DESC:FORM – 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10, RULE 13)

HANDHELD RUGGED MINICOMPUTER

BHARAT ELECTRONICS LIMITED
WITH ADDRESS:
OUTER RING ROAD, NAGAVARA, BANGALORE 560045, INDIA

THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION DESCRIBES THE INVENTION.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to handheld devices, and more specifically towards a handheld rugged minicomputer.

BACKGROUND
[0002] With the advancements in mobile technology, there has been an incredible growth in the development of handheld devices that has threatened to dominate the market share for traditional laptops in the business community. In order to meet the demands of field engineers, it is paramount that handheld minicomputer device should meet a number of requirements.
[0003] US Patent US10191514 B2 discloses a modular interface attachment system for integration with, or use with, a tablet computer. The system allows for modular attachment of the ergonomics features, specialty I/O devices, specialty data entry hardware.
[0004] Chinese Design Patent no. CN302455803S discloses a hand-held device mainly used for portable tablet computers for mobile commerce, mobile communications, and entertainment.
[0005] US Patent US 8,208,245 B2 discloses a novel implementation of a tablet computer that is composed of a tablet component and a keyboard component. The tablet component houses all of the essential hardware of tablet computer including the central processing unit (CPU), the memory, the power supply (battery and DC transformer), the system bus, network and peripheral interface cards and ports, a loudspeaker, and a touch screen display.
[0006] Chinese Design Patent no. CN301393610S discloses a handheld device used for data processing to play or output audio, video, or display images.
[0007] Accordingly, the device has to be handheld and portable, and the unit must be smaller in size and lightweight to be carried easily. It should perform data processing and computing as a standalone unit. The need for additional accessories like keyboard and mouse should be avoided; hence a better user-interface/Human machine interface should be available. With mobility, it is important to equip the field engineers with navigation and tracking feature. Since the unit will be operated on the field, the unit needs to contain vibration to alert the engineers for any events in these noisy environments. Finally, a ruggedized functional unit to cope in extreme conditions.
[0008] There is still a need of an invention which provides for compact, handheld rugged minicomputer that satisfies the above requirements.

SUMMARY
[0009] This summary is provided to introduce concepts of the disclosure generally to handheld devices, and more specifically towards a handheld rugged minicomputer. This summary is neither intended to identify essential features of the disclosure as per the present disclosure nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the disclosure as per the present disclosure.
[0010] In accordance with an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure there is provided, a handheld rugged minicomputer, a ruggedized functional unit to cope in extreme conditions.
[0011] In accordance with an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure there is provided, a handheld rugged minicomputer system comprising a compact mechanical chassis designed for ruggedness and portability; a display bezel assembly housing a display unit wherein the display unit integrated with a touchscreen interface; a keypad unit adapted to provide user interaction features; and a single board microcomputer integrated with the display unit, within the compact mechanical chassis, further comprises:-a processor; a memory unit; and a power supply unit.
[0012] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure the keypad unit is adapted to be reprogrammed as per functional requirements of user.
[0013] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein a vibrator is embedded in the single board microcomputer to alert the users for any events in noisy environments.

[0014] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein a GPS receiver section is embedded in the single board microcomputer for navigation, positioning, and asset tracking in remote locations.
[0015] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the display bezel assembly includes a metallic rim to protect the display unit from direct contact with hard ground in case of drop and the display bezel assembly adapted to house a 5-inch display unit.
[0016] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the display unit is reinforced with toughened glass and EMI shielding.
[0017] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the compact mechanical chassis has one rear cover.
[0018] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein a gasket is used between the display bezel assembly and the rear cover for water ingress protection.
[0019] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein an antenna is fixed in an antenna compartment placed on top of the rear cover.
[0020] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the display bezel is hollow to maintain low weight.
[0021] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the display unit is powered through a backlight providing stable voltages and current.
[0022] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the compact mechanical chassis designed for ruggedness and portability, the chassis having dimensions of 115mm (H) x 134mm (W) x 38mm (D) and a weight of 500g.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0023] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and modules.
[0024] Figure 1A illustrates a perspective view of the minicomputer, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0025] Figure 1B illustrates a functional view of the minicomputer, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0026] Figure 2A illustrates a first sectional view of the minicomputer, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0027] Figure 2B illustrates a second sectional view of the minicomputer showing a detailed view of the sectional view, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0028] Figure 3 illustrates a third sectional view of the minicomputer showing a detailed view of the sectional view, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0029] Figure 4 illustrates a rear cover assembly of the minicomputer showing a detailed view of the sectional view, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0030] Figure 5A illustrates the structure of the single board minicomputer, according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0031] Figure 5B illustrates the block diagram of the minicomputer according to an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.
[0032] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative methods embodying the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] The various embodiments of the present disclosure describe a handheld rugged minicomputer.
[0034] In the following description, for purpose of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these details. One skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present disclosure, some of which are described below, may be incorporated into a number of systems.
[0035] However, the systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Further, structures and devices shown in the figures are illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the presently disclosure and are meant to avoid obscuring of the presently disclosure.
[0036] It should be noted that the description merely illustrates the principles of the present invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the present invention. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for explanatory purposes to help the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0037] The handheld rugged minicomputer system, as described herein, encompasses a robust and portable mechanical chassis housing essential component. It features a display bezel assembly with an integrated touchscreen interface and a 5-inch display unit. This unit is further fortified with toughened glass and EMI shielding for enhanced durability for user interaction. A keypad unit allows customizable functionality, adapting to diverse user needs. Within this compact structure lies a single board microcomputer equipped with a processor, memory unit, and power supply. Notably, the system incorporates additional functionalities such as a vibrator for alerting users in noisy environments, a GPS receiver for navigation and asset tracking, and protective features like a metallic rim and toughened glass for display durability. Furthermore, provisions for water ingress protection, antenna placement, and lightweight design ensure practicality and versatility. Additionally, stable power delivery to the display unit ensures consistent performance in various conditions. Moreover, antenna placement atop the rear cover ensures optimal signal reception. With dimensions of 115mm (H) x 134mm (W) x 38mm (D) and weighing 500g, this system combines ruggedness, functionality, and portability to meet diverse user needs effectively.
[0038] Therefore, this comprehensive design enables the system to function effectively in demanding environments, fulfilling diverse user requirements with resilience and reliability.
[0039] Fig 1A is a perspective view of the rugged minicomputer in accordance with the subject invention. The portable minicomputer is of compact design with dimensions of 115(H) x 134 (W) x 38 (D) (in mm) in size and weighing only 500g. This unit consists of mechanical chassis 109, display bezel assembly 209, programmable menu keypad 108, display 107 and a single board microcomputer along with and a provision for antenna fixation 210. The details of the single board microcomputer is explained with respect to Figure 5A below.
[0040] Figure 1B shows a functional view of the microcomputer. The functional view shows a typical Graphical User Interface displayed in the rugged microcomputer. The functional view also shows multiple buttons. In a preferred embodiment, each of these buttons are programmable.
[0041] Figure 2A shows the first section view of the rugged minicomputer. The manner in which the display 107 is integrated with the rugged minicomputer. The Display (107) is mounted over a display bezel (209) with adhesive type damping material (403) and (405).
[0042] Figure 2B shows an expanded view of the second section view of the rugged minicomputer. A display bezel (209) (hereinafter bezel), a 2mm metallic rim (411) (integrated part of bezel (209)) is made around the front glass cavity of the display (107). This metallic rim is made in such a way that it is elevated around 0.5 to 1mm above the LCD glass after the assembly. It is to protect the glass edges from direct contact with hard ground in case of drop. The display (107) and bezel (209) are bonded at two places- (i) between front glass of display 107 and bezel (209) using a damping material (403) (location 409) and (ii) between LCD panel 404 and bezel (209) is using bonding material (405) (location 410). A gasket (407) is used between bezel (207) and rear cover 406 for water ingress protection. A connector used in this assembly is water resistant. An antenna (302) is fixed in an antenna compartment (408) of rear cover 406. The antenna compartment (408) is covered with antenna cover (210) with 360° bonding of antenna cover (210) over rear cover (406). This combination of adhesive backed foam, bonding material, gasket (407) and connector make the display water ingress protected. Display bezel is hollow (area behind the LCD is removed) but sufficiently stiff and rigid. It is to maintain low weight of bezel . Wherever not required, the wall thickness of the rear cover (406) is maintained at 1.5mm.
[0043] Figure 3 illustrates a third sectional view of the minicomputer showing a detailed view of the sectional view. The space between LCD panel 404 and bezel (209) is using bonding material (405). A Keypad (108) is bonded in the bezel 209 using bonding material (405). This bonding holds the keypad in its cavity and provides water ingress protection. A display (107) and keypad (108) assembled in separate cavity of bezel (209).
[0044] Figure 4 illustrates a rear cover assembly of the minicomputer showing a detailed view of the sectional view. 21. A m-SATA (303) HDD mounting is positioned toward the edges for minimum deflection. Rear cover (406) is a rigid enclosure with stiffening around the PCB (412) mounting. A 5 mm thick rim (414) in the rear cover (406) for zero deformation during gasket assembly and maintain rigidity of the rear cover (406).
[0045] Figure 5A illustrates the structure of the single board minicomputer. The minicomputer consists of a processor 101, a memory (DDR) 102, expandable storage 204, GPS receiver section 104, a USB hub 105, a display backlight 106, a vibrator 207 and a power supply section 103. This single board computer has been designed to embed all the above sections in a compact form factor of 115mm x 86mm.
[0046] The low power processor is powered from a power management IC 103 that generates all the power rails and also ensures the power sequencing for the processor. Since the unit is battery powered, surge protection circuitry has been included. The processor supports for 4GB DDR3L using 2 banks/EMIF banks. Due to size constraints, a single bank has been used with increased DDR 102 capacity. For external storage, mSATA mini 303 with a capacity of 128GB has been used in the design. Depending on the application requirement, the capacity of the mSATA mini 303 can be upgraded. Due to the PCB size constraints, a single DDR 102 bank has been used. This calls for configuring the DDR 102 registers through Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) using CCS tools in u-boot. This tool requires the DDR inputs like clock frequency, length matching on PCB details, timing details as per the manual. Post DDR configuration, the device boot pins 203 needs to be set for booting priorities. This system is configured for booting through UART and mSATA only. Accordingly, the boot pins need to be set. The single board computer has a USB Hub 105 integrated; for driving external connector, GPS, display touch. The display 107 has been powered through a backlight 106 IC which provides stable voltages and current for driving the LCD. The current drawing capability of the LCD can be controlled by a specific variable resistor for the IC. This in turn reduces the heat dissipation of the unit.
[0047] The single board computer has a USB Hub 105 integrated; for driving external connector, GPS, display touch. The display 107 has been powered through a backlight 106 IC which provides stable voltages and current for driving the LCD. The current drawing capability of the LCD can be controlled by a specific variable resistor for the IC. This in turn reduces the heat dissipation of the unit. The display has an inbuilt toughened touchscreen to prevent the unit from damages. This touch interface is USB powered through the processor. An EMI protective shielding has been done to prevent from environmental damages. Handheld rugged minicomputer requires considerable amount of user interaction. Since the unit is very small, in addition to touch input, user interface features are typically incorporated into buttons and menu keys that can be programmable. This keypad provides for power ON/OFF of the unit, brightness controlling, and display screen off, GPS Mark for asset tracking, Mute, Audio Reset, and spare keys that can be programmed as per the application needs. These keys are programmable through GPIOs that are routed directly from the processor.
[0048] For GPS navigation, a high performance ublox-7 positioning GPS receiver 104 has been used in the design. This low power IC requires a stable power supply and connects with the processor through USB/UART interface thereby reducing the design complexity.
[0049] An active patch antenna which is already tuned to the ground plane and with dimensions of 12x12x6.8mm has been used. This antenna is compact, lightweight and has an inbuilt amplifier. Installation involves securing the module in position and pressing the IPEX connector in receptacle on board connector. The antenna is not placed close to any noisy parts of the circuitry and is fixed on the chassis top.
[0050] Since the unit will be operated in hand and in outdoors / noisy environments, it makes use of vibration instead of an audio alarm for event detection. The unit has an inbuilt coin vibrator that is fixed on the bottom of the mechanical chassis causing the entire unit to vibrate to notify the user.
[0051] Figure 5B illustrates the block diagram of the minicomputer. The figure shows a 5 inch display with touchscreen. A touch interface enables provides inputs. A display backlight is interfaced with the minicomputer. In a preferred embodiment, a processor is interfaced with memory, a hard disk and a Power management IC is interfaced with the processor. A GPS receiver interfaced with an antenna is connected to the processor. The Power management IC is interfaced with the power supply section.
[0052] Advantages:
A compact, portable, handheld 5-inch rugged minicomputer that can perform standalone data computing and processing capabilities. This fully rugged 5inch minicomputer comprises of a processor, memory, on board GPS for tracking, backlight, power supply section all on single board PCB/ SBC integrated with 5-inch display unit, an antenna, a vibrator and a ruggedized mechanical enclosure.
A User programmable keypad in addition to touch interface. Based on the functionality and frequency of usage, individual keys of keypad can be reprogrammed by the user.
This ruggedized unit embeds a vibrator to alert the users for any events in potentially noisy environments.
The optimized weight distribution of this rugged unit of 500g makes it virtually effortless to use and handle.
Most often the unit is being carried outdoors and operated in hand; the unit is susceptible to damage.
• The unit has been designed with drop protection
• Water ingress protection of up to 1m water head
• Display screen is reinforced with toughened glass and EMI shielding.
• Completely conduction cooled enclosure to work up to 55°C ambient temperature.
• Ruggedized mechanical enclosure for operating in rugged and harsh environments.

[0053] The foregoing description of the invention has been set merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the substance of the invention may occur to person skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the invention.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:

1. A handheld rugged minicomputer system (100) comprising:
- a display bezel (209) assembly housing a display unit (107) wherein the display unit (107) integrated with a touchscreen interface;
- a keypad unit (108) having plurality of keys with different user interaction features; and
- a single board microcomputer interfaced with the display unit (107) and the keypad unit wherein the display bezel (209), the keypad unit (108) and the single board microcomputer with the display unit (107) are housed within a mechanical chassis (109).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keypad unit (108) is adapted to be reprogrammed as per functional requirements of user.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vibrator (207) is embedded in the single board microcomputer to alert the users of any events in noisy environments.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a GPS receiver section (104) is embedded in the single board microcomputer for navigation, positioning, and asset tracking in remote locations.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display bezel assembly (209) includes a metallic rim (411) to protect the display unit (107) from direct contact with hard ground in case of drop.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display bezel assembly (209) adapted to house a 5-inch display unit (107).

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display unit (107) is reinforced with toughened glass and EMI shielding.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compact mechanical chassis (109) has at least one rear cover (406).

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a gasket (407) is used between the display bezel (209) assembly and the rear cover (406) for water ingress protection.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein an antenna (302) is fixed in an antenna compartment (408) placed on top of the rear cover
(406).

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display bezel (209) is hollow to maintain low weight.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit (209) is powered through a backlight (106) providing stable voltages and current.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compact mechanical chassis (109) designed for ruggedness and portability, the chassis having dimensions of 115mm (H) x 134mm (W) x 38mm (D).

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compact mechanical chassis (109) having a weight of 500g.

Dated this 28th day March, 2024.
For BHARAT ELECTRONICS LIMITED
(By their Agent)

D. MANOJ KUMAR (IN/PA- 2110)
KRISHNA & SAURASTRI ASSOCIATES LLP