초록 ▼

A computer includes various features that improve its functionality and/or ease of use. A modular electronics cartridge that includes a piston seal and opposed-direction latches removably engages a cartridge bay of the computer. A high intensity touch-screen display and a high power processor are di

A computer includes various features that improve its functionality and/or ease of use. A modular electronics cartridge that includes a piston seal and opposed-direction latches removably engages a cartridge bay of the computer. A high intensity touch-screen display and a high power processor are disposed in a sealed compartment of the computer, and a remote heat exchanger is used to cool the sealed compartment. An interface converter/adapter converts a standard mini-PCI Express slot into a specialized mini-PCI Express slot with voice capabilities. SIM and microSD card slots mount to a pivoting door on the computer such that opening the door provides easier access to the card slots.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A combination comprising: a cartridge comprisinga cartridge shell,electronics disposed within the shell, andan interface connector electrically coupled to the electronics;a computer comprising a case,a chipset supported by the case,a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the

1. A combination comprising: a cartridge comprisinga cartridge shell,electronics disposed within the shell, andan interface connector electrically coupled to the electronics;a computer comprising a case,a chipset supported by the case,a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset,a cartridge bay supported by the case, wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay, andan electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset, wherein the interface connector of the cartridge is adapted to electrically engage the electronics interface of the computer so as to electrically couple the electronics to the computer when the cartridge is in the engaged position;a seal that is compressively disposed between the cartridge and cartridge bay and surrounds the interface connector when the cartridge is in the engaged position so as create a water-tight seal that separates the interface connector from an external environment when the cartridge is in the engaged position; anda wall that engages the seal when the cartridge is in the engaged position, the wall being sloped relative to a direction in which the cartridge moves as the cartridge moves toward the engaged position such that when the cartridge moves toward the engaged position, the seal slides along and relative to the wall and is disposed in an increasingly interference fit between the cartridge and cartridge bay. 2. The combination of claim 1, wherein when the cartridge is in the disengaged position, the cartridge is physically disconnected from the computer. 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein, when the cartridge is in the engaged position: the cartridge and case form a water-tight compartment; andthe electronics interface and interface connector are both disposed within the water-tight compartment. 4. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the wall comprises a portion of a side wall of the cartridge bay, andthe portion of the bay side wall slopes away from an opposing portion of the bay side wall as the portion projects outwardly such that when the cartridge moves from the disengaged position toward the engaged position, the seal slides along the portion and is disposed in an increasingly interference fit with the portion. 5. The combination of claim 1, wherein the wall forms an angle of less than 30 degrees relative to a direction of movement of a part of the seal that contacts the portion as the cartridge moves into its engaged position. 6. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the cartridge bay and the cartridge include complimentary surface features that form a hinge when engaged with each other, andwhen the cartridge is in the engaged position, the hinge prevents a portion of the cartridge adjacent the hinge from disengaging from the cartridge bay. 7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the cartridge further comprises independently movable first and second latches that are each movable relative to the shell between locking and releasing positions and are spring biased toward their respective locking positions,the latches are disposed on an opposite half of the cartridge as the surface feature of the cartridge,when the cartridge is in the engaged position and one of the latches is in its locked position, the one of the latches engages a portion of the cartridge bay and prevents the cartridge from disengaging from the cartridge bay, andwhen the cartridge is in the engaged position and the latches are in their releasing positions, the cartridge is movable into its disengaged position. 8. The combination of claim 7, wherein: the first and second latches are movable, independently of each other, relative to the shell between locking and releasing positions;the first latch is disposable in its locking position when the second latch is disposed in its releasing position; andthe second latch is disposable in its locking position when the first latch is disposed in its releasing position. 9. The combination of claim 1, wherein: the cartridge further comprises independently movable first and second latches that are each movable relative to the shell between locking and releasing positions and are spring biased toward their respective locking positions,when the cartridge is in the engaged position and one of the latches is in its locked position, the one of the latches engages a portion of the cartridge bay and prevents the cartridge from disengaging from the cartridge bay, andwhen the cartridge is in the engaged position and the latches are in their releasing positions, the cartridge is movable into its disengaged position. 10. The combination of claim 9, wherein movement of the latches toward their releasing positions moves the latches toward each other and movement of the latches toward their locking positions moves the latches away from each other. 11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the latches are configured such that when the cartridge is in its engaged position and the latches are in their locking positions, an impact force that would tend to move the first latch from its locking position into its releasing position would conversely tend to retain the second latch in the second latch's locking position, thereby preventing an impact force from allowing the cartridge to move into its disengaged position. 12. The combination of claim 9, further comprising ramps disposed on the latches or portions of the cartridge bay such that movement of the cartridge from its disengaged position to its engaged position causes the latches to sequentially slide against portions of the cartridge bay so that the ramps cause the latches to move into their releasing positions, slide past the portions of the cartridge bay, and return to their locking positions. 13. The combination of claim 10, wherein the latches each comprise a finger grip to facilitate one-handed operation of the latches such that a user may move the latches from their locking positions to their releasing positions by pinching the latches toward each other using only the fingers on one of the user's hands. 14. The combination of claim 2, wherein: the electronics interface comprises a first electronics interface;the computer further comprises a second electronics interface; andthe interface connector is incompatible with the first electronics interface, but is compatible with the second electronics interface. 15. The combination of claim 14, wherein: the cartridge comprises a second interface connector that is compatible with the first electronics interface, andthe cartridge is configured to provide power to the electronics via the second interface connector. 16. The combination of claim 15, wherein the first and second interface connectors are physically spaced from each other. 17. The combination of claim 14, wherein the electronics comprise a video processor and a mass storage device, wherein the cartridge is configured to provide a data connection between the computer and both the video processor and the mass storage device via the first interface connector. 18. The combination of claim 14, wherein the cartridge further comprising a data cable having a first portion electrically coupled to the electronics, and a second portion extending out of the shell, the second portion being electrically coupled to the first interface connector such that the first interface connector is flexibly tethered to the shell by the cable. 19. The combination of claim 1, wherein the cartridge shell comprises: a top;a bottom; anda side extending between the top and bottom,wherein the seal extends continuously around the side and forms a continuous perimeter. 20. The combination of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises a data cable having a first portion electrically coupled to the electronics, and a second portion extending out of the shell, the second portion being electrically coupled to the interface connector such that the interface connector is flexibly tethered to the shell by the cable. 21. The combination of claim 20, wherein the electronics comprise a video processor and a mass storage device, wherein the cartridge is configured to provide a data connection between the computer and both the video processor and the mass storage device via the interface connector. 22. The combination of claim 21, wherein the interface connector comprises a PCI, mini-PCI, or mini-PCI Express connector. 23. A computer comprising: a case;a chipset supported by the case;a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset;a cartridge bay supported by the case and shaped and configured to physically engage a modular electronics cartridge; andan electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset,wherein the electronics interface is shaped and configured to electrically connect to the cartridge when the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge bay, andwherein the electronics interface is movably mounted to the case for movement between first and second positions, the first position comprising a position configured to initially connect the electronics interface to the cartridge when the cartridge is partially engaged with the bay and first contacts the electronics interface, the second position comprising a position configured to electrically connect the electronics interface to the cartridge when the cartridge is fully engaged with the cartridge bay. 24. The computer of claim 23, further comprising a spring that operatively extends between the case and the electronics interface and urges the electronics interface toward its first position. 25. The computer of claim 23, wherein the electronics interface pivotally mounts to the case for pivotal movement about an interface axis between the first and second positions. 26. The computer of claim 25, wherein: the cartridge bay is shaped and configured to define at least a rough pivotal connection with the cartridge during engagement of the cartridge with the cartridge bay, andthe pivotal connection defines a cartridge axis that is parallel to the interface axis. 27. The computer of claim 23, further comprising: an electronics cartridge comprising a cartridge shell adapted to removably engage the cartridge bay,electronics disposed within the shell, andan interface connector electrically coupled to the electronics and adapted to electrically engage the electronics interface so as to electrically couple the electronics to the computer,wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay,wherein when the cartridge is in the engaged position, the interface connector electrically engages the electronics interface such that the electronics electrically connect to the chipset,wherein movement of the cartridge from the disengaged position to the engaged position causes the electronics interface to move from its first position to its second position, andwherein when the cartridge is in the disengaged position, the cartridge is physically disconnected from the computer. 28. The computer of claim 23, wherein the electronics interface remains disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset regardless of whether the modular electronics cartridge is engaged in the cartridge bay. 29. The computer of claim 23, wherein the electronics interface does not electrically connect to the cartridge when the cartridge is fully disengaged from the cartridge bay. 30. The computer of claim 23, wherein the computer is configured such that engaging the cartridge with the electronics interface causes the electronics interface to move from its first position to tis second position. 31. A computer comprising: a case;a chipset supported by the case;a cartridge bay supported by the case and shaped and configured to physically engage a modular electronics cartridge;a first electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset, the first electronics interface being shaped and configured to electrically connect to an interface connector of the cartridge; anda second electronics interface supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset, the second electronics interface being shaped and configured to electrically connect to a removable electronics device so as to electrically connect the removable electronics device to the chipset via the second electronics interface, the second electronics interface being accessible via an access hole in the cartridge bay to facilitate insertion and removal of the removable electronics device,wherein the cartridge bay and access hole are constructed and positioned such that the cartridge covers the access hole when the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge bay, andwherein the cartridge bay and access hole are constructed and positioned such that the cartridge bay provides external access to the access hole and second electronics interface when the cartridge is removed from the cartridge bay. 32. The computer of claim 31, further comprising: an electronics cartridge comprising a cartridge shell adapted to removably engage the cartridge bay,electronics disposed within the shell, andan interface connector electrically connected to the electronics and adapted to electrically engage the first electronics interface so as to electrically connect the electronics to the chipset,wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay,wherein movement of the cartridge into the engaged position covers the access hole, andwherein movement of the cartridge from the engaged position to the disengaged position provides access to the access hole and second electronics interface. 33. The computer of claim 32, wherein: the computer comprises a sealed compartment,the second electronics interface is disposed in the sealed compartment,movement of the cartridge from the disengaged position to the engaged position seals the access hole so as to separate the sealed compartment on an interior side of the access hole from an ambient environment on an exterior side of the access hole, andmovement of the cartridge from the engaged position to the disengaged position provides external access to the sealed compartment via the access hole. 34. The computer of claim 32, further comprising: an electronics device that is shaped and configured to removably connect to the second electronics interface,wherein the cartridge is movable between its engaged and disengaged positions while the electronics device is connected to the second electronics interface, andwhen the electronics device is connected to the second electronics interface and the cartridge is disengaged from the computer, the electronics device is externally accessible and manually removable from the second interface and computer via the access hole. 35. The computer of claim 31, wherein the access hole has area of at least 5 square inches. 36. The computer of claim 31, further comprising a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset. 37. The computer of claim 31, wherein the second electronics interface is a USB interface, a PCI Express interface, a mini-PCI Express interface, a SATA interface, an I^2 C interface, or a PCMCIA interface. 38. The computer of claim 31, wherein the first electronics interface has a different interface specification than the second electronics interface. 39. The computer of claim 31, wherein: the first and second electronics interfaces are physically spaced from each other; andthe first and second electronics interfaces remain electrically connected to the chipset regardless of whether (1) the first electronics interface is electrically connected to the interface connector of the cartridge or (2) the second electronics interface is electrically connected to the removable electronics device.