U.S. patent application number 11/418479 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-25 for network connectivity system and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to Palm, Inc. Invention is credited to David Kammer, Steven C. Lemke, Yoon Kean Wong.
Application Number | 20070019602 11/418479 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25544771 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070019602 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wong; Yoon Kean ; et
al. |
January 25, 2007 |
Network connectivity system and method
Abstract
A method of configuring an electronic device for communications
with a communications network includes establishing a wireless
communications link between a first electronic device and a second
electronic device. The first electronic device has saved thereon a
set of network parameters for enabling communications between the
first electronic device and the communications network. The method
also includes communicating the set of network parameters to the
second electronic device, retaining the set of network parameters
on the second electronic device, and establishing a communications
link between the second electronic device and the communications
network by applying settings to the second electronic device. The
settings are based on the network parameters.
Inventors: |
Wong; Yoon Kean; (Redwood
City, CA) ; Kammer; David; (Seattle, WA) ;
Lemke; Steven C.; (Sunnyvale, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY & LARDNER LLP
777 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202-5306
US
|
Assignee: |
Palm, Inc
|
Family ID: |
25544771 |
Appl. No.: |
11/418479 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09998108 |
Nov 30, 2001 |
7072326 |
|
|
11418479 |
May 4, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/343 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 76/10 20180201;
H04W 28/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/343 |
International
Class: |
H04J 1/00 20060101
H04J001/00 |
Claims
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20. (canceled)
21. An electronic device, comprising: a transceiver; and a
processor configured to receive settings from a second electronic
device via the transceiver, the settings for use by the second
device to connect to a communications network, the processor
configured to connect to the communications network using the
settings.
22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is a
Bluetooth transceiver.
23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is
configured to communicate over a wireless local area network.
24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is
an infrared transceiver.
25. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a second
transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is configured to
communicate with the communications network.
26. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is
selected from the group consisting of an infrared transceiver and a
Bluetooth transceiver, and the second transceiver is configured to
communicate over a wireless local area network.
27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic
device is a portable device.
28. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic
device is a handheld device.
29. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the processor is
configured to receive settings from the second electronic device
via a wired link.
30. An electronic device, comprising: a transceiver; and a
processor configured to connect to a communications network using a
plurality of settings and to transmit the settings to a second
electronic device via the transceiver.
31. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the transceiver is a
Bluetooth transceiver.
32. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the transceiver is
configured to communicate over a wireless local area network.
33. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the transceiver is
an infrared transceiver.
34. The electronic device of claim 30, further comprising a second
transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is configured to
communicate with the communications network.
35. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the transceiver is
selected from the group consisting of an infrared transceiver and a
Bluetooth transceiver, and the second transceiver is configured to
communicate over a wireless local area network.
36. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the electronic
device is a portable device.
37. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the electronic
device is a handheld device.
38. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the processor is
configured to transmit the settings to a second electronic device
via a wired link.
39. An electronic device, comprising a processor configured to
receive manual settings for at least one of hardware and software
settings for the electronic device to enable communications with a
wireless access point and to send the at least one of hardware and
software settings to a second electronic device via a
communications link.
40. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the electronic
device is a handheld device and the at least one of hardware and
software settings are for use with an EEE 802.11 communications
network.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 09/998,108, filed on Nov. 30, 2001, entitled NETWORK
CONNECTIVITY SYSTEM AND METHOD, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates to systems and methods for connecting
wireless electronic devices to communication networks. In
particular, the invention relates to systems and methods used for
connecting wireless electronic devices to communications networks
using settings from an intermediary device already connected to the
network.
[0003] As wireless network technologies are becoming increasingly
important, especially in wireless local area networks (WLANs), it
is also becoming increasingly important that electronic devices
have methods which automatically configure the devices for
communicating with the communications network.
[0004] Conventionally, when an electronic device needs to "talk"
(connect) to a communications network, a number of setting
adjustments may need to be made before the connection may be
established and the communication may begin. For example, the type
of communications scheme may need to be set, is it a serial
communications (8- or 16-bit), a parallel communications channel,
etc. Further, the type of communications protocol being used must
be set appropriately. For example, a handheld computer device
having an IEEE 802.11 transceiver and attempting to communicate
with a fixed communications network through an access point may
need to have settings configured to communicate with the access
point. If, however, it is the first time that the handheld computer
has encountered the access point, proper settings may need to be
established to communicate with the access point. In conventional
methods, a user may need to manually configure the device for
communicating with the access point, or the user may need to
download information prior to the encounter with the access point
to adjust such settings.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for
establishing communications with the communications network by
providing access to communications settings for a portable
electronic device. Further, there is need for a system and method
of using an intermediary electronic device for providing setting
adjustments to a device which permits communication with a
communications network.
[0006] It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that
provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other
features and advantage will be made apparent from the present
specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments
which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of
whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned
needs.
SUMMARY
[0007] An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method
of configuring an electronic device for communications with a
communications network. The method includes establishing a wireless
communications link between a first electronic device and a second
electronic device. The first electronic device has saved thereon a
set of network parameters for enabling communications between the
first electronic device and the communications network. The method
also includes communicating the set of network parameters to the
second electronic device. Further, the method includes retaining
the set of network parameters on the second electronic device.
Further still, the method includes establishing a communications
link between the second electronic device and the communications
network by applying settings to the second electronic device, the
settings based on the network parameters.
[0008] Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a
communications system. The communications system includes a
communications network including at least one wireless access
point. The communications system also includes a first electronic
device having network parameters enabling communications between
the first electronic device and the communication network. The
first electronic device includes a first wireless transceiver. The
communications system further includes a second electronic device
having a first set of logic running thereon and a second wireless
transceiver. The first set of logic includes functionality to
communicate with the first electronic device between the first and
second wireless transceivers and the first set of logic includes
functionality to receive the network parameters from the first
electronic device. Further still, the communications system
includes a second set of logic, providing settings on the second
electronic device based on the network parameters and establishing
communications between the second electronic device and the
network.
[0009] Still another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates
to a handheld computer. The handheld computer includes a processor,
a memory coupled to the processor, a transceiver coupled to the
processor, and at least one program stored in the memory and
running on the processor, the program includes logic to receive
settings from an intermediary device via the transceiver. The
settings are used for the intermediary device to connect to a
communications network, and the at least one program includes logic
to connect to the communications network by using the settings.
[0010] Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features
and combination of features as may be generally recited in the
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will become more fully understood from the
following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communications network
including a wireless access point with which portable electronic
devices communicate;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a process diagram depicting steps for establishing
communications with a communications network; and
[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a handheld computer configured
to receive network settings from an intermediary device and
communicate with a network.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a communications system 100 is
depicted. Communications system 100 includes a communications
network 110 which may be any of a variety of communications
networks including, but not limited to, local area networks (LANs),
intranets, extranets, the internet, etc. In an exemplary
embodiment, communications network 110 includes a wireless access
point 120 for communicating with wireless and/or portable devices.
Access point 120 may be provided to allow access using any of a
variety of hardware and software protocols including, but not
limited to, IEEE 802.11 shared wireless access protocol (SWAP),
Bluetooth, etc. Further, in an exemplary embodiment a portable
electronic device 130 includes a wireless transceiver for
connecting to access point 120 via a wireless link 135.
[0016] Initially, device 130 includes a plurality of hardware
and/or software settings to enable communications with access point
120. Settings for device 130 may have been set manually, or may
have been set automatically via a plurality of methods, including
the method of this invention. However, in the exemplary arrangement
depicted in FIG. 1, device 130 acts as an intermediary device that
is used to set up a second portable electronic device 140 for
communicating with access point 120 over a wireless link 145.
[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, device 140 encounters access
point 120; however, device 140 has no knowledge of how to
communicate with access point 120 i.e., device 120 is unaware of
what communications settings to use. Device 140, however, does know
how to communicate with device 130, for any of a variety of reasons
including device 130 is a recognized device to device 140, device
130 and 140 are utilizing self-configuring wireless devices such
as, but not limited to, Bluetooth devices, which enable automated
communications to be established between device 130 and device 140,
and/or device 130 and device 140 are similar devices having
identical hardware and software, only differing in, for example,
their mobile identification or address. In such a case, device 140
has a program running thereon to receive settings for enabling
communications with access point 120. The program running on device
140 receives information, including device settings from device 130
over a communications link 150. The information and settings
received by device 140 are then used to configure device 140 to
communicate with access point 120 over wireless link 145.
Accordingly, by receiving configuration information directly from
device 130, with which device 140 is able to communicate, device
140 is not required to be separately configured either manually or
automatically to enable communications with access point 120.
[0018] Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary process 200 for
establishing communications between a device, such as device 140,
and an access point, such as access point 120, is depicted. A first
set of network parameters are configured on a first electronic
device, such as device 130, to enable communications with a
communications network (step 210) (via an access point, such as
access point 120). Once device 130 has appropriate network
parameters configured thereon, device 130 may act as an
intermediary device for devices which encounter or come in
communication with device 130. As device 140 comes in communication
with device 130, a wireless communications link may be established
between device 130 and device 140 (step 220). In an alternative
embodiment device, 130 and device 140 may have any of a variety of
communications links including, but not limited to, wired links,
radio frequency links, infrared links, ultrasonic links, etc. Once
communication is established between device 130 and device 140, a
set of network parameters is communicated to device 140 (step 230).
Once the network parameters are received by device 140, the network
parameters are retained on device 140 by storing the network
parameters on a storage device (memory, disk, etc.) (step 240).
Having retained the network parameters on device 140, device 140
may then be configured to establish a communications link between
device 140 and access point 120 by applying the settings to device
140 appropriately, those settings being based on the network
parameters received from device 130 (step 250).
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 3, a handheld computer 300 is
depicted. Handheld computer 300 is configured to receive network
settings from an intermediary electronic device having a wireless
network connection. Further, handheld computer 300 is also
configured to communicate with communications network 110 once
appropriately configured, based on the network settings received.
Handheld computer 300 includes a transceiver 310, a processor 320
coupled to transceiver 310, a memory 330 coupled to processor 320,
and a display 350 coupled to processor 320. In an exemplary
embodiment, memory 330 includes, among other software, a program
340 that is configured to receive network settings from an
intermediary device. Program 340 may further include logic steps
which automatically configure hardware and software settings in
handheld computer 300 to communicate with network access point
120.
[0020] In general, it may be primarily useful to use the invention
discussed above and below with IEEE 802.11 access points which
require that the device communicating with the access point be
properly configured prior to encountering the access point.
However, it may be contemplated that handheld computer 300, or
other electronic device 140, which may communicate with a Bluetooth
access point 120 via a Bluetooth receiver, require unique parameter
settings to communicate properly with communications network 110
even though the Bluetooth specification or other communications
protocol specifications may enable some self-configuring or
automatic configuration of the portable device upon encountering
access point 120. Thus, although such automatic or partially
automatic configuration may be possible, the functionality of the
claimed and disclosed invention may still be equally applicable and
useful to such situations.
[0021] While the detailed drawings, specific examples and
particular formulations given describe preferred and exemplary
embodiments, they serve the purpose of illustration only. The
inventions disclosed are not limited to the specific forms shown.
For example, the methods may be performed in any of a variety of
sequence of steps. The hardware and software configurations shown
and described may differ depending on the chosen performance
characteristics and physical characteristics of the computing
devices. For example, the type of computing device, communications
networks, or processor used may differ. The systems and methods
depicted and described are not limited to the precise details and
conditions disclosed. Furthermore, other substitutions,
modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design,
operating conditions, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments
without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in
the appended claims.
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