Miniature digital assistant having enhanced host communication

• US 5,835,732 A
• Filed: 10/28/1993
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inpro II Licensing SARL
• Original Assignee: Elonex IP Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Seiler, William J., Kikinis, Dan, Dornier, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US08/144,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 395/325, 395/800, 395/275, 395/425, 395/725, 395/155, 395/200, 395/281, 395/308, 395/893, 395/200.01, 345/160, 345/169, 345/173, 379/93, 379/96, 364/709.09, 364/708.1, 320/21, 361/686, 455/89
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0273 having extensions for peripherals, e.g. LAN, antennas details of antennas H01Q1/2275

Abstract

A miniature digital assistant module with a local CPU, a memory, and a touchscreen I/O interface in a preferred embodiment, has a host interface comprising a full-service parallel bus, including data lines, address lines, read/write signals, and at least one memory control signal, connected to the local CPU and also to a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant. The full-service bus connection provides direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and a host computer. In a preferred embodiment, the miniature digital assistant also stores a security code, which the host can recognize. The miniature digital assistant forms a host/satellite combination with the host computer, which has a docking bay. When the miniature digital assistant is docked, a docking control routine controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In an alternative embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port, even while the miniature digital assistant is docked.

Claims

1. A digital assistant module, comprising:

an enclosure for enclosing and supporting internal elements;

a local CPU within the enclosure for managing functions of the digital assistant module;

a local memory connected to the local CPU for storing data and executable routines;

a power supply within the enclosure connected to functional elements of the digital assistant module;

a touchscreen combination input/display operable by the local CPU and implemented on a surface of the enclosure;

a host interface comprising a host interface bus having address lines, data lines, and control signal lines, control signals including read/write and at least one memory control signal, the host interface bus connected to the local CPU and to a first portion of a host interface connector at a surface of the enclosure the host interface for connecting the local CPU to a compatible bus structure of a host computer having a host CPU and a host memory;

wherein, upon connection to a compatible host computer through the host interface bus, digital communication occurs between the host computer and the digital assistant module.

2. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 additionally comprising an expansion bus interface comprising an expansion bus connected to the local CPU and to a first portion of an expansion bus connector for connecting the local CPU to a peripheral device.

3. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 additionally comprising a nonvolatile storage device connected to the local CPU and containing a code unique to the digital assistant module, for uniquely identifying the personal digital assistant to connecting digital devices.

4. A digital assistant module as in claim 3 wherein the nonvolatile storage device is an EEPROM device.

5. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 wherein the power supply comprises a user-accessible well having electrical connections for a storage battery for powering functional elements of the digital assistant module.

6. A digital assistant as in claim 1 wherein the power supply comprises a solar energy conversion panel having electrical connections for attaching to and recharging a storage battery.

7. A digital assistant module as in claim 1 having a form factor which is one of Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard Type II or Type III, the host interface bus is a PCMCIA standard bus, and the host interface connector is a PCMCIA standard connector.

8. A digital assistant as in claim 1 wherein the display portion of the touchscreen input/display is an LCD display.

9. A digital assistant as in claim 1 further comprising a pointer device implemented in a surface of the enclosure for providing positional and directional input for control operations performed in conjunction with the display.

10. A digital assistant as in claim 9 wherein the pointer device comprises a thumbwheel implemented at one corner of the enclosure.

11. A digital assistant as in claim 9 wherein the pointer device comprises a four-way pressure-sensitive region on a surface of the enclosure.

12. A digital assistant as in claim 1 wherein the local memory comprises a ROM portion for storage of executable routine and a RAM portion for storage of data.

13. A combination computer system comprising:

a host computer having a host CPU, a host memory and a docking bay having a host portion of a parallel bus connector coupled by a host interface parallel bus to the host CPU, the signal lines including address lines, data lines, and control signal lines, control signals including read/write and at least one memory control signal; and

a satellite digital assistant having an enclosure with a satellite portion of the parallel bus connector in one surface, connected by an extension of the host interface parallel bus to a satellite CPU, the satellite digital assistant having also a satellite memory connected to the satellite CPU and an input-output apparatus on a surface of the enclosure;

wherein, with the satellite digital assistant docked in the docking bay with the host portion and the satellite portion of the bus connector engaged, digital communication passes between the host computer and the satellite digital assistant.

14. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host computer is a desktop computer.

15. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host computer is a notebook computer.

16. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host computer is a palmtop computer.

17. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host computer is a computerized digital telephone.

18. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host computer is a terminal in a computer network.

19. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the host CPU controls the functions of both the host computer and the digital assistant with the digital assistant docked in the docking bay, and files and data in both the host memory and the digital assistant memory are automatically synchronized on docking the digital assistant in the docking bay.

20. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the digital assistant stores a security code, and, upon docking, the host computer requests entry of the security code to validate information sharing with the satellite digital assistant.

21. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein upon docking, the host CPU accesses files of the same name stored in both the host memory and the digital assistant memory, and updates files in both the host memory and the digital assistant memory according to the dates and times of the files.

22. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the digital assistant further comprises an expansion bus interface, comprising an expansion bus connector in a surface of the digital assistant connected by an expansion bus to the digital assistant CPU, whereby computer peripherals are connected and operated by the digital assistant CPU and by the host CPU.

23. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the digital assistant further comprises a storage cell power supply for powering the digital assistant undocked, and with the digital assistant docked charging current is provided to charge the storage cell power supply through a conductor of the parallel bus.

24. A combination computer system as in claim 13 wherein the docking bay, the parallel bus connector and the parallel bus conform to a PCMCIA standard.

25. A digital assistant module, comprising:

an enclosure for enclosing and supporting internal elements;

a local CPU within the enclosure for managing functions of the digital assistant module;

a local memory connected to the local CPU for storing data and executable routines;

a power supply within the enclosure connected to functional elements of the digital assistant module;

a touchscreen combination input/display operable by the local CPU and implemented on a surface of the enclosure; and

a host interface comprising a host interface bus having address lines, data lines, and control signal lines, control signals including read/write and at least one memory control signal, the host interface bus connected to the local CPU and to a first portion of a host interface connector at a surface of the enclosure, the host interface for connecting the local CPU to a compatible bus structure of a host computer having a host CPU and a host memory;

wherein, upon connection to a compatible host computer through the host interface bus, digital communication occurs between the host computer and the digital assistant module, and synchronization of commonly-named files is accomplished.