Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Cell or battery charger structure – For handheld device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-02
2001-12-11
Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Cell or battery charger structure
For handheld device
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329787
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal powered by a secondary battery, such as a portable telephone set, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant—portable information communication terminal), a portable game machine, etc., a battery charging device for charging the secondary battery of such a portable information terminal, and a reception system and a transmission and reception system which employ the portable information terminal and the battery charging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various proposals have been made in order for a portable information terminal to transmit data to and receive data from an external circuit. According to a first attempt, the portable information terminal may have a built-in data transmission and reception circuit. According to a second scheme, the portable information terminal may be connected to a data transmission and reception device via a connection cable.
However, the first proposal is disadvantageous in that the portable information terminal has a relatively large volume and weight because the area of a printed wiring board which supports the data transmission and reception circuit is increased and the portable information terminal needs to accommodate circuit components of the data transmission and reception circuit, the portable information terminal has an increased power requirement, and the portability of the portable information terminal is impaired.
The second approach is able to overcome the shortcomings of the first proposal, but is problematic in that the data transmission and reception device needs to be provided as an individual device, and the process of connecting and disconnecting the connection cable is tedious and time-consuming.
The inventor of the present invention has noticed that many portable information terminals are powered by a secondary battery in view of its convenience, and such portable information terminals are normally used in such a mode that they are carried and used by the users in daytime, and connected to a battery charger to charge the secondary battery at night.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal which is capable of receiving data and/or transmitting data without any built-in data reception circuit or data transmission and reception circuit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery charging device for charging a secondary battery of such a portable information terminal, the battery charging device having an additional function of high added value in relation to the portable information terminal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reception system and a transmission and reception system which have such a portable information terminal and a battery charging device having an additional function of high added value in relation to the portable information terminal.
According to the present invention, there is provided a reception system comprising a portable information terminal having a secondary battery, an external interface, and a memory, and a battery charging device for charging the secondary battery, the battery charging device having a data reception circuit for receiving data supplied from an external circuit, the arrangement being such that when the portable information terminal and the battery charging device are connected to each other, the secondary battery is charged by the battery charging device, and data received from the external circuit by the data reception circuit is stored into the memory of the portable information terminal via the external interface.
With the above arrangement, the portable information terminal which has no data reception circuit can receive data. Since the data reception circuit is incorporated in the battery charging device, no separate data reception device needs to be specially provided. The data received from the external circuit may comprise data via a data broadcast.
The portable information terminal may have a display unit for displaying the data stored in the memory.
If the data received from the external circuit comprises data via a data broadcast, then the display unit may display characters and images. The data can be displayed on the display unit while the portable information terminal is detached from the battery charging device and carried around by the user. If the portable information terminal has a sound output device in addition to the display unit, then the user can listen sounds outputted from the sound output device in synchronism with or independently of displayed portable information terminal.
If the data is supplied from the external circuit to the data reception circuit in a plurality of channels, then the battery charging device or the portable information terminal may have a channel selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of channels.
A battery charging device according to the present invention comprises a charging terminal for connection to a portable information terminal powered by a secondary battery, a data reception circuit for receiving data supplied from an external circuit, and a reception controller for controlling the data reception circuit to receive data supplied from the external circuit when the portable information terminal is connected to the charging terminal.
Data received from the external circuit while the secondary battery is being charged can be sent to the portable information terminal while the secondary battery is being charged.
If the data is supplied from the external circuit to the data reception circuit in a plurality of channels, then the battery charging device may further comprise a channel selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of channels.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a portable information terminal having a secondary battery, which is connectable to a battery charging device having a data reception circuit for receiving data supplied from an external circuit, comprising a memory for storing data, and an external interface for introducing the data, the arrangement being such that when the portable information terminal is connected to the battery charging device to charge the secondary battery, data received from the external circuit by the data reception circuit is stored into the memory via the external interface.
Consequently, the portable information terminal with no data reception circuit is capable of receiving data from the external circuit.
If the data is supplied from the external circuit to the data reception circuit in a plurality of channels, then the portable information terminal may have a channel selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of channels.
The portable information terminal may further comprise a display unit for displaying the data stored in the memory.
A transmission and reception system according to the present invention comprises a battery charging device having a data transmission and reception circuit for transmitting data to and receiving data from an external circuit, and a first memory, and a portable information device having a secondary battery, an external interface, and a second memory, the arrangement being such that when the portable information terminal and the battery charging device are connected to each other, the secondary battery is charged by the battery charging device, and data received from the external circuit by the data reception circuit is stored into the second memory via the external interface, and when the portable information terminal and the battery charging device are connected to each other, data read from the first memory and/or the second memory is transmitted via the data transmission and reception circuit to the external circuit.
With the above arrangement, the battery charging device can transmit and receive data relative to the portable information terminal. The data relative to the portable information terminal ma
Ito Takeshi
Kawai Eiji
Rosenman & Colin LLP
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Tibbits Pia
Wong Peter S.
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