Adapter unit having a handle grip for a personal digital assistant

• US 20020099894A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Schlieffers, Jorg, Kehoe, Timothy, Kowalski, Robert J., Jones, Gregory, Sasloff, Michael, Crawford, Christopher N., Salvato, Dominick, Destefano, Robert K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,837,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to an adapter unit for a personal digital assistant. More specifically, this invention relates to an adapter unit that has a handle grip. The adapter unit provides additional functionality, and improved ergonomics and increased ruggedness to the personal digital assistant.

Claims

1. An adapter unit for removably receiving a personal digital assistant, the personal digital assistant having a back surface, two side surfaces defining a width of the personal digital assistant, a top surface and a bottom surface defining a length of the personal digital assistant and a scanning window for reading a product identification code in a direction which is outward from the top surface, said adapter unit comprising:

a body portion having a bottom wall and two sidewalls, said bottom wall having a top section and a bottom section, said top section of said bottom wall being configured to conform to the back surface of the personal digital assistant and said two side walls configured to prevent side to side movement of the personal digital assistant; and

a handle grip extending from said bottom section of said bottom wall, said handle portion being joined to said body portion at a selected angle with respect to said body portion to cause a proximal end of said bottom section of said bottom wall to rest on a radial surface of a user'"'"'s hand when the user grasps the handle portion.

2. The adapter unit of claim 1 wherein said adapter unit includes a filler block secured between the back surface of the personal digital assistant and the bottom wall.

3. The adapter unit of claim 1 further comprising a flexibly secured connector interface for engaging the personal digital assistant.

4. The adapter unit of claim 3 wherein said connector interface engages the back surface of the personal digital assistant.

5. The adapter unit of claim 3 wherein said connector interface engages at least one of the side surfaces of the personal digital assistant.

6. The adapter unit of claim 1 further comprising a faceplate for covering a top portion of said personal digital assistant.

7. The adapter unit of claim 1 further comprising retaining prongs for covering a top portion of said personal digital assistant.

8. The adapter unit of claim 1 wherein said handle grip further comprises a trigger.

9. The adapter unit of claim 1, further comprising a bumper for protecting the body portion.

10. An adapter unit capable of being removeably secured to a personal digital assistant, said personal digital assistant having a module for reading a product identification code and an expansion connector, said adapter unit comprising:

a body portion configured to receive the personal digital assistant, said body portion having two side walls to prevent side to side movement of the personal digital assistant;

an adapter connector for creating a communications link with said expansion connector of the personal digital assistant; and

a handle that extends from a bottom section of said body, the handle being joined at a selected angle with respect to the body to cause a proximal end of the bottom section of said body to rest on a radial surface of a user'"'"'s hand when the user grasps the handle, the handle having a trigger coupled to the personal digital assistant through said communications link.

11. The adapter unit of claim 10 wherein a filler block is secured to said adapter unit.

12. The adapter unit of claim 10 further comprising a flexibly secured connector interface for engaging the personal digital assistant.

13. The adapter unit of claim 12 wherein said connector interface engages a back surface of the personal digital assistant.

14. The adapter unit of claim 12 wherein said connector interface engages a side surfaces of the personal digital assistant.

15. The adapter unit of claim 10 further comprising a faceplate for covering a top portion of said personal digital assistant.

16. The adapter unit of claim 10 further comprising retaining prongs for covering a top portion of said personal digital assistant.

17. The adapter unit of claim 10 wherein said handle grip further comprises a trigger.

18. The adapter unit of claim 10, further comprising a bumper for protecting the body portion.

19. A system for activating a product identification module in a personal digital assistant, the system comprising:

an adapter unit being configured to be removeably secured to the personal digital assistant, the adapter unit having a trigger, an adapter connector and an interrupt generator, said adapter connector forms a communications link with an expansion connector on the personal digital assistant and said interrupt generator generates an interrupt in response to activating the trigger;

an interrupt handler for determining whether the interrupt is associated with the product identification module, wherein said product identification module is activated if the interrupt is associated with the product identification module.

20. A communications system comprising:

a personal digital assistant having a display that may provide a screen in a vertical configuration and a horizontal configuration;

an adapter unit configured to be removeably secured to the personal digital assistant;

said adapter unit having a handle that may be grasped by a user'"'"'s left hand or a user'"'"'s right hand;

an orientation agent for orienting the horizontal configuration of the display between a first and second position, said first position optimizing the horizontal configuration for the user'"'"'s left hand and said second position optimizing the horizontal configuration for the user'"'"'s right hand.