Palm, Incorporated

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Palmsource Inc.

Access Company, Ltd.

Jeffry Harlow Loucks

John LeFevre

Keith Yamanaka

David Kammer

Craig Stuart Skinner

David Fish

Jeffrey Frank

A method and system for power source management of a portable device. A power source used to supply electrical energy for a portable device should ideally operate with a constant terminal voltage. However, the terminal voltage of a cell or group of cells used as a source of electrical energy can be expected to reduce in amplitude over its operational lifetime. Near the end of operational lifetime, the terminal voltage of such a source can be expected to decrease rapidly. Furthermore, the source terminal voltage will also exhibit significant variations in amplitude in response to changes in electric current demands on the source. Such source voltage variations can impair or even prevent proper operation of the electronic circuits within the portable device. Power management for proper operation of a portable device is necessary to ensure proper device operation and to prevent loss of data. The present method and system controls portable device operation by periodic determination of average source terminal voltage which is faster and simpler than continuous monitoring used with present systems. Comparison of the periodic average source terminal voltage with stored operational voltage limits allows either temporary or permanent curtailment of certain device operations. Such action can be used to prevent any loss of device data. Further, the present method offers the advantage of identifying momentary fluctuations in source terminal voltage caused by temporary demands in source current levels. Thus, continuous monitoring and prior knowledge of source load demands and equipment as required by present methods are eliminated.

Battery voltage saf avoidance algorithm for a wireless handheld device

A method for scheduling tasks in a computer operating system comprises a background task creating at least one registered service. The background task provides an execution presence and a data present to a registered service and ranks the registered services according to the requirements of each registered service. The background task also allocates an execution presence and a data presence according to each of the registered services such that each of the registered services is given an opportunity to be scheduled in the dedicated pre-assigned time slice.

Method for dynamically enabling the expansion of a computer operating system

A modular portable computer system is described. A top modular layer with a coupled display interface and adapted to be interconnected with other modular layers. A second modular layer is interconnected with the top modular layer and other modular layers, for providing a power source to supply operating power to said top modular layer and to those other modular layers present and is disposed beneath the top modular layer. A third modular layer is interconnected with the top modular layer and the second modular layer for providing baseline logic electronics and communication components to the modular portable computer system and is disposed beneath the top modular layer. A universal interconnect for providing electronic and communicative interconnection of each modular layer is disposed at least once on each modular layer.

Successively layered modular construction for a portable computer system

A method and system for selecting and connecting to an access point in a wireless network of devices, such as a Bluetooth network. Initially, an initiator device is preconfigured with a list of available access point addresses. The initiator device broadcasts an inquiry message that is received by available wireless devices which, in turn, respond with their respective addresses, occupancy level and device classification. The initiator device compares the respondent addresses with the preconfigured access point addresses and connects to a match, thus terminating the inquiry, provided certain fitness functions are satisfied. The fitness functions might include such considerations as occupancy rate, device classification, signal strength, or physical distance of separation. The list of addresses on the initiator device is updated automatically upon connecting with a network server whenever a new device is added or an old one removed from the network server's access point address list.

Method for intelligently selecting wireless access point

A method and system for restoring device personality after failure. Specifically, the present invention discloses a method and system for automated personality transfer in a wireless enabled handheld device. In one embodiment, the present invention automatically extracts personality information that is unique and critical to the proper functionality of an electronic device. A personality file containing the personality information is created and stored on the electronic device. The personality file can be then transferred to another electronic device for archival purposes. Thereafter, should the personality information be lost due to device failure, embodiments of the present invention provide for restoring the electronic device back to its original operating state by importing the personality information back into the electronic device.

Method and apparatus for automated personal information management data transfer for a wireless enabled handheld

Battery voltage sag avoidance algorithm for a wireless handheld device

Method for intelligently selecting a wireless communication access point

A modular portable computer system is described. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of a top modular layer with a coupled display interface and adapted to be interconnected with other modular layers. In the present embodiment, a second modular layer is interconnected with the top modular layer and other modular layers, for providing a power source to supply operating power to said top modular layer and to those other modular layers present and is disposed beneath the top modular layer. In the present embodiment, a third modular layer is interconnected with the top modular layer and the second modular layer for providing baseline logic electronics and communication components to the modular portable computer system and is disposed beneath the top modular layer. In the present embodiment, a universal interconnect for providing electronic and communicative interconnection of each modular layer is disposed at least once on each modular layer.

Method and apparatus for automated personality transfer for a wireless enabled handheld device

Method and system to avoid battery sag by detecting momentary fluctuation in a periodic terminal voltage measurement and excluding the measurement from updated average terminal voltage

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Gig Harbor, WA, United States of America

Jeffry Harlow Loucks