Personal computer integrated with personal digital assistant

• US 7,424,623 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maishi Electronic (Shanghai) Limited
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Sterling, Denning, Bruce, Lam, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/164,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,287 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 713/320, 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A personal computer (PC) adapted to function as a personal digital assistant (PDA) includes: a central processing unit (CPU) responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system, wherein the first operating system is run by the PC in a first PC mode and the second operating system is run by the PC in a second PDA mode. Various software application programs that may be run in PDA mode include Internet auction applications, electronic mail access applications, and Internet radio applications.

Claims

1. A personal computer (PC) adapted to function as a personal digital assistant (PDA) comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system, wherein said first operating system is run by said PC in a first PC mode and said second operating system is run by said PC in a second PDA mode, and wherein said PC operating in said second PDA mode operates a plurality of PDA software applications selected from the group consisting of;

Internet access application, wireless Internet access application, scheduling application, address book application, storage software application, voice recording application, Internet auction application, electronic mail access application, and Internet radio application; and

an integrated circuit coupled to said CPU operable for receiving an instruction signal from a function key to enable execution of said plurality of PDA software applications, wherein said integrated circuit includes a LCD controller interface and an audio interface respectively for controlling a plurality of visual and audio effects associated with said plurality of PDA software applications according to said instruction signal if said PC operates in said second PDA mode, and wherein said audio interface is coupled between a system host audio interface and an audio subsystem of said PC for blocking signals from said system host audio interface if said PC operates in said second PDA mode, thereby controlling said audio effects.

2. The PC of claim 1, wherein said Internet auction application is configured to accept a target price and instruct said PC to provide notification if said target price is exceeded.

3. The PC of claim 2, wherein said target price is a bid price.

4. The PC of claim 2, wherein said notification is video notification.

5. The PC of claim 2, wherein said notification is audio notification.

6. The PC of claim 1, wherein said electronic mail access application is configured to instruct said PC to provide a notification if an e-mail message sent by a sender is received by said PC.

7. The PC of claim 6, wherein said notification is provided only if said sender is on an approved sender list.

8. The PC of claim 1, wherein said Internet radio application is configured to access an Internet radio station.

9. The PC of claim 8, wherein said Internet radio station has an internet location identity stored in a memory of said PC.

10. The PC of claim 1, wherein said PC is configured to operate in at least a first power state and a second power state, wherein said PC consumes less power in said second power state than said first power state, wherein said PC is initially in said second power state, and wherein said Internet radio applications are configured to initiate said control signal to wake up said PC from said second power state to said first power state, operate said second operating system in response to said control signal thereby operating said PC in said second PDA mode, access the Internet, identify an Internet radio broadcast station, and access said Internet radio broadcast station.

11. The PC of claim 10, wherein said first power state is a full power state and said second power state is a low power state or off state.

12. The PC of claim 11, wherein said full power state is global system state G0, said low power state is global system power state G1, and said off state is global system power state G2/S5.

13. The PC of claim 1, wherein said Internet auction applications are configured to initiate said control signal, operate said second operating system in response to said control signal thereby operating said PC in said second PDA mode, access an Internet auction portal, set a target price for a select auction, monitor a plurality of third party bid automatically in said PDA mode, compare each of said plurality of third party bids to said target price, and notify a PC user if one of said plurality of third party bids exceeds said target price.

14. The PC of claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid crystal display module controlled by said integrated circuit and operable for displaying said plurality of visual effects respectively associated with said plurality of PDA software applications if said PC operates in said second PDA mode,

wherein a surface area of said liquid crystal display module is less than a surface area of a display screen used in said first PC mode.

15. The PC of claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit comprises a memory operable for storing commands and an embedded processor coupled to said memory operable for executing said commands to control said LCD controller interface and said audio interface.

16. The PC of claim 15, wherein said integrated circuit comprises a control logic interface coupled to said embedded processor operable for shutting down components of said PC unused in said second PDA mode according to information stored in said memory to save power.

17. The PC of claim 1, wherein said signals from said system host audio interface are passed to said audio subsystem to control said audio effects.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

checking sender identification for each of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages from said receiving step against an approved sender list; and

providing said notice only if any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages has an associated sender on said approved sender list if said PC is in said PDA mode.

18. A method of monitoring a plurality of incoming electronic mail messages at a personal computer (PC), wherein said PC is configured to operate in at least a first power state and a second power state, wherein said PC consumes less power in said second power state than said first power state, and wherein said PC is initially in said second power state, said method comprising:

waking up said PC from said second power state to said first power state;

providing an instruction signal from a function key to an integrated circuit coupled to a central processing unit (CPU);

respectively controlling a visual effect and an audio effect associated with monitoring said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages by a LCD controller interface and an audio interface embedded in said integrated circuit according to said instruction signal;

blocking signals from a system host audio interface to an audio subsystem of said PC by said audio interface;

checking for any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages;

receiving any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages; and

providing a notice indicating receipt of any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said waking up step occurs periodically after expiration of a predetermined time interval.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

checking sender identification for each of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages from said receiving step against an approved sender list; and

providing said notice only if any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages has an associated sender on said approved sender list.

21. A method of monitoring a plurality of incoming electronic mail messages with a personal computer (PC) capable of operating in either a first PC mode or a second personal digital assistant (PDA) mode, wherein said PC is configured to operate in at least a first power state and a second power state, wherein said PC consumes less power in said second power state than in said first power state, and wherein said PC is initially in said second power state, said method comprising:

initiating a control signal to wake up said PC from said second power state to said first power state;

operating a second operating system in response to said control signal, wherein said second operating system operates said PC in said second PDA mode;

providing an instruction signal from a function key to an integrated circuit coupled to a central processing unit (CPU);

respectively controlling a visual effect and an audio effect associated with monitoring said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages by a LCD controller interface and an audio interface embedded in said integrated circuit according to said instruction signal;

blocking signals from a system host audio interface to an audio subsystem of said PC by said audio interface;

checking for any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages;

receiving any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages; and

providing a notice indicating receipt of any of said plurality of incoming electronic mail messages if said PC is said PDA mode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said control signal is initiated periodically after expiration of a predetermined time interval.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said first power state comprises a full power state and said second power state comprises a low power state or off state.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said full power state comprises global system state GO, said low power state comprises global system power state G1, and said off state comprises global system power state G2

S5.

26. A method of operating a personal computer (PC) comprising:

loading a first operating system or a second operating system to a central processing unit (CPU) in response to a control signal;

running said first operating system in a PC mode;

running said second operating system in a personal digital assistant (PDA) mode;

operating a plurality of PDA software applications if said PC operates in said PDA mode;

providing an instruction signal from a function key to an integrated circuit coupled to said CPU to enable execution of said plurality of PDA software applications if said PC operates in said PDA mode;

respectively controlling a plurality of visual and audio effects associated with said plurality of PDA software applications by a LCD controller interface and an audio interface embedded in said integrated circuit according to said instruction signal if said PC operates in said PDA mode;

blocking signals from a system host audio interface to an audio subsystem of said PC by said audio interface if said PC operates in said PDA mode; and

switching said PC mode and said PDA mode in response to said control signal,

wherein said plurality of PDA software applications are software applications selected from the group consisting of;

Internet access application, wireless Internet access application, scheduling application, address book application, storage software application, voice recording application, Internet auction application, electronic mail access application, and Internet radio application.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said electronic mail access application is configured to instruct said PC to provide a notification if an e-mail message sent by a sender is received by said PC.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said notification is provided only if said sender is on an approved sender list.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

storing commands in a memory embedded in said integrated circuit; and

executing said commands by a embedded processor in said integrated circuit to control said LCD control interface and said audio interface.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

storing information associated with power saving in said memory; and

shutting down components of said PC unused in said PDA mode according to said information stored in said memory.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

passing said signals from said system host audio interface to said audio subsystem to control said audio effects if said PC operates in said PC mode.