Pervasive dock and router with communication protocol converter

• US 6,678,535 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/607,597
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/556, 455/41, 455/517-522, 455/558, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 370/401, 370/466, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A communications protocol conversion system and methodology includes one or more first interface devices for receiving data signals communicated by a first communications device in accordance with a first communications protocol; a format converter device for on the fly converting the received data signals into data signals in accordance with a second communications protocol; and, one or more second interface devices for outputting the data signals in accordance with the second protocol to a second communications device. Advantageously, the protocol conversion system obviates a necessity for multiprotocol support in communications devices thereby enabling such devices to remain relatively smaller in size.

Claims

1. A protocol converter device for communications systems comprising:

one or more first interface devices for receiving data packets communicated by a first device capable of transmitting data packets according to a first communications protocol;

a format converter device for converting said received data packets into data packets suitable for transmission in accordance with a second communications protocol; and

,

one or more second interface devices for outputting said data packets in accordance with said second protocol to a second device capable of receiving said data packets transmitted according to said second communications protocol,

means for receiving parameters relating to communication and data processing capabilities of said second device in advance of receiving communications from first devices, to enable conversion of communications received in a first data format from said first devices to data formats supported by said second device according to said received parameters;

whereby said protocol converter device obviates a necessity for multiprotocol support in said first and second devices and permits multiple simultaneous communications between pairs of first and second devices according to different communications protocols and data formats.

2. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more said first and second interface devices supports receipt and output of data signals according to a wireless communications protocol.

3. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communications protocol.

4. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a BlueTooth radio frequency (RF) communications standard.

5. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

6. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a Universal Serial Bus communications protocol.

7. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE Firewire communications protocol.

8. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and second interface device supports an RF-modem communications standard.

9. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a content transcoder device for converting data content received in a first format as transmitted from said first communications device to data content in a second format for output to said second communications device incapable of supporting said first data content format.

10. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second communications device includes a wearable wrist watch device implementing a wireless data receiver device for receiving wireless communications, said content transcoder device converting a first data content format comprising hypertext mark-up language format to a second data content format comprising a wireless mark-up language for receipt by said wearable wrist watch device.

11. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising mechanism for selecting a first interface device for receiving data signals in accordance with a first communications protocol and for selecting a second interface device for outputting data signals in accordance with a second communications protocol.

12. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buffer device for storing a message associated with received data signals from a first device prior to outputting said message to a second device.

13. The protocol converter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising mechanism for performing power conversion, whereby data signals received in accordance with a first power level are converted into output signals in accordance with a second power level.

14. A method for data protocol conversion comprising the steps of:

receiving parameters relating to communication and data processing capabilities of a second device in advance of receiving communications from a first device;

receiving data packets communicated in accordance with a first communications protocol and transmitted by said first device;

converting said received data packets into data packets suitable for transmission in accordance with a second communications protocol, said step further converting communications received in a first data format from a first device to data formats supported by a second device according to said received prameters; and

,

transmitting said converted data packets in accordance with said second protocol for receipt by a second device,

whereby said protocol converter device obviates a necessity for multiprotocol support in said first and second communications devices and permits multiple simultaneous communications between pairs of first and second devices according to different communications protocols and data formats.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein one or more said first and second interface devices supports receipt and output of data signals according to a wireless communications protocol.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communications protocol.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a BlueTooth radio frequency (RF) communications standard.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a Universal Serial Bus communications protocol.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE Firewire communications protocol.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first and second interface device supports an RF-modem communications standard.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of converting data content received in a first format as transmitted from said first communications device to data content in a second format for output to said second communications device incapable of supporting said first data content format.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said second communications device includes a wearable wrist watch device implementing a wireless data receiver device for receiving wireless communications, said converting step including converting a first data content format comprising hypertext mark-up language format to a second data content format comprising a wireless mark-up language for receipt by said wearable wrist watch device.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal representing a user selection of a first interface device for receiving data signals in accordance with a first communications protocol; and

receiving an input signal representing a user selection of a second interface device for outputting data signals in accordance with a second communications protocol.

25. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of:

storing a message associated with received data signals from a first device prior to outputting said message to a second device.

26. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of performing power conversion, whereby data signals received in accordance with a first power level are converted into output signals in accordance with a second power level.

27. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for data protocol conversion, said method steps including the steps of:

receiving parameters relating to communication and data processing capabilities of a second device in advance of receiving communications from a first device;

receiving data packets communicated in accordance with a first communications protocol and transmitted by a first device;

converting said received data packets into data packets suitable for transmission in accordance with a second communications protocol, said step further converting communications received in a first data format from a first device to data formats supported by a second device according to said received parameters; and

,

transmitting said converted data packets in accordance with said second protocol for receipt by a second device, whereby said protocol converter device obviates a necessity for multiprotocol support in said first and second devices and permits multiple simultaneous communications between pairs of first and second devices according to different communications protocols.

28. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein one or more said first and second interface devices supports receipt and output of data signals according to a wireless communications protocol.

29. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communications protocol.

30. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a BlueTooth radio frequency (RF) communications standard.

31. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

32. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes a Universal Serial Bus communications protocol.

33. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second communications protocol includes an IEEE Firewire communications protocol.

34. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a first and second interface device supports an RF-modem communications standard.

35. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, further comprising the step of converting data content received in a first format as transmitted from said first communications device to data content in a second format for output to said second communications device incapable of supporting said first data content format.

36. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 35, wherein said second communications device includes a wearable wrist watch device implementing a wireless data receiver device for receiving wireless communications, said converting step including converting a first data content format comprising hypertext mark-up language format to a second data content format comprising a wireless mark-up language for receipt by said wearable wrist watch device.

37. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein said method steps further include the steps of:

receiving an input signal representing a user selection of a first interface device for receiving data signals in accordance with a first communications protocol; and

receiving an input signal representing a user selection of a second interface device for outputting data signals in accordance with a second communications protocol.

38. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said method step further includes the step:

storing a message associated with received data signals from a first device prior to outputting said message to a second device.

39. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein said method steps further include the step of performing power conversion, whereby data packets received in accordance with a first power level are converted into output data packets in accordance with a second power level.