Combination personal data assistant and personal computing system dynamic memory reclamation

• US 8,170,610 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Watts, La Vaughn F. Jr., Sato, Nobuyuki Albert, Huber, Gary Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US12/754,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/426.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/557, 455/78, 710/305, 710/306, 710/313, 710/316
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In order to continually receive messages in a dual personal computer system (PC) and personal digital assistant system (PDA) computer architecture, the PC system is deactivated to conserve battery power while the PDA continues to receive messages. As PDA memory is filled with messages, messages that are synchronized and archived with the PC system are deleted and space is freed for incoming messages. When new and non-synchronized messages completely fill the PDA memory array, the PC system is reactivated or the user is informed.

Claims

1. A mobile computing system comprising:

a common communication device, the common communication device comprising a switch and a super input output (SIO) controller;

a personal computing system (PC) coupled to the switch of the common communication device, the PC including a storage device capable of receiving and storing messages from the communication device;

a personal digital assistant system (PDA) coupled to the switch and the SIO controller of the common communication device, the PDA including a storage device capable receiving and storing messages from the communication device, whereby the storage device of the PC is capable of synchronizing messages received from the common communication device with the storage device of the PDA, and wherein

the PC and the PDA are capable of controlling the common communication device, but one of the PC and the PDA controlling the common-communication device at a given time;

access by either the PC or the PDA to the common communication device is possible regardless of an active status of either the PC or the PDA; and

,

when the PC is active, determining whether to archive selected messages stored on the storage device of the PC to non volatile storage.

2. The mobile computing system of claim 1 wherein the storage device of the PC is a memory array comprised of a set of records, and the storage device of the PDA is a memory array comprised of a set of records.

3. The mobile computing system of claim 2 wherein a direct correspondence is established between the set of records of the PC memory array and the set of records of the PDA memory array.

4. The mobile computing system of claim 3 wherein messages are synchronized between records of the PC memory array and records of the PDA memory array.

5. The mobile computing system of claim 2 wherein messages are synchronized between the memory array of the PC and the memory array of the PDA.

6. The mobile computing system of claim 1 wherein the storage device of the PC is a hard disk drive.

7. The mobile computing system of claim 6 wherein the hard disk drive is comprised of a memory array, and the PDA storage device is comprised of a memory array, wherein the PC hard disk drive memory array corresponds directly to the PDA memory array.

8. A mobile computing system comprising:

a common communication device, the common communication device comprising a switch and a super input output (SIO) controller;

a personal computing system (PC) coupled to the switch of the common communication device, the PC capable of receiving messages through the common communication device;

a personal digital assistant system (PDA) coupled to the switch and the SIO controller of the common communication device, the PDA capable of receiving messages through the common communication device and synchronizing the messages received through the common communication device with the PC, and wherein

the PC and the PDA are capable of controlling the common communication device, but one of the PC and the PDA controlling the common communication device at a given time;

access by either the PC or the PDA to the common communication device is possible regardless of an active status of either the PC or the PDA; and

,

when the PC is active, determining whether to archive selected messages stored on the storage device of the PC to non volatile storage.

9. The mobile computing system of claim 8 wherein the PDA is further comprised of a memory array where messages are received and entered, and the memory array is synchronized to the PC.

10. The mobile computing system of claim 9 wherein the PC is further comprised of a memory array that is synchronized to the memory array of the PDA.

11. The mobile computing system of claim 9 wherein the PC is further comprised of a hard disk drive that is synchronized to the memory array of the PDA.

12. A method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture, the dual system computer architecture including a first computer system coupled to a common communication device and a second computer system coupled to the common communication device, the common communication device comprising a switch and a super input output (SIO) controller, the first computer system and the second computer system being capable of controlling the common communication device with one of the first computer system and the second computer system controlling the common-communication device at a given time, access by either the first computer system or the second computer system to the common communication device is possible regardless of an active status of either the first computer system or the second computer system, the method comprising:

receiving and storing messages by the first computer system to a first memory device;

synchronizing the messages with the second computer system, whereby the second computer system archives synchronized messages to a second memory device; and

deleting synchronized and archived messages whenever the first memory device is filled.

13. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 12 further comprising:

identifying the deleted messages in the first memory devices.

14. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 13 wherein the first computer system is a personal digital assistant system (PDA) and the second computer system is a personal computer system (PC).

15. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 14 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

16. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 13 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

17. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 16 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

18. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 12 wherein the first computer system is a personal digital assistant system (PDA) and the second computer system is a personal computer system (PC).

19. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 18 further comprised of:

deleting messages from the first memory device after the messages have been read by the user.

20. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 19 wherein the first computer system is a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the second computer system is a personal computer system (PC).

21. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 19 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

22. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 18 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

23. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 22 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

24. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 12 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.

25. A method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture, the dual system computer architecture including a first computer system coupled to a common communication device and a second computer system coupled to the common communication device, the common communication device comprising a switch and a super input output (SIO) controller, the first computer system and the second computer system being capable of controlling the common communication device with one of the first computer system and the second computer system controlling the common-communication device at a given time, access by either the first computer system or the second computer system to the common communication device is possible regardless of an active status of either the first computer system or the second computer system, the method comprising:

receiving and storing messages by the first computer system to a first memory device;

synchronizing the messages with the second computer system, whereby the second computer system archives synchronized messages to a second memory device; and

informing a user whenever the first memory device is filled.

26. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 25 wherein the first computer system is a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the second computer system is a personal computer system (PC).

27. The method of clearing and archiving messages in a dual system computer architecture of claim 25 further comprised of:

setting preferences as to received and stored messages.