CIRCUIT AND OPERATING METHOD FOR INTEGRATED INTERFACE OF PDA AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080034233A1
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Shi-Je, Chuang, Hsun-Hsin, Hsieh, Chih-Chao, Yeh, Hsi-Cheng, Lin, Wen-Hsing
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A circuit for an integrated interface of a PDA and a wireless communication system is suitable for integrating the PDA and the wireless communication system. The circuit includes a first serial port has two terminals, in which one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, and another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system. The first serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit a control signal between the PDA and the wireless communication system. A second serial port has two terminals, in which one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, and another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system. The second serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit data between the PDA and the wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A circuit for an integrated interface of a PDA and a wireless communication system, suitable for integrating the PDA and the wireless communication system, the circuit comprising:

a first serial port, having two terminals, wherein one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system, and the first serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit a control signal between the PDA and the wireless communication system; and

a second serial port, having two terminals, wherein one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system, and the second serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit data between the PDA and the wireless communication system.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a power system, the power system providing a power to the PDA and the wireless communication system respectively, and determining the magnitude of the power provided to the PDA according to an idle signal transmitted from the PDA.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the power system provides a power-shortage signal to the PDA and the wireless communication system respectively when the power is insufficient.

4. An operating method for an integrated interface of a PDA and a wireless communication system, suitable for integrating the PDA and the wireless communication system, the operating method comprising:

using a first serial port to bi-directionally transmit a control signal between the PDA and the wireless communication system; and

using a second serial port to bi-directionally transmit data between the PDA and the wireless communication system.

5. The operating method of claim 4, wherein the control signal comprises a PDA-turn-on-wireless-communication-system signal and a PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal.

6. The operating method of claim 4, further comprising:

when the PDA is turned on, performing the following steps of;

turning on the PDA;

checking a status of the wireless communication system;

when the wireless communication system has been turned on, resetting the wireless communication system via a PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal;

when the wireless communication system has not been turned on yet, turning on the wireless communication system via a PDA-turn-on-wireless-communication-system signal, and resetting the wireless communication system via the PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal;

after resetting the wireless communication system and waiting for a first predetermined period of time, checking the status of the wireless communication system;

if the status of the wireless communication system is normal, the first time turn-on-device is completed; and

if the status of the wireless communication system is abnormal, displaying an error message to indicate that turning on the wireless communication system is in failure.

7. The operating method of claim 6, wherein the step of resetting the wireless communication system via the PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal, further comprising:

transmitting the PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal from the PDA to the wireless communication system via a PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal line.

8. The operating method of claim 6, wherein in the steps when the wireless communication system has not been turned on yet, further comprises:

transmitting the PDA-turn-on-wireless-communication-system signal from the PDA to the wireless communication system via a PDA-turn-on-wireless-communication-system signal line;

waiting for a second predetermined period of time; and

transmitting the PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal from the PDA to the wireless communication system via a PDA-reset-wireless-communication-system signal line.

9. The operating method of claim 6, wherein the error message comprises a flashing light.

10. The operating method of claim 6, wherein the error message comprises a displaying string on the PDA.

11. The operating method of claim 6, wherein the error message comprises a sounding beep.

12. The operating method of claim 4, further comprising the following steps:

when the wireless communication system starts to operate from standby mode, transmitting a wireless-communication-system-state signal from the wireless communication system to the PDA via a wireless-communication-system-state/wake-up-PDA signal line;

if the PDA receives the wireless-communication-system-state signal when the PDA is in a sleep state, the PDA being wakened, and an input source of an audio element inside the PDA being switched to the wireless communication system; and

when the wireless communication system continuously operates and the PDA does not operate for a certain period of time, switching the PDA to the sleep state.

13. The operating method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a power-shortage signal to the PDA and the wireless communication system respectively when a power is insufficient for providing.

14. The operating method of claim 13, wherein when the power is provided from a battery, the battery potential is divided into a first potential, a second potential, and a third potential from high to low, wherein the step of providing the power-shortage signal to the PDA and the wireless communication system respectively further comprises:

issuing a power-shortage signal when the battery potential starts to be lower than the second potential;

after issuing the power-shortage signal, if the battery potential is greater than or equal to the first potential, stopping to issue the power-shortage signal;

when the battery potential is between the first potential and the second potential and there is no power-shortage signal, keeping normal operation; and

when the battery potential is lower than the third potential, completely discharging the battery.

15. The operating method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a charging signal to the wireless communication system from a power system; and

determining a charging mode by the wireless communication system, according to a potential of the power system.

16. An operating method for an integrated interface of a PDA and a wireless communication system, suitable for integrating the PDA and the wireless communication system, the operating method comprising:

using at least one serial port to transmit a control signal and data between the PDA and the wireless communication system; and

when the PDA is turned on, performing the following steps;

turning on the PDA; and

turning on the wireless communication system by the PDA.

17. The operating method of claim 16, wherein the step of using at least one serial port to transmit the control signal and the data further comprises:

using a first serial port to transmit the control signal between the PDA and the wireless communication system; and

using a second serial port to transmit the data between the PDA and the wireless communication system.

18. The operating method of claim 16, further comprising:

resetting the wireless communication system after turning on the wireless communication system.

19. The operating method of claim 18, further comprising:

after resetting the wireless communication system and waiting for a first predetermined period of time, checking a status of the wireless communication system;

if the status of the wireless communication system is normal, the turn-on-device is completed; and

if the status of the wireless communication system is abnormal, displaying an error message to indicate that turning on the wireless communication system is in failure.

20. The operating method of claim 16, wherein the step of turning on the wireless communication system by the PDA, further comprising:

transmitting a PDA-turn-on-wireless-communication-system signal from the PDA to the wireless communication system to turn on the wireless communication system.