Abstract:
A peripheral connecting device of a portable electronic device. The peripheral connecting device includes a control device, a host connecting device and a plurality of peripheral connectors, including a display connector connected between a display device and the control device and a input device connector connected between a input device and the control device. The peripheral connecting device connects the input device and the display device with the portable electronic device to transmit information. The peripheral connecting device further performs network connection. With the peripheral connecting device, users can access a network. The peripheral connecting device is connected to a host through the network. The host performs the authentication of the portable electronic device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates in general to a peripheral connecting device of a portable electronic device. In particular, the present invention relates to a peripheral connecting device for all kinds of peripheral devices to connect with a portable electronic device.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Portable electronic device have many functions, such as a telephone directory, schedule reminder, notebook, calculator, world time, balance sheet and so on. Portable electronic devices also provide the service of information transmission, such as network connection and email, the network management, such as system setting and information security. It is convenient to bring the portable electronic device which has small volume and light weight. For those reasons, people like using the portable electronic device. However, in the office, because the screen of the portable electronic device is small, using the portable electronic device for word processing or editing software is not as convenient as using a desktop computer.  
           [0005]    To solve these problems of portable electronic devices such as a Personal Digital Assistant, FIG. 1 shows the peripheral connection configuration of a conventional Personal Digital Assistant. The Personal Digital Assistant  2  is connected to a portable keyboard  4 . A user can input information to the Personal Digital Assistant  2  for word processing by using the keyboard. Then, the information input by the user is displayed on the screen of the Personal Digital Assistant  2 . The screen of the Personal Digital Assistant  2  is smaller than that of a desktop computer. The small screen is impractical for the user, especially if large amounts of information are displayed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a peripheral connecting device of a portable electronic device which can connect with kinds of peripheral devices. The peripheral connecting device and the portable electronic device are separate. The peripheral connecting device connects the portable electronic device to kinds of peripheral devices, such as a monitor. Therefore, in the office, the portable electronic device, which may be regarded as a host, has many functions and the advantage to connect and disconnect easily without the trouble of the wiring connection. Because the portable electronic device still keep its portability, the user can take the portable electronic device when he leaving the office. Furthermore, the portable electronic device also connects the portable electronic device with a host through a network. The host is used for the authentication of the portable electronic device. By this, only users who have been authorized can access the network and it becomes easier for a network manager to manage the network. And the user can share resources which connected to the network. Functions of the portable electronic device can be expanded as the network expanded.  
           [0007]    To the above purpose, the present invention provides a peripheral connecting device of a portable electronic device that comprises a control device, a host connecting device and a plurality of peripheral connectors including an input device connector, a display connector and a network connector. Through the peripheral connecting device, the portable electronic device is connected to a display device and an input device to exchange information. As well, the input device can be a keyboard where the peripheral connecting device is built into.  
           [0008]    The invention of the peripheral connecting device is separate from the portable electronic device (such as a Personal Digital Assistant) and selectively connected to the portable electronic device. The peripheral connecting device comprises (a) a host connecting port, (b) an input device connector, (c) a display connector, (d) a network connector and (e) a video transforming circuit. The host connecting port includes (a1) a video signal connector, (a2) a network signal connector and (a3) an input signal connector. The host connecting port is connected to the portable electronic device. The video signal connector transmits a first video signal between the peripheral connecting device and the portable electronic device. The input signal connector transmits an input signal between the peripheral connecting device and the portable electronic device. The network signal connector transmits the network signal between the peripheral connecting device and the portable electronic device. The input device connector is connected with an input device to transmit the input signal between the input device and the peripheral connecting device. The display connector is connected with a display device to transmit the input signal between the display device and the peripheral connecting device. The network connector is connected with an exterior network to transmit a network signal between the exterior network and the peripheral connecting device. The video transforming circuit is connected between the host connecting port and the display connector to transform the first video signal to a second video signal and transmit the second image signal to the display connector. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description in conjunction with the examples and references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the peripheral connection configuration of a conventional Personal Digital Assistant;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 a  is a diagram illustrating the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 b  is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 a  is a diagram illustrating the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 b  is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    The invention provides a peripheral connecting device which connects a portable electronic device with kinds of peripheral devices. The peripheral connecting device is separate from the portable electronic device, such as Personal Digital Assistant, and can be connected to the portable electronic device.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 a  shows the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the first embodiment of the present invention. The peripheral connection system  100  comprises a Personal Digital Assistant  10 , a peripheral connecting device  12 , a monitor  14  and an input device  16  (such as a keyboard, mouse or other input device). The peripheral connecting device  12  comprises a host connecting port  20 , a control device  22 , a display connector  24  and an input device connector  26 . The host connecting port  20  comprises a video signal connector  30  and an input signal connector  32 . The control device  22  comprises a video transforming circuit  34  and an input circuit  36 . The host connecting port  20  connects the Personal Digital Assistant  10  with the control device  22 . The monitor  14  is connected to the display connector  24 . The display connector  24  is a standard display connector such as VGA interface. The input device connector  26  connects the input device  16  with the input circuit  36 . The video signal in the Personal Digital Assistant  10  is connected with the video transforming circuit  34  by the video signal connector  30 . The video signal outputted from Personal Digital Assistant  10  is transformed into a video signal which suited to the monitor  14  by the video transforming circuit  34 . For example, the resolution of the video signal outputted from Personal Digital Assistant  10  is 320×240. The video transforming circuit  34  transform the signal&#39;s resolution to 800×600 or 1024×760 which suited for to the monitor  14 . The display connector  24  connects the video transforming circuit  34  with the monitor  14 . The input device connector  26  connects the input device  16  with the input circuit  36 . The input circuit  36  is connected to the Personal Digital Assistant  10  by the input signal connector  32 .  
         [0017]    The information is transferred from the input device  16  to the input circuit  36  of the control device  22 . The input signal connector  32  receives the information through the input circuit  36  and outputs it to the Personal Digital Assistant  10 . Thus, the input device  16  is regarded as an input device of the Personal Digital Assistant  10 . The input device may be a keyboard, a mouse or other equipment for input signal.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 b  is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 b  is basically the same as FIG. 2 a , with the difference that the input device in FIG. 2 b  is a keyboard  160  and the peripheral connecting device  12  is built into the keyboard  160 . The Personal Digital Assistant  10  is placed in a Personal Digital Assistant slot  18  and connected to the host connecting port  20  of the peripheral connecting device  12 . The monitor  14  is also connected to the display connector  24  of the peripheral connecting device  12 . Because the input device in the embodiment is the keyboard  160  and the peripheral connecting device  12  is built into the keyboard  160 , the other difference between FIG. 2 a  and FIG. 2 b  is that the input device connector  26  in FIG. 2 a  is omitted in FIG. 2 b.    
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 a  shows the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the second embodiment of the present invention. The peripheral connection system  200  comprises a Personal Digital Assistant  40 , a peripheral connecting device  42 , a monitor  44 , an input device  46  and a network  48 . The peripheral connecting device  42  comprises a host connecting port  50 , a control device  52 , a display connector  54 , an input device connector  56  and a network connector  58 . The host connecting port  50  comprises a video signal connector  60 , an input signal connector  62  and a network signal connector  64 . The control device  52  comprises a video transforming circuit  66 , an input circuit  68  and a network-connecting circuit  70 . The display connector  54 , input device connector  56  and network connector  58  are used for the external connection of the peripheral connecting device  42 . The host connecting port  50  connects the Personal Digital Assistant  40  with the control device  52 . The monitor  44  is connected to the display connector  54 . The display connector  54  is a standard display connector such as a VGA interface. The input device connector  56  connects the input device  46  with the input circuit  68 . The video signal in the Personal Digital Assistant  40  is connected to the video transforming circuit  66  by the video signal connector  60 . The video signal is transformed to a video signal suited to the monitor  44  by the video transforming circuit  66 . The display connector  54  connects the video transforming circuit  66  with the monitor  44 . The input device connector  56  connects the input device  46  with the input circuit  68 . The input circuit  68  is connected to the Personal Digital Assistant  40  by the input signal connector  62 . The network-connecting circuit  70  connects the network signal connector  64  with the network connector  58 . The network connector  58  is connected to the network  48 .  
         [0020]    The information is transferred from the input device  46  to the input circuit  68  of the control device  52 . The input signal connector  62  receives the information through the input circuit  68  and outputs it to the Personal Digital Assistant  40 .  
         [0021]    The peripheral connection system  200  in the embodiment of the present invention further comprises a host  80  connected to the network  48 . The Personal Digital Assistant  40  can access the network  48  by the peripheral connecting device  42 . The host  80  is used for the authentication of the portable electronic device  40 . Only the users who have the authorization can use the Personal Digital Assistant  40 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 b  is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 b  is basically the same as FIG. 3 a , with the difference that the input device in FIG. 3 b  is a keyboard  460  and the peripheral connecting device  42  is built into the keyboard  460 . The Personal Digital Assistant  40  is placed in a Personal Digital Assistant slot  88  and is connected to the host connecting port  50  of the peripheral connecting device  42 . The monitor  44  is also connected to the display connector  58  of the peripheral connecting device  42 . Because the input device in the embodiment is the keyboard  460  and the peripheral connecting device  42  is built into the keyboard  460 , the other difference between FIG. 3 a  and FIG. 3 b  is that the input device connector  56  in FIG. 3 a  is omitted in FIG. 3 b.    
         [0023]    As described above, the peripheral connecting device of the portable electronic device of the present invention provides connection between the peripheral connecting device and all kinds of peripheral devices. In the office, the portable electronic device, which may be regarded as a host, has many functions and the advantage to connect and disconnect easily without the trouble of the wiring connection. Because the portable electronic device still keep its portability, the user needs only take the portable electronic device when leaving the office.  
         [0024]    Finally, while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.