Patent ID: 8064952

Claim:
An integrated circuit (IC) for use in a handheld computing unit of a computing device that includes the handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit, wherein the IC comprises: a handheld microphone interface; a handheld speaker interface; a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data; a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; a processing module coupled to convert an outbound voice signal into the outbound data and to convert the inbound data into an inbound voice signal and to generate output user data and input user data relating to processing a handheld user application; an on-chip to off-chip connector structure that couples the IC to a connector structure, wherein the connector structure couples the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit; and a digital audio switching module coupled to: provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the handheld speaker interface when the IC is in a remote mode, wherein the IC is in the remote mode when the handheld computing unit is not coupled to the extended computing unit; provide the outbound voice signal from the handheld microphone interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode; provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a docked mode, wherein the IC is in the docked mode when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computing unit; and provide the outbound voice signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode; a handheld display interface coupled to an off-chip handheld display; a data input interface coupled to an off-chip data input device; and a data switch module coupled to: provide the output user data from the processing module to the handheld display interface when the IC is in the remote mode; provide the output user data from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode; provide the input user data from the handheld data input interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode; and provide the input user data from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.