Mobile computer

• US 6,304,459 B1
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: XYBERNAUT CORPORATION
• Inventors: Newman, Edward G., Jenkins, Michael D., Toyosato, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US09/092,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 361/683, 361/685, 361/684, 361/686, 361/730, 364/708.1, 364/709.02, 364/709.1, 364/710.01, 312/208.4, 345/168
• US Class Current: 361/679.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

This is a body-worn, hands-free activated computer that is constructed of materials that conduct heat and is heat insulating. The portion of the computer that is heat insulating is located closest to a wearer'"'"'s body, the portion that is heat conducting is located farthest from the user'"'"'s body. Heat is a major problem in wearable computers and this invention provides efficient ways for coping with heat generated by the CPU inside the computer housing. In addition to materials used in constructing the housing for this computer, a heat sink and heat-insulating logs are used to further deflect and direct heat away from a user.

Claims

1. A mobile body-worn computer comprising a rigid computer housing, hands-free activation means, means for attaching said computer housing to a user, said rigid computer housing comprising substantially all of the components of a conventional computer, said computer housing having front, back, top, bottom and side sections, said back section having means for attachment of electrical connections thereto, at least a portion of said front, back, top and side sections constructed substantially of a heat conducting and dissipating material whereas substantially all of said bottom section is constricted of a heat insulating material, only said insulating bottom section is located adjacent a user'"'"'s body when said computer is worn, said rigid housing when not worn having means to be used as a stand alone computer when placed on a flat surface.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein said side sections comprise top side sections and bottom side sections, said top side sections constructed of a heat-conducting material and said bottom side sections constructed of a heat-insulating material.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein said top section comprises a door opening into a PCMCIA compartment, said door constructed of a heat-insulating material.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein said top section comprises an area surrounding control means, said area and control means constructed of a heat-insulating material.

5. The computer of claim 1 wherein said front and back sections comprise respectively a top front section and a bottom front section and a top back section and a bottom back section, the top sections of the front and back sections being constructed of a heat-conducting material, and the bottom sections of the front and back sections being constructed of a heat-insulating material.

6. The computer of claim 1 wherein a heat sink is located in any suitable location on said computer housing except for said bottom section, said heat sink having means to conduct and dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing to the atmosphere.

7. The computer of claim 1 wherein said computer housing has insulating legs attached to the bottom section, said legs being constructed of a heat-insulating material and when said computer is worn providing an airspace between said bottom section and said user'"'"'s body.

8. The computer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the following means is used to dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing:

a. a heat sink in said housing;

b. at least portions of said housing constructed of heat-conducting and heat-insulating materials;

or

c. housing legs constructed of heat-insulating materials.

9. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises an offset peripheral connector recessed from a rear terminal portion or back section of said computer housing, said offset peripheral connectors are adjacent to and recessed back from said back section in such a manner that a rigid connector connected thereto does not extend substantially beyond said back section, said peripheral connector means having a configuration that substantially conforms to the curvature of a user'"'"'s body.

10. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a PC card housing having means to contain substantially an entire PC card when contained therein.

11. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a compartment for housing a removable hard drive.

12. The computer of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises an opening in said front section of said computer housing for internal connection to an IrDA transceiver.

13. The computer of claim 1 wherein said top section of said housing comprises mouse control means.

14. The computer of claim 1 wherein said computer has connecting means to a power supply, a keyboard or a monitor.

15. The computer of claim 1 wherein said hands-free activation means is selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means, head and arm-tracking means and mixtures thereof.

16. A mobile body-worn computer comprising a rigid single computer housing, hands-free activation means, means for attaching said computer housing to a user and communication means, said rigid computer housing comprising a single compartment that houses substantially all of the components of a conventional computer, said rigid housing containing front, back, top, bottom and side sections, at least a major portion of said front, back, top and side sections constructed of a highly heat-conducting material and at least a major portion of said bottom section constructed of a substantially heat-insulated material, said side sections comprising top side sections and bottom side sections, said bottom section having means for connection to a user'"'"'s body wherein said bottom section when said computer is worn is in spaced relationship to said user'"'"'s body, said side sections comprising a heat-insulating separator positioned between said top side sections and said bottom side sections.

17. The computer of claim 16 wherein said side sections comprise top side sections and bottom side sections, said top side sections constructed of a heat-conducting material and said bottom side sections constructed of a heat-insulating material.

18. The computer of claim 16 wherein said top section comprises a door opening into a PCMCIA compartment, said door constructed of a heat-insulating material.

19. The computer of claim 16 wherein said top section comprises an area surrounding control means, said area and control means constructed of a heat-insulating material.

20. The computer of claim 16 wherein said front and back sections comprise respectively a top front section and a bottom front section and a top back section and a bottom back section, the top sections of the front and back sections being constructed of a heat-conducting material, and the bottom sections of the front and back sections being constructed of a heat-insulating material.

21. The computer of claim 16 wherein a heat sink is located in any suitable location on said computer housing except for said bottom section, said heat sink having means to conduct and dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing to the atmosphere.

22. The computer of claim 16 wherein said computer housing has insulating legs attached to the bottom section, said legs being constructed of a heat-insulating material and when said computer is worn providing an airspace between said bottom section and said user'"'"'s body.

23. The computer of claim 16 wherein at least one of the following means is used to dissipate heat from an internal portion of said housing:

a. a heat sink in said housing;

b. at least portions of said housing constructed of heat-conducting and heat-insulating materials;

or

c. housing legs constructed of heat-insulating materials.

24. The computer of claim 16 wherein said housing comprises an offset peripheral connector recessed from a rear terminal portion or back section of said computer housing, said offset peripheral connectors are adjacent to and recessed back from said back section in such a manner that a rigid connector connected thereto does not extend substantially beyond said back section, said peripheral connector means having a configuration that substantially conforms to the curvature of a user'"'"'s body.

25. The computer of claim 16 wherein said housing comprises a PC card housing having means to contain substantially an entire PC card when contained therein.

26. The computer of claim 16 wherein said housing comprises a compartment for housing a removable hard drive and an opening in said front section of said computer housing for internal connection to an IrDA transceiver.

27. The computer of claim 16 wherein said top section of said housing comprises mouse control means.

28. The computer of claim 16 wherein said computer has connecting means to a power supply, a keyboard or a monitor.

29. The computer of claim 16 wherein said hands-free activation means is selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means, head and arm-tracking means and mixtures thereof.

30. The computer of claim 16 wherein said heat-conducting material is magnesium.

31. The computer of claim 16 wherein said heat-insulating material is selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastic, fiberglass or mixtures thereof.

32. The computer of claim 16 wherein said communication means is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephones, hard wire telephones, radio transceivers, infrared, laser, fiber optics and other suitable transceivers.