According to a report by news agency Reuters, NCR claims to have patented a hand-held computer with its own cradle or docking station in 1987 although the company does not now compete in the PDA market.
In the lawsuit filed in a Delaware court, NCR said it 20 years ago designed "a revolutionary new device and system for handling and transmitting data" small enough to fit in the user’s hand. NCR claims its design incorporated many of the same tools that exist in the popular Palm Pilot or Handspring Visor PDAs.
The lawsuit claims that Palm and Handspring knew of the NCR patent but decided not to seek licences.