HK1050751B - Dual fpd and thin client - Google Patents

Description

Dual flat display and thin client

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer displays with integrated computer hardware. The present invention functions as a computer display and a portable thin client computer. This application is a continuation of part of pending patent application 09/630,474, filed on 8/2/2000 by the U.S. patent and trademark office.

Background

Modern flat panel displays (hereinafter "FPDs") with integrated computer motherboards are now commercially available and widely used in the market. These devices, sometimes referred to as network panels or tablets, are essentially FPDs with computer hardware integrated into the housing surrounding the display, so as to enable the user to hold a complete computer in his hand, where the computer appears to be a thick laptop display. These devices are limited in that they are typically computers enclosed in a sealed enclosure so that the monitor and computer are indiscriminately tied together without the easy upgradability of one or the other. There are also different FPDs, which are just static displays that output information from a single CPU housing, which is a standard computer display configuration. These devices may or may not have the capability to receive input via a touch screen, connected or integrated mouse, camera, or similar input device. One limitation of these devices is that they serve only one primary purpose, namely displaying information.

Also well known in the computer art are various "thin client systems" with integrated displays. Examples of such are Palm PILOT series Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) from Palm corporation, casseopipia from casio corporation, and VISOR series PDAs from handswing corporation. Typically, these devices will have a microprocessor running at 30 to 100 megahertz (MHz) speed, and will run a performance limited operating system such as PALM OS or Microsoft WINDOWS CE. They are typically capable of communicating with a personal computer to synchronize data and documents, but are generally incapable of running an enhanced software application, such as an application capable of running on a personal computer. These devices are capable of performing their thin client function, however, since much of the cost of these devices stems from the creation of the display, they cannot be fully utilized by plugging them into a wearable, portable or desktop computer to allow them to function as a standard VGA or other type of resolution monitor in addition to being a thin client computer.

In the prior art, there are several examples of computer systems that can be removed from a host. For example, the devices described above, PDAs, now often contain a data bus for synchronizing data collected using a software application running on a standard computer, or "thick client", and also allow the thick client to download information and sometimes even programs to the PDA, which does not, however, function as a flat panel display for the computer itself. For purposes of this disclosure, the term thick client will include: wearable computers, desktop PCs, apple computers, server computers, or any other standard computer capable of running a fully functional operating system.

Gephart et al, in U.S. Patents 5,625,829 and 5,632,020 to advanced micro device corporation, teach a dockable computer system that contains two different processors in a portable computer and in a host workstation. These processors are capable of processing independently and simultaneously. The dockable computer system preferably includes a communication channel for communicating multiprocessing support signals between the portable computer and the host workstation. This differs from the present invention in that: the portable computer is not a thin client PDA with an integrated flat panel display. In addition, Gephart's invention is a system for multiprocessing and not a system with a display and increased thin client functionality using wired or wireless communication between the thin client and the computer from which the thin client is disconnected.

Kinini et al teach a micro personal digital assistant and an intermediate link bus in U.S. patents 5,692,199 and 5,708,840 to Elonex i.p. holdings, respectively. The' 199 patent discloses a PDA that interacts with a thick client computer via a docking workstation. When this occurs, the PDA's processor automatically suspends to enable the thick client's CPU to access the information stored in the PDA. This differs from the present invention in that: the thin client does not serve as the primary display device of the computer from which the thin client is disconnected. The present invention is specifically designed to enhance the functionality of a wearable computer so that an individual who does not require the full functionality of the wearable computer can simply remove the display device and leave a thin client computer and reconnect it when he is finished.

Therefore, there is a need for an FPD device that can overcome the limitations of the prior art as disclosed above. It must be small enough to be carried or worn independently, but capable of performing thin client operations when detached from its base computer, and also capable of functioning as a static display when reconnected to its previously connected computer. In addition, any information obtained or maintained by the thin client should be available to the base computer when it is reconnected to or otherwise in communication with the FPD.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display that can operate as a thin client computer when it is detached from its base computer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flat panel display that includes integrated hardware to support thin client operation.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a computer display with embedded two-way communication capability.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a display that performs as a static display when it is connected to a computer, but also functions as a thin client computer when it is disconnected from a computer.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a display with integrated input means such as touch screen activation, camera activation, voice response activation, pointing device activation, or other activation means.

These and other objects of the present invention are generally achieved by a flat panel display that includes integrated hardware to support thin client functionality and is capable of functioning as a static computer display when it is not.

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art by the creation of a dual-purpose thin client flat panel display, hereinafter referred to as TCFPD. For the purposes of this disclosure and claims, the term thin client will be used to refer to: a palm-top computer, hand-held computer, personal digital assistant, or other limited function hand-held computer that may rely on another computer for running applications and processing power. In its normal operating mode, the TCFPD is essentially a standard FPD, that is, when it is connected to a fat client, it performs as any other FPD or monitor might do. For the purposes of this disclosure and claims, the term thick client will be used to refer to: a computer such as a PC, wearable computer, notebook computer or other general purpose or special purpose computer system. The FPD displays standard VGA, SVGA, or other computer output signals and is selectively responsive to touch screen, camera, voice, or pointing device inputs. However, when separated from the video signal of a thick client computer, the TCFPD can function as a thin client having an integrated display, capable of running a thin client operating system such as windows ce or Palm OS or similar limited-performance OS, and their corresponding applications, depending on the thin client motherboard and hardware with which it is integrated. These applications are typically not computationally intensive and perform tasks such as simple data or form entry, scheduling, and data collection. In addition, the TCFPD will optionally have the capability to wirelessly transfer data obtained in the thin client mode to a base computer, whether the computer is a wearable or any other thick client or server computer. When used in thin client mode, the system uses Bluetooth, IrDA, or other wireless digital transfer protocols to eliminate the cable connecting the display to the wearable PC, or the system can alternatively transfer data via a wired connection. When the FPD is reconnected to either the base computer or the fat client, its thin client OS is automatically or selectively disabled and it becomes a display device for the fat client.

The present invention essentially integrates the functionality of a thin client into a conventional flat panel display. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that: although a flat panel display is specifically described, a head mounted display, wrist wrapped display, or other body wearable display, although different in form factor, is functionally equivalent, built on substantially the same technology, and may be used in place of the flat panel display of the present invention. When the display device is connected to a computer and receives computer output signals, it may appear the same as and function as any FPD can, and will have resolution capabilities consistent with existing displays of the same size and function. It may optionally respond to input from a touch screen, a camera, voice, or other wired or wireless pointing device, or have other input or activation means. However, when it is disconnected from the computer, the FPD becomes a self-contained thin client device or TCFPD. Presumably, the same input device or activation means will work when the device is operating in the thin client mode. The TCFPD will contain two sets of hardware in its housing. First it will have the necessary hardware to support the resolution of video displays with resolution consistent with state-of-the-art flat panel displays including VGA and SVGA. Second, it will have hardware including a motherboard sufficient to support the functionality of a thin client. As for the definition of the thin client function, reference may be made to "Personal Digital Assistants" published in 1996 by McGraw-Hill, Raymond Wenig: a comprehensive guide to the Mobile User Technology, and Morgan Kaufmann Press, 7.1999, "Thin Clients clean extended" by Joseph Sinclair. For purposes of this disclosure and claims, the hardware necessary to support video display may include electronic and video graphics boards such as those manufactured by ATI or Creative Labs, and based on a structure such as that manufactured by NVIDIA; hardware sufficient to support thin client functionality may comprise and consist essentially of: a bus, static and/or dynamic memory, a central processing unit, I/O hardware, and an embedded or physically removable operating system, hereinafter referred to as the OS.

The OS may be embedded in a ROM, PROM, EPROM or similar data storage structure or may reside on a fixed or removable storage medium. The OS can be Microsoft Windows CE, Palm OS, or other known or previously undeveloped embedded thin client OS or any future such OS. The housing will also contain a wireless data transmitter/receiver technology such as Bluetooth, IrDA, or other digital wireless data transfer protocol for communicating with the base computer (thick client) when operating in the thin client mode.

The processor on the TCFPD board can be selectively or automatically disabled or used as a support processor when the flat panel is reconnected to the computer from which it was originally disconnected. This computer can be a PC, server, wearable, or other computer, and can run state-of-the-art desktop operating systems such as Win98, WinNT, Win2000, Linux, UNIX, Solaris, etc., and their corresponding applications. The term wearable computer means a computer such as those disclosed in U.S. patents 5,305,244 and 5,844,824. The disclosures of these commonly issued patents are hereby incorporated by reference. However, when in the thin client mode, the TCFPD is capable of selectively communicating with the base computer so that information obtained by the thin client FPD can be transferred to the computer without the need to reboot it or restart any of its applications. The dual purpose TCFPD can be selectively used with any PC or server computer as long as a line can be connected between the two or wireless communication can be established.

The present invention may have particular utility for wearable computers and/or other wearable electronic information devices, as well as for current PDA manufacturers who want to expand their user base. An example of a wearable computer is that manufactured by the company Xybernaut of Fairfax, VA, which is commercially sold under the name Mobile Assistant and protected by us patents 5,305,244 and 5,844,824. This invention will extend the flexibility of such a computer by providing thin client functionality as well as full computing functionality. In this embodiment, the FPD can be detached from the wearable computer for data acquisition, static form entry, or other specific thin client application, and then reconnected to the computer. When disconnected, it will run on battery power or plugged into an AC or DC outlet. The benefits of this are: the user need only carry one component of the wearable system, the TCFPD, to perform low-level computer functions. Given the wide popularity of thin-client PDAs, owners and users of wearable computers will be able to enjoy the benefits of having one without the need to purchase an additional redundant piece of hardware. When the user completes his thin client task and the FPD reconnects to the wearable computer, it can pass any appropriate data it obtained via any protocol for digital wireless data transfer, or via a cable such as an IEEE 1334, serial, parallel, or USB port, requiring complementary connectors to reside in the wearable computer and TCFPD. The wearable computer will have a digital radio receiver or a physical data port for communicating and receiving data from the TCFPD and software for supporting this data reception if wireless transmission is to be used. Such software programs and radio communication protocols are well known in the computer arts. Example protocols include, but are not limited to, IrDA, RF, Bluetooth, 802.11, and the like.

A portable display device according to the present invention comprises: a housing; a first hardware device for causing the display device to display an output signal of a computer, the first hardware device being located in the housing; a second hardware device allowing said display device to function as a PDA, said second hardware device being located in said housing, said second hardware device further allowing said display device to operate independently when not connected to or in communication with said computer; means for transmitting information to a thick client computer obtained during stand-alone operation; an activation device integrated into the display device.

The device according to the invention for displaying a computer video signal and operating as a personal digital assistant comprises: a device for displaying a video signal output from a computer; a device for communicating with a computer; a device for performing PDA type functions when not connected or communicating with a computer, including data entry and storage, planning, cataloging and data recovery; a device for activation and control.

In accordance with the present invention, a method for displaying computer video output on a portable display device and selectively operating as a PDA on the same display device, comprises: displaying a computer video signal on a portable display device when the device is in communication or connection with a computer, wherein the display device includes hardware that allows the display device to operate as a computer display; performing thin client functions with the display device, including planning, data entry and retrieval, and forming a directory when the display device is not used as a display device for the computer.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of the present invention showing the different layers of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates a limited embodiment of the TCFPD of the present invention, which includes a personal computer.

Fig. 4 illustrates a limited embodiment of the TCFPD of the present invention, which comprises a wearable computer.

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary thin client motherboard and typical components.

Detailed description of the embodiments

The invention will now be discussed with specific reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 illustrates an external view of the TCFPD 100 of the present invention. The TCFPD 100 is enclosed in a durable housing 101, which is preferably composed of a strong lightweight material such as plastic or thin metal. A display screen 102 is visible from the front of the TCFPD 100. The display screen 102 will be able to display resolution and brightness consistent with state-of-the-art display screens. There is a small antenna 103 for wireless communication with a personal computer. Alternatively, the antenna may be internal to the device, or other wireless protocols such as IRdA may be used that do not require an antenna. The device 100 has a connector 104, preferably located in an unobtrusive position on the housing 101, for connecting to a video output of a computer. In addition, device 100 has a plug 105 for receiving electrical input to recharge the battery of device 100 and/or provide power to device 100.

Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of the device 100, which is not drawn to scale to illustrate the different component layers. Layer 106, the front end of the device contains the display screen 102 and the housing 101. The next layer 107 contains the hardware necessary to support the display screen 102. In the current market, these display screens and hardware are becoming thinner and may be contained in the same layer. The next layer, thin client layer 108, contains the hardware necessary to support thin client operation, including the thin client motherboard. Thin client operations typically include a subscription book and calendar, document processing, contact information, email, games, and the like. The last layer, power plane 109, is an additional battery for device 100. This battery may be removable so that it can be replaced by another new battery, or it may be attached to the housing 101 in a substantially permanent manner. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate that the order and number of layers is not critical to the present invention, but rather the function imparted by them.

Fig. 3 and 4 illustrate two embodiments in which the TCFPD 100 of the present invention is used as the primary display device of a computer. Fig. 3 illustrates a desktop computer 110 in which the display is connected to the computer via a hardwired connection 111. FIG. 4 illustrates a wearable computer environment in which the underlying computer 112 may be worn or supported on a user's body. The TCFPD 100 can be removably connected to a computer 112 or can be a neck hung or wrist wrapped display or other suitable hands free display. The TCFPD 100 receives its display signals from the computer via the hardwired connection 111. Alternatively, in the embodiment of fig. 3 or 4, the connection between the desktop computer 110 or wearable computer 112 and the TCFPD may be a wireless connection using a wireless communication protocol.

Fig. 5 illustrates an exemplary thin client motherboard 113 such as may be used to support thin client functionality in the TCFPD 100 of the present invention. The motherboard 113 is comprised of, for example, volatile and non-volatile memory 114, a BIOS 115, a microprocessor 116, and output module 117 and an input module 118. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate that: motherboard components may be added or deleted as desired without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

The preferred and presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings to illustrate the general principles of the invention, but it is to be understood that numerous modifications, designs, and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. A portable display device comprising:

a housing;

a first hardware device for causing the display device to display an output signal of a computer, the first hardware device being located in the housing;

a second hardware device allowing said display device to function as a PDA, said second hardware device being located in said housing, said second hardware device further allowing said display device to operate independently when not connected to or in communication with said computer;

means for transmitting information to a thick client computer obtained during stand-alone operation;

an activation device integrated into the display device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for displaying an output signal from a computer comprises an integrated display screen and hardware for providing computer generated video output to said display screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for communicating information comprises a wireless communication protocol and transceiver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device for communicating information comprises a physical connector for connecting the display device to a computer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said activation device is a touch screen display responsive to touch stimuli, pen stimuli, and combinations thereof.

6. Apparatus for displaying a computer video signal and operating as a personal digital assistant, comprising:

a device for displaying a video signal output from a computer;

a device for communicating with a computer;

a device for performing PDA type functions when not connected or communicating with a computer, including data entry and storage, planning, cataloging and data recovery;

a device for activation and control.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the display device includes hardware that allows the device to function as a stand-alone thin client computer with an integrated central processor.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the display device comprises a communication device for communicating with another computer.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein said means for activating and controlling is a touch screen display responsive to touch actuation, pen actuation and combinations thereof.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating comprises a wired or wireless device.

11. A method for displaying computer video output on a portable display device and selectively operating as a PDA on the same display device, comprising:

displaying a computer video signal on a portable display device when the device is in communication or connection with a computer, wherein the display device includes hardware that allows the display device to operate as a computer display;

performing thin client functions with the display device, including planning, data entry and retrieval, and forming a directory when the display device is not used as a display device for the computer.