Component Block Diagram of Electronic Device

An example of a suitable electronic device may include various internal and/or external components which contribute to the function of the device. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the components that may be present in such an electronic device 100 and which may allow the electronic device 100 to function in accordance with the techniques discussed herein. As will be appreciated, the various functional blocks shown in Figure 1 may include hardware elements (including application specific or generic circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a machine-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should further be noted that Figure 1 is merely one example of a particular implementation and is merely intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in an electronic device 100. For example, in the presently illustrated embodiment, these components may include a display 104, I/O ports 116, input structure(s) 106, data processing circuitry, such as one or more processor(s) 112, memory 118, a non-volatile storage 114, expansion card(s) 108, a network device 102, and a power source 110. 

With regard to each of these components, the display 104 may be used to displayvarious images generated by the electronic device 100. The display 104 may be any type of display such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or other suitable display. In certain embodiments of the electronic device 100, the display 104 may include a touch-sensitive element, such as a touch screen. 

The I/O ports 116 may include ports configured to connect to a variety of external devices, such as a power source or other electronic devices (such as handheld devices and/or computers, printers, projectors, external displays, modems, docking stations, and so forth). For example, in some embodiments, peripheral hardware attachments such as a credit card reader, commonly referred to as a card sled, may be connected to the electronic device 100 through I/O ports 116. In some embodiments, information obtained through the credit card reader may be transmitted to a suitable processor (e.g., processorprocessor(s) 112). The I/O ports 116 may support any standard or proprietary interface type, such as a universal serial bus (USB) port, a video port, a serial connection port, an IEEE-1394 port, an ethernet or modem port, and/or an AC/DC power connection port. 

The input structure(s) 106 may include the various devices, circuitry, and pathways by which input or feedback is provided to data processing circuitry, such as the processor(s) 112. Such input structure(s) 106 may be configured to control a function of the electronic device 100 when actuated. For example, the input structure(s) 106 may include buttons, sliders, switches, control pads, keys, knobs, scroll wheels, keyboards, mice, touchpads, and so forth. In certain embodiments, the input structure(s) 106 may also include such components as global positioning system (GPS) circuitry and/or accelerometers that convey information about the location and/or orientation of the electronic device 100 to the processor(s) 112. 

In certain embodiments, an input structure(s) 106 and display 104 may be provided together, such an in the case of a touch screen where a touch sensitive mechanism is provided in conjunction with the display 104. In such embodiments, the user may select or interact with displayed interface elements via the touch sensitive mechanism. In this way, the displayed user interface may provide interactive functionality, allowing a user to select, by touch screen or other input structure, from among options displayed on the display 104. 

User interaction with the input structure(s) 106, such as to interact with a user or application interface displayed on the display 104, may generate electrical signals indicative of the user input. These input signals may be routed via suitable pathways, such as an input hub or bus, to data processing circuitry, such as the processor(s) 112, for further processing. 

The processor(s) 112 may provide data processing capability to execute the operating system, programs, user and application interfaces, and any other functions of the electronic device 100. The processor(s) 112 may include one or more microprocessors, such as one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors and/or ASICS, or some combination of such processing components. For example, the processor(s) 112 may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, as well as graphics processors, video processors, audio processors and/or related chip sets. 

The instructions or data to be processed by the processor(s) 112 may be stored in a memory 118. The memory 118 may be provided as a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or as a non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM). The memory 118 may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory 118 may store firmware executed by a processor(s) 112 (such as basic input/output instructions or operating system instructions, including instructions implementing non-alphanumeric authentication (e.g., authentication not based on keys or characters found on a keyboard) as discussed herein), other programs that enable various functions of the electronic device 100, user interface functions, processor functions. In addition, the memory 118 may be used for buffering or caching during operation of the electronic device 100. 

The components may further include a non-volatile storage 114 for persistent storage of data and/or instructions. The non-volatile storage 114 may include flash memory, a hard drive, or any other optical, magnetic, and/or solid-state storage media. The non-volatile storage 114 may be used to store data files such as personal or business information (e.g., financial and other account information), software, wireless connection information (e.g., information that may enable the electronic device 100 to establish a wireless connection, such as a telephone or wireless network connection), and any other suitable data. In addition, the non-volatile storage 114 may also store code and/or data for implementing various functions of the electronic device 100, such as application or program code, data associated with such applications or programs, operating system code, user configured preferences, as well as code for implementing secure user authentication as discussed herein. 

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 may also include one or more card or expansion slots. The card slots may be configured to receive an expansion card(s) 108 that may be used to add functionality, such as additional memory, I/O functionality, or networking capability, to the electronic device 100. Such an expansion card(s) 108 may connect to the device through any type of suitable standard or proprietary connector, and may be accessed internally or external to the housing of the electronic device 100. For example, in one embodiment, the expansion card(s) 108 may be flash memory card, such as a SecureDigital (SD) card, mini- or microSD, CompactFlash card, multimedia card (MMC), or the like. 

The components depicted in Figure 1 also include a network device 102, such as a network controller or a network interface card (NIC). In one embodiment, the network device 102 may be a wireless NIC providing wireless connectivity over any 802.11 standard or any other suitable wireless networking standard. The network device 102 may allow the electronic device 100 to communicate over a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), cellular network, or the internet. Further, the electronic device 100 may connect to and send or receive data with any device on the network, such as portable electronic devices, personal computers, printers, and so forth. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the electronic device 100 may not include a network device 102. In such an embodiment, a NIC may be added as an expansion card(s) 108 to provide similar networking capability as described above. 

Further, the components may also include a power source 110. In one embodiment, the power source 110 may be one or more batteries, such as a lithium-ion polymer battery. The battery may be user-removable or may be secured within the housing of the electronic device 100, and may be rechargeable. Additionally, the power source 110 may include AC power, such as provided by an electrical outlet, and the electronic device 100 may be connected to the power source 110 via a power adapter. This power adapter may also be used to recharge one or more batteries if present.