Patent Publication Number: US-8117370-B2

Title: IC for handheld computing unit of a computing device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS 
     This invention is related to the following co-pending patent applications: 
     COMPUTING DEVICE WITH HANDHELD AND EXTENDED COMPUTING UNITS, having the same filing date as the present application, having a Ser. No. 12/026,681, and 
     A/V CONTROL FOR A COMPUTING DEVICE WITH HANDHELD AND EXTENDED COMPUTING UNITS, having the same filing date as the present application, having a Ser. No. 12/026,704. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     NOT APPLICABLE 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     NOT APPLICABLE 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to communication systems and more particularly to computing devices used in such communication systems. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Communication systems are known to support wireless and wire lined communications between wireless and/or wire lined communication devices. Such communication systems range from national and/or international cellular telephone systems to the Internet to point-to-point in-home wireless or wired networks. The wireless and/or wire lined communication devices may be personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), cellular telephones, personal digital video players, personal digital audio players, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, video game consoles, entertainment devices, etc. 
     Many of the communication devices include a similar basic architecture: that being a processing core, memory, and peripheral devices. In general, the memory stores operating instructions that the processing core uses to generate data, which may also be stored in the memory. The peripheral devices allow a user of the communication device to direct the processing core as to which operating instructions to execute, to enter data, etc. and to see the resulting data. For example, a personal computer includes a keyboard, a mouse, and a display, which a user uses to cause the processing core to execute one or more of a plurality of applications. 
     While the various communication devices have a similar basic architecture, they each have their own processing core, memory, and peripheral devices and provide distinctly different functions. For example, a cellular telephone is designed to provide wireless voice and/or data communications in accordance with one or more wireless communication standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, advanced mobile phone services (AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS), radio frequency identification (RFID), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and/or variations thereof). As another example, a personal digital audio player is designed to decompress a stored digital audio file and render the decompressed digital audio file audible. 
     Over the past few years, integration of the some of the communication device functions into a single device has occurred. For example, many cellular telephones now offer personal digital audio playback functions, PDA functions, and/or GPS receiver functions. Typically, to load one or more of these functions, files, or other applications onto a handheld communication device (e.g., a cellular telephone, a personal digital audio and/or video player, a PDA, a GPS receiver), the handheld communication device needs to be coupled to a personal computer or laptop computer. In this instance, the desired application, function, and/or file is first loaded on to the computer and then copied to the handheld communication device; resulting in two copies of the application, function, and/or file. 
     To facilitate such loading of the application, function, and/or file in this manner, the handheld communication device and the computer each require hardware and corresponding software to transfer the application, function, and/or file from the computer to the handheld communication device. As such, two copies of the corresponding software exist as well as having two hardware components (one for the handheld device and the second for the computer). In addition to the redundancy of software, timing issues, different versions of the software, incompatible hardware, and a plethora of other reasons cause the transfer of the application, function, and/or file to fail. 
     In addition to integration of some functions into a single handheld device, handheld digital audio players may be docked into a speaker system to provide audible signals via the speakers as opposed to a headphone. Similarly, a laptop computer may be docked to provide connection to a full size keyboard, a separate monitor, a printer, and a mouse. In each of these docking systems, the core architecture is not changed. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a computing device that includes a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods of operation that are further described in the following Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawing(s), the Detailed Description of the Drawings, and the claims. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit within a communication system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit quasi docked to an extended computing unit within a communication system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit in a remote mode with respect to an extended computing unit within a communication system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit quasi docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of core components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a handheld computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a handheld computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 16  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of core I/O components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core I/O components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 18  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core I/O components of a handheld computing unit docked to an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 19  is a table of an example of devices within a handheld computing unit and extended computing unit that may be active in various modes in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 20  is a diagram of an example of accessing BIOS and an operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 21  is a diagram of another example of accessing BIOS and operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 22  is a diagram of another example of accessing BIOS and operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 23  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a BIOS method in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 24  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for determining a mode of the computing device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIGS. 25 and 26  are a logic diagram of an embodiment of a reboot method in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 27  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for initializing one of a plurality of operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 28  is a diagram of an embodiment of an operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 29  is a state diagram of an embodiment of an operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 30  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method processing a service call in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 31  is a diagram of an example of a subprogram library in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 32  is a state diagram of an embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 33  is a diagram of an example of a process table in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 34  is a diagram of an example of a remote mode operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 35  is a diagram of an example of a quasi docked mode operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 36  is a diagram of an example of a docked mode operating system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 37  is a diagram of an example of application and/or file swapping in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIGS. 38 and 39  are a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for changing from a docked mode to another mode in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 40  is a diagram of an example of changing from a docked mode to a remote mode in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 41  is a diagram of an example of application and file status prior to changing from a docked mode to a remote mode in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 42  is a diagram of an example of swapping an application in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 43  is a diagram of an example of swapping a file in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 44  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for creating and/or changing an application and/or file in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 45  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a connector structure in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 46  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a connector structure in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 47  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a connector structure in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of an embodiment of a computing device  10  that includes a a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14 . The handheld computing unit  12  may have a form factor similar to a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, personal digital audio/video player, etc. and includes a connector structure that couples to a docketing receptacle  16  of the extended computing unit  14 . 
     In general, the handheld computing unit  12  includes the primary processing module (e.g., central processing unit), the primary main memory, and the primary hard disk memory for the computing device  10 . In this manner, the handheld computing unit  12  functions as the core of a personal computer (PC) or laptop computer when it is docked to the extended computing unit and functions as a cellular telephone, a GPS receiver, a personal digital audio player, a personal digital video player, a personal digital assistant, and/or other handheld electronic device when it is not docked to the extended computing unit. 
     In addition, when the handheld computing unit  12  is docked to the extended computing unit  14 , files and/or applications can be swapped therebetween. For example, assume that the user of the computing device  10  has created a presentation using presentation software and both reside in memory of the extended computing unit  14 . The user may elect to transfer the presentation file and the presentation software to memory of the handheld computing unit  12 . If the handheld computing unit  12  has sufficient memory to store the presentation file and application, then it is copied from the extended computing unit memory to the handheld computing unit memory. If there is not sufficient memory in the handheld computing unit, the user may transfer an application and/or file from the handheld computing unit memory to the extended computing unit memory to make room for the presentation file and application. 
     With the handheld computing unit  12  including the primary components for the computing device  10 , there is only one copy of an application and/or of a file to support PC functionality, laptop functionality, and a plurality of handheld device functionality (e.g., TV, digital audio/video player, cell phone, PDA, GPS receiver, etc.). In addition, since only one copy of an application and/or of a file exists (other than desired backups), special software to transfer the applications and/or files from a PC to a handheld device is no longer needed. As such, the processing module, main memory, and I/O interfaces of the handheld computing unit  12  provide a single core architecture for a PC and/or a laptop, a cellular telephone, a PDA, a GPS receiver, a personal digital audio player, a personal digital video player, etc. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  docked to an extended computing unit  14  within a communication system. In this embodiment, the communication system may include one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) router  28 , a modem  36  coupled to the internet  38 , an entertainment server  30  (e.g., a server coupled to database of movies, music, video games, etc.), an entertainment receiver  32 , entertainment components  34  (e.g., speaker system, television monitor and/or projector, DVD (digital video disc) player or newer versions thereof, VCR (video cassette recorder), satellite set top box, cable set top box, video game console, etc.), and a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone  26 . As an alternative or in addition to the WLAN router  28 , the system may include a local area network (LAN) router coupled to the extended computing unit  14 . 
     As is also shown, the extended computing unit  14  is coupled to a monitor  18 , a keyboard, a mouse  22 , and a printer  24 . The extended computing unit  14  may also be coupled to other devices (not shown) such as a trackball, touch screen, gaming devices (e.g., joystick, game pad, game controller, etc.), an image scanner, a webcam, a microphone, speakers, and/or a headset. In addition, the extended computing unit  14  may have a form factor similar to a personal computer and/or a laptop computer. For example, for in-home or in-office use, having the extended computing unit with a form factor similar to a PC may be desirable. As another example, for traveling users, it may be more desirable to have a laptop form factor. 
     In this example, the handheld computing unit  12  is docked to the extended computer unit  14  and function together to provide the computing device  10 . The docking of the handheld computing unit  12  to the extended computing unit  14  encompasses one or more high speed connections between the units  12  and  14 . Such a high speed connection may be provided by an electrical connector, by an RF connector (an example is discussed with reference to  FIG. 45 ), by an electromagnetic connector (an example is discussed with reference to  FIG. 46 ), and/or a combination thereof. In this mode, the handheld computing unit  12  and the extended computing  14  collectively function similarly to a personal computer and/or laptop computer with a WLAN card and a cellular telephone card. 
     In this mode, the handheld computing unit  12  may transceive cellular RF communications  40  (e.g., voice and/or data communications). Outgoing voice signals may originate at the VoIP phone  26  as part of a VoIP communication  44  or a microphone coupled to the extended computing unit  14 . The outgoing voice signals are converted into digital signals that are subsequently converted to outbound RF signals. Inbound RF signals are converted into incoming digital audio signals and that may be provided to a sound card within the extended computing unit for presentation on speakers or provided to the VoIP phone via as part of a VoIP communication  44 . 
     Outgoing data signals may originate at the mouse  22 , keyboard  20 , image scanner, etc. coupled to the extended computing unit  14 . The outgoing data signals are converted into digital signals that are subsequently converted to outbound RF signals. Inbound RF signals are converted into incoming data signals and that may be provided to the monitor  18 , the printer  24 , and/or other character presentation device. 
     In addition, the handheld computing unit  12  may provide a WLAN transceiver for coupling to the WLAN router  28  to support WLAN RF communications  42  for the computing device  10 . The WLAN communications  42  may be for accessing the internet  38  via modem  36 , for accessing the entertainment server, and/or accessing the entertainment receiver  32 . For example, the WLAN communications  42  may be used to support surfing the web, receiving emails, transmitting emails, accessing on-line accounts, accessing on-line games, accessing on-line user files (e.g., databases, backup files, etc.), downloading music files, downloading video files, downloading software, etc. As another example, the computing device  10  (i.e., the handheld computing unit  12  and the extended computing unit  14 ) may use the WLAN communications  42  to retrieve and/or store music and/or video files on the entertainment server; and/or to access one or more of the entertainment components  34  and/or the entertainment receiver  32 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  quasi docked to an extended computing unit  14  within a communication system. In this embodiment, the communication system may include one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) router  28 , a modem  36  coupled to the internet  38 , an entertainment server  30  (e.g., a server coupled to database of movies, music, video games, etc.), an entertainment receiver  32 , entertainment components  34  (e.g., speaker system, television monitor and/or projector, DVD (digital video disc) player or newer versions thereof, VCR (video cassette recorder), satellite set top box, cable set top box, video game console, etc.), and a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone  26 . As an alternative or in addition to the WLAN router  28 , the system may include a local area network (LAN) router coupled to the extended computing unit  14 . 
     As is also shown, the extended computing unit  14  is coupled to a monitor  18 , a keyboard, a mouse  22 , and a printer  24 . The extended computing unit  14  may also be coupled to other devices (not shown) such as a trackball, touch screen, gaming devices (e.g., joystick, game pad, game controller, etc.), an image scanner, a webcam, a microphone, speakers, and/or a headset. In addition, the extended computing unit  14  may have a form factor similar to a personal computer and/or a laptop computer. 
     In this example, the handheld computing unit  12  is quasi docked  46  to the extended computer unit  14 , where the handheld computing unit  12  functions as a stand-alone computer with limited resources (e.g., processing modules, user inputs/outputs, main memory, etc. of the handheld computing unit) and limited access to the memory of the extended computing unit  14 . The quasi docking  46  of the handheld computing unit  12  to the extended computing unit  14  is provided by an RF communication, where an RF transceiver of the handheld computing unit  12  is communicating with an RF transceiver of the extended computing unit  14 . Depending on the bit rate of the RF connection, the handheld computing unit can access files and/or applications stored in memory of the extended computing unit  14 . In addition, the handheld computing unit  12  may direct the processing module of the extended computing unit  14  to perform a remote co-processing function, but the processing module of the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit do not function as a multiprocessing module as they do when in the docked mode. 
     As an alternative, the quasi docked mode may be achieved by the handheld computing unit  12  communicating with the extended computing unit via the WLAN communication  42  and the WLAN router  28 . As yet another example, the quasi docked mode may be achieved via a data cellular RF communication  40  via the internet  38  to the extended computing unit  14 . 
     In this mode, the handheld computing unit  12  may transceive cellular RF communications  40  (e.g., voice and/or data communications). Outgoing voice signals originate at a microphone of the handheld computing unit  12 . The outgoing voice signals are converted into digital signals that are subsequently converted to outbound RF signals. Inbound RF signals are converted into incoming digital audio signals and that are provided to a speaker, or headphone jack, of the handheld computing unit  12 . 
     Outgoing data signals originate at a keypad or touch screen of the handheld computing unit  12 . The outgoing data signals are converted into digital signals that are subsequently converted to outbound RF signals. Inbound RF signals are converted into incoming data signals that are provided to the handheld display and/or other handheld character presentation device. 
     In addition, the handheld computing unit  12  may provide a WLAN transceiver for coupling to the WLAN router  28  to support WLAN RF communications  42  with the WLAN router  28 . The WLAN communications  42  may be for accessing the internet  38  via modem  36 , for accessing the entertainment server, and/or accessing the entertainment receiver  32 . For example, the WLAN communications  42  may be used to support surfing the web, receiving emails, transmitting emails, accessing on-line accounts, accessing on-line games, accessing on-line user files (e.g., databases, backup files, etc.), downloading music files, downloading video files, downloading software, etc. As another example, the handheld computing unit  12  may use the WLAN communications  42  to retrieve and/or store music and/or video files on the entertainment server; and/or to access one or more of the entertainment components  34  and/or the entertainment receiver  32 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  in a remote mode with respect to an extended computing unit  14 . In this mode, the handheld computing unit  12  has no communications with the extended computing unit  14 . As such, the extended computing unit  14  is disabled and the handheld computing unit  12  functions as a stand-alone computing device. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  docked to an extended computing unit  14 . The handheld computing unit  12  includes a handheld processing module  50 , handheld main memory  52 , handheld hard disk/flash memory  54 , a baseband processing module  56 , a radio frequency (RF) section  58 , handheld random access memory (RAM)  60 , handheld read only memory (ROM)  62 , a clock generator circuit  64 , handheld input/output (I/O) interfaces (e.g., handheld audio I/O interface  66 , handheld video and/or graphics interface  68 , and handheld data I/O interface  70 ), and handheld I/O components (e.g., handheld microphone  72 , handheld speaker  74 , handheld display  76 , and a handheld keypad and/or touch screen  78 ), a handheld bus structure  75 , and a handheld connection structure  110 . 
     The extended computing unit  14  includes an extended processing module  80 , extended main memory  82 , extended hard disk/flash memory  84 , extended random access memory (RAM)  86 , extended read only memory (ROM)  88 , a slave clock circuit  90 , extended input/output (I/O) interfaces (e.g., extended audio I/O interface  92 , extended video and/or graphics interface  94 , and an extended data I/O interface  96 ), and extended I/O components (e.g., extended microphone  98 , extended speaker  100 , extended display  102 —which may be monitor  18  and/or printer  24 —, and an extended keyboard/mouse  104 , which may be keyboard  20  and mouse  22 ), an extended connection structure  110 , an extended bus structure  112 , and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag  108 . 
     Within the handheld computing unit  12 , the processing module  50  and the baseband processing module  56  may be separate processing modules or the same processing module. Such a processing module may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices, where a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module may have an associated memory and/or memory element, which may be a single memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of the processing module. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that when the processing module implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Further note that, the memory element stores, and the processing module executes, hard coded and/or operational instructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/or functions illustrated in  FIGS. 1-47 . 
     Also within the handheld computing unit  12 , the handheld main memory  52  includes one or more RAM integrated circuits (IC) and/or boards. The RAM may be static RAM (SRAM) and/or dynamic RAM (DRAM). The handheld hard disk/flash memory  54  may be one or more of a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, NOR flash memory, NAND flash memory, and/or any other type of non-volatile memory. The clock generator circuit  64  may be one or more of: a phase locked loop, a crystal oscillator circuit, a fractional-N synthesizer, and/or a resonator circuit-amplifier circuit, where the resonator may be a quartz piezo-electric oscillator, a tank circuit, or a resistor-capacitor circuit. Regardless of the implementation of the clock generator circuit  64 , it generates a master clock signal that is provided to the slave clock circuit  90  and generates the clock signals for the handheld computing unit  12 . Such clock signals include, but are not limited to, a bus clock, a read/write clock, a processing module clock, a local oscillation, and an I/O clock. 
     The handheld ROM  62  stores the basic input/output system (BIOS) program for the computing device  10  (i.e., the handheld computing unit  12  and the extended computing unit  14 ). The ROM  62  may be one or more of an electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), and/or a flash ROM. 
     As used herein, an interface includes hardware and/or software for a device coupled thereto to access the bus of the handheld computing unit and/or of the extended computing unit. For example, the interface software may include a driver associated with the device and the hardware may include a signal conversion circuit, a level shifter, etc. Within the handheld computing unit, the handheld audio I/O interface  66  may include an audio codec, a volume control circuit, and/or a microphone bias and/or amplifier circuit to couple the handheld (HH) microphone  72  and/or the HH speaker  74  to the HH bus structure  75 . The HH video I/O interface  68  may include a video codec, a graphics engine, a display driver, etc. to couple the HH display to the HH bus structure  75 . The HH data I/O interface  70  may include the graphics engine, a display driver, a keypad driver, a touch screen driver, etc. to coupled the HH display  76  and/or the HH keypad  78  to the HH bus structure  75 . 
     Within the extended computing unit  14 , the extended (EXT) processing module  80  may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices, where a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module may have an associated memory and/or memory element, which may be a single memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of the processing module. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that when the processing module implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Further note that, the memory element stores, and the processing module executes, hard coded and/or operational instructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/or functions illustrated in  FIGS. 1-47 . 
     Also within the extended computing unit  14 , the EXT main memory  86  includes one or more RAM integrated circuits (IC) and/or boards. The RAM may be static RAM (SRAM) and/or dynamic RAM (DRAM). Note that the EXT main memory  86  and the EXT RAM  86  may be omitted if the handheld computing unit contains a sufficient amount of main memory. The EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  may be one or more of a hard disk, a floppy disk, at tape drive, an optical disk, NOR flash memory, NAND flash memory, and/or any other type of non-volatile memory. The slave clock circuit  90  may be a phase locked loop (PLL), clock divider, and/or clock multiplier that receives the master clock signal and produces therefrom the clock signals for the extended computing unit  14 . Such clock signals include, but are not limited to, a bus clock, a read/write clock, a processing module clock, and an I/O clock. 
     The EXT ROM  88  may be one or more of an electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), and/or a flash ROM. Note that the EXT ROM  88  may be omitted if the HH ROM  62  is of sufficient size to accommodate the BIOS program and other system data that is stored in non-volatile memory. 
     The EXT audio I/O interface  92  may include a sound card and corresponding driver to couple the EXT microphone  98  and/or the EXT speaker  100  to the HH and/or EXT bus structure  75  and/or  112 . The EXT video I/O interface  94  may include a video codec, a graphics card, a graphics control unit, a display driver, etc. to couple the EXT display  102  (e.g., monitor  18 ) to the HH and/or EXT bus structure  75  and/or  112 . The EXT data I/O interface  98  may include the graphics card, the graphics control unit, a display driver, a keyboard and mouse driver(s), a touch screen driver, etc. to coupled the EXT display  104  and/or the EXT keyboard/mouse  104  to the HH and/or EXT bus structure  75  and/or  112 . 
     The RFID tag  108  provides an RF communication link to the handheld computing unit  12  when the extended computing unit  14  is disabled. The WID tag  108  may be implemented as disclosed in co-pending patent application entitled POWER GENERATING CIRCUIT, having a Ser. No. 11/394,808, and a filing date of Mar. 31, 2006, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,595,732, on Sep. 29, 2009. Communication with the RFID tag  108  will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 23-25 . 
     When the computing device  10  is active in a wireless transmission, the baseband processing module  56  and the RF section  58  are active. For example, for cellular voice communications, the baseband processing module  56  converts an outbound voice signal into an outbound voice symbol stream in accordance with one or more existing wireless communication standards, new wireless communication standards, modifications thereof, and/or extensions thereof (e.g., GSM, AMPS, digital AMPS, CDMA, etc.). The baseband processing module  56  may perform one or more of scrambling, encoding, constellation mapping, modulation, frequency spreading, frequency hopping, beamforming, space-time-block encoding, space-frequency-block encoding, and/or digital baseband to IF conversion to convert the outbound voice signal into the outbound voice symbol stream. Depending on the desired formatting of the outbound voice symbol stream, the baseband processing module  56  may generate the outbound voice symbol stream as Cartesian coordinates (e.g., having an in-phase signal component and a quadrature signal component to represent a symbol), as Polar coordinates (e.g., having a phase component and an amplitude component to represent a symbol), or as hybrid coordinates as disclosed in co-pending patent application entitled HYBRID RADIO FREQUENCY TRANSMITTER, having a filing date of Mar. 24, 2006, and an application Ser. No. 11/388,822, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,787,547, on Aug. 31, 2010, and co-pending patent application entitled PROGRAMMABLE HYBRID TRANSMITTER, having a filing date of Jul. 26, 2006, and an application Ser. No. 11/494,682, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,852,970, on Dec. 14, 2010. 
     The RF section  58  converts the outbound voice symbol stream into an outbound RF voice signal in accordance with the one or more existing wireless communication standards, new wireless communication standards, modifications thereof, and/or extensions thereof (e.g., GSM, AMPS, digital AMPS, CDMA, etc.). In one embodiment, the RF section  58  receives the outbound voice symbol stream as Cartesian coordinates. In this embodiment, the RF section  58  mixes the in-phase components of the outbound voice symbol stream with an in-phase local oscillation to produce a first mixed signal and mixes the quadrature components of the outbound voice symbol stream to produce a second mixed signal. The RF section  58  combines the first and second mixed signals to produce an up-converted voice signal. The RF section  58  then amplifies the up-converted voice signal to produce the outbound RF voice signal, which it provides to an antenna section. Note that further power amplification may occur between the output of the RF section  58  and the input of the antenna section. 
     In other embodiments, the RF section  58  receives the outbound voice symbol stream as Polar or hybrid coordinates. In these embodiments, the RF section  58  modulates a local oscillator based on phase information of the outbound voice symbol stream to produce a phase modulated RF signal. The RF section  58  then amplifies the phase modulated RF signal in accordance with amplitude information of the outbound voice symbol stream to produce the outbound RF voice signal. Alternatively, the RF section  58  may amplify the phase modulated RF signal in accordance with a power level setting to produce the outbound RF voice signal. 
     For incoming voice signals, the RF section  58  receives an inbound RF voice signal via the antenna section. The RF section  58  converts the inbound RF voice signal into an inbound voice symbol stream. In an embodiment, the RF section  58  extracts Cartesian coordinates from the inbound RF voice signal to produce the inbound voice symbol stream. In another embodiment, the RF section  58  extracts Polar coordinates from the inbound RF voice signal to produce the inbound voice symbol stream. In yet another embodiment, the RF section  58  extracts hybrid coordinates from the inbound RF voice signal to produce the inbound voice symbol stream. 
     The baseband processing module  56  converts the inbound voice symbol stream into an inbound voice signal. The baseband processing module  56  may perform one or more of descrambling, decoding, constellation demapping, modulation, frequency spreading decoding, frequency hopping decoding, beamforming decoding, space-time-block decoding, space-frequency-block decoding, and/or IF to digital baseband conversion to convert the inbound voice symbol stream into the inbound voice signal, which is placed on the bus structure  75 . 
     The baseband processing module  56  and the RF section function similarly for processing data communications and for processing WLAN communications. For data communications, the baseband processing module  56  and the RF section function in accordance with one or more cellular data protocols such as, but not limited to, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), newer version thereof, and/or replacements thereof. For WLAN communications, the baseband processing module  56  and the RF section  58  function in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols such as, but not limited to, IEEE 802.11(a), (b), (g), (n), etc., Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, etc. 
     When the computing device  10  is executing one or more user applications (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet processing, presentation processing, email, web browsing, database, calendar, video games, digital audio playback, digital video playback, digital audio record, digital video record, video games, contact management program, notes, web favorites, money management program, etc.), the HH processing module  50  and the EXT processing module  80  function as a multiprocessing module and the HH and EXT main memories  52  and  82  function as combined main memory. In addition, the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  and the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  function as a combined hard disk/flash memory. 
     For instance, the multiprocessing module provides multiprocessing via the HH and EXT processing modules  50  and  80 . In this configuration, the processing modules  50  and  80  may share tasks and/or execute multiple concurrent software processes. Further, the processing modules  50  and  80  may be equal; one may be reserved for one or more special purposes; may be tightly coupled; may be loosely coupled; etc. For example, at the operating system level, the HH processing module  50  may be designated to respond to all interrupts, traps, and/or services calls and the invoke the EXT processing module  80  as needed. As another example, at the user level, the processing modules may function in a symmetrical multiprocessing mode, in an asymmetrical multiprocessing mode, in a non-uniform memory access multiprocessing mode, and/or in a clustered multiprocessing mode. 
     With respect to instruction and data streams, the processing modules  50  and  80  may execute a single sequence of instructions in multiple contexts (single-instruction, multiple-data or SIMD), multiple sequences of instructions in a single context (multiple-instruction, single-data or MISD), or multiple sequences of instructions in multiple contexts (multiple-instruction, multiple-data or MIMD). 
     The computing device  10  incorporates a virtual memory technique, overlays, and/or swapping to utilize the combined main memories and hard disk/flash memories for one or more user applications. In an embodiment, the virtual memory is divided the virtual address space into pages (e.g., a 4K-Byte block), where one or more page tables (e.g., one for the computing device, one for each running user application, etc.) translates the virtual address into a physical address. Note that the memory controller manages accesses to the one or more page tables to facilitate the fetching of data and/or instructions from physical memory. If a page table indicates that a page is not currently in memory, the memory controller and/or one of the processing modules  50  and/or  80  raise a page fault interrupt. 
     A paging supervisor of the operating system receives the page fault interrupt and, in response, searches for the desired page containing the required virtual address. Once found, the paging supervisor reads the page into main memory and updates the appropriate page table. If there is insufficient room the main memory, the paging supervisor saves an area of the main memory to the HH or EXT hard disk/flash memory and update the corresponding page table. The cleared area of main memory is then used for the new page. 
     With respect to user I/O devices, the HH microphone  72 , the HH speaker  74 , the HH display  76  and the HH keypad  78  may be disabled while the handheld computing unit is docked. In this mode, the EXT microphone  98 , the EXT speaker  100 , the EXT display  102 , and the EXT keyboard/mouse  104  are active to provide the user interfaces to the computing device  10 . Note that for a cellular voice telephone call, the inbound and outbound voice signals may be provided to/from the EXT microphone  98  and the speaker  100 , an EXT headset (not shown), or the VoIP phone  46 . 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  quasi docked to an extended computing unit  14 . The handheld computing unit  12  includes a handheld processing module  50 , handheld main memory  52 , handheld hard disk/flash memory  54 , a baseband processing module  56 , a radio frequency (RF) section  58 , handheld random access memory (RAM)  60 , handheld read only memory (ROM)  62 , a clock generator circuit  64 , handheld input/output (I/O) interfaces (e.g., handheld audio I/O interface  66 , handheld video and/or graphics interface  68 , and handheld data I/O interface  70 ), and handheld I/O components (e.g., handheld microphone  72 , handheld speaker  74 , handheld display  76 , and a handheld keypad and/or touch screen  78 ), a handheld bus structure  75 , and a handheld connection structure  110 A. 
     The extended computing unit  14  includes an extended processing module  80 , extended main memory  82 , extended hard disk/flash memory  84 , extended random access memory (RAM)  86 , extended read only memory (ROM)  88 , a slave clock circuit  90 , extended input/output (I/O) interfaces (e.g., extended audio I/O interface  92 , extended video and/or graphics interface  94 , and an extended data I/O interface  96 ), and extended I/O components (e.g., extended microphone  98 , extended speaker  100 , extended display  102 —which may be monitor  18  and/or printer  24 —, and an extended keyboard/mouse  104 , which may be keyboard  20  and mouse  22 ), an extended connection structure  110 B, an extended bus structure  112 , an RFID tag  108 , a baseband processing module  114 , and an RF section  116 . Note that the EXT processing module  80  and the baseband processing module  114  may be separate processing modules or the same processing module. 
     In the quasi docked mode, the baseband processing module  114  and the RF section  58  for the extended computing unit  14  establish an RF communication path  46  with the RF section  58  and the baseband processing module  56  of the handheld computing unit  12 . In this mode, the RF communication path  46  is essentially functioning as a wireless bus coupling the HH bus structure  75  to the EXT bus structure  112  such that the handheld computing unit  12  may access the EXT main memory  82  and/or the EXT hard disk/flash memory of the extended computing unit  14 . The baseband processing modules  56  and  114  and the RF sections  58  and  116  may utilize a wireless communication protocol such as, but not limited to, IEEE 802.11(a), (b), (g), (n), etc., Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, etc. 
     With the computing device  10  in a quasi docked mode, the HH processing module  50  executes one or more user applications (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet processing, presentation processing, email, web browsing, database, calendar, video games, digital audio playback, digital video playback, digital audio record, digital video record, video games, contact management program, notes, web favorites, money management program, etc.) using the HH main memory  52 . In this mode, the EXT processing module  80  and the EXT main memory are inactive except to facilitate read/write functions to the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84 , which is treated as a lower level memory than the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 . 
     In this mode, the virtual memory technique utilizes the HH main memory  52  and the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  for one or more user applications. Further memory management includes copying user applications and/or files from the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  to the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  before it can be included in virtual memory and hence accessed by the HH processing module  50 . Note that if the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  does not have sufficient space to store the user applications and/or files, the one or more user applications and/or files are transferred from the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  to the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  to free up memory space. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of core components of a handheld computing unit  12  docked to an extended computing unit  14 . The core components of the handheld computing unit  12  include the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , a universal serial bus (USB) interface  120 , and the handheld connection structure  110 A, which may be a combined connector or a plurality of connectors  110 - 1  through  110 - 5 . The core components of the extended computing unit  14  include the corresponding connection structure  110 B, one or more EXT processing modules  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the slave clock module  90 , a memory controller  122 , a graphics card  128  and/or a graphics processing unit  132 , an I/O controller  130 , an I/O interface  134 , a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface  136 , and a host controller  138 . 
     With handheld computing unit  12  docked to the extended computing unit  14 , the core components of units  12  and  14  function as a single computing device  10 . As such, when the computing device  10  is enabled, the BIOS stored on the HH ROM  62  is executed to boot up the computing device. The BIOS will be discussed in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 19-26 . After initializing the operating system, which will described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 19-22  and  27 - 36 , the computing device  10  is ready to execute a user application. 
     In an embodiment, the memory controller  122  coordinates the reading data from and writing data to the HH main memory  52  and the EXT main memory  82 , by the processing modules  50  and  80 , by the user I/O devices coupled directly or indirectly to the I/O controller, by the graphics card  128 , and/or for data transfers with the HH and/or EXT hard disk/flash memory  54  and/or  84 . Note that if the HH main memory  52  and/or the EXT main memory include DRAM, the memory controller  122  includes logic circuitry to refresh the DRAM. 
     The I/O controller  130  provides access to the memory controller  122  for typically slower devices. For example, the I/O controller  130  provides functionality for the PCI bus via the PCI interface  136 ; for the I/O interface  134 , which may provide the interface for the keyboard, mouse, printer, and/or a removable CD/DVD disk drive; and BIOS interface; a direct memory access (DMA) controller, interrupt controllers, a host controller, which allows direct attached of the EXT hard disk memory; a real time clock, an audio interface. The I/O controller  130  may also include support for an Ethernet network card, a Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), a USB interface, and/or FireWire. 
     The graphics processing unit (GPU)  132  is a dedicated graphics rendering device for manipulating and displaying computer graphics. In general, the GPU implements a number of graphics primitive operations and computations for rendering two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional computer graphics. Such computations may include texture mapping, rendering polygons, translating vertices, programmable shaders, aliasing, and very high-precision color spaces. The GPU  132  may a separate module on a video card or it maybe incorporated into the graphics card  128  that couples to the memory controller  122  via the accelerated graphics port (AGP). Note that a video card, or graphics accelerator, functions to generate the output images for the EXT display. In addition, the video card may further include functionality to support video capture, TV tuner adapter, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoding or FireWire, mouse, light pen, joystick connectors, and/or connection to two monitors. 
     The EXT processing module  80 , the memory controller  122 , the EXT main memory  82 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138  may be implemented on a single integrated circuit, each on separate integrated circuits, or some elements may be implemented on the same integrated circuits. For example, the EXT processing module  80  and the memory controller  122  may be implemented on the same integrated circuit. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  that be may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 7 . The handheld computing unit  12  includes an integrated circuit (IC)  140 , the HH keypad, the HH display, the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH speaker  74 , the HH microphone  72 , the connection structure  110 - 1 A through  110 - 5 A, an antenna section  178 , and may further include an off-chip ROM  63 . The IC  140  includes the bus structure  75 , the HH processing module  50 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , a data input interface  142 , a display interface  144 , a video codec  146  (optional), a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) interface  148  (optional), an arbitration module  150 , a USB interface  120 , a graphics engine  152 , a secure digital input/output (SDIO) interface  154 , a hard disk/flash memory interface  156 , a main memory interface  158 , a direct memory access (DMA) module  160 , an audio codec  162 , a demultiplexer  168 , a plurality of peripheral interfaces  162 - 164 , a digital camera interface  170 , an LCD interface  172 , a security boot ROM  174  (which may be included in ROM  62  or a separate ROM), and a security engine  176 . 
     The plurality of peripheral interfaces  162 - 164  include two or more of: a SIM (Security Identification Module) card interface, a power management (PM) interface, a SD (Secure Digital) card or MMC (Multi Media Card) interface, a coprocessor interface, a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver interface, an FM tuner interface, a GPS receiver interface, a video sensor interface (e.g., a camcorder), a TV tuner interface, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) interface, a second display interface, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) interface, a real time clock, and a general purpose I/O interface. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is docked with the extended computing unit  14 , the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , and the HH bus structure  75  are coupled directly or indirectly to the memory controller  122  and/or the I/O controller  130  of the extended computing unit  14 . In this mode, a docked mode operating system may activate as many or as few of the interfaces of the IC  140 . For example, since the EXT display, mouse, keyboard, microphone, speakers and VoIP phone are enabled, the docked mode operating system may deactivate the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the video codec  146 , if included, the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , and the MIPI interface  148 , if included. 
     As another example, the docked mode operating system may evoke the security functions provided by the security engine  176  and/or the security boot ROM  174 . The security may be to allow/disallow access to certain resources (e.g., processing modules  50  and/or  80 , files, privileged services calls, certain memory locations, etc.) based on the identity of the requester. This may be done via an internal security process. In general, internal security protects the computer&#39;s resources from the programs that are concurrently running. In an embodiment, less privileged programs are blocked from certain instructions (e.g., read from or write to memory) and have to ask a higher privileged program to perform the instruction for it (e.g., an operating system kernel). 
     As yet another example, the docked mode operating system may active or deactivate one or more of the memory interfaces  156 - 158  depending on whether access to the HH main memory  52  and/or the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  is to be accessed via the HH bus structure  75  and/or via the memory controller  122  and/or the host controller  138 . For instance, memory interface  158  may be activated such that the HH processing module  50  may access the HH main memory  52  via the bus  75  and memory interface  156  may be deactivated such that the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  is accessed via the host controller  138 . 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, a remote mode operating system is active, which activates one or more of the interfaces. For example, the remote mode operating system will active the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , the video codec  146 , if included, and the MIPI interface  148 , if included, to provide the user with character (e.g., voice, audio, video, image, text, graphics, etc.) input and output functionality via the handheld computing unit  12 . In an embodiment, the graphic engine  152  render two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional graphics for display on the HH display  76  and/or storage in memory  52  and/or  54 . The HH display  76  may include one or more display devices such as a liquid crystal (LCD) display, a plasma display, a digital light project (DLP) display, and/or any other type of portable video display. Accordingly, the display interface  144  would include software to facilitate the transfer of output video, graphics, and/or text to the HH display  76 . Note that the MIPI interface may be used as an interface for a second HH display or instead of the display interface  144 . 
     As another example, the remote mode operating system may activate the DMA module  160  such that one or more of the other interfaces may provide direct access to the HH main memory  52  without, or with minimal, involvement of the HH processing module  50 . For instance, the camera interface  170  may be provided direct memory access to store a captured image and/or a captured video in the HH main memory  52  or in the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 . 
     In an embodiment, the HH bus structure  75  may include one or more data lines, one or more instruction lines, and/or one or more control lines. For example, the HH bus structure  75  may include 16-128 lines for data and another 16-128 lines for instructions. In addition, the HH bus structure  75  may further include address lines for addressing the main memory  52 . 
     In an embodiment, connections from the IC  140  to the connector  110  and/or to other components of the handheld computing unit  12  may be done via IC pins, via an RF interconnection, and/or a magnetic interconnection. Such an RF interconnection may be implemented as disclosed in co-pending patent applications (1) RF BUS CONTROLLER, having a Ser. No. 11/700,285, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (2) INTRA-DEVICE RF BUS AND CONTROL THEREOF, having a Ser. No. 11/700,421, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (3) SHARED RF BUS STRUCTURE, having a Ser. No. 11/700,517, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,809,329, on Oct. 5, 2010; (4) RF TRANSCEIVER DEVICE WITH RF BUS, having a Ser. No. 11/700,592, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; and (5) RF BUS ACCESS PROTOCOL AND TRANSCEIVER, having a Ser. No. 11/700,591, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of an extended computing unit  14  that may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 7 . The extended computing unit  14  includes one or more monitors  18 - 1  through  18 - 2 , the keyboard  20 , the mouse  22 , the printer  24 , the EXT processing module  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the EXT hard disk/flash/tape memory  84 , the memory controller  122 , the graphics card  128  and/or the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the connector structure  110 - 1 B through  110 - 5 B. The extended computing unit  14  may further include one or more of a CD/DVD removable drive  186 , a flash ROM  188 , flash memory  190 , a disk array controller  192 , a network card  194 , a USB connector  196 , a WLAN transceiver  198  (e.g., baseband processing module  114  and RF section  116 ), a sound card  200 , an infrared (IR) transceiver  202 , a television (TV) tuner  204 , a video processing module  206 , and one or more memory expansion cards  208 . The EXT main memory  82  may include a plurality of RAM ICs and/or RAM expansion cards  162 - 164 . 
     In an embodiment, the EXT bus structure  112  includes an AGP bus  210  that couples the graphics card  128  to the memory controller  122 , a memory bus that couples the memory controller  122  to the EXT main memory  82 , a processor bus that couples the memory controller  122  to the EXT processing module  80 , a PCI bus that couples a plurality of devices (e.g., devices  190 - 208 ) to the I/O controller  130  via the PCI interface  136 , and an I/O bus that couples traditional I/O devices (e.g., keyboard  20 , mouse  22 , printer  24 , and/or removable drive  186 ) to the I/O controller  130  via the I/O interface  134 . In an embodiment, the I/O interface  134  may be omitted and the traditional I/O devices may be coupled to the PCI bus or via a USB connection. 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core components of core components of a handheld computing unit  12  docked to an extended computing unit  14 . The core components of the handheld computing unit  12  include the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , the handheld connection structure  110 A, which may be individual connections  110 - 1  through  110 - 8 , the memory controller  122 , and optional demultiplexers  220  and  222 . The core components of the extended computing unit  14  include the corresponding connection structure  110 B, one or more EXT processing modules  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the slave clock module  90 , the graphics card  128  and/or the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138 . 
     With handheld computing unit  12  docked to the extended computing unit  14 , the core components of units  12  and  14  function as a single computing device  10 . As such, when the computing device  10  is enabled, the BIOS stored on the HH ROM  62  is executed to boot up the computing device. After initializing the operating system, which will described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 19-22  and  27 - 36 , the computing device  10  is ready to execute a user application. 
     In an embodiment, the memory controller  122  is within the handheld computing unit  12  and is coupled to the I/O controller  130 , the graphics card  128 , the EXT processing module  80 , and the EXT main memory via the connector structure  110 - 6  through  110 - 8 . When connected, the memory controller  122  coordinates the reading data from and writing data to the HH main memory  52  and the EXT main memory  82 , by the processing modules  50  and  80 , by the user I/O devices coupled directly or indirectly to the I/O controller  130 , by the graphics card  128 , and/or for data transfers with the HH and/or the EXT hard disk/flash memory  54  and/or  84 . 
     If the demultiplexers  220  and  222  are included, the memory controller  122  is coupled to the HH processing module  50  via demultiplexer  220  and is coupled to the HH main memory  52  via demultiplexer  222  when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode. When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, the memory controller  122  may be deactivated such that the demultiplexers  220  and  222  couple the HH processing module  50  and the HH main memory  52  to the HH bus structure  75 . If the demultiplexers  220  and  222  are not included, the memory controller  122  is on in both the docked and remote modes to coordinate reading from and writing to the HH main memory  52 . 
     Within the extended computing unit, the EXT processing module  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138  may be implemented on a single integrated circuit, each on separate integrated circuits, or some elements may be implemented on the same integrated circuits. For example, the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138  may be implemented on the same integrated circuit. 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  that may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 10 . The handheld computing unit  12  includes an integrated circuit (IC)  230 , the HH keypad, the HH display, the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH speaker  74 , the HH microphone  72 , the connection structure  110 - 1 A through  110 - 5 A, an antenna section  178 , and may further include an off-chip ROM  63 . The IC  140  includes the bus structure  75 , the HH processing module  50 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , the memory controller  122 , demultiplexers  220  and  222  (optional), the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the video codec  146  (optional), the mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) interface  148  (optional), the arbitration module  150 , the USB interface  120 , the graphics engine  152 , the secure digital input/output (SDIO) interface  154 , the hard disk/flash memory interface  156 , the main memory interface  158 , a direct memory access (DMA) module  160 , an audio codec  162 , the demultiplexer  168 , the plurality of peripheral interfaces  162 - 164 , the digital camera interface  170 , the LCD interface  172 , the security boot ROM  174  (which may be included in ROM  62  or a separate ROM), and the security engine  176 . 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is docked with the extended computing unit  14 , the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , and the HH bus structure  75  are coupled to the memory controller  122  and/or to the I/O controller  130  of the extended computing unit  14 . In this mode, a docked mode operating system may activate as many or as few of the interfaces of the IC  140 . For example, since the EXT display, mouse, keyboard, microphone, speakers and VoIP phone are enabled, the docked mode operating system may deactivate the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the video codec  146 , if included, the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , and the MIPI interface  148 , if included. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, a remote mode operating system is active, which activates one or more of the interfaces. For example, the remote mode operating system will active the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , the video codec  146 , if included, and the MIPI interface  148 , if included, to provide the user with character (e.g., voice, audio, video, image, text, graphics, etc.) input and output functionality via the handheld computing unit  12 . 
     As another example, the remote mode operating system may activate the DMA module  160  such that one or more of the other interfaces may provide direct access to the HH main memory  52  without, or with minimal, involvement of the HH processing module  50 . In addition, the remote operating system may activate or deactivate the memory controller  122  depending on how HH main memory  52  is to be accessed and/or how involvement of the HH processing module  50  is to be controlled. 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of an extended computing unit  14  that may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 10 . The extended computing unit  14  includes one or more monitors  18 - 1  through  18 - 2 , the keyboard  20 , the mouse  22 , the printer  24 , the EXT processing module  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the EXT hard disk/flash/tape memory  84 , the graphics card  128  and/or the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the connector structure  110 - 1 B through  110 - 8 B. The extended computing unit  14  may further include one or more of a CD/DVD removable drive  186 , a flash ROM  188 , flash memory  190 , a disk array controller  192 , a network card  194 , a USB connector  196 , a WLAN transceiver  198  (e.g., baseband processing module  114  and RF section  116 ), a sound card  200 , an infrared (IR) transceiver  202 , a television (TV) tuner  204 , a video processing module  206 , and one or more memory expansion cards  208 . The EXT main memory  82  may include a plurality of RAM ICs and/or RAM expansion cards  162 - 164 . 
     In an embodiment, the EXT bus structure  112  includes an AGP bus  210  that couples the graphics card  128  to connector  110  for coupled to the memory controller  122 , a memory bus that couples the memory controller  122  via the connector  110  to the EXT main memory  82 , a processor bus that couples the memory controller  122  via the connector  110  to the EXT processing module  80 , a PCI bus that couples a plurality of devices (e.g., devices  190 - 208 ) to the I/O controller  130  via the PCI interface  136 , and an I/O bus that couples traditional I/O devices (e.g., keyboard  20 , mouse  22 , printer  24 , and/or removable drive  186 ) to the I/O controller  130  via the I/O interface  134 . In an embodiment, the I/O interface  134  may be omitted and the traditional I/O devices may be coupled to the PCI bus or via a USB connection. 
       FIG. 13  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core components of a handheld computing unit  12  docked to an extended computing unit  14 . The core components of the handheld computing unit  12  include the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , the handheld connection structure  110 - 9 A, and the memory controller  122 . The core components of the extended computing unit  14  include the corresponding connection structure  110 - 9 B, one or more EXT processing modules  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the slave clock module  90 , the graphics card  128  and/or the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138 . 
     With handheld computing unit  12  docked to the extended computing unit  14 , the core components of units  12  and  14  function as a single computing device  10 . As such, when the computing device  10  is enabled, the BIOS stored on the HH ROM  62  is executed to boot up the computing device. After initializing the operating system, which will described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 19-22  and  27 - 36 , the computing device  10  is ready to execute a user application. 
     In an embodiment, the memory controller  122  is within the handheld computing unit  12  and is coupled to the I/O controller  130 , the graphics card  128 , the EXT processing module  80 , and the EXT main memory via the connector structure  110 - 9 . When connected, the memory controller  122  coordinates the reading data from and writing data to the HH main memory  52  and the EXT main memory  82 , by the processing modules  50  and  80 , by the user I/O devices coupled directly or indirectly to the I/O controller  130 , by the graphics card  128 , and/or for data transfers with the HH and/or the EXT hard disk/flash memory  54  and/or  84 . 
     Within the extended computing unit, the EXT processing module  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138  may be implemented on a single integrated circuit, each on separate integrated circuits, or some elements may be implemented on the same integrated circuits. For example, the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , and the host controller  138  may be implemented on the same integrated circuit. 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a handheld computing unit  12  that may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 13 . The handheld computing unit  12  includes an integrated circuit (IC)  230 , the HH keypad, the HH display, the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH speaker  74 , the HH microphone  72 , the connection structure  110 - 9 A, an antenna section  178 , and may further include an off-chip ROM  63 . The IC  140  includes the bus structure  75 , the HH processing module  50 , the baseband processing module  56 , the RF section  58 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , the memory controller  122 , demultiplexers  220  and  222  (optional), the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the video codec  146  (optional), the mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) interface  148  (optional), the arbitration module  150 , the USB interface  120 , the graphics engine  152 , the secure digital input/output (SDIO) interface  154 , the hard disk/flash memory interface  156 , the main memory interface  158 , a direct memory access (DMA) module  160 , an audio codec  162 , the demultiplexer  168 , the plurality of peripheral interfaces  162 - 164 , the digital camera interface  170 , the LCD interface  172 , the security boot ROM  174  (which may be included in ROM  62  or a separate ROM), and the security engine  176 . 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is docked with the extended computing unit  14 , the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the ROM  62 , the clock generator circuit  64 , and the HH bus structure  75  are coupled to the memory controller  122  and/or to the I/O controller  130  of the extended computing unit  14 . In this mode, a docked mode operating system may activate as many or as few of the interfaces of the IC  140 . For example, since the EXT display, mouse, keyboard, microphone, speakers and VoIP phone are enabled, the docked mode operating system may deactivate the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the video codec  146 , if included, the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , and the MIPI interface  148 , if included. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, a remote mode operating system is active, which activates one or more of the interfaces. For example, the remote mode operating system will active the data input interface  142 , the display interface  144 , the audio codec  162 , the graphics engine  152 , the video codec  146 , if included, and the MIPI interface  148 , if included, to provide the user with character (e.g., voice, audio, video, image, text, graphics, etc.) input and output functionality via the handheld computing unit  12 . 
     As another example, the remote mode operating system may activate the DMA module  160  such that one or more of the other interfaces may provide direct access to the HH main memory  52  without, or with minimal, involvement of the HH processing module  50 . In addition, the remote operating system may activate or deactivate the memory controller  122  depending on how HH main memory  52  is to be accessed and/or how involvement of the HH processing module  50  is to be controlled. 
     In this embodiment, the connector structure  110 - 9  functions to couple the HH bus structure  75  to the EXT bus structure  112 . As such, when coupled, the handheld computing unit  12  and the extended computing unit  14  share a common bus structure, which may be controlled by a bus controller of the memory controller  122  and/or of the HH processing module  50 . In general, the bus controller controls access to the shared bus using one or more scheduling functions of first come first serve, shorted job first, shortest remaining time first, a round robin scheme, a priority scheme, etc. 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of an extended computing unit  14  that may be used in the computing device  10  of  FIG. 10 . The extended computing unit  14  includes one or more monitors  18 - 1  through  18 - 2 , the keyboard  20 , the mouse  22 , the printer  24 , the EXT processing module  80 , the EXT main memory  82 , the EXT hard disk/flash/tape memory  84 , the graphics card  128  and/or the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O controller  130 , the I/O interface  134 , the PCI interface  136 , the EXT bus structure  112 , and the connector structure  110 - 9 B. The extended computing unit  14  may further include one or more of a CD/DVD removable drive  186 , a flash ROM  188 , flash memory  190 , a disk array controller  192 , a network card  194 , a USB connector  196 , a WLAN transceiver  198  (e.g., baseband processing module  114  and RF section  116 ), a sound card  200 , an infrared (IR) transceiver  202 , a television (TV) tuner  204 , a video processing module  206 , and one or more memory expansion cards  208 . The EXT main memory  82  may include a plurality of RAM ICs and/or RAM expansion cards  162 - 164 . 
     In an embodiment, the EXT bus structure  112  is coupled to the connection  110 - 9 B such that the EXT bus structure  112  and the HH bus structure  75  become a shared bus structure. In an embodiment, the I/O interface  134  may be omitted and the traditional I/O devices may be coupled to the PCI bus or via a USB connection. 
       FIG. 16  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of core I/O character components of a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14 . The core I/O components of the handheld computing unit  12  include on-chip and off-chip I/O components. The off-chip components include the HH display  76 , the HH microphone  72 , the HH speaker  74 , the HH keypad and/or touch screen  78 . The on-chip components include a handheld microphone interface  254 , a handheld speaker interface  256 , the HH processing module  50 , and a digital audio switching module (e.g., multiplexer  262 ). The handheld computing unit  12  also includes an on-chip to off-chip connector structure that couples the on-chip components to the corresponding off-chip components and/or to the connector structure  110  that couples the handheld computing unit  12  to the extended computing unit  14 . 
     The on-chip to off-chip connector structure may be implemented using IC pins, RF transceivers, and/or electromagnetic transceivers. RF interconnection transceivers may be implemented as disclosed in co-pending patent applications (1) RF BUS CONTROLLER, having a Ser. No. 11/700,285, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (2) INTRA-DEVICE RF BUS AND CONTROL THEREOF, having a Ser. No. 11/700,421, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (3) SHARED RF BUS STRUCTURE, having a Ser. No. 11/700,517, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,809,329, on Oct. 5, 2010; (4) RF TRANSCEIVER DEVICE WITH RF BUS, having a Ser. No. 11/700,592, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; and (5) RF BUS ACCESS PROTOCOL AND TRANSCEIVER, having a Ser. No. 11/700,591, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in a remote mode, the baseband processing module  56  may convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data. The RF section may convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream. The HH processing module  50  may convert an outbound voice signal into the outbound data and convert the inbound data into an inbound voice signal. In addition, the processing module  50  provides one or more control signals to the digital audio switching module (e.g., multiplexer  262 ) that causes it to provide the inbound voice signal, as audio data, from the HH processing module  50  to the handheld speaker interface  256  via the HH audio codec  162 . The interface  256  provides an analog version of the inbound voice signal to the HH speaker  74 , which renders it audible. 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the digital audio switching module (e.g., multiplexer  262 ) that causes it to provide the outbound voice signal from the handheld microphone interface  254  to the HH processing module  50  via the HH audio codec  162 . In this configuration, the HH microphone interface  254  receives an analog voice signal from the HH microphone  72 . The HH microphone interface  254  may adjust the level of the analog voice signal and/or amplify it prior to providing it to the audio coded  162 . The audio codec converts the analog voice signal into the digital outbound voice signal. 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the digital audio switching module (e.g., multiplexer  262 ) that causes it to provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module  50  to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure  110  when the handheld computing unit  12  is coupled to the extended computing unit  14 . In this configuration, the sound card  200  receives the digital inbound voice signal and converts it into an analog signal. The sound card  200  then provides the analog audio signal to the EXT speaker system  250 , which may be a single speaker, a stereo speaker set, a multiple channel speaker system, or speakers of a headset. 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the digital audio switching module (e.g., multiplexer  262 ) that causes it to provide the outbound voice signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure  110  to the processing module  50  when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode. In this configuration, the sound card  200  receives an analog voice signal from the EXT microphone system  252 , which one or more microphones or a microphone of a headset. The sound card  200  converts the voice signal into a digital signal that is provided to the processing module  50  via the connector  110 . 
     In an embodiment, the HH processing module  50  generates output user data and input user data (e.g., non-voice data) relating to processing a handheld user application (i.e., an application that is currently being executed and/or has at least part of its code stored in the HH main memory  52 ). In addition, the non-voice data may include data transceived during a data cellular telephone call and are routed in a similar manner as the input and output user data. In this instance, the HH processing module  50  provides one or more control signals to a data switch module (e.g., multiplexer  260 ) that causes it to provide the output user data from the HH processing module  50  to the handheld display interface  144  via the HH video codec  146  and/or the graphics engine  152  (not shown) when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode. In this configuration, the output user data (e.g., a video, an image, text, graphics, etc.) is provided, as video data, to the HH video codec  146 , which converts the data into an analog signal. The HH display interface  144  provides the analog signal to the HH display  76 . In an alternate embodiment, the HH video codec may be bypassed if the HH display  76  is capable of receiving digital video and/or graphics signals. 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the data switch module (e.g., multiplexer  260 ) that causes it to provide the output user data from the processing module  50  to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure  110  when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode. In this configuration, the output user data is provided to the graphics processing unit  132  and/or to the graphics card  128 , which converts the output user data into a composite video signal, an S-video signal, or a component video signal. The EXT monitor  18  or  19  receives the resulting video signal and renders it visible. 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the data switch module (e.g., multiplexer  264 ) that causes it to provide the input user data from the handheld data input interface  142  to the processing module  50  when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode. In this configuration, the HH keypad, touch screen, speed wheel, etc.  78  provides a user input to the HH data input interface  142 . The data switch module provides the user input to the HH processing module  50 . 
     The processing module  50  may also provide one or more control signals to the data switch module (e.g., multiplexer  264 ) that causes it to provide the input user data from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure  110  to the processing module  50  when the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode. In this configuration, user data entered into the keyboard and/or mouse is provided to an EXT data input interface  258  via the connector  110 . The EXT data input interface  258  provides the user input data to the processing module  50  via the data switch module. 
     In this embodiment and in others, an interface module includes hardware, software, and/or memory to facilitate the transfer of signals from a corresponding device to a bus structure  75  and/or  112 . For example, an interface may include driver software, an amplifier, a level adjusting circuit, a signal format adjusting circuit (e.g., serial to parallel, parallel to serial, low voltage differential signaling, etc.), an input buffer, and/or an output buffer. As a specific example, the HH data input interface  142  may include a driver for a particular type of HH keypad  78 , may include a level shifting circuit to adjust the voltage level of the signal and/or a signal format adjusting circuit, and a buffer to store the data until it is ready to be forwarded. 
       FIG. 17  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core I/O components of a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14 . The core I/O components of the handheld computing unit  12  are in shadowed boxes and include the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH video codec  146 , the HH display  76 , a plurality of multiplexers  290 - 296 , a plurality of demultiplexers  286 - 288 , a digital audio/video processing module  278 , a graphics overlay module  280 , a video encoder  282 , a TV tuner  286 , a TV decoder  284 , a stereo DAC (digital to analog converter)  272 , a volume control module  270 , the HH speaker  74 , and a digital audio interface  276 . The core I/O components of the extended computing unit  14  are in the non-shadowed boxes and include a multiple channel speaker system  274 , the sound card  200 , the EXT speakers  250 , the monitors  18  and/or  19 , the EXT processing module  80 , the memory controller  122 , the graphics card  128 , the EXT main memory  82 , the I/O controller  130 , the PCI interface  136 , the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O interface  134 , and the disk drive  84 , via the host controller (not shown). Note that, alternatively, the memory controller  122  may be within the handheld computing unit  12  as previously discussed. 
     In this embodiment, audio/video signals may be generated by the TV tuner  286  or by the digital audio/video processing module  278 . The HH processing module  50  and/or the EXT processing module  80  may generate graphics that overlay the video signals to produce graphic overlay video signals. In addition, the digital audio/video processing module  278  may produce digital audio signals. Further, the HH processing module  50  and/or the EXT processing module  80  may generate more traditional computer input data and/or output data and/or inbound and outbound voice signals as discussed with reference to  FIG. 16 . 
     In a video playback mode, the digital audio/video processing module converts a stored video file into a first formatted outbound digital video stream and a corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream. Such a conversion may include descrambling, scaling, decompressing, adjusting brightness, adjusting contrast, adjusting hue, and/or adjusting sharpness. The video stream is provided to the graphics overlay module  280 , which, when activated, adds a graphics overlay generated by the HH processing module  50  and/or the EXT processing module  80 . The graphics overlay module  280  provides its output to the video encoder  282 , which generates a composite video signal, an S-video signal, or a component video signal. In addition, the corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream is provided to an audio multiplexing module  294 - 296 . 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, the audio multiplexing module  294 - 296  provides the corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream to the stereo DAC  272 , which converts it into an analog signal. The volume adjust signal adjust the level of the analog signal and provides it to the HH speaker  74 . Note that if the HH speaker  74  includes a single speaker, the analog stereo signal is combined to produce a monotone signal. In addition, the video encoder  282  provides the composite video signal to the video codec  146 , which converts the signal to an analog video signal. The HH display  76  receives the analog video signal via the display interface  144  and presents it. Note that if the HH display is a digital display, the video codec may be bypassed. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode, the audio multiplexing module  294 - 296  provides the corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream to the sound card  200 , which converts it into an analog signal and provides to the EXT speaker  250 . In addition, the video encoder  282  provides the composite video signal to the I/O interface  134 , which provides it to the graphics processing unit  132  and/or to the graphics card  128 . The EXT monitor  18  and/or  19  receives the resulting video signal via the graphics card  128  and presents it. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the digital audio/video processing module  278  converts video file into a second formatted outbound digital video stream and a corresponding outbound multi-channel digital audio stream when the handheld computing unit is in a second docked mode. In this mode, the digital audio/video processing module  278  provides the corresponding outbound multi-channel digital audio stream to the digital audio interface  276 , which provides the signal to the multiple channel speaker system  274 . In addition, the video encoder  282  provides an S-video signal or component video signal to the I/O interface  134 , which provides it to the graphics processing unit  132  and/or to the graphics card  128 . The EXT monitor  18  and/or  19  receives the resulting video signal via the graphics card  128  and presents it. 
     In another embodiment, the digital audio/video processing module  278  converts an audio file into a stereo outbound digital audio stream. Such a conversion may include descrambling, equalization, and/or decompressing. When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, the stereo outbound digital audio stream is provided to the stereo DAC  272  and, when the handheld computing unit  12 , the stereo outbound digital audio stream is provided to the sound card  200 . 
     In another embodiment, the digital audio/video processing module  278  converts the audio file into a multi-channel outbound audio stream. Such a conversion may include descrambling, equalization, and/or decompressing. When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode, the multi-channel outbound digital audio stream is provided to the digital audio interface  276 . 
     When the television (TV) tuner is active, it generates a TV digital audio signal and a TV digital video signal. The TV tuner  286  provides the digital video signal to the TV decoder and provides the TV digital audio signal to the multiplexing module  294 - 296 . When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, the multiplexing module  294 - 296  provides the TV digital audio signal to the stereo DAC  272  and demultiplexer  286  provides the TV digital video signal to the HH video codec  146  or directly to the HH display interface  144 . When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode, the multiplexing module  294 - 296  provides the TV digital audio signal to the sound card  200  and the demultiplexer  286  provides the TV digital video signal to the I/O interface  134 . 
       FIG. 18  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of core I/O components of a handheld computing unit  12  and to an extended computing unit  14 . The core I/O components of the handheld computing unit  12  are in shadowed boxes and include the HH processing module  50 , the HH main memory  52 , the HH graphics engine  152 , the HH display  76 , a plurality of multiplexers  302 - 306 , a digital audio/video processing module  278 , a graphics overlay module  280 , a video/image capture module  255 , an ADC (analog to digital converter)  300 , a microphone interface  254 , the HH microphone  72 , the HH keypad  78 , and the HH data input interface  142 . The core I/O components of the extended computing unit  14  are in the non-shadowed boxes and include an EXT microphone  252 , the sound card  200 , the monitors  18  and/or  19 , the EXT processing module  80 , the memory controller  122 , the graphics card  128 , the EXT main memory  82 , the I/O controller  130 , the PCI interface  136 , the graphics processing unit  132 , the I/O interface  134 , the keyboard  20 , and the mouse  22 . Note that, alternatively, the memory controller  122  may be within the handheld computing unit  12  as previously discussed. 
     In this embodiment, character inputs (e.g., text, graphics, video, images, and/or a combination thereof) may be received via the keyboard  20 , the mouse  22 , the HH video/image capture module  255 , the EXT microphone  252 , or the HH microphone  72  depending on the mode of the handheld computing unit  12 . The processing of inputs from the keyboard  20 , the mouse  22 , and the HH keypad  78  has been previously discussed. 
     When the HH video/image capture module  255  is active, it generates an analog video stream or an analog video image, which are provided to the video codec  146 . The video codec converts the analog video or digital image into a digital signal that is provided to the digital audio/video processing module  278  via the graphics overlay module  280 . The video codec  146  may be by-passed if the capture module  255  provides a digital output. If the processing module  50  provides graphics (e.g., a text message such as “recorded on Jan. 30, 2008 in Denver”, two-dimensional graphics, or a three-dimensional graphics) to be overlaid with the digital video or the digital image, the graphics overlay module  280  performs the overlay function. The resulting digital video and/or digital image with or without an overlay is provided to the digital audio/video processing module  278 , which generates a video file or image file therefrom. The processing may include one or more of scrambling, compression, encoding, scaling, etc. The resulting file is stored in the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 . 
     The digital audio/video processing module  278  may also store digital audio files of received audio inputs from the sound card  200  or the HH microphone  72 . In this instance, the received audio signals are converted to a digital format, if not received that way. The digital audio/video processing module  278  compresses, equalizes, etc. the digital audio signals to produce a digital audio file. 
       FIG. 19  is a table of an example of devices within a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14  that may be active in various modes of the handheld computing device  12 . In this example, the computing device  10  may include one or more of the following in the handheld computing unit  12  and/or in the extended computing unit  14 , where the status of the device is dependent on the mode of the handheld computing unit. The list of devices includes, but is not limited to, a power supply, a removable drive, a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive, a tape drive, a hard drive, a floppy drive, a host controller, AGP expansion slots, PCI expansion slots, a video card and/or a graphics card, RAM, a real time clock (RTC), CMOS memory for storing configuration information, a BIOS, a microprocessor, a USB connection, a mouse port, a keyboard port, a network connection, a parallel port, serial ports, flash memory slots, and a cellular telephone functionality. 
     When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the remote mode, the power supply for the extended computing unit  14  is off, as such, all of the devices of the extended computing unit are off. In this mode, power for the handheld computing unit is provided by a battery and the listed components are enabled (e.g., on). When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the quasi docked mode, the power supply of the extended computing unit is on and the extended computing unit devices are activated and/or deactivated as indicated. Similarly, the handheld computing unit devices are activated and/or deactivated as indicated. When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode, the battery is disabled and the handheld computing unit  12  is powered by the power supply of the extended computing unit  14 . In addition, the extended computing unit  14  may include a battery charger to charge the battery of the handheld computing unit. The devices of the units  12  and  14  are activated and/or deactivated as indicated. Accordingly, when the handheld device is in different modes, different operating systems are used as will be subsequently described. 
       FIG. 20  is a diagram of an example of accessing the BIOS  310  and an operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit In this example, the BIOS  310  is stored in ROM  62  of the handheld computing unit  12 . The BIOS  310  includes a power on self test (POST) code section  312  and a boot loader section  312 , which includes a remote mode operating system boot loader section  316 , a quasi docked mode operating system boot loader section  318 , and a docked mode boot loader section  320 . An example of the POST code  312  will be provided with reference to  FIGS. 23-26 . 
     In this example, the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  includes an operating system space  322  and a user space  324 . The OS space  322  includes the common OS section  325 , an remote mode OS section  326 , and a quasi docked mode OS section  328 . The EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  includes an OS space  330  and a user space  332 . The OS space  330  includes a quasi mode OS section  334  and a docked mode OS section  336 . Since each mode of operation of the handheld computing device  12  utilizes different devices, each mode has a correspondingly different operating system that includes common OS components and exclusive OS components. Examples of the various operating systems will be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 27-36 . 
     When the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, which is determined during execution of the POST code  312 , the remote mode operating system (OS) boot loader  316  is accessed. The remote mode OS boot loader  316 , which may be a multiple stage boot loader, points to the common OS section  325  and to the remote mode OS section  326  of the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 . The common OS section  325  includes operating system functions that are common for certain devices, processes, files, and/or applications of the handheld computing unit  12  regardless of the mode and the remote mode OS section includes operating system functions are unique to certain other devices, processes, files, and/or applications of the handheld computing unit when it is in the remote mode. Note that the common OS functions may be considered a subset of the remote operating system functions, of quasi-docked operating system functions, and/or of docked operating system functions. 
     The remote mode OS boot loader  316  instructs the HH processing module  50  and/or memory controller  122 , if included within the handheld computing unit  12 , to facilitate the transfer of the common OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, and the remote OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, to the HH main memory  52 . The HH main memory  52  has an OS space  338  and a user space  340 . The OS space  338  is used to store the current mode OS  342 , which, in this example, is the remote mode operating system. Note that the OS space  338  may vary in size depending on which operating system is being loaded and further note that the OS space  338  is a privileged memory section that is accessible only to the processing module  50  when in an operating system kernel mode. Once the current OS is loaded in the HH main memory  52 , the OS may initiate a graphical user interface and a log in procedure. 
       FIG. 21  is a diagram of another example of accessing the BIOS  310  and an operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14 . In this example, the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode, which is determined during execution of the POST code  312 . As such, the quasi docked mode operating system (OS) boot loader  318  is accessed. The quasi docked mode OS boot loader  318 , which may be a multiple stage boot loader, points to the common OS section  325 , to the quasi docked mode OS section  328  of the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , and may further point to the quasi docked mode OS section  334  of the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84 . The quasi docked OS section  328  includes operating system functions that are unique to certain devices, processes, files, and/or applications of the handheld computing unit  12  and the quasi docked OS section  334  includes operating system functions that are unique to certain devices, processes, files, and/or applications of the extended computing unit when the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode. 
     In this example, the quasi docked mode OS boot loader  318  instructs the HH processing module  50  and/or memory controller  122 , if included within the handheld computing unit  12 , to facilitate the transfer of the common OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, and the quasi docked OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, from the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  to the HH main memory  52 . In addition, the quasi docked mode OS boot loader  318  instructs the HH processing module  50  and/or memory controller  122  to facilitate a transfer of the quasi docked OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, from the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  to the OS space  338  of the HH main memory  52 . The OS space  338  is used to store the current mode OS  342 , which, in this example, is the quasi docked mode operating system. Note that the OS space  338  may vary in size depending on which operating system is being loaded and further note that the OS space  338  is a privileged memory section that is accessible only to the processing module  50  when in an operating system kernel mode. Once the current OS is loaded in the HH main memory  52 , the OS may initiate a graphical user interface and a log in procedure. 
       FIG. 22  is a diagram of another example of accessing the BIOS  310  and an operating system from memory of a handheld computing unit  12  and an extended computing unit  14 . In this example, the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode, which is determined during execution of the POST code  312 . As such, the docked mode operating system (OS) boot loader  320  is accessed. The docked mode OS boot loader  320 , which may be a multiple stage boot loader, points to the common OS section  325  and to the docked mode OS section  336  of the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84 . The docked OS section  336  includes operating system functions that are unique to certain devices, processes, files, and/or applications of the extended computing unit when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode. 
     In this example, the docked mode OS boot loader  320  instructs the HH processing module  50  and/or memory controller  122 , if included within the handheld computing unit  12 , to facilitate the transfer of the common OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, and the docked OS functions, or at least a portion thereof, from the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  to the HH main memory  52 . The OS space  338  is used to store the current mode OS  342 , which, in this example, is the docked mode operating system. Note that the OS space  338  may vary in size depending on which operating system is being loaded and further note that the OS space  338  is a privileged memory section that is accessible only to the processing module  50  when in an operating system kernel mode. Once the current OS is loaded in the HH main memory  52 , the OS may initiate a graphical user interface and a log in procedure. 
       FIG. 23  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a BIOS method. In general, the BIOS is firmware run primary by the HH processing module  50  when the handheld computing unit is first powered on to identify and initiate component hardware (e.g., hard disks, I/O character devices, I/O block devices, etc.) based on the configuration of the computing device  10  (e.g., handheld computing unit is in a remote mode, a quasi docked mode, or a docked mode). This boot function prepares the computing unit  10  (e.g., handheld computing unit  12  and none, some, or all of the extended computing unit  14 ) such that the operating system and then user applications can be loaded, execute, and assume control of the computing device  10 . Note that the handheld computing device  12  may include a back-up BIOS that is stored on a different ROM, EEPROM, and/or flash ROM from ROM  62  for use in case the BIOS on ROM  62  gets corrupted. 
     Prior to executing the steps of  FIG. 23 , a boot block algorithm may be executed to verify that the BIOS is not corrupted. If the BIOS is corrupted, the back-up BIOS will be accessed. The back-up BIOS includes the same operational instructions as the main BIOS in ROM  62 . Once the BIOS is verified (main or back-up), the POST code  312  is executed after the HH processing module  50  is reset. Upon reset, the HH processing module  50  attempts to access a memory location commonly referred to as a reset vector. For a hard reboot (e.g., at power on, mode change, or user initiated), the memory controller directs the code fetch to the BIOS located on the ROM  62 . 
     The method begins at step  350  where the HH clock generator is initialized, which includes powering on the HH clock generator and monitoring for a steady state of its clock signals. Once the clock signals are in a steady state, the clock generator circuit is deemed to have been initialized. The method then proceeds to step  352  where the handheld main memory is initialize. Initialization of the handheld main memory includes finding it, determining its size, and verifying that it is operating properly. Note that once the HH main memory is initialized, the BIOS may be copied and decompressed from ROM  62  and stored in the HH main memory and executed from there. 
     The method continues at step  354  where the handheld bus structure and the handheld I/O devices are initialized. The handheld I/O devices initialized at this step will be primarily block I/O devices, ports, and/or general operation related. For example, the I/O devices that may be initialized include one or more of the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 , the USB connection  120 , the SDIO interface  154 , the LCD interface  172 , a block I/O device coupled a peripheral interface  164 - 166 , etc. The method continues at step  356  where the HH processing module determines the mode of the handheld computing unit  12 . 
     When the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, the method continues at step  358  where character I/O devices of the handheld computing unit are initialized. Such character I/O devices includes the handheld graphics engine, the HH keypad  78 , the HH display  76 , the HH microphone  72 , the HH speaker  74 , the camera interface  170 , a character I/O device coupled to a peripheral interface  164 - 166 , etc. The method then proceeds to step  360  where the remote mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
     When, at step  356 , it is determined that the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode, the method continues at step  360  where the slave clock module is initialized. This generally includes receiving a master clock from the clock generator circuit  64  of the handheld computing unit, generating one or more EXT clock signals, and verifying steady state of the EXT clock signals. The method continues at step  362  where the extended (EXT) processing module is initialized. This may be done by resetting the EXT processing module. 
     The method continues at step  364  where the memory controller is initialized (e.g., reset). Note that step  364  may be done in parallel with step  362 . The method continues at step  366  where the extended main memory is initialized. This may include finding it, determining its size, and verifying that it is operating properly. The method continues at step  368  where the extended bus structure and the I/O controller are initialized. The bus may be initialized by finding it, determining its size (e.g., 16 bit, 32 bit, etc.), and verifying that it is operating properly. Once the bus is initialized, the I/O controller is initialized. 
     The method continues at step  370  where the extended I/O devices coupled to the extended bus structure or to the I/O controller are initialized. Such I/O devices includes one or more of the flash memory, the disk array controller, the network card, the USB connection, the WLAN transceiver, the sound card, the IR transceiver, the TV tuner, a memory expansion card, etc. The method continues at step  372  where at least one of an extended graphics controller and an extended graphics card are initialized. The method continues at step  374  where the mouse and keyboard are initialized. The method continues at step  376  where the docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
     When, at step  356 , it is determined that the handheld computing unit is in a quasi docked mode, the method continues at step  378  where the slave clock module is initialized. The method continues at step  380  where the extended processing module is initialized. The method continues at step  382  where the extended main memory is initialized. The method continues at step  384  where the EXT hard disk/flash memory is initialized. The method continues at step  386  where the HH character I/O devices are initialized. The method continues at step  388  where the quasi docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
       FIG. 24  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for determining the mode of the computing device that begins at step  400  where the HH processing module determines whether the handheld computing unit is connected to the extended computing unit. This may be done via a connection sensor circuit that provides a first signal when the handheld computing unit is connected and second signal when it is not connected. The method continues at step  402  where the method branches to step  404  when the handheld computing unit is connected and to step  406  when it is not. At step  404 , the HH processing module indicates that the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode. 
     At step  406 , the HH processing module enables the baseband processing module and RF section in a radio frequency identification (RFID) mode. The method continues at step  408  where the HH processing module enables transmitting of an RFID message to an RFID tag within the extended computing unit. The method continues at step  410  where the HH processing module determines whether an acknowledgement of the RFID message has been received. If yes, the method continues at step  414  where the HH processing module indicates that the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode. When an acknowledgement of the RFID message is not received, the method continues at step  412  where the HH processing module indicates that the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode. 
       FIGS. 25 and 26  are a logic diagram of an embodiment of a reboot, or soft boot, method. Such a reboot may result when the mode of the handheld computing unit changes (e.g., from a remote mode to a docked mode, from a docked mode to a quasi docked mode, etc.). The method begins at step  420  of  FIG. 25  where the BIOS is recalled from the HH main memory. The method then proceeds to step  422  where the HH processing module determines the current mode of the handheld computing unit. If the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, the method continues at step  424 . 
     At step  424  the HH processing module determines whether the mode change is from the remote mode to the docked mode or from the remote mode to the quasi docked mode. When the mode change is to the docked mode, the method continues at step  426  where the HH processing module shutdowns the HH character I/O devices. Shutting down may include disabling the corresponding interface for an HH character I/O device. For example, the HH display interface, which includes a display driver, a buffer, and may further included other circuitry, is deactivated, which shuts down the HH display coupled thereto. 
     The method then proceeds to step  428  where a slave clock within the extended computing unit is initialized. The method then proceeds to step  430  where a memory controller and an I/O controller are initialized. The method then proceeds to step  432  where an extended processing module is initialized (e.g., reset). Step  432  may further include initializes extended main memory within the extended computing unit, initializes an extended bus structure within the extended computing unit; initialize an extended I/O devices coupled to the extended bus structure or to the I/O controller; and/or initializes at least one of an extended graphics controller and an extended graphics card within the extended computing unit. Note that prior to step  428 , the clock generator circuit may re-initialized. Further note that prior to or contemporaneous with step  432 , the HH processing module, the HH main memory, HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory may be re-initialized. 
     The method then proceeds to step  434  where a mouse and a keyboard of the extended computing unit are initialized. The method then proceeds to step  436  where the docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
     When, at step  424 , the mode change is to the docked mode, the method continues at step  438  where the slave clock module within the extended computing unit is initialized, which may occur after the clock generating circuit is re-initialized. The method then proceeds to step  440  where the extended processing module within the extended computing unit is initialized (e.g., reset). Step  440  may also include initializing the extended main memory within the extended computing unit and initializing a hard disk within the extended computing unit. Note that prior to or contemporaneous with step  440 , the HH processing module, the HH main memory, HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory may be re-initialized. 
     The method then proceeds to step  442  where the HH character I/O devices are re-initialized. The method then proceeds to step  444  where the quasi docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
     If, at step  422 , the handheld computing unit is currently in a docked mode, the method continues at step  448  where the HH processing module determines whether the mode change is from the docked mode to the remote mode process or from the docked mode to the quasi docked mode. When the mode change is from the docked mode to the remote mode, the method continues at step  464  where the slave clock within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  466  where the memory controller of the external main memory is shutdown. The method continues at step  468  where the extended processing module within the extended computing unit is shutdown. 
     The method continues at step  470  where the I/O controller within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  472  where at least one of an extended graphics controller and an extended graphics card within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  474  where the mouse and keyboard of the extended computing unit are shutdown. The method continues at step  476  where HH character I/O devices are initialized. The method continues at step  478  where the remote mode operating system boot loader is loaded. Note that prior to step  476 , the clock generating circuit, the HH processing module, the HH main memory, HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory are initialized. 
     When, at step  448 , it is determined that the mode change is from the docked mode to the quasi docked mode, the method continues at step  450  where the slave clock within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. In addition, the I/O controller within the extended computing unit, the at least one of an extended graphics controller and an extended graphics card within the extended computing unit, and the mouse and keyboard of the extended computing unit are shutdown. Note that prior to step  450 , the clock generating circuit, the HH processing module, the HH main memory, the HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory are initialized. 
     The method continues at step  452  where the extended main memory within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. The method continues at step  454  where the extended processing module within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. The method continues at step  456  where the hard disk within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. The method continues at step  458  where the HH character I/O devices are initialized. The method continues at step  460  where the quasi docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
     When, at step  422 , the current mode is the quasi docked mode, the method continues at step  480  of  FIG. 26 . At step  480 , the HH processing module determines whether the handheld computing unit is changing from the quasi docked mode to the remote mode or to the docked mode. When the change is to the remote mode, the method continues at step  502  where the slave clock within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  504  where the extended main memory within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  506  where the extended processing module within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  508  where the hard disk within the extended computing unit is shutdown. The method continues at step  510  where the character I/O devices are re-initialized. The method continues at step  512  where the remote mode operating system boot loader is loaded. Note that prior to step  510 , the clock generating circuit, the HH processing module, the HH main memory, the HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory are re-initialized. 
     When, at step  480 , the reboot is from quasi docked mode to docked mode the method continues at step  482  where the HH character I/O devices are shutdown. The method continues at step  484  where the slave clock within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. Note that prior to step  484 , the clock generating circuit, the HH processing module, the HH main memory, the HH bus structure, and the HH hard disk/flash memory are re-initialized. 
     The method continues at step  486  where the memory controller is re-initialized. The method continues at step  488  where the extended processing module within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. The method continues at step  490  where the extended main memory within the extended computing unit is re-initialized. The method continues at step  492  where the EXT bus structure, the I/O controller and the hard disk within the extended computing unit are initialized. The method continues at step  494  where the extended I/O devices coupled to the extended bus structure or to the I/O controller are initialized. The method continues at step  496  where the at least one of an extended graphics controller and an extended graphics card within the extended computing unit is initialized. The method continues at step  498  where the mouse and a keyboard of the extended computing unit are initialized. The method continues at step  500  where the docked mode operating system boot loader is loaded. 
       FIG. 27  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for initializing one of a plurality of operating system that begins at step  520  where the BIOS is queried to obtain configuration information. The configuration information includes one or more of: identity of handheld block I/O devices coupled to the handheld I/O interfaces; identity of handheld character I/O devices coupled to the handheld I/O interfaces; identify of extended block I/O devices coupled to an I/O controller of the extended computing unit; identify of extended character I/O devices coupled to an I/O controller of the extended computing unit; identity of the HH main memory; identity of the HH processing module, identity of the EXT main memory; and/or identity of the EXT processing module. 
     The method continues at step  522  where it is determined whether the remote mode operating system, the quasi docked mode operating system, or the docked mode operating system is to be loaded based on which boot loader is loaded. If the docked mode operating system is to be loaded, the method continues at step  538  where the HH processing module verifies the drivers for the handheld block I/O devices and for the extended block and character I/O devices. Note that a device driver is a specific type of software that allows communication with a device via a specific computer bus (e.g., PCI bus, AGP bus, etc.). Such communication includes providing and/or receiving commands, data, and/or requesting access to the operating system and/or user applications via interrupts. 
     The method continues at step  540  where the HH processing module determines whether the drivers are present for all of the active HH and EXT devices. If not, the method continues at step  542  where the HH processing module acquires the drivers. This may involve requested the user to install a disk that accompanied the device, to download the driver from a web page, and/or to retrieve a stored driver. Once the drivers are verified, the method continues at step  544  where the HH processing module loads the identification information of the handheld block I/O devices and the extended block and character I/O devices in a docked mode operating system device table. 
     The method continues at step  546  where the HH processing module determines handheld memory resources, handheld processing resources, extended memory resources, and extended processing resources. The resources may further include available user memory space, multi-processing configuration information, bus structure, user applications, file structures, etc. The method continues at step  548  where the HH processing module initializes a docked mode process table. An example of a process table will be discussed with reference to  FIG. 33 . The method continues at step  550  where the HH processing module start-ups an extended graphical user interface and may further initiate a user log in process. 
     When, at step  522 , it is determined that the remote mode operating system is to be loaded, the method continues at step  524  where the HH processing module verifies the drivers for the block and character I/O devices coupled to the handheld I/O interfaces. The method continues at step  526  where the HH processing module determines whether the drivers are present for all of the active HH I/O devices. If not, the method continues at step  528  where the HH processing module acquires the drivers. Once the drivers are verified, the method continues at step  530  where the HH processing module loads the identification information of the handheld I/O devices in a remote mode operating system device table. 
     The method continues at step  532  where the HH processing module determines handheld memory resources and handheld processing resources. The resources may further include available user memory space, multi-processing configuration information, bus structure, user applications, file structures, etc. The method continues at step  534  where the HH processing module initializes a remote mode process table. An example of a process table will be discussed with reference to  FIG. 33 . The method continues at step  536  where the HH processing module start-ups an HH graphical user interface and may further initiate a user log in process. 
     When, at step  522 , it is determined that the quasi docked mode operating system is to be loaded, the method continues at step  552  where the HH processing module verifies the drivers for the block and character I/O devices coupled to the handheld I/O interfaces and for the EXT block I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller, the host controller, and/or the EXT bus structure. The method continues at step  554  where the HH processing module determines whether the drivers are present for all of the active HH and EXT I/O devices. If not, the method continues at step  556  where the HH processing module acquires the drivers. Once the drivers are verified, the method continues at step  558  where the HH processing module loads the identification information of the handheld I/O devices and the extended block I/O devices in a quasi docked mode operating system device table. Note that the docked, quasi docked, and remote operating system tables may be the same table with differing entries. 
     The method continues at step  560  where the HH processing module determines handheld memory resources, handheld processing resources, EXT processing resources, and/or EXT memory resources. The resources may further include available user memory space, multi-processing configuration information, bus structure, user applications, file structures, etc. The method continues at step  562  where the HH processing module initializes a quasi docked mode process table. An example of a process table will be discussed with reference to  FIG. 33 . The method continues at step  564  where the HH processing module start-ups an HH graphical user interface and may further initiate a user log in process. 
       FIG. 28  is a diagram of an embodiment of an operating system  570  that includes a user mode section  572  and a kernel mode section  574 . The user mode section  772  includes a plurality of processes  576 - 580 , which correspond to one or more running user applications. The operating system  570  includes the common operating system  325 , the remote operating system  326 , the quasi mode operating system  328  and  334 , and the docked operating system  336 . Each of the remote, quasi mode, and the docked mode operating systems include the common operating system  325 . In addition, each of the operating systems includes one or more processing management kernels  582 , one or more memory management kernels  584 , one or more file system management kernels  586 , and one or more I/O device management kernels  588 . While not shown, the operating system  570  may further include one or more graphical user interface kernels, one or more security kernels, and/or one or more networking kernels. 
     In general, the kernel section  574  functions to connect an application to the hardware resources of a computing device. In this regard, the kernel section  574  manages the computing device&#39;s resources (e.g., multi-processing capabilities, processing module run time, main memory, hard disk memory, network throughput, I/O devices, communication between hardware and software components, etc.) and provides the lowest-level software abstraction layer. Note that the kernel section  574  may include monolithic kernels and/or micro-kernels. 
     The process management kernel section  582  provides one or more kernels to allow and support execution of one or more processes. A process is the execution of an application&#39;s operating instructions and several processes may be associated with the same application. When the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode, the HH processing module may function as a single central processing unit that executes one instruction at a time. In this embodiment, the HH processing module may use a time-sharing process to allow seemingly concurrent execution of multiple processes. In another embodiment, the HH processing module includes a multi-processor core that supports actual concurrent execution of multiple processes, where each processing core may use the time-sharing process to allow more processes to run at once. When the handheld computing unit  12  is in the docked mode, the HH processing module and the EXT processing module function collectively to provide the multi-processor core. Note that each of the HH and EXT processing modules may include its own multi-processor core such that, when functioning collectively, the number of processors is further increase. 
     To run an application, a kernel of the process management kernel section  582  sets up an address space for the application, loads the file containing the application&#39;s code into memory, sets up a stack for the application and branches to a given location inside the application to start its execution. Several applications may be supported by using multi-tasking kernels, pre-emptive multi-tasking kernels, cooperative multi-tasking kernels, and/or multiprocessing. A multi-tasking kernel schedules access to the HH processing module and/or EXT processing module among a plurality of processes in an orderly manner. The scheduling may be done in a variety of ways including multiprogramming, time-sharing, and real-time. 
     A pre-emptive multi-tasking kernel allocates each process a slice of time and switches from process to process in accordance with the time slices to provide the illusion of concurrent execution. The size of the time slices may vary from process to process and may be adjusted and/or reallocated based on priority of other processes. The kernel also provides a mechanism for the processes sharing the processing resources to communication with one another, which is generally referred to as inter-process communication (IPC), which may be done by sharing memory, message passing, and/or a remote procedure calls. 
     A cooperative multi-tasking kernel allows a process to run uninterrupted until it makes a special request that tells the kernel it may switch to another process. The special request may be the result of a response to an inter-process communication or the process is waiting for an event to occur. 
     A multiprocessing kernel allows different processes and/or threads to run on different processors (e.g., the HH processing module and the EXT processing module). The kernel provides a synchronization mechanism to ensure that no two processors attempt to modify the same data at the same time. 
     The memory management kernel section  684  provides one or more kernels to control access to the HH main memory, the HH hard disk/flash memory, the EXT main memory, and/or the EXT hard disk/flash memory. In general a memory management kernel has full access to the computing device&#39;s memory and controls a process&#39; access to the memory. This includes establishing virtual addressing using paging and/or segmentation. The virtual address spaces may be different for different processes (e.g., the memory that one process accesses at a particular (virtual) address may be different memory from what another process accesses at the same virtual address). The operating system maintains a page table to track the virtual addresses association to physical addresses and the allocation of the virtual memory to particular processes. The virtual memory allocations are tracked so that when a process terminates, the memory used by that process can be made available for other processes. In this manner, the memory management kernel allows each process to function as if it the only process running. 
     The file system management kernel section  586  includes one or more kernels to control a file system for file storage and/or file transfers. The file system uses the EXT hard disk/flash memory, the EXT CD-ROM drive, the HH hard disk/flash memory, etc. to store and organizes files and/or applications for ease of finding and accessing. In an embodiment, the file system includes directories that associate file names with files. This may be done by connecting the file name to an index into a file allocation table. The directory structure may be flat (no subdirectories) or hierarchical (includes subdirectories). The directory may further include meta data regarding a file. The meta data may include file length, a byte count, time the file was last modified, file creation time and/or date, time and/or date the file was last accessed, any changes to the meta data, owner&#39;s identity, creator&#39;s identity, access permission settings, etc. 
     The file system may be a disk file system, a flash file system, a database file system, a transactional file system, and/or a special purpose file system. In an embodiment, each of the various modes of the operating system has its own file system. For example, the remote mode operating system has a file system that utilizes the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 ; the quasi docked mode operating system has a file system that has a hierarchical preference for the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  over the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84 ; and the docked mode operating system has a file system that has a hierarchical preference for the EXT hard disk/flash memory  84  or the HH hard disk/flash memory  54 . 
     The I/O device management kernel section  588  includes one or more kernels that manage I/O device processing resource and/or memory resource allocation requests. As an example, a process may need to access an I/O device (e.g., the HH display), which is controlled by the kernel through a device driver. As a more specific example, to show the user something on the HH display, an application would make a request to the kernel, which would forward the request to its display driver, which plots the character/pixel for display. 
     The operating system  570  may security features. The security may include levels: internal security and external security. The internal security is the protection of the computing device&#39;s resources from concurrently running applications performing the same process at the same time. In this instance, applications and/or processes thereof are assigned a privilege level, which blocks less privileged applications and/or processes from using certain hardware instructions, certain processing resources, accessing certain memory spaces, etc. When an application or process is blocked, it must ask a higher privileged application or process to perform the task for it. 
     For external security, the computing device may include a software firewall or an intrusion detection/prevention system. The software firewall is configured to allow or deny network traffic to or from a service or application running on the operating system. 
     The operating system  570  further includes graphical user interfaces (GUI) for the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit. The GUI may be for a touch screen, a keypad, an LCD display, a monitor, and vary depending on the applications being used. For example, when the handheld computing unit is in a cellular telephone mode, the GUI may be adapted for the cell phone. As another example, when the handheld computing unit is a GPS receiver mode, the GUI may be adapted to for GPS operations. When the handheld computing unit is docked to the extended computing unit, the GUI may resemble a personal computer and/or laptop GUI. 
       FIG. 29  is a state diagram of an embodiment of the operating system  570 . The operating system  570  may be in the remote mode, the quasi docked mode, or the docked mode. In any of these modes, the operating system has five states: a user mode  590 , a memory kernel mode  592 , a file system kernel mode  594 , an T/O device kernel mode  596 , and a process kernel mode  598 . From the user mode state  590 , the operating system may transition to any one of the kernel states in response to a service call or a trap. In a kernel state, the operating system may transition to any other kernel state or back to the user mode state. 
     As an example, assume that the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode and is executing a user application and the operating system is in the user mode state  590  for this user application. The executing of the user application includes one or more processes that require access to the HH computing unit&#39;s resources. When a process needs a resource, it generates a service call and/or evokes a trap. When the process service call or the trap is detected, the operating system transitions to the process kernel state  598  for a process service call, to the I/O kernel mode for an I/O service call, to the memory kernel mode  592  for a memory service call, or to the file system kernel mode for a file service system call. Assuming that the service call was a process service call, the operating system is in state  598  and beings to process the process service call. The process service call may be to have a series of operational instructions executed by the HH processing module, may be to store data, may be to read data, may be use certain data while executing the operational instructions, may be to display data, may be to receive data, etc. 
     If the process service call is to execute operational instructions, the process management kernel schedules the process for access to the HH processing module based on the state of the process. As shown in  FIG. 32 , a process may be in a blocked state  634 , a running state  630 , or a ready state  632 . If the process is in a blocked state  634 , it is dependent on some other process, memory management function, and/or file management function to be completed before it can execute its current task. When the dependency is removed, the process transitions into the ready state  632 . The process remains in this state until the resource it has requested is allocated to it. When allocated, the process transitions to the running state  603 . 
     Returning to the state diagram of  FIG. 29 , after the process is scheduled and/or the process is completed, the operating system transitions back to the user state  590 . If the process service call includes requesting access to the processing module and to store the results, the operating system would also transition to the memory kernel state  592  and the file system kernel state  594  to fulfill the storage request service call. 
     When an I/O device desires access to the processing module, to a file, and/or to the memory, it issues an interrupt. When the operating system receives the interrupt, it transitions to the I/O device kernel mode to process the interrupt, which may be for access to the file system, access to the processing module, and/or access to the memory. As such, from the I/O kernel state  596 , the operating system may transition to the process kernel state  598 , the file system kernel state  594 , and/or to the memory kernel state  592 . Note for from application to application and/or process to process, the operating system may be in different states at any one time. 
     Further examples of service calls include: 
     Process Management 
     
         
         
           
             create a child process 
             create a process (at system initiation, per system call, per user request, per batch job) 
             delete a process (normal, error, fatal error, killed by another process) 
             wait for child to terminate 
             replace a process&#39; core image 
             terminate process execution and return status
 
File Management
 
             open a file for reading and/or writing 
             close an open file 
             read data from a file into a buffer 
             write data from a buffer into a file 
             move the file pointer 
             get file status information
 
Directory and File System Management
 
             create a new directory 
             remove an empty directory 
             create a new entry, name, name pointer (shortcut) 
             remove a directory entry 
             mount a file system 
             unmount a file system 
           
         
       
    
       FIG. 30  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method processing a service call that begins at step  600  where, when the handheld device is in a quasi docked mode, the HH processing module receives a system call from a handheld application, a quasi mode application, a handheld block I/O device, an extended block I/O device, or a handheld character I/O device. The method continues at step  602  where the HH processing module store parameters of the system call in a quasi mode stack. The parameters include current location in an application, current pointer information, memory locations, and/or any other data that allows the application to pick up where it left off after its service call is processed. 
     The method continues at step  604  where the HH processing module calls a quasi mode subprogram library to retrieve a subprogram (e.g., a handler) to support the fulfillment of the service call.  FIG. 31  is an example of a library  320  that includes remote mode OS subprograms  622 , quasi mode OS subprograms  624 , and docked mode OS subprograms  624 . As shown, the subprograms overlap such that when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode, it may call a subprogram from any of the OS subprograms  622 - 626 . Conversely, when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, it may only call subprograms for the remote OS subprogram section  622 . 
     The library  620  may be static library or a dynamically linked library. An embodiment of a static library includes of a set of routines which are copied into a target application by the compiler, linker, or binder, producing object files and a stand-alone executable file. Actual address, references for jumps and other routine calls are stored in a relative address or symbolic which cannot be resolved until all code and libraries are assigned final static addresses. The linker resolves the unresolved addresses into fixed or virtual addresses. 
     In an embodiment, a dynamic linking library loads the subroutines of a library into an application program at runtime, rather than at compile time. This reduces the compile time of the linker since it records what library routines the program needs and the index names in the library. At the loading of an application, a loader transfers the relevant portions of the library from the hard disk to the main memory, which may be in the handheld and/or extended computing unit. 
     Returning to the discussion of  FIG. 30 , the method continues at step  606  where the HH processing module updates a process table for the system call for the application and/or one of it processes.  FIG. 33  illustrates an example of a process table that includes a column for each of the processes that are active. The data stored for each process includes processing information  642  (e.g., register locations, program counter (PC), status word, stack pointer, process state, priority, schedule parameters, process ID&lt;parent process, signals, process start time, processing user time, children use time, time of and/or next alarm), memory information  644  (e.g., pointer to text (e.g., code, instructions, etc.) segment, pointer to data segment, and pointer to stack segment), and file information  646  (e.g., root directory, working directory, file description, user ID, and/or group ID). 
     Returning to the discussion of  FIG. 30 , the method continues at step  608  where the HH processing module executes a trap to switch to a kernel quasi docked mode (e.g., process, memory, file, I/O device). The method continues at step  608  where the HH processing module identifies a system call handler to provide access to higher level software layers for the system call. At step  612 , the system call is processed, which may be done by the HH processing module executing a higher level layer operation system subroutine. When the system call has been processed, which may done as previously discussed with reference to  FIG. 29 , the method proceeds from step  614  to step  616 . 
     At step  616 , the HH processing module executes another trap to return to a user mode. The method continues at step  608  where the HH processing module retrieves parameters from the stack such that the application can resume processing where it left off when it initiated the service call. 
     The method of  FIG. 30  is also applicable when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode. At step  600 , the HH processing module receives a system call from a handheld application, a handheld block I/O device, or a handheld character I/O device. Steps  602 - 618  include store parameters of the system call in a remote mode stack, call a remote mode subprogram library; update process table for the system call; execute a trap to switch to a kernel remote mode; identify system call handler for the system call; when processing the system call is complete, executing another trap to return to a user mode; and retrieve parameters. 
     The method of  FIG. 30  is also applicable when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode. At step  600 , the HH processing module receives a system call from a handheld application, a docked mode application, a handheld block I/O device, an extended block I/O device, or an extended character I/O device. Steps  602 - 618  include store parameters of the system call in a docked mode stack, call a docked mode subprogram library; update process table for the system call; execute a trap to switch to a kernel docked mode; identify system call handler for the system call; when processing the system call is complete, executing another trap to return to a user mode; and retrieve parameters. 
       FIG. 34  is a diagram of an example of a remote mode operating system. In this example, the remote mode operating system is supporting one or more fixed HH user applications  650 , one or more selected HH user applications  652 , one or more HH block I/O device drivers  654  (which in turn are coupled one or more corresponding I/O block devices (e.g., hard disk  54 , flash memory, etc.)), and one or more HH character I/O device drivers  656  (which in turn are coupled to one or more corresponding I/O character devices (e.g., the HH display, the HH keypad, the HH microphone, the HH speaker, a digital camera, etc.). In an embodiment, the operating system includes one or more memory kernels  658 , one or more file system kernels  660 , one or more process kernels  662 , and one or more I/O device kernels  664 . The operating system may further include a memory scheduler  668  and a processing module scheduler  670 . 
     A fixed user application  650  is an application that resides on the HH memory (e.g., hard disk or flash) and cannot be transferred to the EXT memory (e.g., hard disk, flash, tape, RAID, etc.). A selected user application  652  is an application that currently resides on the HH memory but can be transferred to the EXT memory. Fixed and selected applications will be discussed in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 37-44 . 
     In this example, the applications  650 - 652  and/or the I/O devices via the corresponding driver  654 - 656  may issue service calls, interrupts, and/or traps that evoke one or more of the operating system kernels  658 - 664 . For example, if the one applications or I/O devices desires to read data from or write data to memory for a specific file, the memory kernel  658  and the file system kernel are evoked. The file system kernel  660  identifies the particular file to the processed and the memory kernel  658  identifies the particular memory location of the file. The memory kernel  658  also provides the read/write (R/W) request to the memory scheduler  668 . 
     The memory scheduler  668  queues up the R/W requests and schedules them for accessing the HH memory  52  and/or  54 . The memory scheduler  668  may use one or more scheduling techniques to schedule the memory requests. Such scheduling techniques include Borrowed-Virtual-Time Scheduling (BVT); Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS); Critical Path Method of Scheduling; Deadline-monotonic scheduling (DMS); Deficit round robin (DRR); Dominant Sequence Clustering (DSC); Earliest deadline first scheduling (EDF); Elastic Round Robin; Fair-share scheduling; First In, First Out (FIFO), also known as First Come First Served (FCFS); Gang scheduling; Genetic Anticipatory; Highest response ratio next (HRRN); Interval scheduling; Last In, First Out (LIFO); Job Shop Scheduling; Least-connection scheduling; Least slack time scheduling (LST); List scheduling; Lottery Scheduling; Multilevel queue; Multilevel Feedback Queue; Never queue scheduling; O(1) scheduler; Proportional Share Scheduling; Rate-monotonic scheduling (RMS); Round-robin scheduling (RR); Shortest expected delay scheduling; Shortest job next (SJN); Shortest remaining time (SRT); Staircase Deadline scheduler (SD); “Take” Scheduling; Two-level scheduling; Weighted fair queuing (WFQ); Weighted least-connection scheduling; Weighted round robin (WRR); and Group Ratio Round-Robin. 
     As a R/W function is processed, the HH memory  52 - 54  is accessed and the corresponding data is read from or written to the desired location. Once the function is complete the R/W function is removed the memory scheduler&#39;s queue. Note the completion of a R/W function may evoke another R/W function, a process for the HH processing module  50 , a file system function, and/or an I/O device functions. 
     The processing module scheduler  670  may use one or more scheduling techniques to schedule process for accessing the HH processing module  50 . In this example, the processes may be initiated by one or more of the applications  650 - 652  and/or one or more of the I/O devices coupled to the drivers  654 - 656 . 
     As discussed by way of example, the kernels  658 - 664  and the schedulers  668 - 670  control the access to the resources of the handheld computing unit. In particular, the memory kernel  658  and the memory scheduler control access to the HH memory  53 - 54  and the process kernel  662  and the processing module memory scheduler  670  control access to the HH processing module  50 . 
       FIG. 35  is a diagram of an example of a quasi docked mode operating system. In this example, the quasi mode operating system is supporting one or more fixed HH user applications  650 - 652 , one or more quasi user applications  672 , one or more HH block I/O device drivers  654  (which in turn are coupled one or more corresponding I/O block devices (e.g., hard disk  54 , flash memory, etc.)), one or more HH character I/O device drivers  656  (which in turn are coupled to one or more corresponding I/O character devices (e.g., the HH display, the HH keypad, the HH microphone, the HH speaker, a digital camera, etc.), and one or more EXT I/O block device drivers  674  (which in turn are coupled one or more corresponding I/O block devices (e.g., hard disk  84 , flash memory  190 , tape drive, RAID, etc.)). In an embodiment, the operating system includes one or more memory kernels  678 , one or more file system kernels  680 , one or more process kernels  682 , and one or more I/O device kernels  676 . The operating system may further include a memory scheduler  684 , HH memory scheduler  668 , EXT memory scheduler  688 , a processing module scheduler  695 , an HH processing module scheduler  670 , and an EXT processing module scheduler  692 . 
     In this example, the applications  650 - 652 ,  672  and/or the I/O devices via the corresponding driver  654 - 656 ,  674  may issue service calls, interrupts, and/or traps that evoke one or more of the operating system kernels  676 - 682 . For example, if the one applications or I/O devices desires to read data from or write data to memory for a specific file, the memory kernel  678  and the file system kernel  680  are evoked. The file system kernel  680  identifies the particular file to the processed and the memory kernel  678  identifies the particular memory location of the file. The memory kernel  678  also provides the read/write (R/W) request to the memory scheduler  684 . 
     The memory scheduler  684  queues up the R/W functions and schedules them for the HH memory scheduler  686  and the EXT memory scheduler  688 . The HH memory scheduler  686  schedules the R/W functions for accessing the HH memory  52  and/or  54  and the EXT memory scheduler schedules the R/W functions for accessing the EXT memory  82 - 84 . The memory schedulers may use one or more scheduling techniques to schedule the memory requests. Such scheduling techniques include Borrowed-Virtual-Time Scheduling (BVT); Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS); Critical Path Method of Scheduling; Deadline-monotonic scheduling (DMS); Deficit round robin (DRR); Dominant Sequence Clustering (DSC); Earliest deadline first scheduling (EDF); Elastic Round Robin; Fair-share scheduling; First In, First Out (FIFO), also known as First Come First Served (FCFS); Gang scheduling; Genetic Anticipatory; Highest response ratio next (HRRN); Interval scheduling; Last In, First Out (LIFO); Job Shop Scheduling; Least-connection scheduling; Least slack time scheduling (LST); List scheduling; Lottery Scheduling; Multilevel queue; Multilevel Feedback Queue; Never queue scheduling; O(1) scheduler; Proportional Share Scheduling; Rate-monotonic scheduling (RMS); Round-robin scheduling (RR); Shortest expected delay scheduling; Shortest job next (SJN); Shortest remaining time (SRT); Staircase Deadline scheduler (SD); “Take” Scheduling; Two-level scheduling; Weighted fair queuing (WFQ); Weighted least-connection scheduling; Weighted round robin (WRR); and Group Ratio Round-Robin. 
     As a R/W function is processed, the HH memory  52 - 54  or the EXT memory  82 - 84  is accessed and the corresponding data is read from or written to the desired location. Once the function is complete the R/W function is removed the memory scheduler&#39;s queue. Note the completion of a R/W function may evoke another R/W function, a process for the HH processing module  50 , a file system function, and/or an I/O device functions. 
     The processing module scheduler  695  queues up the processes and schedules them for the HH processing module scheduler  670  and the EXT processing module scheduler  692 . The HH processing module scheduler  670  schedules the processes for accessing the HH processing module  50  and the EXT processing module scheduler  690  schedules the processes for accessing the EXT processing module  80 . In this example, the processes may be initiated by one or more of the applications  650 - 652 ,  672  and/or one or more of the I/O devices coupled to the drivers  654 - 656 ,  674 . 
       FIG. 36  is a diagram of an example of a docked mode operating system. In this example, the docked mode operating system is supporting one or more fixed HH user applications  650 - 652 , one or more docked user applications  700  (which is stored on the hard disk of the extended computing unit and co-processed by the handheld and extended computing units), one or more HH block I/O device drivers  654  (which in turn are coupled one or more corresponding I/O block devices (e.g., hard disk  54 , flash memory, etc.)), one or more EXT character I/O device drivers  702  (which in turn are coupled to one or more corresponding I/O character devices (e.g., the EXT display, the EXT keyboard, the EXT mouse, the EXT microphone, the EXT speaker, the printer, etc.), and one or more EXT I/O block device drivers  674  (which in turn are coupled one or more corresponding I/O block devices (e.g., hard disk  84 , flash memory  190 , tape drive, RAID, etc.)). In an embodiment, the operating system includes one or more memory kernels  706 , one or more file system kernels  708 , one or more process kernels  710 , and one or more I/O device kernels  704 . The operating system may further include a memory scheduler  712 , HH memory scheduler  668 , EXT memory scheduler  716 , a processing module scheduler  718 , an HH processing module scheduler  670 , and an EXT processing module scheduler  722 . 
     In this example, the applications  650 - 652 ,  700  and/or the I/O devices via the corresponding driver  654 ,  674 ,  702  may issue service calls, interrupts, and/or traps that evoke one or more of the operating system kernels  704 - 710 . For example, if the one applications or I/O devices desires to read data from or write data to memory for a specific file, the memory kernel  706  and the file system kernel  708  are evoked. The file system kernel  708  identifies the particular file to the processed and the memory kernel  706  identifies the particular memory location of the file. The memory kernel  706  also provides the read/write (R/W) request to the memory scheduler  712 . 
     The memory scheduler  712  queues up the R/W functions and schedules them for the HH memory scheduler  686  and the EXT memory scheduler  716 . The HH memory scheduler  686  schedules the R/W functions for accessing the HH memory  52  and/or  54  and the EXT memory scheduler  716  schedules the R/W functions for accessing the EXT memory  82 - 84 . The memory schedulers may use one or more scheduling techniques to schedule the memory requests. Such scheduling techniques include Borrowed-Virtual-Time Scheduling (BVT); Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS); Critical Path Method of Scheduling; Deadline-monotonic scheduling (DMS); Deficit round robin (DRR); Dominant Sequence Clustering (DSC); Earliest deadline first scheduling (EDF); Elastic Round Robin; Fair-share scheduling; First In, First Out (FIFO), also known as First Come First Served (FCFS); Gang scheduling; Genetic Anticipatory; Highest response ratio next (HRRN); Interval scheduling; Last In, First Out (LIFO); Job Shop Scheduling; Least-connection scheduling; Least slack time scheduling (LST); List scheduling; Lottery Scheduling; Multilevel queue; Multilevel Feedback Queue; Never queue scheduling; O(1) scheduler; Proportional Share Scheduling; Rate-monotonic scheduling (RMS); Round-robin scheduling (RR); Shortest expected delay scheduling; Shortest job next (SJN); Shortest remaining time (SRT); Staircase Deadline scheduler (SD); “Take” Scheduling; Two-level scheduling; Weighted fair queuing (WFQ); Weighted least-connection scheduling; Weighted round robin (WRR); and Group Ratio Round-Robin. 
     As a R/W function is processed, the HH memory  52 - 54  or the EXT memory  82 - 84  is accessed and the corresponding data is read from or written to the desired location. Once the function is complete the R/W function is removed the memory scheduler&#39;s queue. Note the completion of a R/W function may evoke another R/W function, a process for the HH processing module  50  and/or the EXT processing module  80 , a file system function, and/or an I/O device functions. 
     The processing module scheduler  718  queues up the processes and schedules them for the HH processing module scheduler  670  and the EXT processing module scheduler  692 . The HH processing module scheduler  670  schedules the processes for accessing the HH processing module  50  and the EXT processing module scheduler  722  schedules the processes for accessing the EXT processing module  80 . In this example, the processes may be initiated by one or more of the applications  650 - 652 ,  700  and/or one or more of the I/O devices coupled to the drivers  65 ,  674 ,  702 . 
       FIG. 37  is a diagram of an example of application and/or file swapping between the HH hard disk/flash memory  54  and the EXT disk/flash memory  84 . For a file or application transfer to occur, the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode or the docked mode. In this example, the HH disk/flash memory  54  is storing one or more fixed HH applications  734 - 736 , one or more selected applications  730 - 732 , one or more fixed HH files  778 , and one or more selected files  780 . The EXT disk/flash memory  84  is storing one or more fixed EXT applications  742 - 744 , one or more selectable applications  738 - 740 , one or more fixed EXT files  786 , and one or more selectable files  782 - 784 . 
     Each of the applications  730 - 744  includes an applications code section  746 - 760  and an operating system interface code section  762 - 776 . The application code section includes the operational instructions of the application. The operating system interface code section includes code that enables the application to communicate with the operating system, which may be an application programming interface. 
     In an embodiment, a fixed HH application  734 - 736  is an application that is only allowed to be stored on the HH memory  54  due to the nature of the application. For example, the application may be for cellular telephone communications, a calendar application, an email application, a contacts application, a favorites web sites application, a notes application, etc. A fixed HH file  778  is a file that is only allowed to be stored on the HH memory due to its corresponding application. For example, the fixed file may be a calendar, an email file, a contacts list, a favorites web sites list, a notes, etc. While these applications and files can be accessed regardless of the mode of the handheld computing unit, these applications and files reside with the handheld computing unit such that when it is in the remote mode, it has these applications and files on it, which avoids the redundancy of applications and files of current PCs and handheld devices. Note that the user can select which files and/or applications to make fixed. 
     In an embodiment, a selected HH application  730 - 732  is an application that is currently stored on the HH memory  54  but could be transferred to the EXT memory  84 . For example, the application may be a video game, word processing, database, spreadsheet, digital A/V player, etc. A selected HH file  778  is a file that is currently stored on the HH memory but could be transferred to the EXT memory  84 . For example, the fixed file may be a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a database record, etc. 
     In an embodiment, a fixed EXT application  742 - 744  is an application that is only allowed to be stored on the EXT memory  84  due to the nature of the application. For example, the application may be for tape drive back up, etc. A fixed EXT file  786  is a file that is only allowed to be stored on the EXT memory due to its corresponding application. 
     In an embodiment, a selectable EXT application  738 - 740  is an application that is currently stored on the EXT memory  84  but could be transferred to the HH memory  54 . For example, the application may be a video game, word processing, database, spreadsheet, digital A/V player, etc. A selectable EXT file  782 - 784  is a file that is currently stored on the EXT memory but could be transferred to the HH memory  54 . For example, the fixed file may be a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a database record, etc. 
     With the handheld computing unit docked to the extended computing unit a selected application  730 - 732  may be swapped with a selectable application  738 - 740 . In addition, an selected file  778  may be swapped with a selectable file  782 - 784  as directed by the user. 
       FIGS. 38 and 39  are a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for swapping files and/or applications between the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit at a mode change. The method begins at step  790  of  FIG. 38  where the HH processing module monitors for a mode change request for changing from a docked mode to another mode. The mode change may be detected via a user input to select the remote mode or quasi docked mode, if currently in the docked mode. The mode change may alternatively be automatically detected when the handheld computing unit has changed from the docked mode to the quasi docked mode. If a change request is detected at step  792 , the method continues at  794  otherwise it waits until a request is detected. 
     At step  794 , the HH processing module  50  determines whether the handheld computing unit is to change from the docked mode to the remote mode or the quasi docked mode. For example, the user may provide an input via GUI to indicate the desired mode change or it may be automatically detected by first detecting a loss of coupling between the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit. If the loss of coupling is detected, the handheld computing unit determines whether it can communication with the extended computing unit via an RF communication path. If yes, it is in the quasi docked mode; if not, it is in the remote mode. 
     When the mode change request is detected to be a change to the remote mode, the method continues at step  796  where the HH processing module determines available handheld hard disk space. The method continues at step  798  where the HH processing module determines the user applications and files stored on the handheld hard disk. The method continues at step  800  where the HH processing module identifies fixed user applications and selected user applications of the user applications and identifies fixed files and selected files of the files. 
     The method continues at step  802  where the HH processing module provides a list of the fixed user applications and the selected user applications. The method continues at step  804  where the HH processing module provides a list of available selectable user applications and/or selectable files stored on the extended hard disk. The method continues at step  806  where the HH processing module determines whether it has received a request to change the selected application and/or selected file. If no, the method continues at step  808  where the HH processing module facilitates the transfer to the remote mode. 
     If a request to change is received at step  806 , the method continues at step  810  where the HH processing module determines whether the change is to delete an application and/or file or to add an application and/or file. If the change is to delete, the method continues at step  812  where the HH processing module deletes the selected application and/or selected file. The method continues at step  808  where the HH processing module facilitates the transition to the remote mode. 
     If the change is to add an application and/or a file, the method continues at step  814  where the HH processing module determines whether there is sufficient memory to store the new application and/or new file. If yes, the method continues at step  814  where the HH processing module adds the new application and/or file to the HH memory  54  and removes it from the EXT memory  84 . Note that the HH processing module may facilitate a back up of any of the files and/or applications stored on the HH memory  54  and/or the EXT memory  84  to a back up tape, a back up hard drive, etc. 
     When the handheld hard disk does not have sufficient available memory to store the new application and/or new file, the method continues at step  818  where the HH processing module provides an insufficient memory message for display. In response to the message, the user may elect to not add the application and/or file to the HH memory  54  prior to going to the remote mode; the user may indicate that he/she desires to swap an application and/or with the EXT memory, or the user may desired to change to the quasi docked mode such that the application and/or file may be accessed via the RF connection. If the response is to swap an application or file, the HH processing module swaps the one of the selected user applications on the handheld hard disk with the available selectable user application on the EXT memory such that the available selectable user application is stored on the handheld hard disk and the one of the selected user applications is stored on the extended hard disk. 
     If the detected mode is to the quasi docked mode, the method continues at step  822  of  FIG. 39  where the HH processing module determines wireless link speed between the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit. For example, if the wireless link is in accordance with IEEE 802.11g, it may provide a link speed of up to 54 Mega-bits per second (Mbps). The method continues at step  824  where the HH processing module determines user applications and/or files stored on the extended hard disk that require a link speed greater than the wireless link rate. For example, an application may require 128 Mbps memory rate access. Note that while in the quasi docked mode, applications and/or files that have a link speed requirement less than the wireless link rate, the HH processing module can access the EXT memory via the wireless link. 
     The method continues at step  826  where the HH processing module provides a list of user applications and/or files that require a link speed greater than the wireless link rate for display. The method continues at step  828  where the HH processing module determines whether the user has selected one of the applications and/or files on the list for transferring to the handheld memory  54 . If not, the method continues at step  830  where the HH processing module facilitates the transition to the quasi docked mode. 
     When a selection of one of the user applications of the list of user applications is received, the method continues at step  832  where the HH processing module determines available handheld hard disk space. The method continues at step  834  where the HH processing module determines the user applications and/or files stored on the handheld hard disk. The method continues at step  836  where the HH processing module determines whether the handheld hard disk has sufficient available memory to store the selected user application and/or file. If yes, the method continues at step  838  where the HH processing module adds the selected application and/or file to the HH memory and then proceeds to step  830 . 
     When the handheld hard disk does not have sufficient available memory to store the selected user application and/or file, the method continues at step  840  where the HH processing module provides an insufficient memory message for display. The method continues at step  842  where the HH processing module determines whether it has received a swap request. If not, the method continues at step  830  where the HH processing module facilitates the change to the quasi docked mode. 
     If, however, a swap request is received, the method continues at step  844  and  846  where the HH processing module swaps the selected user application on the handheld hard disk with the selected user application on the EXT memory such that the new selected user application is stored on the handheld hard disk and the other selected user application is now stored on the extended hard disk. 
       FIG. 40  is a diagram of an example of changing from a docked mode to a remote mode. In this example, the handheld computing unit  12  is docked to the extended computing unit  14  and GUI is provided on the monitor  18  that provides a remote icon and a quasi icon for the user to select to switch modes. The selection may be made via the keyboard  20 , a mouse, a touch screen, voice recognition, etc. In this example, the remote mode is selected. 
       FIG. 41  is a diagram of an example of application and file status prior to changing from a docked mode to a remote mode in accordance with the example of  FIG. 40 . In this example, the handheld memory is storing the fixed applications of a calendar, email, contacts, cell phone, favorites, and notes. The HH memory is also storing selected applications of word processing, a database, spreadsheet, video game A, video game B, GPS receiver, and a digital A/V player. The HH memory further stores fixed files of a calendar list, an email inbox, and a control list. The HH memory further stores selected files of a digital music file  1 , a digital video file  1 , client A folder, a spreadsheet X. 
     In this example, the EXT memory is storing available selectable applications of a presentation application, a PDF maker, video game C, and video game D. The EXT memory is further storing digital music file  2 , digital video file  2 , clients B-P folders, presentations A-Z, and documents  1 -XX. 
     In this example, prior to transitioning to the remote mode, the user may elect to change the applications and/or files stored on the handheld computing unit. For example, assume that the user is traveling to a client&#39;s site to make a presentation and desires only to bring the handheld computing unit. In the example of  FIG. 41 , the presentation application and the files generated therefrom are stored on the EXT memory. As such, the user may drag and click the presentation application and the desired presentation (e.g., presentation A) to the list of selected applications and selected files, respectively. Note that the lists may be one or more folders and/or other types of file systems. If the HH memory has enough available memory, the presentation application and the selected presentation file are added to the HH memory. If not, the user may swap out a selected application and/or file to make remove for the desired file. 
       FIG. 42  is a diagram continuing with the example of  FIG. 41 . In this figure, the user is swapping the presentation application with the spreadsheet application. As such, the presentation application is now stored in the HH memory and the spreadsheet is stored in the EXT memory. 
       FIG. 43  is a diagram continuing with the example of  FIG. 41 . In this figure, the user is swapping the presentation file A with the spreadsheet file X. As such, the presentation file A is now stored in the HH memory and the spreadsheet file X is stored in the EXT memory. 
       FIG. 44  is a logic diagram of an embodiment of a method for creating and/or changing an application and/or file that begins at step  850  where the HH processing module determines whether a new application is to be stored in the computing device. If yes, the method continues at step  852  where the HH processing module provides a message regarding whether the new application is to be stored in the HH memory or the EXT memory. The method continues at step  854  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage message. The method continues at step  856  where the HH processing module provides a message prompt regarding whether new application should be stored as a fixed application or a selectable application. The method continues at step  858  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage type message. The method continues at step  860  where the HH processing module stores the new application as a fixed or selectable application in the HH memory or in the EXT memory based on the responses. 
     At step  862 , the HH processing module determines whether change in storage of an application is to occur. If yes, the method continues at step  864  where the HH processing module provides a message regarding a change of memory location regarding the application. The method continues at step  866  where the HH processing module receives a response to the change storage location message. The method continues at step  868  where the HH processing module provides a message prompt regarding whether the application storage type should change. The method continues at step  870  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage type message. The method continues at step  872  where the HH processing module stores the application as a fixed or selectable application in the HH memory or in the EXT memory based on the responses. 
     At step  874 , the HH processing module determines whether a new file is to be stored in the computing device. If yes, the method continues at step  876  where the HH processing module provides a message regarding whether the new file is to be stored in the HH memory or the EXT memory. The method continues at step  878  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage message. The method continues at step  880  where the HH processing module provides a message prompt regarding whether new file should be stored as a fixed file or a selectable file. The method continues at step  882  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage type message. The method continues at step  884  where the HH processing module stores the new file as a fixed or selectable file in the HH memory or in the EXT memory based on the responses. 
     At step  886 , the HH processing module determines whether change in storage of a file is to occur. If yes, the method continues at step  888  where the HH processing module provides a message regarding a change of memory location regarding the file. The method continues at step  890  where the HH processing module receives a response to the change storage location message. The method continues at step  892  where the HH processing module provides a message prompt regarding whether the file storage type should change. The method continues at step  894  where the HH processing module receives a response to the storage type message. The method continues at step  896  where the HH processing module stores the file as a fixed or selectable file in the HH memory or in the EXT memory based on the responses. 
       FIG. 45  is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a connector structure that may be used to connect the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit. Alternatively, or in addition to, the connector structure may be used on connection on-chip components to off-chip components within the handheld computing unit and/or in the extended computing. In this embodiment, the connector  110 A and  110 B include a plurality of RF transceivers that may transceive signals at 60 GHz or other microwave frequency. Such an RF connection  110  may be implemented in accordance with the teachings of co-pending patent applications (1) RF BUS CONTROLLER, having a serial number of 11/700,285, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (2) INTRA-DEVICE RF BUS AND CONTROL THEREOF, having a Ser. No. 11/700,421, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (3) SHARED RF BUS STRUCTURE, having a Ser. No. 11/700,517, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; (4) RF TRANSCEIVER DEVICE WITH RF BUS, having a Ser. No. 11/700,592, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007; and (5) RF BUS ACCESS PROTOCOL AND TRANSCEIVER, having a Ser. No. 11/700,591, and a filing date of Jan. 31, 2007. 
       FIG. 46  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a connector structure  110 A and  110 B. The connector structure may be used to connect the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit. Alternatively, or in addition to, the connector structure may be used on connection on-chip components to off-chip components within the handheld computing unit and/or in the extended computing. In this embodiment, the connector  110 A and  110 B include a plurality of magnetic transceivers to provide a plurality of near field communication paths. 
       FIG. 47  is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of a connector structure  110 - 3 , where the connection between the clock generator circuit  64  and the slave clock module  94  may be implemented using a standard male/female connector. The remainder of the connector structure  110 A and  110 B may be implemented using one of the embodiments of  FIG. 45  or  46 . In addition, the bus structure may include connector controllers  900  and  902  that control access the respective connectors  110 A and  110 B. Further, multiplexers may be included to switch the coupling of the HH memory  54 , the HH processing module  50 , and the HH main memory  52  to the HH bus structure  75  and/or to the connector  110 A. 
     Note that many of the examples and/or embodiments were discussed with the HH processing module performing the corresponding function. In an alternative embodiment, the EXT processing module may perform the function when the handheld processing module is in the docked mode. As another alternative embodiment, the EXT processing module and the HH processing module function as co-processing modules to perform the function when the handheld processing module is in the docked mode. 
     As may be used herein, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to fifty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. Such relativity between items ranges from a difference of a few percent to magnitude differences. As may also be used herein, the term(s) “coupled to” and/or “coupling” and/or includes direct coupling between items and/or indirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an item includes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit, and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items in the same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, the term “operable to” indicates that an item includes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform one or more its corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items. As may still further be used herein, the term “associated with”, includes direct and/or indirect coupling of separate items and/or one item being embedded within another item. As may be used herein, the term “compares favorably”, indicates that a comparison between two or more items, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal  1  has a greater magnitude than signal  2 , a favorable comparison may be achieved when the magnitude of signal  1  is greater than that of signal  2  or when the magnitude of signal  2  is less than that of signal  1 . 
     The present invention has also been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. 
     The present invention has been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the performance of certain significant functions. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.