Method and apparatus for remotely accessing files from a desktop computer using a personal digital assistant

• US 5,845,282 A
• Filed: 08/07/1995
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Alley, Peter E., Ansanelli, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US08/511,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.03, 395/650, 395/200, 395/500, 395/169, 395/170, 395/400, 395/601, 395/616, 395/610, 395/615, 395/604, 395/200.01, 395/825, 395/200.62, 382/69, 364/200, 364/708, 345/173, 178/19, 380/25, 707/10, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• 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: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting and retrieving computer data files from a remote computer includes an automatic file translation mechanism. In one embodiment, the data being retrieved and the file translation mechanism are located on the same computer. The method of the invention includes establishing a data transfer link with the remote computer, displaying the files available for retrieval from the remote computer, selecting a file to be transferred, and translating the file prior to transfer. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a pen-based computer and the remote computer is a desktop computer.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data from a desktop computer system running a server program under a first operating system to a stand-alone pen-based computer system running a control program under a second operating system, the desktop computer system and the stand-alone pen-based computer system being in communication through a temporary and exclusive communications medium, the method comprising:

a) establishing a one-to-one and temporary data transfer link from the control program on the stand-alone pen-based computer system to the server program on the desktop computer system through the communications medium, where the pen-based computer system and the first computer system are not interconnected by any type of shared network but are in communication through the one-to-one and temporary data transfer link to permit data transfer therebetween;

b) displaying on the stand-alone pen-based computer system a list of files available on the desktop computer system which are available for translation and transfer;

c) selecting, on the stand-alone pen-based computer system, a file from the list of files being displayed on the desktop computer system for transfer;

d) translating the selected file on the desktop computer system using translators; and

e) transferring the translated file from the desktop computer system to the stand-alone pen-based computer system over the one-to-one and temporary data transfer link, the stand-alone pen-based computer system having the ability of processing the translated file without depending on the desktop computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a data transfer link further includes exchanging information and commands using a record-type data structure including fields comprising a header, a command block, a length block and a data block.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the header comprises two blocks, the first block holding information effective to identify the stand-alone pen-based computer system and the second block containing information effective to identify a control program on the stand-alone pen-based computer system that controls the transfer of data with the desktop computer system over the data transfer link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the header blocks, the command block and the length block each have a length of four-bytes and the length of the data block is an even multiple of four.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying user options after the data transfer link has been established.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user options includes a file browser option to initiate a file browsing mechanism to view files stored on the desktop computer system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a list of files available further comprises the steps of obtaining and displaying the path of the current directory from the desktop computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein translating comprises enumerating on the desktop computer system at least one translation module and its acceptable input file type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of enumerating is performed automatically in response to information associated with the file to be transferred.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the file is located in a resource fork associated with the file.

11. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for:

a) establishing a one-to-one and temporary data transfer link from a control program on a stand-alone pen-based computer system to a server program on a desktop computer system through a temporary and exclusive communications medium, where the stand-alone pen-based computer system and the desktop computer system are not interconnected by any type of shared network but are in communication through the one-to-one and temporary data transfer link to permit data transfer therebetween;

b) displaying on the pen-based computer system a list of files available on the first computer system which are available for translation and transfer;

c) selecting, on the stand-alone pen-based computer system, a file from the list of files being displayed on the desktop computer system for transfer;

d) translating the selected file on the desktop computer system; and

e) transferring the translated file from the desktop computer system to the stand-alone pen-based computer system over the one-to-one and temporary data transfer link, the stand-alone pen-based computer system having the ability of processing the selected file without depending on the desktop computer system.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising program instructions for displaying user options after the data transfer link has been established.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user options include a file browser option to initiate a file browsing mechanism for view files stored on the desktop computer system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions for displaying a list of files available further comprises program instructions for obtaining the path of the current directory from the desktop computer system;

and obtaining the contents of the directory from the desktop computer system.

15. A stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus for reviewing, selecting and receiving data stored on a remote computer system, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for establishing a one-to-one and temporary data transfer link with the remote computer system, where said stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus and the remote computer system are not interconnected by any type of shared network but are in communication through the one-to-one and temporary data transfer link to permit data transfer therebetween;

(b) a remote file browser, coupled to said means for establishing, said remote file browser receives file information for data stored on the remote computer system and displays the file information to a user of the stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus;

(c) a file selector, coupled to said remote file browser, said file selector allows the user to identify at least one file to be transferred from the remote computer system to the stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus, the stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus having the ability of processing a transferred file without depending on the remote computer system;

(d) a translator including one or more translation modules, coupled to said file selector, said translator determines whether the selected file is to be translated in conjunction with the transfer of the file to the stand-alone pen-based computer apparatus.

16. The computer apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for establishing a data transfer link comprises a modem.

17. The computer apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for establishing a data transfer link comprises an infrared communications means.

18. The computer apparatus of claim 15, wherein the browser is displayed automatically after the data transfer link has been established.

19. A method of transferring data from a desktop computer to a stand-alone pen-based computer where the desktop computer and the stand-alone pen-based computer are not related and can each operate independently of each other, the method comprising:

invoking a file browser on the stand-alone pen-based computer to enable viewing of lists of files available on the desktop computer for transfer;

determining what type of data is desired to be transferred;

determining whether the data should be translated using translators before being transferred facilitating access on the stand-alone pen-based computer;

determining whether the data should be loaded and installed on the stand-alone pen-based computer facilitating execution of the data on the stand-alone pen-based computer, the stand-alone pen-based computer capable of processing data independently of any other computer including the desktop computer;

creating a new and one-to-one connection between the desktop computer and the stand-alone pen-based computer; and

extinguishing the new connection once the data has been transferred between the stand-alone pen-based computer and the desktop computer.