Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-20
2004-06-29
Urban, Edward F. (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S556200, C455S346000, C455S349000, C455S575100, C361S689000, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757551
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a portable communication means and more specifically to a novel communicator comprising phone functionality, pager functionality and computer functionality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,112 (Kleinschmidt) a communication device is disclosed having a computer with speech input and output devices combined in one structure. The computer portion of Kleinschmidt's device can be removed, while the other components remain intact. The telephone and display components are not removable in the Kleinschmidt communication device but rather these two components are always used together, either alone or with the computer component. This limits the flexibility of his structure and permits limited use for the telephone and display components.
Sainton U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,453 discloses a docking means using an enlarged monitor, Barrows U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,100 discloses means for a computer module to be docked into a monitor having a display with greater resolution than the display itself, and Voroba U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,965 discloses a personal communicator that has means to be attached to the body of the user.
None of these alone noted prior art patents, however, discloses or teaches the use of a personal communicator that has a modular configuration where all of the modules are detachable or removable from the structure. It is very desirable, for example, to have a detachable computer that can be used in other systems, a detachable communicators module (phone) that can be used by itself or in a second system and a detachable display module so that it can be replaced with a large display or it can be used as a monitor in another system. Having only the computer module detachable does not afford maximum flexibility to the personal communicator apparatus. Therefore, it is strongly preferred that for best results and more universal use a system be provided that all of the modules be detachable.
It is also known to use a hand-carried cellular or other type of phone or wireless communicators or radio communication. It is also known to use a portable pager with means for multiple pager messages and a pager display. Typical cellular phones and pagers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,884,188; 5,933,088; and 5,940,742. Also wearable hands-free computers are known, the most popular being Xybernaut Corporation's Mobile Assistant. This hands-free computer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,244 (Newman I) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,824 (Newman II), both owned by Xybernaut Corporation. Since phones, pagers and computers have been extensively used, it has become awkward to have to carry each on the person. In addition, wearable computers will be the next generation computer, and it is not a stretch of the imagination to consider that soon every business person will carry one around all day.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,824 (Newman II) there is a clear disclosure of the use of cellular or radio or handwire telephone communication means used with a mobile computer, claim 6 of Newman II clearly defines this concept. The disclosure of Newman II on specifics of such a combination is incorporated by reference into this disclosure. Also Xybernaut Corporation has several U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,999,952; 6,029,183 and 6,157,533 which disclose respectively transferable core computer systems, core computer units, and modular wearable computers; each of these patents disclose concepts relevant to the present invention. By “core computer module” is meant in this disclosure and claims the core unit of U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,952 and 6,029,183. It is critical to this invention that all aspects of core computer module be present in said module. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,183 and 5,999,952 a mobile core unit is disclosed which has all of the components of a general purpose computer (except for a display). This core unit by itself is non-functional as a computer unless it is in electrical contact with an enclosure, which also supplies functionality. The enclosure has several connector ports for attachment of peripherals to the system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,533 discloses the invention where computer-containing modules are each assembled together to form a conventional computer, except that the computer is body worn and has heatcontrolling aspects.
While some of the above patents disclose mobile phones, two-way radios, pagers and computers, the disadvantage is that none of these patents suggest the use of a single easily carried mobile structure which is modular and can provide a detachable or removable telephone function, a detachable computer function, detachable e-mail, personal organizer, facsimile and pager function, or a detachable display function.
A prior art problem is that there is no one completely detachable device that can perform or handle multiple inputs from different sources (e.g. pager, communication device, personal e-mail device, computer, personal organizer) and, because of that, a user must carry around multiple devices. Prior art small computers in phones do not have the capacity and memory to be effective as a general purpose computer while worn or if removed and used with other higher requirement enclosures. Computer can store a multitude of information without going through a central phone location. Additionally, if a sending party only has the capability to send information in one format (e.g. paper/electronic fax, phone, etc.) and the receiving party does not have the ability to accept (receive) a paper fax, pager, or if the receiving party currently cannot receive electronic faxes because he only has a cell phone or if his laptop is in the backseat of his car and he is driving down the freeway, the receiving party must wait until it is safe to download the fax from staging area using his or her laptop and cell phone or, in the case of highly sensitive information, the sending party would need to wait before sending the fax until the receiving party can guarantee the safe delivery of the fax.
Currently, when a third party needs to notify or transmit information to another person, this transmission depends on the type of information that needs to be conveyed and the capability of the receiving person to receive this information. The ability of the receiving party to receive this transmission is limited to the device he or she is carrying, i.e. pager or phone, etc. That is, the ability today to communicate information to a given person is limited by not only what capability the receiving person has access to or in their possession, but also what the sending party has access to or is in his or her possession. For example, if a person needs to show the receiving party an important fax, the receiving person will most likely need a device that can receive and display that information. This is possible when the receiving party has that capability (usually a cell phone connected to a computer) or when a fax machine is located nearby (in hotel room, office or some other physical location). But what happens when that information needs to be conveyed and all the user has in his or her possession is a pager or a cell phone? The important fax is either read over the cell phone to the intended receiving party or is faxed to a remote location whereby the receiving party can pick it up or the fax is sent to a staging area (typically e-mail or stored on the Internet for later downloading).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mobile structure devoid of the above-noted disadvantages.
Another object of this invention is to provide one structure that can function as a computer, wireless phone and pager with each function detachable from the one structure.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a modular structure that can be disassembled into a computer, pager and cellular phone when desired.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a personal communicator unit containing a core module that can be broken out and attached to a larger display or monitor.
Yet, still a further object of this invention is to provide
Newman Edward G.
Ng Richard
Ronzani Peter A.
Sallam Hussein
Schultz Robert G.
Phan Huy
Ralabate Esq. James J.
Tucker Christopher M.
Urban Edward F.
Xybernaut Corporation
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