Processing information received at an auxiliary computing device

• US 20050262302A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fuller, Andrew J., Rhoten, Matthew P., Perez, Juan, Steeb, Curt A., Ohta, Seiya, Schoppa, Christopher A., van Dongen, Niels
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Described is a mechanism for receiving new data at an auxiliary device associated with a main computer system, and processing that new data within the auxiliary device firmware to take some action. The receipt and processing of the data is independent of whether the main computer system is in a powered-up state (online) or powered-down state (offline). A cache that maintains the user application data for offline navigation may be updated with new data, either to change existing data in the cache or add a new navigation path. The received data can be processed to perform other actions, depending on the context of that data as determined by auxiliary processing.

Claims

1. In a computing environment having a main computer system and auxiliary device firmware that operates independently of the main computer system, a method comprising:

receiving data at the auxiliary device firmware from a source other than the main computer system; and

processing the data in the auxiliary device firmware to take an action based on the data, such that the action to take is determined independent of whether the main computer system is online.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data at the auxiliary device comprises receiving data from hardware that is connected to the main computer system and is operating.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data at the auxiliary device comprises receiving data from a data source that is remote from the main computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises updating a cache of data obtained from the main computer system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cache includes a tree structure, and wherein updating the cache comprises adding a new branch to the tree structure.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the cache includes a tree structure, and wherein updating the cache comprises modifying data within the tree structure.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises waking the main computer system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises generating an event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises registering an event for firing at a later time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises changing a registered event.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises presenting battery-related information on an auxiliary display.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises processing network-related information.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing the main computer system with access to the data received from the other source.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the data to take an action comprises maintaining at least some of the data in storage for synchronizing with the main computer system when the main computer system is online.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

16. In a computing environment having a main computer system, a system comprising:

an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device configured to operate independent of whether the main computer system is online;

a mechanism coupled to the auxiliary device that receives data from a data source other than the main computer system; and

wherein the auxiliary device processes data received from the other source to determine an action to take independent of whether the main computer system is online.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the other source comprises hardware that is connected to the main computer system and is operating.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the other source is remote from the main computer system.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device takes action by updating a cache of data, and wherein at least part of the cache was obtained from the main computer system.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the cache comprises a tree structure that the auxiliary device extends based on the data received from the other source.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the cache comprises a tree structure that the auxiliary device modifies based on the data received from the other source.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device takes action by waking the main computer system.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device takes action by registering, generating or changing a registered event.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device takes action by presenting information on a display of the auxiliary device.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein the auxiliary device takes action by maintaining at least some of the data in storage for synchronizing with the main computer system when the main computer system is online.

26. In a computing environment having a main computer system, a system comprising:

an auxiliary device that displays information to a user based on data in an offline cache received from the main computer for use when the main computer is offline;

a mechanism coupled to the auxiliary device that receives data from a data source other than the main computer system; and

wherein the auxiliary device processes data received from the other source to update the offline cache such that new information is available for display on the auxiliary device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the auxiliary device displays an image including at least some of the new information.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the new information includes battery-related information.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the new information includes networking information.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the new information includes content that may change frequently.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the new information includes at least one type of content data of a set of content data containing:

news data, sports data, weather data, financial data and bidding-related data.