Communications Interface Between Two Non-Complimentary Communication Devices

• US 20140025848A1
• Filed: 07/22/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Par Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Par Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Bisgrove, Shawn, Bohling, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,529,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4045 where the bus bridge performs an extender function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cable (physical) tethering of a two computer related devices that are not specifically designed to communicate with each other, and, more particularly, to a man-portable and ruggedized physical tether device with hardware and software components for physical tethering and effectuation of data exchange (and subsequent processing of the exchanged data) between, e.g., a data visualization/mobile device and a network data collection device/equipment, without the need to retrofit/redesign any aspect of the visualization/mobile device or the a network collection device/equipment to accomplish the data exchange and subsequent processing of the exchanged data.

Claims

1. A physical tether device for physically tethering two non-complimentary communication devices comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, said physical tether device comprising:

a communication interface for communication with said first communication device over a first cable and with a second communication device over a second cable, the communication interface configured to receive data from said first communication device;

a processor connected to said communication interface, said processor programmed and configured to;

receive said data from said first communication device through said communication interface;

process said data received from said first communication device for routing to and for displaying on said second communication device; and

rout said data received from said first communication device to said second communication device through said communication interface.

2. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said communication interface is further configured to receive data from said second communication device.

3. The physical tether device of claim 2, wherein said processor is further programmed and configured to:

receive data from said second communication device through said communication interface;

process said data received from said second communication device for routing to said first communication device; and

rout said data received from said second communication device to said first communication device through said communication interface.

4. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said communication interface further comprises a plurality of data interfaces.

5. The physical tether device of claim 4, wherein said plurality of data interfaces are selected from the group consisting of an Ethernet interface and universal serial bus interface.

6. The physical tether device of claim 5, wherein said communication interface is configured to communicate with said first communication device or said second communication device over a plurality of different data links.

7. The physical tether device of claim 6, wherein said plurality of data links are selected from the group consisting of a point-to-point protocol link, an Ethernet link, and an Ethernet over universal serial bus link.

8. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said first communication device is a data collection device.

9. The physical tether device of claim 8, wherein said data collection device comprises a military radio.

10. The physical tether device of claim 9, wherein said military radio is selected from the group consisting of a situational awareness collection device and an IP collection device.

11. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed and configured to transcode said data received from said first communication device if required for displaying said data on said second communication device.

12. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said second communication device is a data visualization device.

13. The physical tether device of claim 12, wherein said data visualization device is a device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone and a tablet.

14. The physical tether device of claim 1, wherein said data further comprises data selected from the group consisting of video data, text data, and geospatial data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program code comprising:

program code for receiving data from a first communication device through a communication interface;

program code for processing said data received from a first communication device for routing to and for displaying on a second communication device, wherein said first communication device and said second communication device are non-complimentary communication devices; and

program code for routing said data received from said first communication device to said second communication device through said communication interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising program code for:

receiving data from said second communication device through said communication interface;

processing said data received from said second communication device for routing to said first communication device; and

routing said data received from said second communication device to said first communication device through said communication interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising program code for transcoding said data received from said first communication device if required for displaying said data on said second communication device.

18. A computer implemented method for physically tethering two non-complimentary communication devices comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a processor, data from said first communication device through a communication interface;

processing, by said processor, said data received from said first communication device for routing to and for displaying on said second communication device; and

routing, by said processor, said data received from said first communication device to said second communication device through said communication interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said processor, data from said second communication device through said communication interface;

processing, by said processor, said data received from said second communication device for routing to said first communication device; and

routing, by said processor, said data received from said second communication device to said first communication device through said communication interface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of transcoding, by said processor, said data received from said first communication device if required for displaying said data on said second communication device.