Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent | 5,680,334 |
Silva ,   et al. | October 21, 1997 |
A portable data collection terminal has an elongate housing with a hand grip conforming rear surface. A front surface features a numerical keyboard adjacent a lower end of the housing and an LCD screen adjacent the keyboard toward an upper end of the housing. The display screen is of elongate rectangular shape, its length extending longitudinally of the housing of the data terminal. The active area of the display screen is covered by a touch sensitive overlay screen which is configured in one mode of operation of the data terminal into an alphabetical keyboard. The orientation of the display is switchable between orientations in which the line direction of the displayed data extends across or longitudinally of the data terminal. The keys of the numerical keyboard are identified by indicia disposed on a template. The orientation of the template may be sensed to switch the orientation of the displayed data and touch sensitive key identifiers to correspond to the orientation of the indicia on the template. As a further embodiment an electromagnetic activation by a pen may be used to enter data into a data terminal. Power saving shutdown extends the battery life of the data terminal. A shutdown mode permits resumption of operations by depression of a key. During operations power consumption is reduced by efficient distribution of operations control between microprocessors. The microprocessors have shared access to and control of system operations.
Inventors: | Silva; Dennis (San Jose, CA); Beard; Paul (Milpitas, CA); Friend; Steven Darren (Felton, CA); Alt; Daniel E. (Marion, IA); Austin; Rickey G. (Lisbon, IA); Boatwright; Darrell L. (Cedar Rapids, IA); Danielson; Arvin D. (Solon, IA) |
Assignee: | Norand Corporation (Cedar Rapids, IA) |
Appl. No.: | 499593 |
Filed: | July 7, 1995 |
Intern'l Class: | G06F 001/32 |
Field of Search: | 364/707,708.1 395/750 |
3826900 | Jul., 1974 | Moellering | 235/435. |
4038535 | Jul., 1977 | Aldridge et al. | 364/708. |
4075702 | Feb., 1978 | Davies | 364/708. |
4279021 | Jul., 1981 | See et al. | 364/709. |
4345147 | Aug., 1982 | Aaron et al. | 235/385. |
4409470 | Oct., 1983 | Shepard et al. | 235/435. |
4523297 | Jun., 1985 | Ugon et al. | 364/900. |
4588938 | May., 1986 | Liautand et al. | 455/89. |
4634845 | Jan., 1987 | Hale et al. | 235/350. |
4703161 | Oct., 1987 | McLean | 364/708. |
4704604 | Nov., 1987 | Fuhs | 364/708. |
4706096 | Nov., 1987 | Sato | 235/385. |
4723281 | Feb., 1988 | Peiker et al. | 379/58. |
4727245 | Feb., 1988 | Dabbins et al. | 235/472. |
4733032 | Mar., 1988 | Vehara et al. | 364/709. |
4752965 | Jun., 1988 | Dunkley et al. | 382/3. |
4801786 | Jan., 1989 | Stobbe | 235/472. |
4845419 | Jul., 1989 | Hacken | 320/39. |
4845738 | Jul., 1989 | Takamo | 379/58. |
4853521 | Aug., 1989 | Claeys et al. | 235/375. |
4857716 | Aug., 1989 | Gombrich et al. | 235/375. |
4858162 | Aug., 1989 | Kieffer et al. | 364/708. |
4866646 | Sep., 1989 | Nakamura et al. | 364/709. |
4870677 | Sep., 1989 | DiSanto et al. | 379/96. |
4890832 | Jan., 1990 | Komaki | 463/44. |
4916441 | Apr., 1990 | Gombrich | 364/709. |
4953113 | Aug., 1990 | Chadima, Jr. et al. | 361/680. |
4969647 | Nov., 1990 | Mical et al. | 463/31. |
4972496 | Nov., 1990 | Sklarew | 382/187. |
5021983 | Jun., 1991 | Nguyen et al. | 364/707. |
5023438 | Jun., 1991 | Wakatsuki et al. | 235/472. |
5103376 | Apr., 1992 | Blonder | 361/681. |
5109354 | Apr., 1992 | Yamashita et al. | 364/708. |
5123064 | Jun., 1992 | Hacken et al. | 382/59. |
5133076 | Jul., 1992 | Hawkins et al. | 364/709. |
5142684 | Aug., 1992 | Perry et al. | 395/750. |
5144302 | Sep., 1992 | Carter et al. | 341/20. |
5155659 | Oct., 1992 | Kunert | 364/208. |
5203003 | Apr., 1993 | Donner | 364/707. |
5241488 | Aug., 1993 | Chadima, Jr. et al. | 364/708. |
5241680 | Aug., 1993 | Cole et al. | 395/750. |
5265238 | Nov., 1993 | Canova, Jr. et al. | 364/708. |
5382962 | Jan., 1995 | Young | 364/708. |
5383091 | Jan., 1995 | Shell | 361/679. |
5390350 | Feb., 1995 | Chung et al. | 364/707. |
5404267 | Apr., 1995 | Silva | 364/708. |
5404546 | Apr., 1995 | Stewart | 364/707. |
5410711 | Apr., 1995 | Stewart | 364/707. |
5410713 | Apr., 1995 | White et al. | 364/707. |
5420808 | May., 1995 | Alexander et al. | 364/707. |
5461546 | Oct., 1995 | Kobayashi et al. | 364/708. |
5471621 | Nov., 1995 | Ohtsuki | 395/750. |
Foreign Patent Documents | |||
58-096334 | Jun., 1983 | JP. | |
58-176792 | Oct., 1983 | JP. | |
60-017523 | Jan., 1985 | JP. | |
2122787 | Jan., 1984 | GB. | |
2201125 | Aug., 1988 | GB. |
"Pen*View.TM. Pen Based Computer," N.sup.o 960-170-205, Norand Corporation, 1992. Norand Marketing Bulletin #94-016, entitled "Pen*Key.TM. Single Dock Installation Instructions," Jun. 15, 1994. Norand New Release, entitled "Integrated Scanning Expands Pen*Key.TM. 6300 Hand-Held Personal Computer Functionality," Nov. 1, 1994. |