Method and apparatus for facilitating communication between a personal data assistant and a computer

• US 20020073234A1
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarinet Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clarinet Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ma, David Yin-Shur
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/001 specially adapted for transmission via digital wireline networks H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00106 using land mobile radio networks, e.g. mobile telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00312 with a digital transmission apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, SMS or ISDN device transmitting or receiving via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network or the internet H04N1/00214; transmission of digital information H04L
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0024 Converting image communication control signals, e.g. group 3 facsimile protocol signals, to non-image communication control signals or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention provides a communication interface that is configured to exchange digital data packets configured with a simplified header format with a PDA, and is further configured to exchange digital data configured with a conventional header format with a device such as a computer server communicating with a network, such as the Internet. When directed to exchange data between a PDA and a computer, the interface is capable of converting the header of a data packet from one header format to another header format. This allows seamless communication between the computer and the PDA.

Claims

1. For use in a communication interface for communication between a personal data assistant (PDA) and the communication interface, the communication interface being configured to communicate with other devices via the internet and being further configured to facilitate data communication between the PDA and other devices, 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 from a PDA a data packet having 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 computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the data packet further includes receiving a data packet having a header containing data information including the intended destination of the data packet and the size of the data packet.

3. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the step of re-configuring the data packet further includes the steps of:

separating the header information from the data sent together in the data packet;

generating a new header under a second format; and

generating a new data packet having a newly configured header and the data received in the original data packet.

4. A computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the step of generating a new header under the second format further includes the steps of:

generating at least one header from the group including a TCP header and an IP header.

5. A computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the step of generating a new header under the second format further includes the steps of generating a new packet under a TCP/IP protocol.

6. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the header further includes the steps of:

separating the header information from the data sent in the data packet; and

generating a newly configured data packet from the header information and the data received in the original data packet.

7. A computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the step of generating a newly configured data packet includes generating a new data packet with a new header configured under the second format.

8. A computer readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another data packet configured under the second format at the communications interface;

configuring a header for a new packet according to the first format from the second format; and

transmitting the second reconfigured packet from the communications interface to the PDA.

9. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein configuring the header of the data packet from the second format to the first format includes reconfiguring the first data packet from a data packet having a header configured under the TCP/IP protocol to a data packet having a header configured under the OBEX protocol.

10. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the step of configuring a header for a new data packet according to the first format includes reconfiguring payload data sent with the second reconfigured packet.

11. A communication interface configured to exchange digital data packets having communication headers with a computer server, wherein the data packets are configured under a first format with a PDA and to exchange digital data packets configured under a second format, comprising:

a parser configured to separate the header information from other information included within the data packet;

a packet converter configured to convert the data packet transmitted from the PDA under the first format to the second format, the packet converter including a data converter configured to configure data from one format to another format and a header generator configured to generate a header configured under the first header format;

a data packet generator configured to generate a second data packet using the header information and other information included in the original data packet sent by the PDA; and

a data transmitter configured to transmit data to a destination device.

12. A communication interface according to claim 11, wherein the packet converter is configured convert a data packet sent by a PDA, wherein the data packet includes a header and data payload, to a second data packet configured under the second format.

13. A communication interface according to claim 12, wherein the packet converter is configured to reformat the first data packet according to the second format and wherein the second format includes a header that is configured under the second format.

14. A communication interface according to claim 12, wherein the packet converter is configured to reformat the first data packet according to the second format, wherein the second format includes a header that is configured under the second format and wherein the second format further includes a data payload that is also reformatted under the second format.

15. A communication interface according to claim 11, wherein the packet converter is configured convert a data packet sent by a second device communicating with the communication interface, wherein the data packet includes a header and data payload, to a third data packet configured under the first format.

16. A communication interface according to claim 15, wherein the packet converter is configured to reformat the second data packet according to the first format and wherein the first format includes a header that is configured under the first format.

17. A communication interface according to claim 15, wherein the packet converter is configured to reformat the second data packet according to the first format, wherein the first format includes a header that is configured under the first format and wherein the first format further includes a data payload that is also reformatted under the first format.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the first header format is configured under an object exchange (OBEX) protocol, and wherein the second format is configured under a TCP/IP protocol.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the PDA is configured to transmit data configured under the first header format from the PDA to the communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to reformat the received header with the second header format and to transmit the data packet with the new header to the computer server, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a second data packet sent by the computer server and reformat the header associated with the second data packet under the first protocol and to transmit the configured processed data to the PDA, and wherein the PDA is configured to receive and to process the configured processed data.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein the PDA is configured to transmit data configured under the first header format from the PDA to the communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to configure the received header with the second header format and to transmit the data packet with the new header to the computer server, wherein the computer server is configured to process the received data and to transmit the processed data, which is configured under the second header format, to the communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to configure the header of the processed data under the first protocol and to transmit the configured processed data to the PDA, and wherein the PDA is configured to receive and to process the configured processed data.

18. A system for communicating between a personal data assistant (PDA) and a computer comprising:

a PDA having a processor configured to process digital data configured under a first header format, a memory for storing data, a wireless data transmitter for transmitting data configured under the first header format to a remote location, and a receiver configured to receive data configured under the first header format from a source location;

a computer server configured to send, receive and process data formatted under a second header format; and

a communication interface having a data processor that is configured to send and receive digital data configured under the first header format to and from the PDA respectively, to send and receive digital data configured under the second header format to and from the computer server respectively, to receive and convert data transmitted under the first header format to the second header format and transmit the reformatted data to the computer server and to receive and convert data transmitted under the second header format to the first header format and transmit the reformatted data to the PDA.

22. A method of communicating between a personal data assistant (PDA) and a computer server via a communication interface, comprising:

transmitting data having a header configured under a first format from the PDA to the communication interface;

configuring the header associated with the received data with the second format with the communication interface and transmitting the translated data to the computer server;

processing the received data with the computer server;

transmitting the processed data to the communication interface;

configuring the header of the processed data having the header configured under the first format with the communication interface;

transmitting the processed data having the reconfigured header to the PDA; and

receiving and processing processed data having the reconfigured header with the PDA.

26. A method according to claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a data packet from the device;

reformatting the data packet to a second data packet according to the first format; and

transmitting the second data packet to the PDA.

27. A method according to claim 25 further comprising:

performing a processing operation on the data packet with the device;

receiving a data packet from the device;

reformatting the data packet to a second data packet according to the first format; and

transmitting the second data packet to the PDA.

23. A method of facilitating communication between a personal data assistant (PDA) and a computer server via a communication interface, comprising:

receiving a data packet having a header configured under a first protocol from a PDA to the communication interface;

configuring the header of the received data packet to a second protocol with the communication interface and transmitting the translated data to the computer server;

receiving processed data from the computer server;

configuring the processed data under the first protocol with the communication interface; and

transmitting the configured processed data to the PDA.

24. A method of facilitating communication between a personal data assistant (PDA) and a computer server via a communication interface, comprising:

receiving a data packet having a header configured under the OBEX protocol from a PDA to the communication interface;

configuring the header of the received data packet to a header configured under the TCP/IP protocol with the communication interface and transmitting the reconfigured data packet to the computer server;

receiving a second data packet from the computer server, wherein the second data packet includes a header configured under the TCP/IP protocol;

creating a third data packet by reconfiguring the header of the received packet under the OBEX protocol with the communication interface; and

transmitting the third data packet to the PDA.

25. A method of facilitating communication between a personal data assistant (PDA) and a computer server via a communication interface, comprising:

receiving a data packet by a communication interface from a PDA, wherein the data packet is configured under a first format and includes a request to perform a process on the data packet;

reformatting the data packet with the communication interface to a universal format for transmission to other devices; and

transmitting the reformatted data packet to a device.