Intermittent use of a port in response to location data push

• US 6,480,146 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Plaquette, Paul, Guiter, Olivier, Ferrandis, Ludovic
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/998,541
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving data via the intermittent use of a port. One embodiment of the preset invention may first access a signal from a location determining device. Responsive to the signal, a communication port may be automatically activated by system resources. Location information may then be received via the communication port and stored into memory in a format that can be unique to the location determining device. Responsive to the reception of the information, the communication port may be automatically deactivated. Optionally, the data or location information can be translated into a general format readable by all applications that recognize the universal data format, e.g., XML. Application programs that have registered or requested location information may be notified of the receipt of location information.

Claims

1. A method for receiving data comprising:

a) receiving a signal to automatically activate a communication port;

b) activating said communication port in response to said signal;

c) receiving location information via said communication port;

d) responsive to c), automatically deactivating said communication port; and

e) notifying registered applications that said location information is present.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location information is generated by Global Positioning System electronics.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with RS-232.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said method is implemented on a hand held computer system and wherein said signal is an interrupt signal accessed on an external contact of said hand held computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with a Secure Digital card interface.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication port is an infrared light transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a)-d) are performed transparently to said registered applications.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a) and d) are performed transparently to said registered applications.

9. In a hand held computer system, a method for receiving data comprising:

a) receiving information via a communication port of said hand held computer system;

b) determining that said information originates from a Global Positioning System device, said information formatted in a format unique to said Global Positioning System device;

c) responsive to b), formatting said information into a universal data format recognizable to a plurality of registered applications; and

d) responsive to b), notifying said registered applications that said information from said Global Positioning System device is present.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with RS-232.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with a Secure Digital card interface.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said communication port is an infrared light transceiver.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein b) comprises:

b1) monitoring information accessed via said communication port for a Global Positioning System header, said location header indicative of Global Positioning System information.

14. In a hand held computer system, a method for receiving data comprising:

a) receiving a signal to automatically activate a communication port;

b) activating said communication port in response to said signal;

c) receiving location information via said communication port, said location information formatted in a format unique to a Global Positioning System device;

d) responsive to c), automatically deactivating said communication port;

e) determining that said location information originates from said Global Positioning System device;

f) responsive to e), formatting said location information into a universal data format recognizable to a plurality or registered applications; and

g) responsive to e), notifying said registered applications that said information from said Global Positioning System device is present.

15. A hand held computer system comprising:

a processor coupled to a bus;

a memory coupled to said bus;

a communication port coupled to said bus;

a location determining device coupled to said communication port;

a plurality of applications;

a communications monitor for automatically turning on said communication port, for receiving information from said communication port, for determining if said information is location information, and for automatically turning off said communication port; and

a notification manager for receiving from said communications monitor a signal that said information is said location information and for notifying said plurality of applications that said location information is available.

16. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location information is provided by a Global Positioning System receiver.

17. A hand held computer according to claim 15, wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with RS-232.

18. A hand held computer according to claim 15, wherein said communication port is substantially compliant with a Secure Digital card interface.

19. A hand held computer according to claim 15, wherein said communication port is an infrared light transceiver.

20. A hand held computer according to claim 15, wherein said communication port is a parallel address and data bus substantially compliant with the signals of said bus.

21. A hand held computer according to claim 15 further comprising an interrupt signal accessible on an external contact.

22. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location determining device and said communication port are internal to said hand held computer.

23. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location determining device is a wireless telephony device.

24. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location determining device accesses transmissions from a Global Positioning System.

25. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location determining device communicates with said communication port via a wireless communications protocol.

26. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location information represents the location of a base station in wireless contact with said hand held computer system.

27. A hand held computer according to claim 15 wherein said location information is accessed from said communication port in a format unique to said location determining device, and wherein said format is translated to a universal data format readable by a plurality of applications.

28. A system for receiving information comprising:

communication port electronics for receiving information from a location determining device;

a circuit for automatically activating said communication port electronics in response to the detection of location information and for automatically deactivating said communication port electronics;

a memory for storing said location information received over said communication port;

a plurality of applications resident in said memory and registered with a notification manager program; and

wherein said notification manager program, in response to receiving said location information, is for notifying said applications that said location information is stored in said memory.

29. A system as described in claim 28 wherein said communication port electronics is a serial communication device.

30. A system as described in claim 28 further comprising a translator for translating said location information into a universal data format readable by said plurality of applications.

31. A system as described in claim 28 wherein said location determining device comprises Global Positioning System electronics.