Portable processing system with always on, always connected capability

• US 6,567,855 B1
• Filed: 01/02/1998
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tso, Michael M., Tubbs, Graham S., Dannenberg, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/002,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/465, 370/316, 370/349, 370/329, 370/311, 370/235, 395/650, 395/309, 395/172, 375/376, 375/202, 375/240, 235/486, 235/380, 342/357, 709/249, 709/217, 709/208, 709/206, 709/232, 455/431, 455/553, 455/422, 455/574, 455/34, 359/172, 707/104, 307/10.1, 307/66, 345/156, 705/8
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• 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: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A technique for providing a portable processing system with “always on, always connected” capability is provided. The portable processing system is equipped with two data communication devices, either or both of which may be implemented on a PC Card. The first communication device is for receiving data over a wireless link over a narrowband link. The second communication device is for both receiving and transmitting data over a communication link over a wider band link, i.e., at a data rate that is substantially higher than that of the first communication device. The first communication device is always on, such that the narrowband link is always established. The second communication device may be activated only when data is to be transferred to or from the portable processing system, such that the wider band link is established only when it is needed. In one mode of operation the first communication device is used primarily to receive messages indicating that data is available for downloading to the portable processing system. When such data is available, the second communication device is used to download the data.

Claims

1. A portable processing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first communication unit coupled to the processor for receiving data over a first link having a first bandwidth, wherein the first link is a wireless link;

a second communication unit coupled to the processor for transmitting and receiving data over a second link having a second bandwidth substantially greater than the first bandwidth, wherein operation of the second communication device is automatically controllable based on data received by the first communication device over the first link

a first power source to power the portable processing device excluding the first communication unit; and

a second power source to power only the first communication unit.

2. A portable processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second bandwidth is at least three times the first bandwidth.

3. A portable processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second bandwidth is approximately ten times the first bandwidth.

4. A portable processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second link is a wireless link.

5. A portable processing device according to claim 1, wherein the first link comprises a link to a paging network.

6. A portable processing device according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically examining a content of the data received by the first communication unit.

7. A portable processing device according to claim 6, further comprising means for selectively activating the portable computer depending on the content of data received by the first communication unit.

8. A portable processing device according to claim 6, further comprising means for automatically outputting a message to a user based on the content of the data received by the first communication unit.

9. A portable processing device according to claim 6, further comprising means for automatically causing data to be downloaded to the portable computer using the second communication unit depending on the content of the data received by the first communication unit.

10. A portable processing device according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically using the first communication unit to determine whether data is available for downloading to the portable computer, the data for downloading to the portable computer using the second communication unit.

11. A portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit is operable at least while the portable computer is powered off, and wherein the second communication unit is operable only while the portable computer is powered on.

12. A circuit card for insertion into a portable processing system, the circuit card comprising:

an interface for coupling the circuit card to the processing system;

a first communication unit coupled to the interface for receiving data over a first link at a first data rate, wherein the first link is a wireless link; and

a second communication unit coupled to the interface for transmitting and receiving data over a second link at a second data rate substantially greater than the first data rate, wherein activation of the second communication unit is controllable using the first communication unit, wherein the circuit card is configured for insertion through a corresponding permanent opening in a housing of the portable processing system to connect the interface to the processing system.

13. A circuit card according to claim 12, wherein the circuit card comprises a PCMCIA card.

14. A circuit card according to claim 12, wherein the second bandwidth is at least four times the first bandwidth.

15. A circuit card according to claim 12, wherein the second bandwidth is at least approximately ten times the first bandwidth.

16. A circuit card according to claim 12, wherein the first link comprises a link to a paging network.

17. A circuit card according to claim 12, further comprising means for automatically examining a content of the data received by the first communication unit.

18. A circuit card according to claim 17, further comprising means for selectively activating the second communication unit depending on the content of data received by the first communication unit.

19. A circuit card according to claim 17, further comprising means for outputting a message to a user based on the content of the data received by the first communication unit.

20. A circuit card according to claim 17, further comprising means for automatically causing data to be downloaded to the processing system using the second communication unit depending on the content of the data received by the first communication unit.

21. A circuit card according to claim 12, further comprising means for automatically using the first communication unit to determine whether data is available for downloading to the processing system, the data for downloading to the processing system using the second communication unit.

22. A circuit card according to claim 12, further comprising a power source to power the first communication unit.

23. A circuit card according to claim 12, further comprising an indicator to provide an indication to a user in response to receiving said data over the first link at the first data rate.

24. A method of providing communication between a portable processing system and a remote site, the method comprising:

using a first communication device of the portable processing system to receive data at the portable processing system at a first data rate;

in response to receiving the data at the portable processing system at the first data rate, activating a second communication device of the portable processing system; and

using the second communication device to communicate data with the remote site at a second data rate substantially greater than the first data rate.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the processing system is a notebook computer.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein using a first communication device of the portable processing system to receive data at the portable processing system at a first data rate comprises receiving the data at the portable processing system at the first data rate from a remote site over a wireless data link.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein receiving the data at the portable processing system further comprises receiving the data at the portable processing system from a paging network.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the second data rate is at least three times the first data rate.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the second data rate is at least approximately ten times the first data rate.

30. A method according to claim 24, further comprising automatically examining a content of the data received at the first data rate.

31. A method according to claim 30, further comprising selectively activating the second communication device depending on the content of data received using the first communication device at the first data rate.

32. A method according to claim 30, further comprising outputting a message to a user based on the content of the data received using the first communication device at the first data rate.

33. A method according to claim 30, further comprising automatically using the second communication device to download data from the remote site at the second data rate depending on the content of the data received at the first data rate.

34. A communication device for providing data communication capability to a portable processing system, the communication device comprising:

a receiver to receive data from a remote site over a wireless link at a first data rate;

a control unit to control operation of the communication device;

a power source to power the communication device; and

an interface to allow the communication device to be removably connected to the portable processing system;

wherein the communication device is capable of receiving said data at the first data rate while the communication device is disconnected from the portable processing system, and wherein the communication device is configured to determine, in response to receiving said data, that additional data is available for downloading to the portable processing system at a second data rate substantially higher than the first data rate.

35. A communication device according to claim 34, further comprising a transceiver, such that said additional data can be downloaded to the portable processing system at the second data rate using the transceiver by connecting the communication device to the portable processing system.

36. A communication device according to claim 35, wherein the transceiver is powered by a power supply of the portable processing system via said interface.

37. A communication device according to claim 34, wherein the communication device is configured to activate a transceiver to download said additional data to the processing system at the second data rate when the communication device is connected to the portable processing system, after determining that the additional data is available for downloading.

38. A communication device according to claim 34, further comprising an indicator to provide an indication to a user in response to determining that the additional data is available for downloading to the portable processing system.