Micro personal digital assistant with a compressed BIOS system

Abstract

A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also has a means for storing a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host. In another embodiment the personal digital assistant has a compressed BIOS chip, and in yet another embodiment also has an expansion port connected to the local CPU, and expansion peripheral devices may be connected and operated through the expansion port.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A digital assistant module that interfaces with a host computer, comprising: 
 an on-board CPU that manages functions of the digital assistant module;    a memory connected to the CPU that stores data and executable routines;    a user-operable input apparatus;    a host interface adapted so as to provide communications between the digital assistant module and the host computer upon docking with the host computer, said host interface cooperating with a host interface of said host computer whereby a user of said host computer may select pre-arranged software mixes for loading into said memory; and    an enclosure that houses said CPU, said memory, said input apparatus, and said host interface.