Method and apparatus for interacting with a portable computer system
DCFirst Claim
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1. A computer implemented method of preparing a computer system for use, said computer system including a screen display with a screen display area, said method comprising the steps of:
- accepting a particular application button press by a user, wherein said computer system includes a plurality of application buttons for selecting applications, wherein said plurality of application buttons include said particular application button, wherein each application button of said plurality of application buttons;
is associated with a particular application program, andis located at a location external to said screen display area; and
in response to said particular application button press;
waking a processor, andexecuting the particular application program associated with said particular application button.
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Abstract
A palmtop computer system that incorporates mechanical buttons that combine the task of turning the palmtop computer system on and starting a particular application program. Furthermore, the same mechanical button can be used to navigate the application program to find the information that is most likely needed by the user. Additionally, external devices can be coupled to the palmtop computer system in a manner that allows the external hardware device to initiate specific application programs that cooperate with the external hardware device.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of preparing a computer system for use, said computer system including a screen display with a screen display area, said method comprising the steps of:
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accepting a particular application button press by a user, wherein said computer system includes a plurality of application buttons for selecting applications, wherein said plurality of application buttons include said particular application button, wherein each application button of said plurality of application buttons; is associated with a particular application program, and is located at a location external to said screen display area; and in response to said particular application button press; waking a processor, and executing the particular application program associated with said particular application button. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer apparatus, said computer apparatus comprising:
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a screen display with a screen display area; a processor, said processor having a low power consumption sleep mode, said processor having a hardware interrupt line that awakes said processor from said sleep mode; a plurality of application buttons for selecting applications, wherein each application button of said plurality of application buttons; is associated with a particular application program, is located at a location external to said screen display area, and asserts said hardware interrupt line when said each application button is pressed; and interrupt service code for handling processor interrupts caused by said hardware interrupt line being asserted by pressing a particular application button of said plurality of application buttons, said interrupt service code causing execution of the particular application program associated with said particular application button. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification