O
`United States Patent
`
`[19]
`
`Zavrel
`
`I|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||l|||||||||||||||||||l||||||||||||||||||
`
`US00581293UA
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`5,312,930
`
`[451 Date of Patent:
`
`Sep. 22, 1998
`
`.......................... .. 375.3202
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`
`INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTENIS
`w]1‘H 1;R()A1)3AN|) Am) NARR()w3AN[)
`COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BETWEEN
`REPOSITORY AND DISPLAY SYSTEMS
`Inventor: Robert Joseph Zavnel, Chapel Hill,
`“-9-
`
`|'z'3] Assigncc:
`
`International Business Machines
`Curp"Nm0nk' NY‘
`
`[21] APP‘. N0-i 573,017
`[22
`Filed:
`Jul. 10, 1996
`[51]
`Int. Cl.“ ..................................................... .. H0-4H U00
`|52g U.S. (:1.
`......................... .. 4ss;5.1; 375200; 370x490;
`W493
`Field of Search ............................ .. 455/445, 66, 454,
`4551466’ 434, 503’ 3,1’ 3-25 41’ 42’ 6,3’
`5.1; 370E493, 490, 494-495, 486; 3’r'S,=’2U(I,
`202, 205, 2116; 34837, 10
`
`|58|
`
`References cited
`U-S- P/WENT DOCUMENTS
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`ABSTRACT
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`A bidirectional or unidirectional information handling sys-
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`embodtments, by a narrowband channel for bIdIl'CClIO[1ai
`lower data How rates. The display system may take a number
`of forms,
`including personal communications assistants,
`desktop personal computers, and set top boxes. The data
`contmunication channels may be dcfined by a number of
`dillerenl protocols and bandwidth segments and may bc
`wimlinc or wirclc“
`
`44 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
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`U.S. Patent
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`Sep.22,1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 9
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`5,812,930
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`U.S. Patent
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`Sep. 22, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 9
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`5,812,930
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`FIG. 2
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`U.S. Patent
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`Sep. 22, 1998
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`Sheet 3 of 9
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`Scp. 22, 1998
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`Sheet 5 of 9
`
`5,812,930
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`130
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`FIG. 5A
`
`6
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Scp. 22, 1998
`
`Sheet 6 of 9
`
`5,812,930
`
`130\
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`132
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`CABLE. ANT.
`
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Scp. 22, 1998
`
`Sheet 7 of 9
`
`5,812,930
`
`FIG. 7
`
`23]
`
`230
`
`8
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Scp. 22, 1998
`
`Sheet 8 of 9
`
`5,812,930
`
`FIG. 8
`
`9
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Scp. 22, 1998
`
`Sheet 9 of 9
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`5,812,930
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`5,812,930
`
`1
`INFORMATION I-IANDLING SYSTEMS
`WITH BROADBAND AND NARROWISAND
`COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BE"I‘WEI£N
`REPOSITORY AND DISPLAY SYSTEMS
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE. lNVl:LN'l'ION
`
`2
`works of personal computer systems grew up, with layered
`access through network servers to the enterprise systems or
`mainframes on which enterprise data is stored.
`As information handling work has spread to an increasing
`number of information workers and impacted the work of
`more wide spread groups ofemployces within an enterprise,
`need for mobility of such employees has arisen. Particularly
`in such “outside" jobs as route salesperson, transport driver,
`or business consultant,
`it has become important
`to have
`access, while remote from an enterprise site, to enterprise
`data normally maintained on an enterprise system and
`accessed through a network of computer systems. Such
`access has been achieved, in part, through the use of wireline
`connected personal computer systems such as notebook or
`laptop computer systems. Typically, such a system may be
`equipped with a modern and communications software such
`that, when connected to a public switched telephone net-
`work (PS’I'N), the system may be connected with a support-
`ing server or mainframe and a user may gain access to
`desired data.
`
`With the development of radio communications such as
`exemplified by the pager and cellular telephone networks
`mentioned hereinafter, the possibility arose of eliminating
`the wireline connect ion between a personal computer system
`and a supporting server. Such information handling systems
`have been developed, particularly for systems used in retail
`and warehousing businesses, which permit a user to move
`freely within an area which has radio transceiver service
`while remaining in intermittent or continuous contact with a
`data channel through which data may be exchanged with a
`server or mainframe supporting an enterprise activity. For
`purposes of discussion here, such systems in the hands of
`users will be referred to as “mobile client systems". A
`mobile client system is distinguished by the mobility of the
`user, who is free of the restraints against movement imposed
`by a wireline connection, and by the client nature of the
`system in that enterprise data accessed by the mobile client
`system is maintained on a server or mainframe computer
`system with which the mobile client is in communication.
`Such mobile client systems are also sometimes referred to as
`personal communications assistants or personal digital assis-
`tants. The interested reader is referred to “Wireless: The
`Revolution in Personal Telecommunications" by Ira Brod-
`sky (Artech House, Boston, 1995) for additional background
`and information about mobile client systems.
`At the same time that the developments briefly reviewed
`above have been occurring,
`there have been somewhat
`parallel developments in the fields of entertainment and
`consumer electronics at least partly fueled and driven by the
`developments mentioned. These developments have
`included a trend from broadcast television first
`to cable
`distribution systems and more recently to satellite direct
`broadcast systems or hybrids in which broadcast channels
`include both satellite links and microwave local area links.
`With such broadcast developments have come devices
`known as “set top boxes" from the fact that such systems are
`usually associated with a conventional television receiver, as
`by being mounted in a housing or “box" placed atop the
`receiver set, hence the common name given here. The
`information handled in this environment
`is primarily for
`entertainment purposes, and may be either analog or digital
`as broadcast. The broadcasts are typically of a type here
`called “broadband”,
`in that
`the data channel is relatively
`broad and covers a significant span of the electromagnetic
`spectrum whether distributed by direct broadcast, by cable
`or optical link, by direct satellite broadcast, or by some
`hybrid information handling system. A typical broadband
`channel may be assigned a frequency range ofsix megahertz
`or the like.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`30
`
`Personal computer systems in general and IBM personal
`computers in particular have attained widespread use for
`providing computer power to many segments of today’s
`modern society for handling information in the form of
`digital data. Personal computer systems usually are a desk
`top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists
`of a system unit having a single system processor and
`associated volatile and non-volatile memory; a display; a
`keyboard or touchscreen input device; data storage in the
`form of one or more diskette or fixed disk drives or a volatile
`memory equivalent; and possibly an optional printer or other
`output device. One of the distinguishing characteristics of
`these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar
`to electrically connect a number of components together.
`These systems are designed primarily to give independent
`information handling system power to a single user and are
`inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small
`businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems
`are the personal as the PERSONAL COMPUTER AT. I-’ER- H
`SONAL SYSTEMKZ, PSI], Aptiva, PC3300, PCTUU, and the
`like. Persons of skill in the computer arts will be familiar
`with these systems.
`These personal computer systems can be classified into
`families based on bus architecture. One family, referred to
`here as the ISA family, use a bus architecture exemplified by
`the IBM PERSONAL COMI-’UTIiR Al‘ and other “IBM
`compatible” machines. Asecond family use IBM’s MICRO
`CHANNEL bus architecture exemplified by IBM’s PER»
`SONAL SYSTl:lM;’2 Models 50 through 95. The ISA family
`originally used the popular INTIEI. 8088 or 8086 micropro-
`cessor as the system processor. These processors have the
`ability to address one megabyte of memory. The second
`family models typically used the high speed INTEL 80236,
`80386. 80486, or Pentium brand microprocessors which can
`operate in a real mode to emulate the slower speed INTEL
`8086 microprocessor or a protected mode which extends the
`addressing range from I megabyte to 4 Gigabytes for some
`models.
`In essence.
`the real mode feature of the 80286,
`80386, and 80436 processors provide hardware compatibil-
`ity with software written for the 8086 and 8088 micropro-
`cessors. As the state of the art has progressed, ISA family
`systems have developed toward ever higher capability cen-
`tral processor units and bus architectures, including the Intel
`PENTIUM brand microprocessor and its competitors,
`Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microproces-
`sors such as the IBM and Motorola Power PC processors,
`and higher capability bus designs such as VESA and PCI bus
`designs. Again, persons ofskill in the computer arts will be _
`familiar with these systems.
`The impact of such development on the manner in which
`information handling is done in business and consumer
`environments has been profound. Prior to the development
`of personal computer systems, most use of computers was
`for business purposes only and data processing was done in
`the “glass house” which housed the computer system.
`Inquires were channeled through information managers for
`handling by computer technicians. With the wide spread use
`of personal computer systems access to data once main-
`tained on an enterprise wide computer system became
`important to managers and ultimately line employees. Net-
`
`35
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`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`60
`
`65
`
`11
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`11
`
`

`
`5,812,930
`
`4
`transmission and reception ofdata front and to the repository
`system and a display system.
`Infonnation handling systems as contemplated by this
`invention may take a variety of forms in detail. However, the
`systems ofthis invention are generally distinguished in that
`larger data files are exchanged through the broadband chan-
`nel while smaller data files are exchanged through the
`narrowband channel.
`In accordance with embodiments of this invention
`described hereinafter, the communication protocols used in
`the broadband and narnowband channels differ. Further, one
`or both the the channels may be defined by wireless con-
`nectivity or by wireline connectivity.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`I0
`
`15
`
`3
`Other areas of development, as brielly mentioned above,
`include paging technology in which a small consumer or
`business purpose device receives unidirectional broadcasts
`of identified signals causing data, such as a
`telephone
`number to which a call should be returned, to be displayed
`for a user. Recent pager development has reached for
`bidirectional communication capability. Cellular telephone
`capability became first a business tool and more recently a
`consumer commonplace for connection into the older PSTN
`systems. Such transmissions typically are over narrowband
`channels, which may be assigned a frequency range ofa few
`hundred hertz or the like. Narrowband radio links have the
`advantages of having the best radio sensitivity and range,
`allowing the use of lower power transmitters, being con-
`trolled by government franchise against
`interference, and
`using a known, established technology. Such links have
`disadvantages in being limited to lower data rates, fre-
`quently around 9.6 KbitS:’Sec., which in turn limit the prac-
`ticality of repeaters and data networks, requiring govem-
`mental licensing and re-licensing for any frequency change,
`and limited access due to prior demand and establishment of
`channels.
`
`30
`
`40
`
`the various information handling
`Where bidirectional.
`systems described above are characterized by having limited
`data rates and very high cost per byte of data transferred. The -
`data rates of these systems (including data over analog
`cellular, CDPD, all the digital cellular systems, ARDIS and
`RAM) is, or will be, no more than a wireline, standard
`telephone modern, generally limited at
`the time of the
`writing this description to a maximum under most favorable
`conditions oft 28.8 Kbitsfsec. This is believed to be the
`reason that all presently commercially successful wide-area
`information handling systems relying on a wireless link
`involve short messages only (pagers and to a much lesser
`extent ARDIS and RAM).
`What is needed is a new high-speed and low cost data link
`that will enable proliferation of the wireless data revolution.
`Hints at the direction of technology development which will
`enable that link, as disclosed more fully hereinafter, can be
`found in certain prior disclosures, such as Foglia U.S. Pat.
`No. 4,885,747 issued 5 Dec. 1989 and Freitas et al. U.S. Pat.
`No. 5,321,542 issued 14 Jun. 1994, both assigned to the
`assignee of the present subject invention.
`Yet another influence on the significance of data links is
`the coming convergence of what has been known as televiw
`sion and what have been known as personal computer
`applications. At
`the time of writing of this specification,
`there are appearing in the marketplace consumer systems
`which combine personal computer functionality, such as
`internet access and the like, with television access and
`displays. As such convergence continues (and anticipation
`of that convergence is well documented in the popular
`press), there will develop increasing demand for data dis-
`tribution. There are already appearing in some industry
`publications discussions of the "bottleneck" which is being
`or will be imposed by the distribution of data which will be
`requested from such converged system users.
`
`50
`
`55
`
`Some of the purposes of the invention having been stated,
`others will appear as the following description proceeds,
`when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,
`in which:
`
`FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of certain ele-
`ments of a mobile client computer system useful as a display
`system in the practice of this invention;
`FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile client system
`of FIG. I as assembled for use;
`FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of relationships
`among a mobile client system as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and
`supporting peripherals and systems including a repository
`system and associated transmitters and transceivers;
`FIG. 4 is a schematic showing of certain circuitry ele-
`ments embodied in the mobile client of FIG. 2;
`FIG. 5A and 5B are views of a set top box, television
`receiver and remote control which are together useful as a
`display system in the practice of this invention;
`FIG. 6 is a schematic showing of certain circuitry elew
`ments embodied in the set top box of FIG. 5A;
`FIG. 7 is a view of a personal computer system useful as
`a display system in the practice of this invention;
`FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of certain ele-
`ments of the personal computer system of FIG. 7; and
`FIG. 9 is a schematic showing of certain circuitry ele-
`ments embodied in the personal computer system of FIG. 7.
`Dl3S(.‘RIP'I'I(JN Oli TI-IE PRl_‘.l'"l;'-lRRl_-JD
`EMBODlMl£N’I'(S)
`
`While the present invention will be described more fully
`hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
`which preferred embodiments of the present invention are
`shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description
`which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts
`may modify the invention here described while still achiev-
`ing the favorable results of this invention. Accordingly, the
`description which follows is to be understood as being a
`broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the
`appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the present inven-
`tion.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`With the foregoing as background, the present invention
`contemplates information handling systems in which asym-
`metric data traffic is accommodated.
`In realizing such
`systems, two channels for communication of data between a
`repository system and a display system are defined. One is
`a broadband channel
`for transmission of data from the
`
`repository system. The other is a narrowband channel for
`
`60
`
`65
`
`for
`Further on in this description there will be,
`completeness, descriptions of certain constituents of an
`information handling system which embodies the present
`invention. After a foundation has been laid by a description
`of overall
`information handling system concepts and
`embodiments, attention will be turned to user systems which
`provide the point at which a subscriber, end user or human
`operator will encounter the information handling systems of
`this invention. The user systems to be later described will
`
`12
`
`12
`
`

`
`5,812,930
`
`5
`include a mobile client system, a set top box, and a personal
`computer system.
`An October, 1993 report on Tire Infoprrd Project issued by
`the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of
`California at Berkeley reached a conclusion that data
`transactions, unlike voice transmissions, are asymmetrical.
`In other words. there is a great deal more data flowing from
`the server to the subscriber than from the subscriber to the
`server. None of the existing wide area wireless networks
`take advantage of this situation. Indeed, most are modeled
`after the old voice symmetry model.
`The INTERNET provides an example for intuitive under-
`standing of this asymmetry. When “cruising the web”, a
`client data display system typically sends a repository sys-
`tem for storing, accessing and distributing data, responds
`with Iiles that are much larger than the requests sent by the
`client.
`
`I0
`
`15
`
`6
`The use of CDMA on an existing TV channel would
`appear to be an unused channel to a conventional television
`set since CDMA emulates Gaussian noise. A client display
`system device such as a PCA which has a display screen, :1
`TV tuner, a speaker and an antenna, could also perform as
`a standard TV receiver with the addition of a few standard
`low cost integrated circuits.
`Information handling systems in accordance with this
`invention [it nicely with the traditional existing model of
`television broadcasting in the United States. Such systems
`could be identified as "commercial" or as non-commercial,
`"educational”.
`
`A televisiont’CDMA scheme is inherently scalable. A
`metropolitan area would initially be covered by a single high
`power standard TV broadcast station. The only difference is
`that the transmitter would not transmit video and audio but
`a phase-modulated CDMA carrier. As capacity requirements
`increase, the one large station would be sold to another new
`service and several smaller cell stations would take its place.
`Eventually,
`the system could involve hundreds of small
`transmitters (perhaps co-located at cellular radio oell sites).
`All the system transmitters would operate on the same TV
`channel taking advantage of CDMA’s unique optimized
`frequency reuse capabilities. Thus the same metropolitan
`license could be applied to one or an indefinite number of
`transmitters all operated by the same entity. Each transmitter
`could be simultaneously transmitting unique data or simul-
`casting identical data for all subscribers.
`A 100 cell site system would provide a metropolitan area
`with a staggering l giga-bitfsec.
`Information handling
`capacity. Magnetic tape recorders (standard VCRs) could be
`used for re—broadcasting and keeping actual
`records of
`broadcasts for auditing and liability purposes.
`Information Handling System with Mobile Client Display
`System
`Referring now more particularly to the accompanying
`Figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment
`of a mobile client personal computer system (herein also
`called a “mobile client") in accordance with this invention
`and indicated generally at 10. As will become more clear
`from the description which follows, the mobile client may
`have a variety of characteristics while remaining within the
`contemplation of this invention. Central among those char-
`acteristics is that the system have provision for the capability
`of communicating at least data, possibly both data and audio
`such as voice, between the mobile client system and sup-
`porting servers and mainframes.
`In the illustrated
`embodiment, such capability is provided by providing a
`system which is separable into three distinct components,
`namely a system tablet 11, a holster 12 and a narrowband
`bidirectional radio transceiver 13. In the form illustrated, the
`transceiver 13 is a cellular telephone which may be mounted
`within the holster 12, while the holster12 may be connected
`with the system tablet II by slipping the tablet
`into a
`receptacle provided in the holster 12. While thus illustrated
`and here described as a three component system, it will be
`understood that many of the advantages of this invention as
`described hereinafter can be realized where the mobile client
`system 10 is unified. That is, where the radio transceiver 13
`is integrated with the system tablet 11 and the connection
`thercbetween is accomplished within a single cover for the
`system, apart from any use of a holster .12. The transceiver!
`holsterttablet organization provides certain advantages in
`some circumstances. However, it is to be understood that the
`invention can be practiced apart from this particular orga-
`nization.
`An advantage realizable with the tripartite organization is
`the ready substitution of one radio transceiver for another.
`
`This asymmetric traffic pattern can be used to great
`advantage in both wireless and wired information handling
`systems involving repository and display systems. In wire-
`less systems. mobile unit narrowband transmitters are lim-
`ited to about 1 watt Rl-‘ output power. 'l'his power level is
`consistent with both portable battery technology and rec-
`ommended limits for health concems. One wall or less is
`sufficient power for successful transmission of relatively low “
`data rates ( 10-20 Kbfsec} over “wide" ranges( 10-20 miles).
`Existing wide-area data systems using cellular or packet
`techniques can provide reliable data rates somewhat less
`than a standard telephone modem in both directions. Sys-
`tems employing much higher data rates using "I watt of
`power will be limited to shorter ranges. For a given power,
`the higher the data rate, the shorter the range.
`In contrast, base stations can run substantially much
`higher power levels since their antennas are located far away
`from humans (mitigating the health concerns) and have
`access to power mains (no restrictions on batteries). 1-Iigher
`power directly implies higher data rates.
`Therefore the realities of radio physics, state-of-the-art
`technologies, and human requirements meet in the following
`inventive paradigm.
`Consider a hand-held PCA device (as. will be described
`more fully hereinafter) that contains narrowband,
`trans-
`ceiver cellular telephone and cellular data capability either
`using CDPD or directly accessing the data communication
`capabilities of D-ANWS, CDMA artdfor GSM. This single
`bidirectional, narrowbarid radio transceiver provides wide-
`area voice and the uplink of data to a repository system.
`Also, for short messages (i.e., two-way paging, E-mail etc.)
`this cellular link will be adequate. in accordance with this
`invention,
`the PCA also has a standard TV tuner and a
`CDMA demodulator. ATV channel is 6 MHZ wide, enough
`to accommodate a unidirectional broadband transmission of
`up to 10 Mblsec. total data throughput.
`In accordance with some embodiments of this invention,
`the data display system requests tiles via I-l'l"l‘P commands
`over the slow, narrowband bidirectional, cellular link, and
`the repository system responds. perhaps at 250 Kbtsec,
`downloading the file on the broadband unidirectional TV
`link. The same model is applicable to the largely one-way
`cable TV system. A set-top or personal computer system (as
`described more fully hereinafter) requests a file over a
`standard telephone modem, and the download comes down
`a TV channel over the cable. A TV tunert’CDMA demodu-
`lator as used in the display system can bridge the cable to a
`standard data communications port on the computer with
`blazing speed.
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`More particularly, while digital data and analog audio can be
`exchanged over a cellular telephone radio interface, with
`data using cellular digital packet data (CDPD) protocols,
`there are other possibilities. Among them can be digital radio
`techniques such as frequency division multiple access
`(FIJMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA); spread
`spectrum technologies such as direct sequence spread spec-
`trum {DS-SS) and resultant code division multiple access
`(CDMA); frequency hopping spread spectrum (Fl-I-SS}; and
`the combination of one of more of these technologies into
`what are known as advanced mobile phone systems (AMPS)
`or advanced radio data information Service (ARDIS) or
`RAM Mobile Data. As these technologies evolve and gain
`wider acceptance, the tripartite organization will facilitate
`adapting existing tablets 11 to emerging radio transceivers
`13, and thereby protect the investment of users in systems.
`However, for certain environments such as adverse ambient
`conditions of temperature, humidity, or exposure to shock as
`by dropping, a unified system with transceiver and tablet and
`supporting circuitry in a single cover may be a preferred -
`choice.
`License free spread spectrum radio links have advantages
`in that much higher rates of data transfer are attainable, on
`the order 200 Kbitstsec., to 2 Mbitst'sec., faster response
`ti mes down to less than one second are attainable, repeaters A-1
`and large radio frequency networks are practical due to high
`data rates, government licensing is relaxed or unnecessary,
`and flexibility is allowed for modulations and channel
`restrictions. Spread spectrum radio links have disadvantages
`in that higher fraqpency bands may require higher cost
`radios.
`transmission power is restricted,
`the wider band
`coverage results in lowered sensitivity and reduces maxi-
`mum range, and there is as yet no clear universal standard.
`Among specilic types of spread spectrum links, frequency
`hopping technology has advantages in using simple fre-
`quency modulated transeeivers with narrower baseband
`bandwidth circuits and better rejection of interferers. lire-
`quency hopping technology has disadvantages in being
`limited by governmental regulation to lower data rates by
`limited channel bandwidths and increases in system over-
`head which reduce throughput. Direct sequence spread spec-
`trum has advantages in allowing wider bandwidths which
`permit higher data rates up to 2 Mbitstsec. and faster
`response. DS-SS has disadvantages in that
`the baseband
`stage of the transceiver used is more complex, and inband
`interference is more likely.
`FIG. 3 schematically indicates the relationships among a
`data display system 10 and supporting servers and periph-
`erals. More attention will be devoted to the relationships
`explicit in FIG. 3 at a later point in this description. While
`the tablet 11 (as described more fully hereinafter) is nor-
`mally adapted for input by a user through a touchscreen 15
`embodied in a backlit liquid crystal display, the system 10
`can accommodate a more conventional keyboard 16. The
`keyboard may be, as illustrated, wire tethered to the system .
`10 when desired for use, with the tethering conductors 18
`providing signal pathways for data input to reach the system
`10. Alternatively,
`the keyboard may he linked for data
`transfer by other means known to persons of skill in the art,
`such as by an infrared link using a known protocol. In the
`drawing, the system is shown linked to a printer 19 by an
`lrDA link for data transfer by infrared radiation.
`The radio transceiver 13 provides a narrowband bidirec-
`tional radio frequency link to a server indicated at 20, which
`may communicate by wireline with supporting mainframe
`data storage 21. The server 20 and mainframe storage 21
`together define a data repository system storing, accessing
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`and distributing data as described here. Data relevant to the
`operation of the entire enterprise will be maintained on the
`supporting mainframe, and made available to the mobile
`client 10. The radio transceiver 13 functions as a portion of
`a narrowband data communication channel which allows for
`bidirectional communication of data between the mobile
`client system 10 and the server 20 and mainframe data
`storage 21. The channel is delined by a narrowband trans-
`ceiver 23 operatively coupled with the repository system 20,
`21 and establishing the frequencies and protocols for com-
`munieation. The radio transceiver 13 is attuned to the
`transceiver 23. The protocols used for the link may include
`certain ones familiar from wireline connections, such as
`Ethernet, Token-ring. TCPFIP, LAT and SNA. Discussions of
`protocols possibly applicable can be found in the specifica-
`tions of Harrison et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,916 issued 26
`Nov. 1991 and Perkins U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,592 issued 27
`Oct. 1992, both assigned to the assignee of the present
`invention.
`
`Additionally, the repository system 20, 21 has coupled
`therewith a broadband transmitter 25 which establishes the
`frequency range and the protocols for a broad bandwidth
`channel through which digital data derived from the reposi-
`tory system is transmitted. The display system 10 has
`disposed therewithin a broadband receiver which is attuned
`to the broad bandwidth channel and receives digital data
`transmitted by the broadband transmitter. In certain embodi-
`ments of this invention, the broad bandwidth channel is a
`television transmission channel as presently licensed by the
`Federal Communications Commission, with the data signal
`using a conventional
`television broadcast channel and
`CDMA baseband technology. The broad bandwidth channel
`may, in accordance with this invention, be made available by
`conventional broadcast, cable distribution, satellite
`distribution, or some hybrid such as satellite linked to local
`microwave. The channel may also be by physical connection
`such as fiber optic or conventional cable distribution. In any
`such instance, conventional broadcast equipment andlor
`existing facilities can be used. The CDMA exciter would be
`the only proprietary equipment required.
`The display system 10, server 20, mainframe storage 21
`and associated transmitter,
`receiver, and transceivers
`together form an information handling system accommodat-
`ing an asymmetric tratfic pattern which has a data repository
`system storing, accessing and distributing digital data; a data
`display system accessing and displaying data derived from
`the repository system; a broadband transmitter operatively
`coupled wi