Mobile computer system designed for wireless communication expansion

• US 6,516,202 B1
• Filed: 08/12/1999
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Handspring Incorporated (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tu, Jerome C., Townsend, Karl A., Cadwell, Christie L., Hawkins, Jeffrey C., Haitani, Robert Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/374,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/557, 455/550, 455/573, 455/575, 455/90, 455/566, 455/413, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/93.17, 379/93.19, 379/100.02
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• 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: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an organizer that may receive a cellular portion to form a cellular telephone is provided. An organizer comprises an organizer component, including a microphone. The organizer further includes an area for receiving an additional component. The area is designed to receive a cellular component, and a connection element is designed to mate the microphone in the organizer component with the cellular component, to use the organizer as a part of a cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A telephone system comprising:

a cellular component comprising circuitry for executing cellular protocol; and

a handheld organizer component for executing organizer applications, the handheld organizer component designed to removably mate with the cellular component, the handheld organizer component comprising a microphone, an output of said microphone directly coupled to said cellular component when said cellular component is coupled to said handheld organizer component;

wherein the cellular component and the organizer component together form a single telephone unit.

2. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microphone is located on a bottom of a front face of the handheld organizer component.

3. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld organizer component and the organizer applications are operable without the cellular component.

4. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the cellular component further comprises organizer extension software, the organizer extension software executed on the handheld organizer component when the handheld organizer component and the cellular component are coupled together.

5. The telephone system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the organizer extension software enables the handheld organizer component to interact with the cellular component.

6. The telephone system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cellular component further erases the interface software from the handheld organizer component, when the cellular component is disconnected from the handheld organizer.

7. A telephone system comprising:

a handheld organizer component including a microphone, said microphone directly connected to an expansion interface; and

a cellular component comprising circuitry for executing cellular protocol, the cellular component designed to removably mate with said expansion interface of the handheld organizer component, the cellular component directly using the microphone in the handheld organizer component to form a single telephone unit.

8. A system comprising:

a handheld organizer component including organizer applications and an electrical interface including a plurality of electrical connections, one of the electrical connections being a power signal through-put connection; and

a cellular component, the cellular component designed to removably mate with the handheld organizer component and establish the plurality of electrical connections, the cellular component using the power signal through-put connection in the handheld organizer component to charge its battery;

wherein the handheld organizer component is operable using said organizer applications without said cellular component and said handheld organizer component and the cellular component forming a single telephone when said cellular component is coupled to said handheld organizer component.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a cradle for being coupled to a computer system;

the handheld organizer component further comprising an interface for being coupled to the cradle, the cradle providing a connection to the computer system for the handheld organizer component.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, the cradle further for providing a power connection.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the handheld organizer component includes a power lead, for leading the power connection from the cradle interface to the power signal through-put coupled to said cellular component.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power lead comprises a wire.

13. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cradle comprises a bus connection to the computer system and a power connection.

14. The system claim as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bus connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection.

15. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the handheld organizer component further includes a microphone, the microphone being directly connected into the cellular element when the handheld organizer component and the cellular elements are mated.

16. A system comprising:

an organizer including a processor and plurality of applications for running on the processor, the organizer being a stand-alone device;

a cellular component including a processor and a plurality of applications, the cellular component designed to be removably coupled to the organizer, such that when the cellular component is coupled to the organizer, some of the plurality of applications on the cellular component are executed on the processor of the organizer; and

a Read Only Memory (ROM) in said cellular component, said ROM including a Set Up application,

wherein the cellular component and the organizer together form a telephone.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the Set Up application comprises software used to interface the cellular component and the organizer.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the Set Up application is further for being called with an uninstall parameter, the Set Up application further for removing the software used to interface the cellular component and the organizer, when the cellular component is removed from the organizer.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

software executed on the processor of the organizer, wherein said software is executed in-place.

20. An organizer comprising:

a handheld organizer component, including a microphone; and

an expansion interface for receiving a peripheral component, wherein the expansion interface is designed to receive a cellular component comprising circuitry for executing cellular protocol, and the expansion interface is designed to directly connect the microphone in the handheld organizer component with the cellular component such that the handheld organizer component coupled to the cellular component form a cellular telephone.

21. A wireless communication system comprising:

an handheld computing device including a screen;

a wireless communication device designed to be coupled to the handheld computing device to form the wireless communication system, the wireless communication device including;

a first application button for invoking voice control of the wireless communication device, the first application button invoking a voice interface dialog on the screen of the handheld computing device; and

a second application button for invoking data control of the wireless communication device, the second application button invoking a data interface dialog on the screen of the handheld computing device.

22. A modular cellular telephone, comprising an organizer and a cellular component, the organizer having a screen including:

a first area permitting dialing of a telephone number, the first area being one of the following;

a software generated dialing pad,

buttons for a software generated speed dialing list,

a call history list, or

an address book listing permitting single button dialing;

a second area having software generated button status indicators, wherein the status indicators are replaced by dialed numbers if a user dials a number on the dialing pad.

23. A modular cellular telephone, comprising:

an organizer including a standard address book;

a cellular component including software, the software uploaded to the organizer, when the cellular component is removably mated to the organizer;

a telephone address book replacing the standard address book in the organizer when the cellular component is mated to the organizer, the telephone address book comprising;

a database for receiving a plurality of names, the database including the data from the standard address book, the database displaying a name and a telephone number;

wherein when a name is selected from the database, the name is dialed automatically by the modular cellular telephone.

24. A modular cellular telephone comprising:

an organizer including a display screen;

a cellular component including software, the software uploaded to the organizer, when the cellular component is removably mated to the organizer;

a connected screen shown on the display screen of the organizer when the modular cellular telephone has a call, the connected screen including;

a first line status, if the modular cellular telephone has a connection, the first line status including a telephone number of the connection, and whether the first line is talking or on hold.

25. The modular cellular telephone of claim 24, wherein the connected screen further includes a second line status, if the modular cellular telephone has two connections, the second line status indicating a telephone number of the connection.

26. The modular cellular telephone of claim 24, wherein the connected screen further includes a call timer indicating the length of the connection.

27. A modular cellular telephone comprising:

an organizer including a display screen;

a cellular component including software, the software uploaded to the organizer, when the cellular component is removably mated to the organizer;

a voicemail screen shown on the display screen of the organizer, the voicemail screen including;

plurality of programmable control software generated buttons, the programmable control software generated buttons programmable to control a voicemail system.

28. The modular cellular telephone of claim 27, wherein the voicemail screen is organized like a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), including buttons for each function of the voicemail.

29. The modular cellular telephone of claim 27, wherein multiple voicemail accounts are programmable, and the same voicemail screen is used for each voicemail account.