U.S. patent application number 10/910002 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-13 for method and interface for facilitating communication between a cellular telephone or similar wireless device and other devices or systems via an interface.
This patent application is currently assigned to Clarinet Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to Lu, Jing, Ma, David Yin-Shur.
Application Number | 20050010694 10/910002 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24947092 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050010694 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ma, David Yin-Shur ; et
al. |
January 13, 2005 |
Method and interface for facilitating communication between a
cellular telephone or similar wireless device and other devices or
systems via an interface
Abstract
A system and method are provided for uploading photographic data
from a wireless device, where the process includes the receiving of
a data packet from a mobile phone having digital photograph data
and a header configured under a first format with the communication
interface, re-configuring the received data packet under a second
format with the communication interface, and transmitting the
re-configured data packet to a destination device.
Inventors: |
Ma, David Yin-Shur; (San
Jose, CA) ; Lu, Jing; (Santa Clara, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STEVENS LAW GROUP
P.O. BOX 1667
SAN JOSE
CA
95109
US
|
Assignee: |
Clarinet Systems, Inc.
Fremont
CA
|
Family ID: |
24947092 |
Appl. No.: |
10/910002 |
Filed: |
August 2, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10910002 |
Aug 2, 2004 |
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09733312 |
Dec 8, 2000 |
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10910002 |
Aug 2, 2004 |
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09772451 |
Jan 29, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/250 ;
709/246 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/001 20130101;
H04N 1/00312 20130101; H04N 1/00307 20130101; H04W 28/06 20130101;
H04N 1/00106 20130101; H04W 84/042 20130101; H04N 2201/0039
20130101; H04N 2201/0086 20130101; H04W 76/10 20180201; H04W 12/06
20130101; H04W 4/18 20130101; H04W 88/02 20130101; H04L 69/04
20130101; H04N 2201/0024 20130101; H04W 80/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/250 ;
709/246 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16; H04Q
007/20 |
Claims
1. For use with a communication interface for communication between
a wireless mobile phone and the communication interface, the
communication interface being configured to communicate with other
devices communicating with a network such as the Internet and
configured to facilitate data communication between the mobile
phone and other devices connected to the network, a computer
readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of
instructions, said sequences of instructions including instructions
that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform
the steps of: receiving a data packet from a mobile phone having
digital photograph data and a header configured under a first
format with the communication interface; re-configuring the
received data packet under a second format with the communication
interface; and transmitting the re-configured data packet to a
destination device.
2. A processor according to claim 1, wherein the processor further
performs the steps of: receiving a packet of photograph related
data from the mobile phone; storing the data received from the
mobile phone.
3. A process according to claim 2, further comprising: forwarding
the data to a website server to enable the publication of the
photographs on a website.
4. A process according to claim 2, further comprising: forwarding
the data to a website server to enable the photographic data to be
emailed to an email address.
5. A process according to claim 2, further comprising forwarding
the data to a website server to be sent to another wireless
device.
6. A process according to claim 2, further comprising forwarding
the data to a website server to be sent to a cell phone.
7. A process according to claim 2, further comprising forwarding
the data to a website server to be sent to a cell phone via a
multimedia messaging service.
8. A process according to claim 2, further comprising forwarding
the data to a website server to be sent to a cell phone via an
email message.
9. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the
communication interface is configured to receive infrared signals
from a cellular phone configured to transmit data packets, and
wherein the step of receiving the data packet further includes
receiving a data packet having digital photographic data.
10. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header configured under the Bluetooth protocol.
11. A process according to claim 2, further comprising: forwarding
the data to a website server as an attachment to an email to enable
the publication of the photographs on a website.
12. A process according to claim 1, further comprising: forwarding
the data to a website server as an attachment to an email to enable
the publication of the photographs on a website.
13. For use in a communication interface for communication between
a wireless mobile telephone and a communication interface, a
computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of
sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions including
instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause said
processor to perform the steps of: establishing a communication
link with the mobile phone by receiving a data packet from the
mobile phone having a command; retrieving commands from the data
packet; and performing a photo download operation according to the
commands from the mobile phone.
14. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, further
comprising the steps of requiring a login before performing a photo
download operation according to the commands from the mobile
phone.
15. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the
login operation is performed by beaming an infrared signal to an
interface.
16. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the
login operation is performed according to a Bluetooth protocol.
17. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the
login operation is received by way of a magnetic identification
card.
18. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the
login operation is received by way of a bar code identification
reading.
19. A computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the
login operation is received by way of a radio frequency
identification.
20. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header containing data information including
whether to upload data from or download data to the mobile
phone.
21. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header containing data information including
whether to upload data from or download data to the mobile phone,
the method further comprising storing a response to the command in
a storage location.
22. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header configured under the Bluetooth protocol.
23. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet using a short wave radio frequency signal.
24. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header containing data information including
whether to upload data from or download data to the mobile phone,
the method further comprising: storing a response to the command in
a storage location; receiving another data packet from the mobile
phone having a command indicating a upload operation; and uploading
the stored response to the mobile phone.
25. A computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the
step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data
packet having a header containing data information including
whether to upload data from or download data to the mobile phone,
the method further comprising: storing a response to the command in
a storage location; receiving another data packet from the mobile
phone having a command indicating a download operation; and
downloading the stored response to the mobile phone.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation in part of co-pending and commonly
assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/733,312, entitled
Method and Apparatus for Facilitating Communication between a
Personal Data Assistant and a Computer, filed Dec. 8, 2000; and a
continuation in part of co-pending and commonly assigned U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/772,451, entitled Method and
Apparatus for Facilitating Communication Between a Wireless Device
and Disparate Devices or Systems, filed Jan. 29, 2001.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates generally to communication with a
portable cellular telephone (cell phone) and, more particularly, to
a method and interface for communicating data such as digital
photography data between a cellular phone and a computer.
[0003] A wireless device such as a cell phone is generally a
portable device configured to store data and perform basic
functions for a user to make telephone calls, as well as view,
receive, transmit, store and consume data. Different types of cell
phones are well known in the consumer electronics industry and are
currently in widespread use. Conventional popular devices include
functions such as downloading information from the Internet via the
cellular network, where the cellular network makes a contact with
an Internet website, then downloads website information to the cell
phone via the cellular network, rather then allowing the cell phone
to contact the Internet directly. Modern cellular telephones may be
configured much like personal data assistants (PDAs), providing any
or all of the conventional functions of PDAs. These cell phones may
offer internal software applications such as an address book for
keeping names and addresses, a calendar for keeping schedules and
important dates, a notebook for keeping notes, an Internet
application for accessing the Internet to send and receive E-mail
and other services, specialized applications for communicating with
computer servers over a cellular network and other
applications.
[0004] In another example, a cellular telephone may be used to
download or upload information, such as photos or text messages. In
operation, a user can connect with the cellular network to send
photos and messages. Once a photo is created, it can be sent to
other users via the cellular network. The cellular provider for the
phone typically charges for each upload, particularly for photos,
and involves connection with a cellular network that can be slow,
cumbersome and expensive. Therefore, a user needs to connect to the
cellular network in order to upload text or photos.
[0005] Using a conventional system, the cell phone application
would typically open up a communication link to a cellular network
by sending a signal via the cellular network to which the user
subscribes. To send information to a disparate system, it would
need to sent information to the cellular network by specifying the
destination computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address or other
identification. Requiring the cell phone user or the cell phone
itself to know the destination computer's IP address is burdensome
on the cell phone and, more importantly, requires the cell phone to
either contain a large amount of IP addresses or to be reconfigured
for every destination to which the user of the cell phone wishes to
communicate.
[0006] Therefore, it would be useful to develop a device and method
for more efficiently transferring data between a cell phone and a
computer server that is less burdensome on the digital memory
storage and the data processor of the cell phone. This would also
enable a cellular phone to upload data, such as photos and other
data, without needing to access the Internet, avoiding the
dependence on the cellular network support in order to operate the
function. As will be seen, the invention provides such a device and
method that accomplishes these goals in an elegant manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The invention is directed to a system and method for
transmitting digital photography data signals from a wireless
device, such as a cellular phone, to a computing device, without
the need for any cellular telephone network, bypassing the
cumbersome and expensive use of the cellular telephone network in
uploading digital photos. The system includes an interface
configured to receive the data packet having one header format and
transmitted from the computer server, convert the associated header
from the second header format to the first header format and then
transmit the data packet having the reformatted header to the cell
phone. The use of such a communication interface reduces the amount
of overhead data required to send photo data to and from the cell
phone, and obviates the use of the cellular network. The invention
may be extended to include the execution of other complex
operations for the cell phone for which the cell phone may not have
the memory or processing capacity. The invention is applicable to
all types of cell phones, including cellular telephones configured
as cell phones and many other types of devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for communicating
between a cellular phone and a computer according to the
invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a cell phone configured to
operate according to the invention;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communications interface
according to the invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer configured to
operate according to the invention;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional data packet used
for data communication;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a simplified data packet used
according to the invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a process for transmitting data
from a wireless device to a kiosk according to the invention;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a process for transmitting data
from a wireless device to a kiosk according to the invention;
and
[0016] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a process for transmitting data
from a wireless device to a kiosk according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The invention provides communication interface for enabling
communicating between a portable cellular telephone (cell phone)
and a device connected to a network such as computer server.
Typical communication between the cell phone and other devices is
not interactive, but rather relatively simple downloads and uploads
of data packets. Therefore, according to the invention, complex
header protocols required for universal communication with other
devices, including devices that communicate via the Internet, are
not necessary. To this end, a communication interface is provided
for performing the complex header protocols for the cell phone,
with the communication interface acting as an interface between the
cell phone and other conventional devices. The communication
interface may have an IP address associated with the cell phone so
that it may send and receive transmissions of data on its behalf.
This way, any device connected to the Internet can send the cell
phone data. The interface may then intercept such data
transmissions and process them according to the invention. Thus,
the cell phone may operate entirely transparent to the devices that
transmit data packets to it.
[0018] Additionally, the use of a simplified header format for
transferring and receiving data packets and a system that can
communicate using the simplified format is provided. The simplified
header may simply have basic information pertaining to the data
being sent, such as size, sequence of data if transferred among a
number of packets, destination address, identification of the
communication interface, or different combinations and permutations
of such information. A packet may be sent with simply a destination
address and accompanying data. In using the simplified format, less
memory capacity is required of the cell phone as well as less
processing capacity to prepare and send the data packets. The
interface may be configured to communicate with cell phone by
receiving data from the cell phone and sending data to the cell
phone under a simplified header format, the simplified format being
simplified relative to conventional TCP/IP/PPP header format. The
interface may include a storage device for storing data and a
wireless data transceiver for receiving data packets from and
transmitting data packets to the cell phone, where the data packets
are configured under the simplified format. Accordingly, the cell
phone may include a similar transceiver configured to receive data
packets from and transmit data packets to the interface.
[0019] According to the invention, the interface may also be
configured to communicate with a device connected to a network,
such as a computer server, that is configured to send, receive and
process data formatted under a second header format that may be
different than the simplified format. The interface may act as a
central header translator that is configured to receive digital
data to and from the cell phone configured under a first header
format, then translate the first header format to a second header
format. The interface may then send the data configured under a
second header format to the computer server. In operation, the
device may receive the data transmitted to it by the cell phone and
convert it from the first header format to the second header
format. The device may then transmit the reformatted data packet to
the computer server for processing. The device may then receive the
processed data transmitted from the computer server, convert the
data packet back to the first header format, then transmit the
again reformatted data packet back to the cell phone.
[0020] In one embodiment, the invention is employed for use with a
communication interface for communication between a wireless mobile
phone and the communication interface, the communication interface
being configured to communicate with other devices communicating
with a network such as the Internet and configured to facilitate
data communication between the mobile phone and other devices
connected to the network, a computer readable medium having stored
thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions. The sequences of
instructions include instructions that, when executed by a
processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of receiving a
data packet from a mobile phone having digital photograph data and
a header configured under a first format with the communication
interface, re-configuring the received data packet under a second
format with the communication interface, and transmitting the
re-configured data packet to a destination device. The processor
may further perform the steps of receiving a packet of photograph
related data from the mobile phone and storing the data received
from the mobile phone, then forwarding the data to a website server
to enable the publication of the photographs on a website. This may
be done as an attachment to an email to enable the publication of
the photographs on a website. The process may further include
forwarding the data to a website server to enable the photographic
data to be emailed to an email address. Alternatively, the process
may further include forwarding the data to a website server to be
sent to another wireless device. Additionally, the process may
further include forwarding the data to a website server to be sent
to a cell phone. The process may further include forwarding the
data to a website server to be sent to a cell phone via a
multimedia messaging service, or forwarding the data to a website
server to be sent to a cell phone via an email message. The process
may further include a communication interface configured to receive
infrared signals from a cellular phone configured to transmit data
packets, wherein the step of receiving the data packet further
includes receiving a data packet having digital photographic data.
In either embodiment, the step of receiving the data packet further
includes receiving a data packet having a header configured under
the Bluetooth protocol.
[0021] In another embodiment, the invention is intended for use in
a communication interface for communication between a wireless
mobile telephone and a communication interface, a computer readable
medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of
instructions, said sequences of instructions including instructions
that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform
the steps of establishing a communication link with the mobile
phone by receiving a data packet from the mobile phone having a
command, retrieving commands from the data packet and performing a
photo download operation according to the commands from the mobile
phone. In this embodiment, the process may further include the
steps of requiring a login before performing a photo download
operation according to the commands from the mobile phone, wherein
the login operation is performed by beaming an infrared signal to
an interface or by other means. The login operation may be
performed according to a Bluetooth protocol, by way of a magnetic
identification card, by way of a bar code identification reading,
by way of a radio frequency identification protocol. The step of
receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data packet
having a header containing data information including whether to
upload data from or download data to the mobile phone. The step of
receiving the data packet may further include receiving a data
packet having a header containing data information including
whether to upload data from or download data to the mobile phone,
the method further may include storing a response to the command in
a storage location. The step of receiving the data packet may
further include receiving a data packet having a header containing
data information including whether to upload data from or download
data to the mobile phone, and may include storing a response to the
command in a storage location, receiving another data packet from
the mobile phone having a command indicating a download operation
and downloading the stored response to the mobile phone.
[0022] Many other devices and methods are possible in light of the
disclosure below, where the invention is defined by the appended
claims and any equivalents.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a system having a
device configured to enable communication between a cell phone and
a device connected to a network according to the invention is
illustrated, in this embodiment a computer server connected to a
network such as the Internet. The cell phone 102 includes graphical
user interface (GUI) 104 for displaying content 106 to a user. The
cell phone may also include manual control switches or knobs 108
for inputting data into the cell phone, but may also be configured
with a touch-sensitive screen or other type of data input mechanism
for inputting data into the cell phone. The cell phone may also
include antenna means 110 for transmitting and receiving data. The
means may be configured such as a signal beaming transmitter, or
signal beamer connected to a transceiver (not shown in FIG. 1), and
an antenna configured to communicate with a network 122, such as a
cellular network. Such a signal beamer may be internal to the
device, not visible to a user during normal use. The transceiver
may operate as a laser light device, a radio frequency (RF) device,
or other type of communication mechanism configured to send and
receive data between the cell phone and some destination. The
primary purpose of such a device is to provide a portable hand-held
device for sending and receiving data between the cell phone and
another remote device. In one embodiment, the signal beamer is an
infrared signal transmitter that is configured to beam a signal to
a destination, such as to a signal beaming receiver 114 connected
to a communication interface 116.
[0024] In one embodiment, the signal transmitter, separate and
distinct from the telephone antenna, is configured to send a signal
to the interface 116, where the signal transmits data that
electronically defines a photograph. Utilizing the innovative
signal transmitter, a user can beam a signal to a communication
interface.
[0025] The cell phone may be configured to communicate via a signal
112 with a similar transceiver connected to an antenna or signal
beamer 114, which is/are connected to communication interface 116.
The interface transceiver may be configured to operate in the same
manner as the cell phone's transceiver. One purpose of the
communication device is to provide a mechanism for enabling
efficient and improved communication between the cell phone and
another device. This is accomplished by reducing the amount of data
sent by and received from the cell phone as well as the
computations required for such data transactions in the normal use
and operation of the cell phone. The communication interface may
include a header processor 118 that is configured to manage header
information that is transmitted between the cell phone and the
communication interface. One way that it may accomplish this is by
reducing the amount of header data that is typically transferred to
the cell phone by reformatting and simplifying the conventional
TCP/IP/PPP header to a smaller, efficient and more manageable
header. This obviates the cell phone's need to process and store
the conventional header. The communication interface may also be
configured to receive data that is transferred from the cell phone
in this simplified format, reducing the amount of header data
transmitted by the cell phone. As a result, this also reduces the
amount of processing required by the cell phone to transmit such
data, such as the processing that is typically required to transmit
data using conventional headers. This is described in more detail
below. The common format for conventional data communications with
cell phones is the TCP/IP/PPP protocol. When communicating between
a cell phone and a computer, the TCP/IP/PPP protocol is typically
used. When communicating between a computer and other conventional
devices, a TCP/IP is typically be used. Other standard data formats
configured for universal communication may be used, but would not
depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. This conversion
may involve the conventional communication operations discussed
above. One of the advantages of the invention over the prior art,
however, is that these operations can be performed by a
communication interface rather than the cell phone, relieving it of
this burden.
[0026] Still referring to FIG. 1, the communication interface 116
may be configured to communicate through a communication channel
120 with a network 122. The communication channel may be a
telephone landline, an Ethernet connection, or any number of
communication mechanisms, whether constructed with electronic
hardware or some type of wireless application. The Network may be a
LAN, an intranet, the Internet, or some other type of mechanism
that allows computers and other data processing devices to
communicate amongst themselves. The network may also communicate
via a second communication channel 124 with a computer 126. This
allows a means for the communication interface to communicate with
the computer.
[0027] In operation, the cell phone 102 may process data, convert
the data into a signal 112 and transmit the signal to the
communication device 116. The data is sent in separate packets,
which may be of uniform or varying size. These packets may include
a header having a predetermined format that is a specialized format
configured to optimize the data transfer. The communication device
may then convert the header format of the received data to a
conventional TCP/IP header. This allows the data to be transferred
along conventional channels, such as the network 122, to
conventional devices, such as computer 126. The computer can then
process the data and then return it along the reverse path back to
the cell phone.
[0028] This system optimizes the operation of the cell phone in
several steps. One step is the transfer of data from the cell phone
to the communication interface. As discussed in the background,
conventional devices communicate using the conventional protocol,
which requires a large amount of processing prior to transmitting
data. This processing also generates more data that must be
transmitted along with the large header as well as the actual data.
The communication interface takes this burden off of the cell phone
by converting the simplified header to a formal conventional TCP/IP
or other header. The data can then be processed or sent to other
devices in remote locations, such as the computer 126. At this
location, the computer is able to perform complex operations on the
data that may be overly burdensome for the cell phone. For example,
a user of a cell phone may want financial projections on a
transaction. The user could send the basic information to the
computer via the communication interface. The computer, having
extensive processing power, could perform the complex operations
and then transmit the result data back to the cell phone via the
communication interface for use by the cell phone's user. According
to the invention, these new features provided by the system
effectively give virtually limitless remote processing power to the
cell phone, and actually reduce the processing and data storage
burden on the cell phone at the same time.
[0029] In order to understand the operation of the invention, it is
useful to understand the components in more detail. Referring first
to FIG. 2, a more detailed illustration of a cell phone 102 is
shown. The cell phone typically includes a central processing unit
(CPU) 202 that is configured to execute software commands and
perform cell phone functions according to the command instructions
that may be received from an outside source. These commands may be
stored in main memory 204 or cache memory 206. Such functions may
include the transmission and reception of data, graphical user
interface operations, data processing operations, data security
functions, and other functions that may be related to the operation
and use of a cell phone. The cell phone typically includes some
type of transmit/receive module 208, which may be a transceiver
that performs both sending and receiving operations, or separate
components for transmitting and receiving data. The module may be
connected to a common antenna 109 or a signal beamer 110 configured
for sending and receiving electronic signals 112. The signals may
be infrared, RF or other signals configured to transmit data.
[0030] The cell phone may include a main memory 204 having software
code and data stored therein. The software code may be executed by
the CPU 202, and may govern the operations and functions of the
cell phone. The cell phone may also include cache memory 206 for
storing data frequently used by the CPU. In some applications, the
cell phone may be configured to store software from the main memory
into the cache memory in order to give the CPU easier access to the
data for execution. Graphical user interface code 210 may be
executed by the CPU to control the cell phone's display 104 (FIG.
1). The code used would likely be unique to the application used
for the graphical display, such as a light emitting diode (LED)
display, a quartz display, or other type of display. Many types and
implementations of displays are well known to those skilled in the
art of cell phone design as well as other similar technologies.
Transmit and receive code 212 may also be included in the cell
phone main memory. Upon execution by the CPU, the transmit and
receive code enables the CPU to cause the cell phone to transmit
and receive data with the transmit and receive module 208. The
memory may further include processing code 214 for processing
instructions and data related to processing headers, data, GUI
instructions and data, and other instructions.
[0031] The processing code may include header processing code 216
configured to change headers among different formats according to
the invention. As discussed above, the invention provides a method
and apparatus for optimized transmission of data between the cell
phone and a communication interface. The cell phone simply sends
data packets having reduced headers in order to reduce the
computation needed to prepare and send the data. The data is simply
sent with minimal information. The header information may include
the IP addresses of the cell phone and the destination device for
identifying the source and destination of the information. The
header may also include the file name, the file size, the sequence
of the data packet in relation to other data that has been sent,
and other information related to the data, of different
combinations and permutations of such information. Of course, the
packet may also include the data itself, which may be referred to
as payload data.
[0032] The header accompanying data within a packet may be
configured according to a standard protocol such as the IrDA Object
Exchange Standard, or IrOBEX, developed by the Infrared Data
Association.TM., a copy of which is attached. The invention,
however, is not limited this protocol, but extends to other
configurations that allow a data packet to be configured with
limited header information. Such a data packet may include the
minimal amount of information that is required to transmit data
from the cell phone to the communication interface, such as the
name of the file being transferred and the beginning and end of the
data. Importantly though, according to the invention, the header
used for transmission between the communications interface and the
cell phone is much more simple than complicated header information
such as that required under the TCP/IP/PPP protocol data, which is
commonly used in conventional data transmission applications. This
simplified header saves much computation in the transmission of
data from the cell phone.
[0033] For example, in the data transmission operation between the
cell phone and the communication interface, a first packet may be
sent that identifies the name and size of the data file to be
transferred. A second packet may then be sent having a header that
identifies what part of the whole file is being transferred and the
size of the particular portion being transmitted within the second
packet, specifying the beginning and the end of the portion being
transferred. However many packets that are needed to transfer the
data are transmitted until the entire file has been completely
transferred. The final packet may then specify the end of the file,
indicating that the entire packet has been transferred to the
destination. The transmission of data in this manner may be done in
both directions, from the cell phone to the communications
interface as well as from the communications interface to the cell
phone. In either case, the transmission of data is greatly
simplified in order to lighten the processing load on the cell
phone. This method also reduces the amount of storage space is
needed in the cell phone and greatly reduces the transmission time
of data transmissions. This also relieves the cell phone from
having to keep a TCP/IP/PPP protocol stack in its memory.
[0034] Still referring to FIG. 2, the cell phone may also include
data processing code 218 stored in its main memory 204 for
performing the processing of data within the cell phone when the
CPU executes the code. According to the invention, many data
processing functions may be performed remotely, sparing the cell
phone of the processing burden. This allows the cell phone to run
more efficiently and require less powerful processing circuitry.
The cell phone memory may also include GUI processing code for
performing general GUI functions when executed by the CPU. The main
memory may also include data memory for storing data to be used or
transmitted by the cell phone.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, further details of the communications
interface 116 are shown. The interface may include a CPU 302
configured to execute software code stored in main memory 304 for
performing internal operations of the interface. Optional cache
memory 306 and persistent memory 308 may also be included in the
interface to provide alternative storage locations to optimize
access to data by the CPU. The interface may also include modem 310
that allows the interface to communicate with network 122 via
communication link 120 as discussed above. This enables
communication with other devices on the network such as computer
126 of FIG. 1. Transmit and receive module 312 may also be included
for facilitating communication between the interface and the cell
phone, and the module may be connected to signal beamer 114. The
module may be a transceiver, performing both transmit and receive
functions, or the two functions may be divided into two separate
modules. The transmission module may be a radio frequency module,
configured to send and receive RF signals. The module may also be
an infrared LAN (local area network) access point (LAP) for
receiving and sending infrared signals when communicating with a
similarly equipped and configured cell phone. The invention is not
limited to a particular type of interface between the cell phone
and the communication interface.
[0036] The interface includes a main memory 304 for providing main
storage of data and software code required for the operation of the
interface. Transmit code 314 may be included to allow the interface
to perform transmit and receive functions when the code is executed
by the CPU. According to the invention, the code can be designed to
configure the interface to sent and transmit data having a
simplified header, without any TCP/IP/PPP headers, with similarly
configured cell phones.
[0037] The interface may also include processing code 316, which,
according to the invention, configures the CPU to perform data
processing and instruction execution when the CPU executes the
code. The code may include header processing code 318. The
processing code includes executable software code for performing
the header format configurations. These configurations may be used
in facilitating communication between the cell phone and the
computer. Header format code 320 is configured to process headers
of data packets by configuring them with the proper format
according to the intended destination of the data packet.
[0038] For example, a data packet originating from the cell phone
and destined for the computer may have a simplified header as
discussed above. The CPU may reconfigure this data packet when it
executes the cell phone format code 322. This code would allow the
CPU to separate the data from the header so that it can be
reconfigured. The translation and configuration format code 326 may
then translate the header information pertaining to the data
transmission from the simplified format to TCP/IP format. The
reconfigured data packet can then be retransmitted to the computer
using the transmit and receive code 314. If communicating with
another cell phone, the communication interface may retransmit a
data packet with a simple header to another cell phone. Or, if the
packet is destined for other cell phones that are not so
configured, it may transmit data using a TCP/IP/PPP header. This
would make the communication device universally compatible with
multiple communication devices.
[0039] Similarly, a data packet originating from a computer 126 and
destined for the cell phone 102 may have a header configured in the
TCP/IP format. The TCP/IP code 324, when executed by the CPU, would
allow the header to be separated from the data. The header can then
be reformatted from the TCP/IP header format to the simplified
format by executing the translation and configuration format code
326 with the CPU. The newly configured data packet can then be
transmitted to the cell phone whey the CPU executes the transmit
and receive code 314.
[0040] The computer, 126, may be any type of data processing device
such as a personal computer, wireless data communication device, or
any other device that communicates by sending data packets
configured with headers having TCP/IP format. According to the
invention, a cell phone is able to communicate with such computers
via the communication interface without having to deal with TCP/IP
and TCP/IP/PPP header format operations. Referring to FIG. 4, a
more detailed block diagram of a computer is shown. The computer
may include a CPU 402 configured to perform standard processing
operations of the computer when it executes software stored in main
memory 404. The computer may also include cache memory 406 and
persistent memory 408 for providing more efficient access to data
and command instructions to the CPU for execution.
[0041] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the computer
may include the functions of the communication interface 116. The
computer would then include substantially all of the processing
code 316 and transmit and receive code 314, FIG. 3. The computer
would then need a transmit and receive module 410 for communicating
with the cell phone in the same manner as the communication device
116 does with its transmit and receive module 312. In such a
configuration, the communication interface is built in to the
computer, obviating the need for a separate device.
[0042] The computer may further include data processing code 414
that includes code that configures the CPU to perform data
processing tasks. The code includes parsing code 416. The parsing
code may cause the header to be parsed out from a data packet when
the CPU executes the TCP/IP header code 418. Data may also be
parsed out from a data packet by executing the data parsing code
420 with the CPU. Once the data is separated from the header, the
computer may store the data in data storage 426 and process the
data by executing the application data processing code of
application code 422.
[0043] The application code may be code configured under any one of
a number of applications wherein data may be used, processed or
otherwise consumed. These applications may be used as remote
operations to the cell phone, giving it extra processing power that
can be performed by the computer. For example, the user of a cell
phone may wish to attach and send a document or other large data
attachment to an email for transmission via the Internet. The cell
phone being limited in size and, consequently, limited in memory
and data processing capacity, it would be a large burden for it to
have the document stored and processed in the cell phone. According
to the invention, in response to a request sent from the cell
phone, a document stored on the computer is capable of being
attached to an email and transmitted to an email recipient. The
capacity of the computer may be utilized in numerous ways to offer
expanded memory and processing capacity to the cell phone remotely.
This capacity may also be provided to the cell phone by the
communication interface 116. The interface may be equipped in the
same manner as the computer as described herein to provide remote
processing and data storage functions.
[0044] The computer may also include a database 428 containing data
for use by the computer 126. According to the invention, the cell
phone may be able to access the database attached to the computer
by sending data packets containing instructions to do so. Using
this technique, the cell phone is able to perform processing and
transmission of data that would normally be burdensome to the cell
phone performing these tasks by itself.
[0045] In operation, the presence of the communication interface
allows the cell phone to greatly simplify data transmission as well
as computations that are regularly performed by the cell phone in
normal use. According to the invention, the communication interface
also greatly expands the cell phone's capabilities without
requiring any improvements in processing capacity or data storage
capacity. Referring to FIG. 5, an example of a data packet used in
the prior art is shown. As can be seen, transferring data at 1500
bytes for each packet can take up to 44 bytes of space from the
packet for the header alone. The PPP header 502 takes up 4 bytes,
the TCP header 504 takes up to 20 bytes (4 bytes if compressed),
and the IP header takes up 20 bytes, for a total of up to 44 bytes.
If PPP encoding is used, the data packet is increased by
approximately 300 more bytes, which may be required to be
transferred with the encoded data. As discussed in the background,
this lays a heavy burden on the cell phone. In contrast, the data
ID header 602 in the simplified packet takes up much less memory
space, as little as 4 bytes for a packet of 1500 bytes in this
example. This leaves much more data, 1496 bytes of data 604.
[0046] In practice, an implementation of one embodiment of the
invention included a cell phone sending data using an OBEX
formatted header, a header format that is much more simple than the
TCP/IP/PPP protocol, to a communication interface. The
implementation was tested, resulting in a data transfer of 5.5
kilobytes per second. This is an almost 300% improvement of an
equivalent data transfer using TCP/IP/PPP headers in the data
packets transmitted from and sent to the cell phone. This result is
an example of the utility of the invention in practical use.
[0047] In another embodiment, the invention provides a useful
device and method to use a hand held wireless device, such as a
cellular phone, to upload and download photographic information
without needing to access the cellular telephone network. In many
conventional mobile devices, cellular phones, cell phones and other
devices, the web browser used to access the Internet typically uses
HTTP protocol to access the Internet. Conventional IR and/or
Bluetooth equipped cell phone or cell phone support the OBEX
protocol. The invention defines algorithms for mobile devices to
access the Internet using the OBEX protocol instead of the cellular
network to upload such data and information from a wireless device
and download to a device.
[0048] In one conventional application, photographic information
can be uploaded and downloaded from a cellular telephone via the
cellular network, and the pictures can be transmitted via the
cellular network for a charge. Utilizing the invention, any
cellular network can be bypassed, and photos can be uploaded via a
network, such as the Internet, and can be utilized in many
ways.
[0049] In one embodiment, photos can be uploaded to an interface
that forwards photo information to a web server configured to share
photos with friends, make prints and allow others to log on to a
web browser to view the photos. A user may also send photos to a
particular server, either a personal home or business system, or a
commercial system that provides services, such as
www.yahoo.com.TM..
[0050] In another embodiment, a user can send photos to others via
an email. Receiving parties can view the photo from a file
attachment to an email, from a network address or website via a
link, or by other methods. Utilizing the invention, these and other
features may be performed without the need for the cellular phone
network.
[0051] In yet another embodiment, a user can send photos from
Internet to a phone or phones using a multimedia messaging service.
Utilizing the invention, the user (sender) bypasses cell network to
upload photos. Although the Internet server has to use multimedia
messaging service through cell network to reach the receiver's cell
phone, the Internet server is likely to receive volume discount
since it is a mass cell network user.
[0052] In operation, a user contacts a website in Step 702 and
registers in at the website in step 704. A service provider may
have a web server on the Internet for people to register
information such as:
[0053] 1. photo upload server (www.ofoto.com for example)
[0054] 2. server account name
[0055] 3. server account password
[0056] 4. users cell phone number
[0057] 5. e-mail address of the user
[0058] 6. e-mail addresses of the user's friends
[0059] 7. cell phone number of user's friends
[0060] 8. other user info
[0061] After registration, the user is assigned a private
identification number (PIN), for example four digits, to the user.
The user may subsequently want to upload photos by going to a kiosk
or station in at step 706, entering a cell phone number+the 4 digit
PIN number at an upload station, such as a photo upload station or
a kiosk, in step 706. The login process may be performed by keypad,
touch screen, beaming through an infrared (IR) signal, an IR signal
configured under the Bluetooth protocol, an login card that is
configured to transfer an identification code by way of a magnetic
tape or bar code, or by radio frequency identification (RFID). The
upload station may check with the web server on the Internet to
verify user's information in step 710. If sign in information is
accepted in step 710, the user may be notified by some type of LCD
display or sound signal that the user can begin uploading photos.
The user interface at the photo upload station may let the user
choose either upload to a server or e-mail or MMS.
[0062] After user makes the uploading selection, the user can start
beaming photos (using either IR or Bluetooth and OBEX PUT protocol)
to the kiosk access point. Referring to FIG. 8, a more detailed
flow chart illustrating the send photos step 712 (FIG. 7) is
illustrated. The detailed send photos process 800 begins at step
802, then a signal is sent to the user in step 804 that indicates
is approved to upload photos.
[0063] The kiosk access point translates the "OBEX PUT" to a number
of HTTP POST commands to either our web server or the photo upload
server (www.ofoto.com for example). The HTTP POST commands contains
enough info about the user (account name and password and more) to
access either our web server or the photo upload server
(www.ofoto.com for example). The underlying code in the kiosk is
configured to perform the following steps:
[0064] 1. provide user interface, display buttons, messages, touch
screen
[0065] 2. communicate with an application server for user
authentication
[0066] 3. sending photos
[0067] 4. receiving content (photo, ring tone, . . . ) send signals
to user's cell phone.
[0068] 5. communicate with cell phone (mobile device) using IR or
Bluetooth
[0069] The user may then be asked what type of upload they would
like, such as uploading to a server, such as an application server,
upload to an email address, upload to a multimedia message service,
or other type of upload in step 806. In step 808, the user chooses
a method, then the user is ready to upload photo data in step 810.
In step 812, it is determined whether the photos are being uploaded
according to an HTTP or and OBEX protocol. If OBEX, the process
goes to step 814 and translates the OBEX commands, such as the
"put" command to appropriate HTTP Post commands. Otherwise, the
data is uploaded to the destination, or the interface, in step 816.
Then, the kiosk performs the necessary steps to access a
destination device in step 818 according to which upload operation
was selected by the user.
[0070] As a further background, HTTP is the protocol used by a
client (web browser for example) to access the resources of a
remote server. It uses URL, the name or IP address of the remote
machine and a file name to identify the resource. As an example,
the syntax of a URL can be:
[0071]
<scheme>://<user>:<password>@<host>:<por-
t>/<path>?<query>#<frag>
[0072] There are a number of methods defined in the HTTP protocol.
The POST method allows the client to send data to a server for
processing, for example user name and password to the server. Upon
receiving the POST method from the client, the server checks and
verifies the user name and password and sends the proper response
back to the client. The response could be a simple statement such
as "OK, you are logged in", a picture, an MP3 file, or other
indicator. Another method, GET, works in a similar manner as the
POST method. It is used for the client to get data from a web
server. A HTTP PUT method means the client wishing to send and
store a file to the web server. HTTPS is the HTTP protocol with SSL
encryption. Thus, HTTP is used interchangeably as both HTTP and
HTTPS.
[0073] As still further background, all of the IR and Bluetooth
enabled cell phones support IrOBEX, which is a protocol developed
by IrDA (www.irda.org) and later adopted by Bluetooth. The design
of the protocol is to enable easy object exchange between two IR or
Bluetooth devices, where the object could be a business card,
calendar and so on. The IrMC specification defines a group of
objects that are supported using the OBEX protocol, vCard for
business card and vCalendar for calendar for example.
[0074] OBEX defines a number of commands. Among them, the PUT
command is to send an object to another OBEX enabled device.
Another command, GET, is to instruct the other device to retrieve
an object from its local storage and send it back. For the object
of the PUT command, it is a file of the local storage (file system
or memory). For the object of the GET command, it is a file of the
other devices local storage. For example, a client issues an OBEX
PUT command with file name my_card.vcf means the client is sending
a vCard file my_card.cvf to another device. Another example, a
client issues an OBEX GET command with file name your_card.cvf
means it is telling the other device to send a file called
"your_card.cvf" to the client.
[0075] In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for
employing an algorithm generally as follows: OBEX PUT.fwdarw.HTTP
PUT or HTTP POST. This algorithm defines how to map OBEX PUT
command to either HTTP PUT or HTTP POST. A client issues an OBEX
PUT command and the algorithm translates it to either HTTP PUT or
HTTP POST. The client is usually a mobile device, cell phone, cell
phone and so on. The execution of the algorithm resides in an IR or
Bluetooth access point. The mobile device communicates with the
access point by either IR or Bluetooth using the OBEX protocol. The
access point communicates with a web server on the Internet using
HTTP protocol. The name header of the OBEX PUT command could be a
URL such as http://www.abcd.com/cards/my_card.cvf.
[0076] If the client is issuing an OBEX PUT and wishes to do a HTTP
PUT, a straight mapping is used. The file name that accompanies the
OBEX PUT command will be used in the HTTP PUT request. For example,
the client issues "OBEX PUT my_card.cvf" the algorithm translates
it to "HTTP PUT my_card.cvf".
1 OBEX Operation: OBEX PUT OBEX Name Header:
http://www.abcd.com/cards/my_card.cvf OBEX body: none
[0077] Will be translated into
2 HTTP Method: HTTP PUT HTTP URL String:
http://www.abcd.com/cards/my_card.cvf HTTP payload: none
[0078] If the client issuing an OBEX PUT and wishes to do a HTTP
POST, the algorithm specifies that the client should put a special
character in front of the URL string, a # sign, for example. This
special character, # sign, is not limited to one character and can
either be inserted in the front of the URL string or attached at
the end of the string. The main purpose of this is not to disturb
the original URL string and be able to let the OBEX Server to
distinguish the difference from a standard URL string. The file
name is usually a program on the web server that the client wishes
to execute. For example, if the URL is www.abcd.com/demo/login.asp,
it means the client wishes to log into the application server and
the server executes the program login.asp. In this example, the
client issues an OBEX PUT command and the name header contains
"#http://www.abcd.com/login.asp"; the body of the object is
"name=john&password=letmein".
3 OBEX Operation: OBEX PUT OBEX Name Header:
#http://www.abcd.com/login.asp OBEX Body:
name=john&password=letm- ein
[0079] Will be translated into
4 HTTP Method: HTTP POST HTTP URL String:
http://www.abcd.com/login.asp HTTP Payload:
name=john&password=letmein
[0080] According to the invention, another algorithm is used for
response handling. HTTP methods can generate a response sent to the
requesting client. The issuer (client) of the HTTP method receives
the response from the server indicating either success or failure
or data the client intended to get. For example, the response of
the "HTTP GET a_song.mp3" command is "MP3" music. If HTTP POST is
used, the client is expecting response back from the server. Unlike
HTTP, there is no way for OBEX PUT command issuer to receive the
response from the server since OBEX PUT sends data only.
[0081] According to the invention, an algorithm specifies how to
receive the response from HTTP server using OBEX. In order to
receive the HTTP response from the server, the client issuing the
OBEX POST command is required to issue an "OBEX GET RESPONSE"
command, where RESPONSE is the file name to get, all capital
letters, to the access point. Upon receiving the "OBEX GET
RESPONSE" command the access point sends the response from HTTP
server to the client.
5 OBEX Operation: OBEX PUT OBEX Name Header:
#http://www.abcd.com/login.asp OBEX Body:
name=john&password=letm- ein
[0082] Will be translated into
6 HTTP Method: HTTP POST HTTP URL String:
http://www.abcd.com/login.asp HTTP Payload:
name=john&password=letmein
[0083] And, the response from the web server can be retrieved by
the mobile device using OBEX GET RESPONSE:
7 OBEX Operation: OBEX GET OBEX Name Header: RESPONSE OBEX Body:
none
[0084] Or
8 OBEX Operation: OBEX GET OBEX Name Header: cfs://get/response
OBEX Body: none
[0085] In this example, the file login.asp is the script on the
application server authenticating users. The web server receiving
the HTTP POST command verifies the user name and password and sends
the account information back. The account information is stored in
the access point temporarily. The client issues the following OBEX
GET command to the access point and thus receiving the account
information:
[0086] CFS://get/response
[0087] In another embodiment, another algorithm is used to map the
Application ID to a URL. The syntax of URL is
[0088]
<scheme>://<host>:<port>/<path>;<paramet-
ers>?<query>#<frag>
[0089] For example, scheme, host and path could be
9 Scheme http, https, ftp, smtp, . . . Host www.yahoo.com;
www.abc.com; www.cnn.com; . . . Path
Directory_1/directory_2/directory_3/ . . . /login.asp
[0090] The combined length of scheme+host+path could be very long.
The problem is that it may be difficult for some mobile devices to
support the long URL string. This is because a URL uses a large
amount of space for use in the name header to be transmitted in an
OBEX command. And, another problem is that the URL could change
over time. For example, if for some reason the web server decides
to move the login.asp in the above example to somewhere else, the
client application in the mobile device needs to be notified the
change. Otherwise, the client application will not be able to login
once login.asp is moved.
[0091] According to one embodiment, the algorithm defines an
application ID, a special character, such as the ! sign, a # sign,
or any particular character that is not used in the
<user>:<password>@<host&- gt;:<port>,
followed by a number of characters, six numbers for example, that
maps to a specific URL. In the example of mobile device and access
point, the mapping is stored in the access point. Upon seeing the !
sign followed by a known 6 characters, the access point translates
it into an URL. For example, let's say "ABCD35" is a known
application ID to the access point and the corresponding URL is
"www.abcd.com/dir.sub.--1/d- ir.sub.--2". When mobile device sends
an OBEX PUT command with file name "http://!ABCD35/login.asp", the
access point will then translate it into a HTTP PUT request:
http://www.abcd.com/dir.sub.--1/dir.sub.--2/login.asp- .
[0092] Referring again back to FIG. 7, the process continues to
step 714, where it is queried whether the sending process is
complete. Next, the photos are processed in step 716. Referring to
FIG. 9, a more detailed flow chart of the photo processing
operation 900 is illustrated. The process begins in Step 902 and
the photo data is stored in a storage location in step 904. If the
process is configured for an automatic sending operation in step
906, the destination address is retrieved in step 908, and the
photos are emailed. The destination addresses may be preconfigured
by the user via a website prior to use at the kiosk. The process
then ends at step 911. Back to step 906, if the auto send is not
configured, it is queried in step 912 whether the system is
configured to automatically publish the photos. If yes, the
publication website address is retrieved in step 914, and the
photos are published in step 916. If it is determined in step 912
that automatic publishing is not configured, then the process
queries in step 918 whether automatic printing is configured. If it
is, then the photos are printed in step 920. If not, the process
ends at step 911. Back to step 906, if the destination is a cell
phone, the photos are sent from the storage location to the
destination cell phone. This can be done by various media, such as
a conventional multimedia messaging service or by sending an email
using the cell network.
[0093] The invention may include the utilization of dedicated
processors, webservers configured to receive and route browser
requests, application servers, state servers and other types of
computer processors. These devices may be configured to communicate
amongst each other and may be connected to one or more networks,
including a Local Area Network (LAN), an intranet and the Internet.
These networks may also include the use of wireless as well as wire
line connections in order to communicate. However, it will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that such implementations
of devices and systems are but few illustrations of the utility of
the invention, and that the invention may have greater
applicability and utility in many other applications where
efficient routing and processing of data within one or more
networks is involved. Equivalent structures embodying the invention
could be configured for such applications without diverting from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Although the embodiments
described and illustrated herein are in the context of devices and
systems for exchanging data among users of a computer system or
network and users of cell phones, the invention extends to other
applications where similar features are useful. The invention may
include personal computers, application servers, state servers or
Internet webservers that are designed and implemented on a computer
and may be connected to a network for communication with other
computers to practice the invention. A system configured to operate
according to the invention may include a plurality of personal
computers and cell phones connected to the Internet via individual
modems or other communication means such as wireless
communications.
[0094] The invention may also involve a number of functions to be
performed by a computer processor, such as a microprocessor. The
microprocessor may be a specialized or dedicated microprocessor
that is configured to perform particular tasks by executing
machine-readable software code that defines the particular tasks.
The microprocessor may also be configured to operate and
communicate with other devices such as direct memory access
modules, memory storage devices, Internet related hardware, and
other devices that relate to the transmission of data in accordance
with the invention. In devices such as cell phones, it is important
that processors are physically small enough to help keep the cell
phone itself small, yet powerful enough to be able to perform the
tasks required to make the cell phone useful for sending, receiving
and using data. It is these goals that a device embodying the
invention may achieve.
[0095] The software code utilized in the cell phones and other
devices utilizing the invention may be configured using software
formats such as Java, C++, XML (Extensible Mark-up Language) and
other languages that may be used to define functions that relate to
operations of devices required to carry out the functional
operations related to the invention. The code may be written in
different forms and styles, many of which are known to those
skilled in the art. Different code formats, code configurations,
styles and forms of software programs and other means of
configuring code to define the operations of a microprocessor in
accordance with the invention will not depart from the spirit and
scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended
Claims.
[0096] Within the different types of devices, such as specialized
computer servers and cell phones, that utilize the invention, there
exist different types of memory devices for storing and retrieving
information while performing functions according to the invention.
Cache memory devices are often included in such computers for use
by the central processing unit as a convenient storage location for
information that is frequently stored and retrieved. Similarly, a
persistent memory is also frequently used with such computers for
maintaining information that is frequently retrieved by a central
processing unit, but that is not often altered within the
persistent memory, unlike the cache memory. Main memory is also
usually included for storing and retrieving larger amounts of
information such as data and software applications configured to
perform functions according to the invention when executed by the
central processing unit. These memory devices may be configured as
random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM),
dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, and other memory
storage devices that may be accessed by a central processing unit
to store and retrieve information. The invention is not limited to
any particular type of memory device, nor any commonly used
protocol for storing and retrieving information to and from these
memory devices respectively. In devices such as cell phones, it is
important that such memory devices are physically small enough to
help keep the cell phone itself small, yet contain enough storage
space required to make the cell phone useful for sending, receiving
and using data. It is these goals that a device embodying the
invention may achieve.
[0097] The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for
efficiently exchanging data from a cellular telephone according to
commands via a URL between a wireless device and a data interface
configured to receive such data. The interface may be a
conventional data processing device such as a computer server, and
may include a means for sending data signals between a cellular
telephone and such an interface, . In one embodiment, a
communication interface is configured to exchange digital data
configured with a first header format such as OBEX, and to
translate commands configured in the OBEX protocol to commands
configured according to the HTTP protocol. The communication
interface is also configured to exchange digital data with remote
devices via a network, such as the Internet. Although this
embodiment is described and illustrated in the context of the use
and operation of a cellular telephone or similar wireless device,
the scope of the invention extends to other applications where
convenient and efficient data transmission is desired. Furthermore,
while the foregoing description has been with reference to
particular embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated
that these are only illustrative of the invention and the changes
may be made to those embodiments without departing from the
principles of invention, the scope of which is defined by the
appended Claims and any equivalents.
* * * * *
References