Method of synchronizing data on a serial link

• US 20020118701A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hochedez, Frederic, Wallois, Marc, Valade, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/026,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

The invention proposes a method of synchronizing data between a computer and a portable appliance over a serial link. The computer sends a change-of-protocol AT command to the appliance to specify a proprietary protocol for use in synchronization. The appliance sends a response to change over to the specified proprietary protocol. The data in the computer and the appliance is then synchronized using the proprietary protocol. The invention also provides a portable appliance having a serial port, an AT interpreter interpreting commands received over the serial port until a change-of-protocol command is received, and a proprietary synchronization protocol interpreter interpreting the commands received over the serial link after a change-of-protocol command has been received. The invention enables data to be synchronized between a computer and a portable appliance using a standard serial link and without using proprietary interfaces.

Claims

1. / A method of synchronizing data between a computer and a portable appliance interconnected by a serial link, the method comprising the steps of:

the computer using an AT protocol to send a command over the serial link to cause protocol to be changed by specifying a proprietary protocol to be used for synchronization purposes;

the portable appliance sending a response to the computer indicating that it has changed to the specified proprietary synchronization protocol; and

the data in the portable appliance and the computer is synchronized using the specified proprietary synchronization protocol.

2. / The synchronization method of claim 1, wherein, after the synchronization step, the method further comprises a step of:

the portable appliance sending an AT command to the computer indicating that it has changed to AT protocol.

3. / The synchronization method of claim 1, wherein the proprietary synchronization protocol is a packet transmission protocol.

4. / The synchronization method of claim 2, wherein the proprietary synchronization protocol is a packet transmission protocol.

5. / The synchronization method of claim 1, wherein the protocol changeover command is an AT+CPROT command.

6. / The synchronization method of claim 2, wherein the protocol changeover command is an AT+CPROT command.

7. / The synchronization method of claim 3, wherein the protocol changeover command is an AT+CPROT command.

8. / The synchronization method of claim 4, wherein the protocol changeover command is an AT+CPROT command.

9. / The synchronization method according to any preceding claim, wherein, prior to the step of the computer sending a change-of-protocol command, the method comprises the steps of:

the computer sending an AT command interrogating the portable appliance about the proprietary protocols accepted by the portable appliance; and

the portable appliance sending a response to the computer specifying the accepted proprietary protocols.

10. / A synchronization method according to any preceding claim, wherein the portable appliance is a mobile telephone terminal.

11. / A synchronization method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the portable appliance is an organizer.

13. / A portable appliance according to claim 12, wherein the proprietary synchronization protocol is a packet transmission protocol.

14. / A portable appliance according to claim 12, wherein the change-of-protocol command is an AT+CPROT command.

15. / A portable appliance according to claim 13, wherein the change-of-protocol command is an AT+CPROT command.

16. / A portable appliance according to claim 12, wherein the appliance is a mobile telephone terminal.

17. / A portable appliance according to claim 13, wherein the appliance is a mobile telephone terminal.

18. / A portable appliance according to claim 14, wherein the appliance is a mobile telephone terminal.

19. / A portable appliance according to claim 15, wherein the appliance is a mobile telephone terminal.

20. / A portable appliance according to claim 12, wherein the appliance is an organizer.

21. / A portable appliance according to claim 13, wherein the appliance is an organizer.

22. / A portable appliance according to claim 14, wherein the appliance is an organizer.

23. / A portable appliance according to claim 15, wherein the appliance is an organizer.

12. / A portable appliance presenting:

a serial port;

an AT interpreter interpreting commands received over the serial link until a change-of-protocol command is received; and

a proprietary synchronization protocol interpreter interpreting commands received over the serial port after a change-of-protocol command.