Portable electronic devices

• US 6,230,214 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vapaakoski, Simo, Liukkonen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/136,127
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 713/310, 455/557, 455/600, 455/418
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves

Abstract

A data transmission system comprising a mobile communication device such as a mobile telephone 1, having an infra-red input/output communications port 3 arranged in a first mode of operation to transmit data between the portable device and a remote electronic device 2 via a wireless transmission link. The communication device has coupling means 11a, 11b associated with the infra-red communications port 3 for coupling a first end of a data transmission cable 8 to the infra-red communications port 3, whereby in a second mode of operation data can be transmitted between the portable device 1 and the remote electronic 2 device via said infra-red communications port 3 and the cable 8.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device assembly comprising:

a portable electronic device comprising;

an infra-red input/output communications port arranged in a first mode of operation to transmit data between the portable electronic device and a remote electronic device via a wireless transmission link;

a data transmission cable adapted to carry transmitted data between the portable device and the remote electronic device in a second mode of operation, the data transmission cable including an infra-red receiver/transmitter device situated behind an infra-red transparent window in the cable, the receiver/transmitter device being connected to an electronic interface located in the cable, the electronic interface adapted to convert electrical protocol signals and infra-red protocol signals; and

a coupling mechanism associated with said infra-red communications port for coupling a first end of the data transmission cable to the infra-red communications port,

wherein in the second mode of operation said first end of the cable is coupled to the infra-red communications port of the portable device and a second end of the cable is connected to the remote electronic device and data is transmitted between the portable device and the remote electronic device via said infra-red communications port and the cable.

2. A data transmission system comprising:

a portable electronic device assembly according to claim 1;

the remote electronic device having an infra-red input/output communications port which in said first mode of operation forms part of said wireless transmission link; and

a first end of the data transmission cable adapted to cooperate with said coupling mechanism to couple the cable to said infra-red communications port of the portable electronic device assembly, and a second end arranged to be coupled to either the infra-red communications port of the remote electronic device or to another communications port thereof, the infra-red transparent window being located in the first end.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the data transmission cable is an optical cable, and said first end of the data transmission cable is arranged to couple IR light from the IR port of the portable device into the cable and vice versa.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the second end of the optical cable is arranged to be coupled to another input/output port of the remote device, and that port is an electromechanical port.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the second end of the cable comprises a transducer for converting IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the transducer comprises a protocol converter for converting serial protocol data into IR protocol data and vice versa.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein said data transmission cable is an electrical transmission cable and said first end of the cable comprises a transducer arranged to convert IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the second end of the cable comprises a connector for coupling the cable to an electromechanical input/output port of the remote electronic device.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the second end of the cable comprises a transducer for coupling the cable to said IR port of the remote device and for converting IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa.

10. A system according to claim 2, wherein the first end of the data transmission cable terminates at a cradle or holder which provides said co-operating coupling means.

11. A data transmission cable for use in the system of claim 2 and having a first end arranged to cooperate with said coupling means to couple the cable to said infra-red communications port of the portable electronic device, and a second end arranged to be coupled to either the infra-red communications port of the remote electronic device or to another communications port thereof.

12. A system according to claim 3, wherein the second end of the data transmission cable is arranged to couple IR light from said IR port of the remote device into the cable and vice versa.

13. A method of operating a portable electronic device having an infra-red input/output port, the method comprising:

in a first mode of operation, transmitting data via wireless infra-red transmission between said infra-red port and an infra-red input/output port of a remote electronic device; and

in a second mode of operation, coupling a first end of a data transmission cable to the infra-red input/output port of the portable electronic device and coupling a second end of the cable to an input/output port of a remote electronic device, and thereafter transmitting data between the two coupled ports via said data transmission cable, and wherein the data transmission cable is adapted to convert an infra-red protocol signal from the infra-red input/output port of the portable electronic device into an electrical protocol signal for transmission of the electrical protocol signal to the remote electronic device, and is further adapted to convert an electrical protocol signal from the remote electronic device into an infra-red protocol signal for transmission of the infra-red protocol signal to the portable electronic device.

14. A system for transmitting data between one or more independently operating electronic devices comprising:

a portable electronic device having an infra-red input/output communications port;

a remote electronic device having an electrical protocol input/output communications port, wherein the infra-red communications port is arranged in a first mode of operation to transmit data between the portable electronic device and the remote electronic device via a wireless transmission link;

a data transmission cable having an integrated transducer/converter that is operably coupled between the portable device and the remote device to convert and transmit data between the devices in a second mode of operation, the transducer/converter including an infra-red receiver/transmitter device situated behind an infra-red transparent window in the cable adapted to be coupled to the infra-red input/output communications port, the transducer/converter being adapted to convert electrical protocol signals and infra-red protocol signals.

15. A system for transmitting data between a mobile telephone and a computer comprising:

an infra-red input/output port on the telephone being adapted to transmit data via a wireless link to the computer in a first mode of operation;

an interconnecting cable having a first connector at one end and a second connector at its other end, and wherein the first connector includes an infra-red receiver and an infra-red transmitter situated behind an infra-red transparent window in the first connector, the receiver and transmitter being connected to interface electronics located within the connector and the second connector comprises an electromechanical serial interface connector adapted to be plugged into a serial interface port of the computer to complete the connection between the mobile telephone and computer in a second mode of operation; and

wherein the interface electronics are adapted to convert an infra-red protocol signal from the infra-red input/output port of the telephone into an electrical protocol signal for transmission to the computer, and convert an electrical protocol signal from the computer into an infra-red protocol signal for transmission to the telephone.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interconnecting cable is a fiber optic cable having two fibers and wherein a first end of the fibers terminate at a pair of respective coupling lenses in the first connector, and wherein the second connector includes a signal converter interface between a second end of the fibers and a second end termination;

the interface comprising an infra-red receiver/transmitter coupled via coupling lenses to the first and second fibers;

the infra-red receiver being coupled to the interface to convert signals received via the cable in infra-red signal protocol to RS232 signal protocol; and

the infra-red transmitter being coupled to the interface to receive signals converted from RS232 signal protocol to infra-red signal protocol.