bar code scanner.

6. The portable computer handle of claim 1, further includes a radio frequency identification tag reader operably secured to the computer.

7. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said hand-held computer is a personal digital assistant.

8. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 7, wherein said personal digital assistant is an off-the-shelf product.

9. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said elongate handle is positioned below said hand-held computer and aligned substantially with the center of gravity of the combined portable computer handle and hand-held computer.

10. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said first and second directions are perpendicular to each other and aligned substantially in a plane.

11. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 10, where said first direction is toward and away from a front side of said substantially planar mounting portion.

12. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein the position of said elongate handle with respect to said substantially planar mounting portion is adjustable in both said first direction and said second direction.

13. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 12, wherein said first direction is toward and way from a front side of said mounting portion, and said second direction is toward and away from a right side of said mounting portion.

14. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said elongate handle is rotatably secured to said substantially planar member.

15. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 1, wherein said elongate handle is operably secured to said substantially planar member such that the angle of said elongate handle with respect to said substantially planar member is adjustable.

16. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 15, wherein a ball and socket joint operably secures said elongate handle to said substantially planar member.

17. The portable computer handle of claim 1, further including at least auxiliary connectivity port operably secured to said portable computer handle and in electrical communication with the hand-held computer.

18. The portable computer handle of claim 17, wherein said auxiliary connectivity port is an electrical jack for operably engaging an external power source to power the hand-held computer.

19. The portable computer handle of claim 17, wherein said auxiliary connectivity port is a communications port for operably connecting an external computer system to the hand-held computer.

20. The portable computer handle of claim 1, further including an internal battery received with said portable computer handle, said internal battery in electrical communication with said hand-held computer to provide auxiliary power to said hand-held computer.

21. A portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer, the computer capable of performing at least one function, said portable computer handle comprising:

a base for detachably receiving the hand-held computer;

a sliding member slidably secured to said base such that said sliding member moves relative to said base along a defined first direction;

an elongate handle having a base mounting portion and a handle grip portion, said base mounting portion slidably secured to said sliding member such that said elongate handle moves relative to said sliding member along a defined second direction, said defined second direction being substantially orthogonal to said defined first direction, wherein said handle grip portion infinitely adjustable in at least two directions with respect to said base; and

,

a trigger operably secured to said handle grip portion and in electrical communication with the hand-held computer such that depressing the trigger actuates the at least one function on the hand-held computer.

22. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 21, wherein said hand-held computer is operably secured to a data reader, and said at least one function includes operating the data reader.

23. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 22, wherein the data reader is a bar code scanner.

24. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 22, wherein the data reader is a radio frequency identification tag reader.

25. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 21, where said first direction is toward and away from a front side of said base.

26. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 21, further including detachable fasteners for operably holding said sliding member and said elongate handle in place.

27. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 26, wherein said first direction is toward and way from a front side of said base, and said second direction is toward and away from a right side of said base.

28. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 21, wherein said handle grip is rotatably secured to said base.

29. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 21, wherein said handle grip portion is operably secured to said base mounting portion such that the angle of said elongate handle grip portion with respect to said base mounting portion is adjustable.

30. The portable computer handle for detachably receiving a hand-held computer of claim 29, wherein a ball and socket joint operably secures said handle grip portion to said base mounting portion.

31. A portable scanning device comprising:

a scanning element;

a general purpose, portable hand-held computer operably secured to the scanning element and defining a general plane, said portable hand-held computer having a plurality of off-the-shelf applications therein, one application of said plurality of applications therein including operating the scanning element in response to an input device operably connected to the hand-held computer; and

,

an elongate handle detachably secured to the portable hand-held computer and extending substantially orthogonally from said plane, said elongate handle having a trigger operably secured thereto, said trigger in communication with the input device such that actuating the trigger commands the input device to operate the scanning element, said handle independently moveable in a first direction and a second direction along the general plane, said first direction being substantially orthogonal from said second direction.

32. The portable scanning device of claim 31, further including a base for detachably securing the portable hand-held computer to said handle, and said handle is slidably secured to said base.

33. The portable scanning device of claim 32, wherein said elongate handle is a joystick-type handle.

34. The portable scanning device of claim 33, wherein said joystick-type handle includes a handle grip portion.

35. The portable scanning device of claim 31, wherein said scanning element is a bar code scanner.

36. The portable scanning device of claim 31, wherein said scanning element is a radio-frequency identification tag reader.

37. The portable scanning device of claim 31, wherein said handle is positioned below said hand-held computer and aligned substantially with the center of gravity of the combined handle and hand-held computer.

38. The portable scanning device of claim 31, further including a base for detachably securing the portable hand-held computer to said handle, and said handle is slidably secured to said base.

39. The portable scanning device of claim 38, wherein said elongate handle is rotatably secured to said base.