Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.
Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port. In another embodiment the local CPU has temperature sensing circuitry incorporated in at least one portion of the IC comprising the CPU, clock adjustment circuitry connected to the at least one portion, and control circuitry connected to the temperature sensor and to the clock adjustment circuitry, the control circuitry configured for driving the clock adjustment circuitry to provide an operational clock rate as a function of a temperature indication provided by the temperature sensor.
Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.
Abstract:
A computer system has a cordless keyboard having an on-board power supply and a magnetic field generator with the keyboard adapted for coding keystrokes made on the keyboard in a dynamic magnetic field broadcast by the magnetic field generator. There is also an electronic card module having an induction coil for receiving the coded keystrokes in the dynamic magnetic field and having decoding circuitry connected to the induction coil for converting the coded keystrokes in the dynamic magnetic field into standard serial bus data. A computer as part of the system has a docking bay adapted for receiving and engaging the electronic card module and connecting the decoding circuitry in the electronic card module by means of multi-pin connectors to an internal bus of the computer.
Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.
Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.
Abstract:
A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also stores a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking, a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port. In yet another embodiment, an interface is provided via an interactive, menu-driven display and an on-board speaker to allow a user to select parties to be called, and to dial the parties, including credit card charge data, via DTMF tones generated by the on-board speaker.
Abstract:
An IDE interface communicates with peripheral devices not conforming to ST506 specification by providing firmware to microcontrollers mounted on the non-conforming peripheral devices to translate between the data structure of an ST506 specification device and the data structure of the non-conforming device. CD-ROM and cartridge tape drive communication is provided. An enhanced IDE interface communicates with multiple peripheral devices by adding a selective ability to the firmware of the conventional IDE interface.
Abstract:
A compressed I/O bus system for a general-purpose computer multiplexes 32 bit data and addresses on 32 of 42 dedicated parallel signal paths, and optimizes the bus structure by mapping bus requests made by peripheral devices to "high" memory portions of system RAM not dedicated to other purposes. In one aspect a bus controller is programmable to select translation routines stored in system RAM allowing various models and types of CPUs to be supported. Supported CPUs are interchangeable in the system. In another aspect a default interface attached to the compressed I/O bus of the invention, and translates bus states between the optimized compressed bus and one of an ISA bus or an EISA bus.
Abstract:
A business telephone system employs digital signal processing in a digital telephone having a serial link for connection to a general-purpose computer. The Smart Phone is the central intelligence for the system, which may utilize a PBX connected in a LAN network to multiple computers, including file servers, and each computer may have one or more Smart Phones connected. In one embodiment, docking bays in the phone provide an ability to interchange functional modules, including DSP modules. The docking bays and functional modules may be configured to PCMCIA standards. In another embodiment, a docking bay, which may also be PCMCIA, has a physical window allowing access to an input area on a docked module, wherein the docked module is an intelligent module with a CPU, a memory, and a bus structure, affording control of the smart phone and the entire system through the input interface of the docked module. In various embodiments the external form of the system may vary, and in one embodiment, the smart phone elements are integrated with a desktop or a portable computer having docking bays to receive and connect functional modules, such a DSP modules and/or an intelligent module.