Patent Publication Number: US-2003224834-A1

Title: Personal digital assistant with removable cover pack

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The invention relates to a personal digital assistant; in particular, a personal digital assistant including a separable cover pack with a battery.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] The popularity and use of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) has increased in recent years. A PDA is a lightweight, compact productivity and communications tool that can typically be held in one hand, leaving the other hand free to input data with a pen type stylus or a reduced size keyboard. A PDA provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use. Typical uses include schedule and address book storage and retrieval, as well as note-taking functions. In addition, many PDAs are capable of running a variety of application software packages (e.g., calculators, text and/or image editors, etc.).  
       [0005] As shown in FIG. 1 a  and FIG. 1 b  respectively, PDAs can be divided into two groups, All-In-One PDA  10 , and expandable PDA  20 .  
       [0006] The advantage of the PDA  10  is that its volume can be miniaturized to a particular specification. However, since the specification of the PDA is pre-determined, its function can only be expanded via a built-in CF (compact flash) slot or SD (secure digital) slot  11 . By inserting a CF card or a SD card into the CF slot or the SD slot  11 , the function of the PDA  10  can be expanded. As a result, the PDA  10  can add only one function via the CF slot or the SD slot  11 , and its expandability is limited.  
       [0007] The advantage of the PDA  20  is that its expandability is better than that of the PDA  10 . The PDA  20  can expand its function via a cover pack  21 . When the PDA  20  is combined with different cover packs  21 , its expanded function is also different. However, when the cover pack  21  is combined with the PDA  20 , it surrounds a body  22  of the PDA  20 . Thus, the whole volume of the PDA  20  becomes too large to affect the convenience of the portability.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] In order to address the disadvantages of the aforementioned personal digital assistant, the invention provides a personal digital assistant including a separable cover pack with a battery.  
       [0009] Another purpose of this invention is to provide a miniaturized PDA with good expandability.  
       [0010] Accordingly, the invention provides a personal digital assistant with removable cover pack. The personal digital assistant comprises a base unit and a cover pack. The cover pack is disposed on the base unit in a changeable manner, and includes a battery electrically coupled to the base unit. The battery provides power to the base unit and the cover pack.  
       [0011] In a preferred embodiment, the cover pack includes a short-range wireless communication (such as Bluetooth) unit, CF slot, WLAN (wireless local area network) unit, GSM/GPRS (group special mobile/general packet radio service) unit, GPS (global positioning system) unit, still camera, video camera, bar code reader, or presentation unit.  
       [0012] In another preferred embodiment, the cover pack includes a foldable antenna.  
       [0013] It is understood that the battery can be a Li-polymer battery or a Li-ion battery, and can be built in the cover pack or disposed in the cover pack in a detachable manner.  
       [0014] In another preferred embodiment, the base unit includes a first connector, and the cover pack includes a second connector connecting with the first connector.  
       [0015] Furthermore, the second connector is a golden finger for transmitting signals between the base unit and the cover pack by high- or low-speed access, and the first connector is a slot for the golden finger.  
       [0016] In another preferred embodiment, the base unit includes a groove for guiding the cover pack to dispose on the base unit.  
       [0017] It is understood that the base unit includes a CPU, a memory, a liquid crystal panel, a touch screen, and a SD slot.  
       [0018] In another preferred embodiment, a surface, abutting the cover pack, of the base unit is of plastic, and a surface, abutting the base unit, of the cover pack is of plastic.  
       [0019] It is understood that the plastic can be thinned, and can include isolation properties. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0020] The invention is hereinafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0021]FIG. 1 a  is a schematic view of a conventional All-In-One PDA;  
     [0022]FIG. 1 b  is a schematic view of a conventional expandable PDA;  
     [0023]FIG. 2 a  and FIG. 2 b  are schematic views of a PDA as disclosed in this invention;  
     [0024]FIG. 3 is a front view of the PDA in FIG. 2 b;    
     [0025]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a cover pack as disclosed in this invention; and  
     [0026]FIG. 5 is a partial cross section of the PDA in FIG. 2 b.   
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0027] Referring to FIG. 2 a  and FIG. 2 b , a personal digital assistant with removable cover pack (PDA)  100  as disclosed in this invention comprises a base unit  110  and a plurality of cover packs  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d ,  120   e . It is noted that the base unit  110  is combined with one cover pack  120  at a time as shown in FIG. 2 b . Each of the cover packs  120  includes a battery  121  for providing power to the base unit  110 . Thus, the PDA  100  can be normally operated when the base unit  110  is combined with the cover pack  120 . In addition, based on different requirements, the base unit  110  can be combined with different cover packs  120 . By changing the cover pack  120 , the function of the PDA  100  can be expanded.  
     [0028] The base unit  110  is used as a body of the PDA  100 , and includes basic functions of the PDA  100 , such as a CPU, a memory, an output/input interface including a liquid crystal panel and a touch screen, and a SD slot. That is, the PDA  100  includes basic functions no matter which cover pack  120  is combined with the base unit  110 . Thus, the thickness of the PDA  100  can be minimized, such as a thickness of 10 mm.  
     [0029] The base unit  110  includes a first connector  111  at one side, and includes two grooves  112 , for guiding the cover pack  120  to dispose on the base unit  110 , at the corresponding two sides.  
     [0030] The cover packs  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d ,  120   e  are disposed on the base unit  110  in a changeable manner. Every cover pack, such as  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d ,  120   e , is independent. Each of cover packs  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d ,  120   e  includes a battery  121  electrically coupled to the base unit  110 . The battery  121  provides power to the base unit  110  and the cover pack  120 .  
     [0031] As shown in FIG. 2 a , except the battery  121 , each of cover packs  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d ,  120   e  includes other units with the function required by the PDA  100 . For example, the cover pack  120   a  is a cover pack with the battery  121 , the cover pack  120   b  is a cover pack with the battery  121  and a CF slot  122 , the cover pack  120   c  is a cover pack with the battery  121  and a WLAN (IEEE 802. 11a/b) unit  123 , the cover pack  120   d  is a cover pack with the battery  121  and a GSM/GPRS unit  124 , the cover pack  120   e  is a cover pack with the battery  121 , the CF slot  122  and the GSM/GPRS unit  124 .  
     [0032] It is understood that the type of the cover pack is not limited to the above examples. The cover pack  120  may include a short-range wireless communication (such as Bluetooth) unit, GPS (global positioning system) unit, still camera, video camera, bar code reader, or presentation unit. It is also understood that the cover pack may include one expanded function, such as  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d , or include two expanded functions, such as  120   e , or includes three or more functions (not shown). Thus, the cover pack can be conveniently designed based on specific requirements.  
     [0033] It is noted that the thicknesses of the cover packs  120   a ,  120   b ,  120   c ,  120   d , and  120   e  are different. For example, since the cover pack  120   a  only includes the battery  121 , its thickness is 4 mm. The thickness of the cover pack  120   b , including the battery  121  and the CF slot  122 , is 5 mm. The thickness of the cover pack  120   c , including the battery  121  and the WLAN unit  123 , is 7 mm. The thickness of the cover pack  120   d , including the battery  121  and the GSM/GPRS unit  124 , is 7 mm. The thickness of the cover pack  120   e , including the battery  121  and the CF slot  122  and the GSM/GPRS unit  124 , is 12 mm. In FIG. 3, the cover pack  120   a  is shown in solid lines, and the cover pack  120   d  is shown in dashed lines. Thus, in view of FIG. 3, the whole thickness of the PDA  100  is changed based on different cover packs  120 .  
     [0034] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 b , each of the cover packs  120  includes flanges  127 , corresponding to the grooves  112  of the base unit  110 , at its periphery so that the cover pack  120  can be smoothly disposed on the base unit  110 .  
     [0035] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 4, the cover pack  120  may include an antenna  125  for assisting in signal transmission. The antenna  125  is disposed on the cover pack  120  in a foldable manner.  
     [0036] Referring to FIG. 5, each of the cover packs  120  includes a second connector  126  connecting with the first connector  111  of the base unit  110 . Thus, when the cover pack  120  is disposed on the base unit  110 , it is electrically coupled to the base unit  110  via the first connector  111  and the second connector  126 .  
     [0037] Furthermore, the second connector  126  is a golden finger, and the first connector  111  is a slot for the golden finger. The second connector  126  transmits signals between the base unit  110  and the cover pack  120  by high- or low-speed access. Specifically, since the second connector  126  includes a system bus having an address bus and a data bus and a control bus, it can parallelly transmit signals by high-speed access. Thus, the second connector  126  is suitable for connecting the CF slot, the WLAN unit, the still camera, the video camera, the presentation unit and others. In addition, since the second connector  126  can also serially transmit signals, such as RS232, it can transmit signals by low-speed access. Thus, the second connector  126  is also suitable for connecting the Short-range wireless communication unit, the GSM/GPRS unit, the bar code reader, the GPS unit and others. Furthermore, the second connector  126  can transmit signals representing the voltage of the battery  121 , the voltage provided by the base unit  110 , the gas gauge of the battery  121  and others.  
     [0038] In addition, it is understood that the battery  121  can be a Li-polymer battery or a Li-ion battery, and can be built in the cover pack  120  or disposed in the cover pack  120  in a detachable manner.  
     [0039] Furthermore, a surface, abutting the cover pack  120 , of the base unit  110  may be of plastic, and a surface, abutting the base unit  110 , of the cover pack  120  maybe of plastic. Since the plastic surfaces are not located at the visible surface of the PDA  100 , they may be thinned so as to reduce the thickness of the whole PDA  100 . In addition, the plastic surfaces may include isolation properties.  
     [0040] The advantages of the PDA  100  as disclosed in this invention are described as follows with reference to Table 1. In Table 1, “+” means good, “*” means fair, and “−” means bad.  
                               TABLE 1                                   PDA 100 as   All-In-One   Separable           disclosed in   PDA 10 as   PDA 20 as           this   shown in   shown in           invention       FIG. 1a                                                            Compactness   +   +   −           Expandability   +   −   +           Use time   +   −   +           Thickness   +   +   −           Scalability   +   −   *           Wireless   +   −   *           capability           Third party   +   −   +           Transferrability   +   +   −                      
 
     [0041] In Table 1, “Compactness” determines whether the volume of the PDA is properly designed or not. The PDA  100  and the conventional PDA  10  can properly utilize its volume based on needs. However, since the volume of the cover pack  21  and the body  22  of the PDA  20  are pre-set, the volume of the PDA  20  cannot be properly designed.  
     [0042] In Table 1, “expandability” determines whether the function of the PDA can be changed based on the requirement of the user or not. The functions of the PDAs  20 ,  100  can be expanded via cover packs. However, the PDA  10  can only add one function via the CF slot.  
     [0043] In Table 1, “use time” determines how long the PDA can be used on battery. The PDAs  20 ,  100  can change specification of the battery so as to extend use time. However, since the PDA  10  is provided with a pre-set battery, its use time is limited.  
     [0044] Under the same conditions, the PDA  100  may be thicker than the PDA  10  by about only 1 mm. However, the PDA  20  with its cover pack  21  is much thicker than the PDA  10 ,  100 .  
     [0045] In Table 1, “scalability” determines whether the current design of the PDA can be maintained or not after the specification of the PDA is changed. When the specification is changed, the whole PDA  10  must be re-designed. In contrast, the PDA  20 ,  100  can introduce new functions via their cover pack so that the whole PDA need not be re-designed. Furthermore, since the base unit  110  of the PDA  100  only provides basic functions, its scalability is better than the PDA  20 .  
     [0046] The PDAs  20 ,  100  can include wireless communication function via their cover packs, but the PDA  10  cannot. In addition, comparing the PDA  100  with the PDA  20 , when the cover pack with the wireless communication function is disposed on the PDA, the PDA  20  is much thicker than the PDA  100 .  
     [0047] In Table 1, “third party” determines whether the design of the PDA can be authorized to others to help design or not. The cover pack of the PDAs  20 ,  100  can be authorized to others to help designing, but the PDA  10  cannot.  
     [0048] In Table 1, “manufacture” determines whether the structure of the PDA can be applied to other devices or not. The structure of the PDA  100  can be applied to the web-pad or tablet PC. The structure of the PDA  10  can also be applied to other devices since it has a predetermined specification. However, the PDA  20  cannot be applied to other devices since its cover pack surrounds the body after assembly.  
     [0049] As stated above, the PDA as disclosed in this invention is provided with good expandability in a miniaturized situation.  
     [0050] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover the disclosed embodiment, those alternatives which have been discussed above, and all equivalents thereto.