Abstract:
A multifunctional electronic palmtop computer comprising, in a single box-like body, a keyboard ( 14 ), a display ( 15 ), a CPU, working storage and mass storage, a printer and a PCMCIA card interface ( 23 ), further comprising a protective cover ( 25 ) for the interface ( 23 ) which is provided with locking means adapted to prevent direct accessibility to the interface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of application number PCT/EP99/04222 filed on Jun. 17, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a multifunctional electronic palmtop computer. 
     Portable electronic computers which allow the operator who uses them to perform a plurality of functions by means of a single structure whose dimensions are so small that it can be comfortably held in the palm of one hand, are commercially rather widespread. 
     These computers, accordingly known as “palmtops”, generally have a visual display, a keyboard, a CPU, working storage and mass storage and, in the more recent configurations, a printer. 
     Said printer, in particular, can be of the type that prints on paper rolls or on continuous and/or cut paper. 
     The most valuable feature of this type of computer is certainly that it provides an operator with a plurality of functions by using simply a single device. 
     One frequent use of a computer of this type is certainly related to sales from mobile points of sale, since all the data and the quantities related to the products ordered by the client can be entered directly, updating in each instance the stock of available products and allowing to issue the freight bill or invoice immediately. 
     Nowadays there is in fact an ever growing need to integrate these computers as fully as possible, providing them with the highest possible number of functions so as to be able to work by using a single device which is in any case complete with all the tools. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to provide an electronic palmtop computer which provides and integrates in a single body a plurality of functions which currently require the use of a variety of mutually distinct and separate devices. 
     Within the scope of this aim, an important object of the present invention is to provide an electronic palmtop computer which, in terms of size, has an extremely compact structure so as to be practical in use. 
     A further important object of the present invention is to provide an electronic computer which though integrating a plurality of different functions in a single structure ensures a simple operation which requires no particular expertise. 
     A further important object of the present invention is to provide an electronic palmtop computer which can be produced in practice with equipment and facilities which are conventional in this sector. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic palmtop computer which offers the user greater practicality in use by integrating in a single device a plurality of different functions which currently usually require the use of different devices. 
     This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a multifunctional electronic palmtop computer comprising, in a single boxlike body, a keyboard, a display, a CPU, working storage and mass storage, a printer and a PCMCIA card interface, characterized in that it further comprises a protective cover for said interface which is provided with locking means adapted to prevent direct accessibility to said interface, said cover requiring the intervention of a tool to release said means so as to allow access to said interface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a multifunctional electronic palmtop computer according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the lower part of the computer of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a detail of the computer of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view, taken along a longitudinal plane, of a detail of the computer of  FIG. 1  in a first operating configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view, taken along a longitudinal plane, of the detail of  FIG. 4  in a second operating configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of the computer of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9  are respective sectional views, taken along the longitudinal plane VII—VII, of the detail of  FIG. 6  in various operating steps; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the detail of  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the rear part of the computer of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the computer of  FIG. 1  with the printer cover open in a first printing configuration; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a detail of the computer of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded view of the detail of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the computer of  FIG. 1  with the printer cover open in a second operating configuration. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the above figures, an electronic palmtop computer according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10  and comprises a substantially flat and elongated box-like body constituted by the mating of an upper half-shell  12  with a lower half-shell  13 . 
     An electronic board, not shown for the sake of simplicity in the above cited figures, is arranged inside the body  10  and is connected to a keyboard  14  and to a display  15 . 
     In this constructive embodiment, the display  15  is of the type commonly known as “touch-screen”, since it is possible to interact with the electronic board simply by touching the surface of the screen with a finger or with a stylus. 
     For this purpose, the display  15  is covered by an appropriately provided pressure-sensitive film which is not shown for the sake of simplicity. 
     Computer  10  is provided with adapted software capable of interpreting and recognizing handwriting, corresponding for example to a signature, produced with a slight pressure on the display  15 . 
     The software converts the graphic signs traced by an operator on the display  15  into encoded characters which can be interpreted by any computer program. 
     Computer  10  has, in this case, a laser scanner  16  of a per se known type, which is arranged in the front part of the body of the computer  10  at the lower half-shell  13  and is adapted for example to read bar codes. 
     The laser scanner  16  can be operated by a user by means of one of the two buttons  17  arranged on either side of the flat body or by means of the keyboard  14  or, in other cases, by means of a slight pressure on the touch-screen display  15 . 
     Computer  10  has, in the front part of the upper half-shell  12 , a paper compartment cover  18  which covers a compartment  19  for containing paper and a printer  20  which is partially visible in  FIG. 10 . 
     A slit  21  is formed in said paper compartment cover  18  and the paper can exit through said slit after printing. 
     In particular, said paper containment compartment  19  is preset, in this case, to contain paper both as continuous forms and as rolls, as described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     Computer  10  is also provided with a magnetic badge reader  22  of a per se known type which is conveniently located in the front part of the upper half-shell  12 . 
     The printer  20  of the computer can be of the impact or thermal type. 
     Computer  10  further comprises an interface  23  for PCMCIA cards  24  which is located in the lower part of the upper half-shell  12 . 
     Computer  10  has, in particular, a cover  25  for protecting the interface  23  which has a contoured structure and is adapted to couple, by snap action, to a portion of the profile of the lower half-shell  13 . 
     The cover  25  has a protective wall  27  which is interposed between two parallel fixing shoulders  26  and is meant to be placed in front of said interface  23  in order to prevent direct access thereto. 
     A seat  28   a  for a first component  29   a  of a button  29  is provided on each shoulder  26 . 
     A first opening  28   b  and a second opening  28   c  are formed on the face of the seat  28   a  on which the first component  29   a  of the button  29  rests; the first and second openings are provided respectively in the upper and central part and are conveniently shaped as described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The first component  29   a  is engaged in the seat  28   a  and, in combination with a second component  30 , constitutes the button  29  for actuating locking means, designated simply by the reference numeral  31  hereinafter, for said cover  25 . 
     The first component  29   a  is constituted by a substantially flat body which is shaped complementarily to the seat  28   a  and in which there is a through hole  32 ; the first component has, at its upper end, a cantilevered tooth  33  with two parallel protrusions  34 . 
     The protrusions are retention elements which are shaped so that they are inserted and glued in a complementarily shaped first seat  35  formed at the upper end of said second component  30 , which is conveniently wedge-shaped. 
     A grub  36  is inserted in the through hole  32  of the first component  29   a  and has a slot  37  on the face that remains towards the outside and a seat  38  for a pin  39  on the other face. 
     In this case, the slot  37  and the seat  38  for the pin  39  are parallel and are both diametrical with respect to the grub  36 . 
     The second component  30  is adapted to be placed in the internal part of the cover  25  between the shoulder  26  and a parallel partition  40  which protrudes monolithically from the cover  25 . 
     In particular, the second component  30  is monolithically associated with the first component  29   a  by means of insertion and gluing of the tooth  33  and of the protrusions  34  in the first seat  35  of the upper end after they have passed through the first opening  28   b , which is shaped complementarily thereto. 
     A cantilevered hook  41  protrudes at the lower end of the second component  30 . 
     A longitudinal hollow  42  is also formed in the second component  30  at the part that is directed toward the internal partition  40 ; the hollow partially accommodates a fork-shaped flat spring  43 . 
     In particular, the flat spring  43  has a first end  43   a  which rests against the internal partition  40  and a second end  43   b  which abuts against the hook-shaped lower end  41  of the second component  30 . 
     A second seat  44   a  is also formed in the central part of the second component and is adapted to mate with a complementarily shaped tab  44   b  which protrudes from the inward-looking face of the first component  29   a  of the button  29  after it has passed through the second opening  28   c.    
     If the pin  39  is arranged horizontally, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , by applying to the first component  29   a  a pressure adapted to push it toward the inside of the cover  25  the pin  39  can be inserted with its ends in complementarily shaped cutouts, designated by the reference numeral  39   a , provided on the second opening  28   c.    
     In this manner, the pressure applied to the first component  29   a  is transmitted to the second component  30  which is monolithically coupled thereto and which, in contrast with the action of the flat spring  43 , releases its hook  41  from the retainer  45  constituted by a portion of the upper edge of the lower half-shell  13 , thus allowing to open the cover  25 . 
     When the pin  39  is turned through an angle of 90°, so as to arrange it vertically as shown in  FIG. 9 , it is not possible to insert the ends of the pin in the cutouts  29   a  of the second opening  28   c , so that though applying a pressure to said first component  29   a  said first component is unable to transmit the pressure to the second component  30  of the button  29  in order to overcome the elastic resistance of the flat spring  43 . 
     In this way, therefore, the hook  41  cannot be disengaged from the retainer  45  and accordingly the cover  25  remains locked so as to close access to the interface  23 . 
     The pin  39  is turned by turning a screwdriver or an equivalent tool with the tip inserted in the slot  37  of the grub  36 . 
     An opening  46  is formed in this case in the wall  27  for protecting the cover  25 , and a connector, shown schematically and designated by the reference numeral  47 , can be inserted through said opening without having to disengage the cover  25  from the computer  10 . 
     The opening  46  is normally protected by a rubber plug  48  which is joined by means of a protrusion  50  provided with a larger end  49  which engages a cavity formed in the cover  25  so as to be nondetachably coupled to the cover  25 . 
     The plug  48  is externally provided with a raised grip portion  51  which facilitates grip and allows access to only one of the PCMCIA cards  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     The presence of the cover  25  prevents direct access to the PCMCIA interface  23 ; in particular, when the cover is locked it prevents the removal of the PCMCIA cards  24  by unauthorized personnel, despite allowing all the data transfer operations that can be performed by means of the direct connection of said connector  47  to said interface  23 . 
     Two raised portions, not shown for the sake of simplicity, can further be provided inside the cover  25 , protecting the PCMCIA cards against sliding out accidentally by virtue of a simple mechanical abutment. 
     The configuration of the cover  25  is such as to protect the inside more than satisfactorily, since it is substantially waterproof in the presence of water sprays. 
     It is particularly important to note that the cover  25  prevents access to the interface  23 , which in this case is in the lower part of the computer  10 , coupling thereto in a very practical manner. 
     Very simply, once the cover  25  has been rested against the end edge  25   a  of its seat, formed in the upper half-shell  12 , said cover can slide until it couples with a snap action to the portion of the profile of the lower half-shell  13  that lies below it. 
     In this constructive configuration, the computer  10  has, in the lower half-shell  13 , an elastic strap  52  for gripping it having a first fixed end  53  and a second end  54  provided with a disengageable hook. 
     Computer  10  is also provided with a first read/write device, schematically designated by the reference numeral  55 , for microchip cards  56 ; said device is located at one side in the front region of said lower half-shell  13 . 
     A second read/write device  57  for microchip cards  56  is arranged on the lower face of the body  10 , in the region directly below the first end  53  of the strap  52 . 
     In order to insert a microchip card  56  in the second read/write device  57  it is necessary to disengage the second end  54  of the strap  52  and raise it adequately until access to the insertion region is achieved. 
     Each one of the first and second read/write devices  55  and  57  is adapted for reading and writing microchip cards  56  (commonly termed “smart cards”) and is provided with a flexible flap  58  which closes the slot for inserting the microchip cards  56  and is folded only during the insertion of the cards. 
     A nonlimitative example of the microchip cards  56  is given by cards of the CP8 or ISO 7816 standard types. 
     The flap  58  acts as a brush for cleaning the microchip card  56  that is inserted, in order to prevent dirt from entering the read/write device and dirtying it or damaging it. 
     A third read/write device  59  for SIM-type cards, designated by the reference numeral  60 , is arranged in the lower half-shell  13  in the part located below the power supply battery pack, which is not shown in  FIG. 9  for the sake of simplicity. 
     The third read/write device  59  is provided with a connector  61  which can be accessed when the SIM-type card  60  is inserted after lifting a cover  62 . 
     The computer  10  is also provided with a stylus  63  to be used for the touch-screen display  15 ; the stylus is adapted to be inserted in a complementarily shaped seat  64  formed in the paper compartment cover  18 . 
     The stylus  63  has a portion with protrusions  65 , so that once it is inserted in the seat  64  it is retained therein by friction. 
     In particular, the stylus  63  can be inserted in the seat  64  from the left or from the right, so as to allow comfortable and practical use to a left-handed user as well. 
     The paper containment compartment  19 , in this case, can alternatively accommodate a roll  66  and a pack  67  of continuous paper  67 , as shown in  FIGS. 12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15 . 
     It is in fact possible to remove the pack  67  from the compartment  19  in which it had been inserted earlier for printing on continuous paper, as shown in  FIG. 15 , and to arrange in the part left empty a roll holder  68  which supports a roll  66  (whose maximum outside diameter is 28 mm). 
     The roll holder  68  is constituted by a pivot  69  which is provided, at one end, with a first fixed flat arm  70  which protrudes at right angles thereto; the holder further has, at its other end, a second flat arm  71  which can be folded by a film hinge  71   a.    
     Each one of the first and second arms  70  and  71  is externally provided with a raised portion  72 . 
     In the operating configuration, the first and second arms  70  and  71  are mutually parallel and cause the roll holder  68  to be U-shaped. 
     In order to insert the roll  66  in the compartment  19 , as shown in  FIG. 12 , it is necessary to lower the second arm  71  of the roll holder  68  and engage the roll  66  in the pivot  69 . 
     After this has been done, the second arm  71  is returned to the operating configuration and then the roll holder  68 , which now supports the roll  66 , is inserted in a complementarily shaped seat which is formed in the paper containment compartment  19  in the region in front of the printer  20 . 
     In this way, the user can choose to print on the roll  66  or, as an alternative, on the continuous paper  76 , having both already available and without having to perform any intervention. 
     The U-shaped configuration of the roll holder  68  and therefore the presence of the first and second arms  70  and  71  facilitates the insertion and extraction of the roll  66  and at the same time keeps it locked in position when the paper compartment cover  18  is closed. 
     In this particular constructive configuration, a cellular telephone is integrated in the computer  10  and in this case is of the type commonly known as GSM. 
     The telephone comprises an electronic board  73  which is arranged, with particular reference to the arrangement of the computer  10  shown in  FIG. 6 , with a vertical orientation laterally to the paper containment compartment  19  at the lower half-shell  13 . 
     The electronic board  73  is connected to an antenna  74  which is also arranged laterally to said paper containment compartment  19  in a forward position with respect to the board  73 . 
     The telephone allows a user to immediately transmit, for example, the data related to the delivery of goods at the recipient customer&#39;s premises without having to use any other device. 
     The computer  10  is further completed by integrating therein, in this case, a satellite positioning system, known more commonly as GPS (Global Positioning System), which also comprises an electronic board  73   a  which is connected to a receiving antenna  75 . 
     In this case, the electronic board  73   a  for the satellite positioning system is also arranged vertically and laterally to the paper containment compartment  19  on the opposite side with respect to the position of the electronic board  73  of said GSM cellular telephone. 
     The receiving antenna  75  is instead located in the front part of the body  11  below said paper containment compartment  19 , so that when a user needs to use it he/she can receive the signals of the satellite network dedicated to the GPS service. 
     The present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept. 
     In practice it has been observed that the present invention fully achieves the intended aim and all the intended objects. 
     First of all, it is important to note that the present invention provides an electronic palmtop computer which is capable of providing and integrating in a single body a plurality of functions for which it is currently necessary to resort to the use of a variety of mutually separate devices. 
     It is also important to note that the above-described computer has a very compact structure, so as to be extremely practical to use. 
     A particular advantage is certainly due to the fact that said computer ensures simple operation and that though integrating a plurality of separate functions in a single body it requires no particular technical expertise. 
     Another advantage is that the above-described computer can be produced in practice with equipment and facilities which are conventional in the field. 
     The materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, may be any according to requirements. 
     All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. 
     The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. PD98U000067 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.