Portable server and portable server system

• US 20040205123A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Terasawa, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable server has a battery accommodated in a housing and supplying power to a wireless communication unit, to a memory unit, and to an internal circuit. The wireless communication unit sends and receives data to and from terminal devices via wireless communication. The memory unit stores data received by the wireless communication unit, and data to be sent to the terminal devices. As described above, the portable server has the battery for supplying power to the wireless communication unit, to the memory unit, and to the internal circuit. This allows the portable server to send and receive data to and from the terminal devices via wireless communication. Thus, power supply from an AC outlet becomes unnecessary, and a network can be created anywhere without locational constraints.

Claims

1. A portable server for sending and receiving data to and from a plurality of terminal devices, comprising:

a wireless communication unit for sending and receiving the data via wireless communication;

a memory unit for storing the data; and

a battery in a housing for supplying power to an internal circuit, the wireless communication unit, and the memory unit.

2. A portable server according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication unit that compares a stored password with a password entered at power-on, and allows the data to be sent and received only when the passwords match.

3. A portable server according to claim 1, further comprising a power-off unit that stores, in the memory unit, the state of the internal circuit and shuts off the power supply, when the battery voltage drops to a certain level.

4. A portable server according to claim 1, further comprising a charging unit that supplies power from an external source to the internal circuit and charges the battery.

5. A portable server according to claim 4, wherein the charging unit supplies the battery power to the internal circuit when power supply from the external source is shut off.

6. A portable server according to claim 1, further comprising a wired communication unit for sending and receiving the data via a wired network.

7. A portable server system for sending and receiving data, comprising:

a portable server that includes a wireless communication unit for sending and receiving the data via wireless communication, a memory unit for storing the data, and a battery in a housing for supplying power to an internal circuit, the wireless communication unit, and the memory unit; and

a terminal device that includes a terminal wireless communication unit for sending and receiving the data to and from the portable server via the wireless communication.

8. A portable server for sending and receiving data, comprising:

a first wireless communication unit for sending and receiving the data, via wireless communication, to and from a terminal device that forms its own network;

a second wireless communication unit for sending and receiving the data, via wireless communication, to and from a battery-driven portable server that forms another network;

a memory unit for storing the data; and

a battery in a housing for supplying power to an internal circuit, the first wireless communication unit, the second wireless communication unit, and the memory unit.