Intelligent service interface and messaging protocol for coupling a mobile station to peripheral devices

• US 6,128,509 A
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Turner, Andrew, Veijola, Mia, Alaniemi, Aimo
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/965,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 370/913, 455/403, 455/422, 455/550, 455/556-558, 364/705.05, 395/680-684, 709/203, 707/103, 710/15
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communications system has a radio unit that includes a plurality of applications, a plurality of servers each associated with a resource of the radio unit, and a connectivity layer interposed between the plurality of applications and the plurality of servers for selectively coupling the applications to the servers. The system further includes at least one accessory device that is coupled to the radio unit through the connectivity layer. The at least one accessory device has at least one application and at least one server associated with a resource of the accessory device. At least one of an application or a server of the radio unit can be coupled to the at least one server of the accessory device or a server of the radio unit through the connectivity layer in response to a Resource Request message sent from the at least one application or server of the radio unit. The Resource Request message is routed through the connectivity layer.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising a radio unit device that comprises a radio transceiver, a plurality of objects and a plurality of links for transferring messages between said objects, said radio unit device further comprising a message router for receiving system registration requests from objects, said system registration requests comprising an identification of a registering object and addressing information for enabling a message to be sent to said registering object.

2. A communications system as in claim 1, wherein a message includes a logical address of a destination for said message, said router being responsive to a receipt of a message for translating the logical address to at least one physical address and for directing the message over a link to the at least one physical address.

3. A communications system as in claim 1, wherein a message includes a functional description of a destination for said message, said router being responsive to a receipt of a message for translating the functional description to at least one physical address and for directing the message over a link to the at least one physical address.

4. A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said router is responsive to a request to establish a connection for setting up a direct communications pipe between two of said plurality of objects, using one of said plurality of links.

5. A communications system as in claim 1, and further comprising at least one external device comprised of at least one external object that is coupled to said radio unit device through at least one of said plurality of links, said message router being operable for receiving a registration request from at least one external device and from said at least one external object and for recording at least one of an identity of a preferred link specified by the registration request or an identity of a link over which the registration request was received.

6. A communications system as in claim 1, wherein at least one type of registration request includes a link preference for a registering object.

7. A communications system, comprising a radio unit device that includes a main message router, a plurality of internal objects, and a plurality of links at least one which is for passing messages between said internal objects, said communications system further comprising at least one external device that includes a message sub-router and at least one external object, said at least one external device being bidirectionally coupled to at least one of said plurality of links, said main message router for receiving registration requests from said internal objects, said at least one external device, and said at least one external object, said registration requests comprising an identification of a registering object or device and addressing information for enabling a message to be sent to said registering object or device.

8. A communications system as in claim 7, wherein one of said messages is a Resource Request message for indicating a desire to obtain access to a resource of said radio unit device or said external device, and wherein another of said messages is a Response message that is sent from a server responsible for the resource to the originator of said Resource Request message.

9. A communications system as in claim 8, wherein one of said messages is an Indication message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for indicating one of an event or a status associated with said resource.

10. A communications system as in claim 8, wherein one of said messages is a Consult Request message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for requesting additional information in order to complete an action dictated by said Resource Request message.

11. A communications system as in claim 10, wherein one of said messages is an Inform Response message that is sent from the originator of said Resource Request message in response to receiving said Consult Request message.

12. A communications system as in claim 8, wherein said Resource Request message is sent by one of an application or a server.

13. A communications system as in claim 8, wherein one of said messages is an Indication message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for indicating one of an event or a status associated with said resource, wherein another one of said messages is a Consult Request message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for requesting additional information in order to complete an action dictated by said Resource Request message, and wherein said Indication message and said Consult Request message each contain a destination address field that is obtained from an address field of said Resource Request message.

14. A communications system as in claim 13, wherein said Indication message and said Consult Request message each further contain a unique transaction identification field that is obtained from a unique transaction identification field of said Resource Request message.

15. A communications system as in claim 8, wherein one of said messages is an Indication message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for indicating an occurrence of an event associated with said resource, said Indication message being sent to at least one destination that has previously registered a request to be informed of an occurrence of the event.

16. A communications system as in claim 7, wherein at least one registration request is comprised of a link preference for a registering device or object.

17. A communications system, comprising a radio unit that includes a plurality of applications, a plurality of servers each associated with a resource of said radio unit, and a connectivity layer interposed between said plurality of applications and said plurality of servers for selectively coupling said applications to said servers, said system further comprising at least one accessory device that is coupled to said radio unit through said connectivity layer, said at least one accessory device comprising at least one application and at least one server associated with a resource of said accessory device, wherein at least one of an application or a server of said radio unit can be coupled to said at least one server of said accessory device or a server of said radio unit through said connectivity layer in response to a Resource Request message sent from said at least one application or server of said radio unit, said Resource Request message being routed through said connectivity layer, said radio unit further comprising a message router coupled to said connectivity layer for routing messages between applications and servers and for receiving registration requests from objects and devices requiring registration and for providing information about registered objects and devices.

18. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of servers is a panel server coupled to at least one panel providing a user interface to said radio unit.

19. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein said system includes an event server function for providing indications of events to predetermined ones of said applications that have registered to receive said indications.

20. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of servers is a system mode controller for providing said radio unit with a capability to be bidirectionally coupled to individual ones of a plurality of different radio communication systems.

21. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein another message is a Response message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource through said connectivity layer to the application or server that originated said Resource Request message.

22. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein another message is an Indication message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for indicating one of an event or a status associated with said resource.

23. A communications system as in claim 17, wherein another message is a Consult Request message that is sent from said server responsible for said resource for requesting additional information in order to complete an action dictated by said Resource Request message.

24. A communications system as in claim 23, wherein another message is an Inform Response message that is sent from the originator of said Resource Request message in response to receiving said Consult Request message.

25. A communications system, comprising a radio unit operable with at least one type of wireless communications network, said radio unit being comprised of a plurality of applications, a plurality of communication media, a master router layer, and a connection layer, said master router layer and said connection layer being interposed between said plurality of applications and said communication media, said master router layer being responsive to messages received from said plurality of applications for routing at least some of said messages through said connection layer and at least one of said communication media to an external application coupled to said radio unit through a slave router layer, said master router layer being responsive to registration request messages from requesting entities for registering said requesting entities, said registration request messages comprising an identification of a registering entity and addressing information for enabling a message to be sent to said registering entity.

26. A communications system as in claim 25, wherein said master router is responsive to a receipt of a registration request message for dynamically assigning an address to an entity requesting registration.

27. An accessory device for being bidirectionally coupled to a radio unit device through at least one of a wireless interface or a wired interface, the radio unit device comprising a plurality of resources, said accessory device comprising at least one application that is coupled to said wireless or wired interface through a message router layer for transmitting at least one of a Resource Request message or a Resource Request Response message to said radio unit device and via a message router of said radio unit device to a resource server associated with a particular radio unit device resource, whereby the at least one application is enabled to operate with one of said plurality of radio unit device resources, wherein said message router of said radio unit device receives registration requests from radio unit device resources for enabling a registering resource to be identified and for enabling a message to be sent to said registering resource.

28. A radiotelephone, comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver;

a plurality of devices;

a plurality of links for transferring messages between said devices; and

a message router for receiving registration messages from devices and for replying with registration acknowledgement messages, wherein

a registration message comprises a device type identifier;

a message identifier;

a preferred device number to be assigned, if available; and

information describing available links; and

wherein

a registration acknowledgement message comprises the previously received device type identifier;

the previously received message identifier;

an assigned device number; and

information describing available links.