Abstract: A hand-held battery powered data transfer and repository device for transferring data between one or more flash memory modules and a large capacity digital storage device, which may be either external or internal to the device. The device includes one or more slots to accept a flash memory module into a housing which includes processing and logic circuitry disposed within the housing for transferring data between the flash memory module and the large capacity digital storage device. Ports are disclosed for transferring data between the repository and data transfer device to a host device, which may be a wide range of digital appliances including a digital computer, a digital camera, a camcorder or a personal digital assistant.

Abstract: A small micro-controller with other associated circuitry is embedded in the housing of a battery to digitally display a battery's state on its exterior. The measurements computed or displayed can include indications of any state of the battery including, but without limitation, indications of (1) the amount of time remaining until the battery's current charge is exhausted, (2) the amount of power remaining in the battery (3) including for example a percentage remaining, (4) the amount of time until the battery will no longer accept a charge, (5) the amount of shelf life remaining (6) the amount of shelf life remaining until the battery charge depletes to a certain threshold and (7) the current voltage being delivered (8) the amperage available.

Abstract: Portable storage units are equipped with human readable electronic displays that contain information pertaining to the content and state of the storage units. The information displayed changes as the contents of the storage unit change. Such electronic labels can contain a variety of useful information. Some information would be static, such as owner identification, while other information will be dynamic such as the amount of free space. Still other information will be browseable such as the directory structure, file contents, storage unit total capacity, storage unit available space, storage unit directory structure, storage unit file names. storage unit file contents and device reliability statistics.

Abstract: A media reader, such as a compact disc or video disk reader is described in which information about the performances on the media is stored in the player and is audibly rendered when a user requests the information via a remote control device. The performance information in the case of a compact disc will be the music or other audio information to be played. In the case of a video disk, the performance information will be the movie or other video information to be played. The information that can be requested by the listener may be the identity of a previous, current, or future selection, may be the duration of a selection, may be the identity of a composer, artist, or orchestra, or may be other information concerning the performance that is included in the directory of the media from which the performance is rendered.

Abstract: An interactive data processing implemented method and apparatus for composing and editing a document in which a user is afforded great flexibility in defining the document geometry and in changing the data presentation characteristics associated with non-continguous portions of the document. According to the present invention, each of the distinct line formats in the document is assigned an abstract format name (i.e., a Named Format) and each line in the document is associated with a distinct format. A Names Format is associated with each fragment of the text in the document. Likewise, an abstract means, referred to as a Named Font, is associated with a wide range of specificable data presentation characteristics which operate over a range of the document defined by the user. The same Named Format and Names Font is used to simultaneously specify different data presentation characteristics for the output device of the system.