WIRELESS DEVICE CACHING DATA PROXY

• US 20080313284A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas Francis
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A wireless device is provided to act as a caching data proxy for a first device, which may or may not be wireless. In particular, a cellular telephone is associated as a caching data proxy for a wireless portable computing device. The cellular telephone caches data as a proxy for the portable computing device when the portable computing device is either out of network coverage, powered down, or the like.

Claims

1. A method for receiving data over a wireless computing network, the method comprising the steps, of:

obtaining a data communication destined for a first wireless device;

determining whether the first wireless device is connected to a first wireless computing network;

if it is determined the first wireless device is not connected to the first wireless computing network, determining whether a second wireless device is associated with the first wireless device;

if it is determined the second wireless device is associated with the first wireless device, determining whether the second wireless device is connected a second wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the second wireless computing network, transmitting the data communication to the second wireless device, whereby the second wireless device stores the data communication for delivery to the first wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining further comprises receiving the data communication from a third party.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

when the data communication is transmitted to the second wireless device, the second wireless device immediately downloads the data communication to the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device stores the data communication only until the data communication is downloaded to the first wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are the same.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are different.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication comprises electronic mail.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communication is selected from a group of data consisting of:

video, audio, audio/video, text, or images.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

holding the data communication until at least one of the first wireless device and the second wireless device are connected to the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting whether the send the data communication to the first wireless device over the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network if it is determined the first wireless device is connected to the first wireless computing network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network is based on the strength of the network signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network is based on the traffic over the network.

13. A method for transmitting data communication over a wireless computing network, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a data communication originating from a first wireless device;

determining whether the first wireless device is connected to a first wireless computing network;

if it is determined the first wireless device is not connected to the first wireless computing network, determining whether a second wireless device is associated with the first wireless device;

if it is determined the second wireless device is associated with the first wireless device, determining whether the second wireless device is connected a second wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the second wireless computing network, transmitting the data communication to the second wireless device, whereby the second wireless device transmits the data communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein on turning off the first wireless device, it is determined whether at least one data communication exists for transmission that has not been transmitted and transferring the at least one communication to the second wireless device to be transmitted over the second wireless computing network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are the same.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first wireless computing network and the second wireless computing network are different.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of storing the data communication at the second wireless device prior to transmitting the data communication.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the data communication includes requesting return of processed data.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the data communication comprises electronic mail.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data communication is selected from a group of data consisting of:

video, audio, audio/video, text, or images.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

selecting whether the send the data communication to the first wireless device over the first wireless computing network or the second wireless computing network if it is determined the first wireless device is connected to the first wireless computing network.

22. A wireless unit comprising:

a first wireless device to connect to a first server over a first wireless network;

a second wireless device to connect to a second server over a second wireless network; and

a link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device to transfer at least one communication between the first wireless device and the second wireless device, wherein at least one communication destined for the first wireless device is received by the second wireless device and transmitted from the second wireless device to the first wireless device over the link.

23. The unit of claim 22 wherein the first wireless device is a wireless computer and the second wireless device is a cellular phone.

24. A system for transferring data from a network server remote from a wireless device, the system comprising:

a network server to process data to be transmitted to a first wireless device over a wireless network;

a first wireless device;

a second wireless device connected to a wireless network; and

a data link connecting the first wireless device and the second wireless device, such that

the network server transmits data to the first wireless device by transmitting the data to second wireless device over the wireless network and the second wireless device downloads the data to the first wireless device over the data link.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first wireless device is connected to the network server via the wireless network.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the first wireless device connects to the network server via another wireless network different than the wireless network connecting the network server and the second wireless device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the first wireless device is connected to the network server via another wireless network and the network selects whether to transmit data to the first wireless device over the first wireless network or the second wireless network.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first wireless device transmits data to the network server by uploading data to the second wireless device that transmits the data to the network server over the wireless network.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the second wireless device is connected to another network server that is connected to the network server via a data link.

30. A method for receiving data over a wireless computing network, the method comprising the steps of;

obtaining data destined for a first wireless device;

determining whether a second wireless device associated with the first wireless device is connected a wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the wireless computing network, transmitting the data to the second wireless device, whereby the second wireless device stores the communication for delivery to the first wireless device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the second wireless device deletes the data once the data is delivered to the first wireless device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the data is selected from a group of data consisting of:

video, audio, audio/video, text, or images.

33. A method for transmitting data over a wireless computing network, the method comprising the steps of:

generating data originating from a first device;

transmitting the generated data from a first device to a second device, the second device being wireless;

determining whether the second device is connected to a wireless computing network;

if it is determined the second wireless device is connected to the wireless computing network, transmitting the data;

if it is determined the second wireless device is not connected to the wireless computing network, storing the data and repeating the determining whether the second device is connected to the wireless computing network until the data is transmitted regardless of whether the first device is powered.

34. A wireless device, comprising:

a first device;

a second wireless device to connect to a server over a wireless network, the second wireless device receives power independent of whether the first device receives power; and

a link between the first device and the second wireless device to transfer at least one communication between the first device and the second wireless device, wherein at least one communication destined for the first device is received by the second wireless device and transmitted from the second wireless device to the first device over the link when the first device is powered.

35. The wireless device of claim 34, wherein the first device is wireless.

36. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the first device is connected to another wireless network different from the wireless network.

37. A wireless device, comprising:

a first device;

a second wireless device to connect to a server over a wireless network, the second wireless device receives power independent of whether the first device receives power; and

a link between the first device and the second wireless device to transfer at least one communication from the first device to the second wireless device, wherein at least one communication generated from the first device is received by the second wireless device and transmitted from the second wireless device when the second wireless device is in coverage of the wireless network regardless of whether the first device is powered.

38. The wireless device of claim 37, wherein the first device is wireless.

39. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the first device is connected to another wireless network different from the wireless network.