Mobile, hand-held personal computer

• US 7,312,981 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David W. Carroll
• Original Assignee: David W. Carroll
• Inventors: Carroll, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US10/999,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345156-173, 455/566, 455/90, 455/575, 361679-687, 361724-727
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods

Abstract

A mobile personal computer including a case, a micro-display system, a speech recognition system, a microprocessor, and a power source. The case is sized for handling by a single, adult human hand. The micro-display system is maintained by the case and includes a screen viewable at a first face of the case. The speech recognition system is also maintained by the case and includes a microphone positioned at the first face of the case for collecting sound waves generated by a user'"'"'s speech. The microprocessor is maintained within the case and is electronically connected to the micro-display system and the speech recognition system. Further, the microprocessor utilizes a personal computer operating system to perform computing operations. Finally, the power source is maintained within the case. With this configuration, the mobile personal computer is easily handled and operated with a single hand.

Claims

1. A mobile personal computer comprising:

a case sized for handling by a single, adult human hand, the case including a drawer removably received within a housing;

a display system maintained by the case for displaying an image relative to a first face of the case;

a speech recognition system maintained by the case and including a microphone for collecting sound waves generated by a user'"'"'s speech;

a microprocessor maintained within the case and electronically connected to the display system and the speech recognition system, the microprocessor utilizing a personal computer operating system to perform computing operations;

a sub-system module adapted to provide an operational feature in conjunction with the microprocessor, the sub-system module removably maintained by the drawer; and

a power source maintained within the case.

2. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is adapted to execute a verbal command of a user received by the microphone.

3. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the mobile personal computer is adapted to perform language translation for words acoustically collected by the microphone.

4. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the display system includes a micro-display screen.

5. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the display system further includes:

a screen viewable at the first face of the case; and

a lens adjacent the screen such that a user facing the front face of the case views display on the display screen through the lens.

6. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein a position of the microphone relative to the display system is based upon a human factor standard.

7. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the drawer is slidably received within the housing.

8. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one motion sensor electrically connected to the microprocessor;

wherein the microprocessor. is adapted to transition from a first operational mode to a second operational mode upon receiving information from the motion sensor indicative of the case being moved in a predetermined fashion.

9. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the case is a tubular extrusion.

10. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the case further defines a second face, the mobile personal computer further comprising:

a touch pad disposed on the second face and electrically connected to the microprocessor.

11. The mobile personal computer of claim 7, further comprising:

a first electrical coupler and a second electrical coupler maintained by the case;

a first indicia on an exterior of the drawer at a location corresponding with the first electrical coupler; and

a second indicia on an exterior of the drawer at a location corresponding with the second electrical coupler, the second indicia being different from the first indicia;

wherein the first indicia correlates with the first operational feature and the second indicia correlates with the second operational feature.

12. The mobile personal computer of claim 7, wherein the housing includes a tube extending from the first face, and further wherein the drawer is sized to nest within the tube.

13. The mobile personal computer of claim 10, wherein the touch pad is positioned such that when the case is held in a palm of a user'"'"'s hand with the first face facing the user, a finger of the user'"'"'s hand contacts the touch pad.

14. The mobile personal computer of claim 10, wherein the touch pad is a linear touch pad.

15. The mobile personal computer of claim 11, wherein the first indicia is further on an exterior of a frame of the first sub-system module, and the second indicia is further on an exterior of a frame of the second sub-system module.

16. The mobile personal computer of claim 12, wherein the drawer defines a second face of the case opposite the first face upon insertion into the housing.

17. The mobile personal computer of claim 1, wherein the sub-system module is a first sub-system module adapted to provide a first operational feature in conjunction with the microprocessor, the mobile personal computer further comprising:

a second sub-system module adapted to provide a second operational feature in conjunction with the microprocessor;

wherein the first and second sub-system modules are separately and removably secured within the case and electronically coupled to the microprocessor.

18. The mobile personal computer of claim 17, wherein the first and second sub-system modules each include a frame and an electronic connector for facilitating connection to the microprocessor.

19. The mobile personal computer of claim 18, wherein the case and respective frames are configured such that the first and second sub-system modules can be independently inserted into and removed from the case.

20. The mobile personal computer of claim 18, further comprising:

a first electrical coupler maintained within the case for electronically connecting the first sub-system module to the microprocessor; and

a second electrical coupler maintained within the case for electronically connecting the second sub-system module to the microprocessor.

21. The mobile personal computer of claim 20, wherein the mobile personal computer is adapted such that the first sub-system module can be swapped with a third sub-system module to provide an updated version of the first operational feature.

22. A mobile personal computer comprising:

a case sized for handling by a single, adult human hand;

a display system maintained by the case for displaying an image relative to a first face of the case;

a speech recognition system maintained by the case and including a microphone for collecting sound waves generated by a user'"'"'s speech;

a microprocessor maintained within the case and electronically connected to the display system and the speech recognition system, the microprocessor utilizing a personal computer operating system to perform computing operations;

first and second sub-system modules adapted to provide first and second operational features, respectively, in conjunction with the microprocessor, the sub-system modules being separately and removably secured within the case and electronically coupled to the microprocessor; and

a power source maintained within the case;

wherein the mobile personal computer is adapted such that the first sub-system module can be swapped with a third sub-system module to provide an updated version of the first operational feature.