Patent · US Expired

Portable information device and system and method for downloading executable instruction from a computer to the portable information device

US5878282A · kind A · utility

90Cited by
20References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 1997
Grant dateMar 2, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 25, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K19/077
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system is provided to exchange information between a computer and a programmable portable information device (PID) using a standard memory drive, such as a 3.5" disk drive or a PCMCIA port. The PID has a protective encasing with a form factor that is physically compatible with the computer memory drive. In one embodiment, the portable information device has the form factor of a 3.5" memory diskette, while in another embodiment, the portable information device has a form factor of a PCMCIA card. The portable information device includes a keypad and a flat panel display provided on the exterior of the protective encasing, but within the form factor so as not to interrupt the insertion of the portable information device into the memory drive. The uniquely configured portable information device can be inserted into or removed from a standard computer memory drive. When inserted, communication between the portable information device and computer is automatically initiated. The PID receives executable instructions and/or data from the computer via the computer memory drive and transfers other data back to the computer in the same way. This permits the computer and PID to simultaneously…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.