Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-12-04
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S729000, C361S731000, C361S735000, C455S347000, C455S349000, C455S351000, C455S575100, C429S098000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327152
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hand held or other miniature computers and accessory devices, such as battery packs and modems, and to techniques for interconnecting such devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hand held and other miniature computers are increasingly coming into use. Examples are the ROLODEX REX from Franklin Electronic and the PALM PILOT from 3Com, both of which are hand held personal digital assistants whose functionality includes a digital calendar, a “to do” list, and a phone list. “Computer” herein is used in its broadest sense to refer to any device capable of performing logic functions.
A drawback of hand held computers generally is the difficulty of expanding their functionality by the addition of hardware elements. For example, the ROLODEX REX can only download data by connecting into a PCMCIA type II slot, and hardware elements cannot be added to it to expand its functionality. Similarly, the PALM PILOT can only perform software and information downloads and uploads by connecting with a docking station.
Accordingly, there is a need for a technique by which the functionality of a hand held computer can be expanded quickly and easily by interconnecting the hand held computer to a variety of accessory devices, without destroying the hand held characteristic of the combination.
SUMMARY
The present invention advantageously provides a structure wherein a hand held computer module can be conveniently and interchangeably coupled to accessory devices. The hand held computer module is detachably connected to a first accessory module by means of a first interlocking structure. The first interlocking structure includes a first interlock mechanism on the computer module and a second interlock mechanism on the first accessory module, the first and second interlock mechanisms being mated together to form a physical connection between the computer module and the first accessory module. The first accessory module also includes a third interlock mechanism which is similar to the first interlock mechanism. A second accessory module has a fourth interlock mechanism which is similar to the second interlock mechanism. Accordingly, the first accessory module can be detachably connected to a second accessory module by means of a second interlocking structure which includes the third and fourth interlock mechanisms. Alternatively, the third accessory module can be connected to the computer module using the first and fourth interlock mechanisms.
The principles of this invention can be extended to an unlimited number of accessory modules, with each module having a pair of complementary interlock mechanisms such that it can be connected to the computer module or any other accessory module. The accessory modules may perform a wide variety of functions. Examples of devices that can be provided as accessory modules are modems, battery packs, cell phones, local area network (LAN) access devices, “one and a half way” pagers, two-way pagers, global positioning system devices, and personal area network (PAN) access devices.
In one embodiment the computer module and each accessory module is in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped having two major opposing surfaces with similar lengths and widths. The complementary interlock mechanisms are positioned on the opposing surfaces of each module so that the modules can be stacked together in the manner of a deck of cards. To continue the analogy, since each module contains two interlock mechanisms, each of which is complementary to one of the interlock mechanisms on each of the other modules, the modules can be “shuffled” like a deck of cards, with any given module capable of being located on the top of the “deck” or at any position within the “deck”. In some embodiments, the computer module will always be at one end of the stack and therefore will have an interlock mechanism on only one of its major surfaces.
Power and data are transferred between the modules by means of electrical contacts which are brought into contact when the modules are physically connected by means of the interlock mechanisms. Contact between the electrical contacts forms a bus linking the modules together electrically.
The combination of the hand held computer module and several accessory modules is relatively compact and can easily be carried by the user. Thus, embodiments of this invention provide the user of a hand held computer with a wide range of functionality while maintaining the advantages of small size and portability.
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Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Skjerven Morrill MacPherson LLP, Theodore P. Lopez
Vigushin John B.
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