Mobile data terminal with external antenna

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to FIG.
1, there is depicted a partially schematic pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system 10 which may include a portable data processing terminal 12 which may utilize an external antenna in accordance with the present invention.
Upon reference to the foregoing those skilled in the art will appreciate that while distributed data processing system 10 is illustrated as including only two computers, typically such distributed data processing systems include a large number of computers distributed over a wide geographic area.
As illustrated, portable data processing terminal 12 is one of the computers within distributed data processing system 10.
Portable data processing terminal 12 is preferably a battery powered laptop or notebook computer which includes a low power display system 16 which preferably provides a display screen 18 which may be implemented utilizing a liquid crystal display (LCD), a gas plasma display or any other suitable technology.
Keyboard 14 is provided with portable data processing terminal 12 and enables the computer user to access and modify data stored within portable data processing terminal 12 in a manner well known in the art.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate it is increasingly common for computers such as portable computer 12 to include therein a miniature cellular telephone system (not shown) which is provided in conjunction with a modem.
For example, it is possible to remove the fixed disk drive module typically provided with portable computer 12 and substitute therefore a module which includes a cellular transceiver and associated modem device.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a modem is a device which may be utilized to convert digital data from a computer to an analog signal which may be transmitted via a telecommunications system.
Additionally, such devices convert received analog signals from the telecommunications line to digital data which may be utilized by a computer