Optical wand having an end shaped to register to the surface of a portable device to align respective optical element pairs for data transfer

US5771399A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventor

• Neil S. Fishman · Bothell, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 26, 1996
• Grant date: Jun 23, 1998
• Expiry date: Jun 26, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/24529
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Described herein is a system for transferring a binary data stream in a serial edge-based transmission format between a computer and a portable device such as the Timex.RTM. Data-Link.TM. watch. In the edge-based format expected by the Data-Link.TM. watch, individual data bits have first and second binary values which are represented by the presence or absence of signal edges at mark times which occur at a pre-selected bit rate. The system includes a computer having a digital output line which can be turned on and off by the computer at any time. The computer also has an internal timer which is programmed to generate timing signals at a frequency which is an integer multiple n of the pre-selected bit rate. An LED is operably connected to the digital output line so that the computer can switch the LED on and off at any time through the digital output line. An application program runs on the computer. The application program monitors the timing signals to transmit individual data bits of the binary data stream at corresponding n.sup.th timing signals. Specifically, the application program turns the LED on to create an optical signal edge at a particular n.sup.th timing signal if and …