Hand-held data collection computer terminal having power management architecture including switchable multi-purpose input display screen

A portable data collection terminal for electronic collection and processing of data wherein data is represented as electrical states for storage in volatile and non-volatile memory, said portable data collection terminal comprising: (a) a housing including a display screen and a keyboard disposed on a frontal side of the housing; (c) a data input screen including graphic data input means disposed coincident with a screen area of said display screen; (d) a power management circuit being disposed within said housing for controlling power consumption of the portable data collection terminal, including means for saving electrical states whereby input and output device states are saved to said non-volatile memory; (e) said power management circuit including means for efficient distribution of control of operations between at least two microprocessor devices, said at least two microprocessor devices comprising a lower power consuming management microprocessor and a higher power applications microprocessor; (f) a communications interface circuit for shared bus communications and access between said at least two microprocessor devices, said communications interface circuit implementing a bus structure that allows data written by one of said at least two microprocessor devices to be read by the other of said at least two microprocessor devices; (g) operation control means for controlling said data terminal by said lower power consuming management microprocessor while said higher power applications microprocessor remains inactive; (h) means for activating said applications microprocessor when operations require; and (i) means for deactivating said applications microprocessor upon task completion wherein control is resumed by said management microprocessor.

A portable data collection system for electronic collection and processing of data wherein data is represented as electrical states for storage in volatile and non-volatile memory, said portable data collection comprising: (a) a data terminal having (1) a housing including a display screen and a keyboard disposed on a frontal side of the housing; (2) a data input screen including graphic data input means disposed coincident with a screen area of said display screen; (3) a power management circuit being disposed within said housing for controlling power consumption of the portable data collection terminal, including means for saving electrical states whereby input and output device states are saved to said non-volatile memory; (4) said power management circuit including means for efficient distribution of control of operations between at least two microprocessor devices, said at least two microprocessor devices comprising a lower power consuming management microprocessor and a higher power applications microprocessor; (5) a communications interface circuit for shared bus communications and access between said at least two microprocessor devices, said communications interface circuit implementing a bus structure that allows data written by a one of said at least two microprocessor devices to be read by the other of said at least two microprocessor devices; (6) operation control means for controlling said data terminal by said lower power consuming management microprocessor while said higher power applications microprocessor remains inactive; (7) means for activating said applications microprocessor when operations require; and (8) means for deactivating said applications microprocessor upon task completion wherein control is resumed by said management microprocessor; and (b) a docking device with one or more docking cavities for receiving and removably retaining said data terminal during storage, data transfer or battery charging operations.