WIRELESS MODEM DEVICE USABLE ON COMPUTER DEVICE WITHOUT DRIVER INSTALLATION

• US 20100064063A1
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Inventors: BERNABEU, Juan, DEFORCHE, Koen, VERCRUYSSE, Jan, DUMON, Wim
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Method for connecting a host computer device to a wireless communication network, the host computer device being provided with an operating system with at least one pre-installed generic driver providing a generic communication protocol (7) for communication between the host computer device and a standard class of computer peripheral devices other than wireless modem devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting a wireless modem device to the host computer device; (b) setting up, by means of a pre-installed generic driver of the operating system on the computer device, a modem/host communication interface (6) for communication between the wireless modem device and the computer device; (c) connecting the host computer device to a wireless communication network via the wireless modem device; (d) routing data traffic (8-9) between the host computer device and the wireless communication network over the modem/host communication interface (6). The generic communication protocol (7) is used in the modem/host communication interface (6) for transferring the data traffic (8-9) between the host computer device and the wireless modem device.

Claims

1. Method for connecting a host computer device to a wireless communication network, the host computer device being provided with an operating system with at least one pre-installed generic driver providing a generic communication protocol (7) for communication between the host computer device and a standard class of computer peripheral devices other than wireless modem devices, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) connecting a wireless modem device to the host computer device;

b) setting up, by means of the pre-installed generic driver of the operating system, a modem/host communication interface (6) for communication between the wireless modem device and the computer device;

c) connecting the host computer device to a wireless communication network via the wireless modem device;

d) routing data traffic (8-9) between the host computer device and the wireless communication network over the modem/host communication interface (6),

wherein the generic communication protocol (7) is used in the modem/host communication interface (6) for transferring the data traffic (8-9) between the host computer device and the wireless modem device.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein step b) comprises presenting the wireless modem device to the host computer device as a human interface device and wherein the pre-installed generic driver is a human interface device driver.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein step b) comprises presenting the wireless modem device to the host computer device as a mass storage device and wherein the pre-installed generic driver is a mass storage device driver.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein a proxy server application (1) with predefined connection parameters is stored on the wireless modem device and step c) comprises running the proxy server application.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the proxy server application (1) comprises an embedded proprietary protocol stack (5) for the step d) of routing the data traffic (8) between the host computer device and the wireless communication network over the modem/host communication interface.

6. Method according to claim 4, wherein the proxy server application is run on the host computer device.

7. Method according to claim 4, wherein the proxy server application is run on the wireless modem device.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein a web browser application (3) with predefined settings is stored on the wireless modem device and wherein the method further comprises the step of running the web browser application as a portable application on the wireless modem device.

9. Computer peripheral wireless modem device for providing wireless connectivity to a host computer device which is provided with an operating system with at least one pre-installed generic driver providing a generic communication protocol (7) for communication between the host computer device and a standard class of computer peripheral devices other than wireless modem devices, the wireless modem device comprising a memory (10) in which computer executable software code is stored, said computer executable software code comprising:

a first software code portion for setting up, by means of the pre-installed generic driver of the operating system, a modem/host communication interface (6) for communication between the wireless modem device and the computer device;

a second software code portion for connecting the host computer device to a wireless communication network via the wireless modem device;

a third software code portion for routing data traffic between the host computer device and the wireless communication network over the modem/host communication interface;

wherein the first software code portion uses the generic communication protocol (7) in the modem/host communication interface (6) for transferring the data traffic between the host computer device and the wireless modem device.

10. Computer peripheral wireless modem device according to claim 9, wherein the first software code portion presents the wireless modem device to the host computer device as a human interface device and wherein the pre-installed generic driver is a human interface device driver.

11. Computer peripheral wireless modem device according to claim 9, wherein the first software code portion presents the wireless modem device to the host computer device as a mass storage device and wherein the pre-installed generic driver is a mass storage device driver.

12. Computer peripheral wireless modem device according to claim 9, wherein the second software code portion comprises a proxy server application (1) with predefined connection parameters.

13. Computer peripheral wireless modem device according to claim 12, wherein the third software code portion comprises a proprietary protocol stack (5) embedded in the proxy server application.

14. Computer peripheral wireless modem device according to claim 9, wherein said computer executable software code comprises a web browser application (3) with predefined settings which is provided for being run as a portable application on the wireless modem device.

15. Method for connecting a computer device to a communication network, the computer device being provided with an operating system using a kernel protocol stack (4) to connect to a pool of first communication networks known to an administrator of the computer device, the method comprising the step of introducing a second protocol stack (5), aside from the kernel protocol stack, for connecting the computer device to a second communication network not belonging to the known pool of first communication networks.

16. Method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of adding a tunnelling protocol to the second protocol stack without mediation of the administrator.

17. Method according to claim 15, wherein the second protocol stack is introduced by running a proxy server application (1) with predefined connection parameters on the computer device, the proxy server application redirecting data traffic between the computer device and the second communication network from the kernel protocol stack to the second protocol stack.