Synchronizing and recharging a connector-less portable computer system

• US 9,201,457 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Baraban, Matthieu, Cheri, Yann
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US11/430,786
• Time in Patent Office: 3,494 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• 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 1/1698 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 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A ruggedized connector-less cordless portable computer system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable computer system includes ports adapted to use wireless technology e.g., GSM, CDMA, LAN, Bluetooth, and infrared for synchronization. Furthermore, the device may be a palm-sized device having a rechargeable battery. In one embodiment of the present invention, the portable computer system includes a secondary coil of a transformer where the transformer'"'"'s primary coil resides in an electronic cradle. The portable computer'"'"'s rechargeable battery is recharged through an induction charging system. The wireless communication and induction charging system enables a device that is connector-less and therefore watertight and resilient to adverse climate conditions.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

an interface component physically coupled with said housing, wherein said user interface component enables user-input of alpha-numeric data;

an inductive charging system provided within said housing and operable to implement inductive charging; and

a wireless communication interface provided within said housing, wherein said wireless communication interface, which is implemented separate from said inductive charging system, is operable to enable wireless synchronization of data between said portable electronic device and a second device simultaneously with said inductive charging;

a processor configured to operate an application while using the wireless communication interface to send said data to the second device in order to update the second device without the second device operating an application that is to use said data.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said inductive charging system comprises:

a coil; and

a rechargeable battery coupled to said coil.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprises a battery.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication interface comprises an infrared interface.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication interface comprises a Bluetooth wireless interface.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication interface comprises a cellular interface.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication interface is compliant with a CDMA protocol.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory unit coupled to said processor; and

a display coupled to said processor.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein said display is a touch-sensitive display.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said interface component comprises at least one physical key.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to protect against environmental factors.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said housing is water tight.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said second device is a host computer system.

14. A method for performing communication comprising:

inductively charging a battery disposed within a housing of a portable electronic device, wherein said housing is physically coupled with an interface component enabling user-input of alpha-numeric data; and

synchronizing data between said portable electronic device and a second device while inductively charging said battery using a wireless communication interface directly between said portable electronic device and said second device;

wherein synchronizing data includes;

operating an application on said portable electronic device; and

sending the synchronized data to the second device, in order to update the second device without the second device operating an application that is to use the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said synchronizing data further comprises synchronizing data associated with a calendar application.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said second device is host computer system.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said synchronizing data further comprises making said data available to an application of said second device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said synchronizing data further comprises synchronizing data using a wireless interface selected from a group consisting of a cellular interface, a LAN access interface, a Bluetooth interface and an infrared interface.