Communication system and data adapter

• US 6,714,990 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ollikainen, Peter, Vatula, Veli-Pekka, Autio, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/523,241
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/251, 709/252, 709/253, 709/328, 710/72, 719/238
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a communicating system comprising a data terminal, a wireless communication device, and data transmission means for setting up a local data transmission connection between the data terminal and the wireless communication device. The data transmission means comprise a data transmission means of the data terminal and a data transmission means of the wireless communication device. The data terminal comprises means for running application software, an application software connection, means for controlling the data transmission means of the data terminal, and a first connection interface for data transmission between the application and the application programming interface. The data transmission system comprises also a data adapter, a second connection interface for data transmission between the application programming interface and the data adapter, and one or several media interfaces for data transmission between the data adapter and the data transmission means of the data terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a data terminal;

a wireless communication device; and

first data transmission means for setting up a local data transmission connection between the data terminal and the wireless communication device, wherein the first data transmission means includes a data transmission means of the data terminal and a data transmission means of the wireless communication device,

wherein the data terminal includes;

means for running application software;

an application programming interface;

means for controlling the data transmission means of the data terminal; and

a first connection interface for data transmission between the application software and the application programming interface,

wherein the first data transmission means further includes;

a common data adapter for transmitting data using different transfer protocols for different media types;

a second connection interface for data transmission between the application programming interface and the data adapter; and

one or several media interfaces for data transmission between the data adapter and the data transmission means of the data terminal.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, in which information to be transmitted via the first connection interface is arranged to be transmitted according to a first protocol, the information to be transmitted via a second connection interface is arranged to be transmitted according to a second protocol, and the information to be transmitted via said media interface is arranged to be transmitted according to a third protocol, wherein the data adapter comprises for each media interface an adapter block to execute protocol conversions of the information to be transmitted between the second connection interface and the media interface.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, in which the data transmission means of the data terminal comprise at least infrared data transmission means.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, in which the media interface comprises the IrDA protocol stack.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, in which the data transmission means of the data terminal comprise at least radio communication means.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, in which the media interface comprises a Bluetooth protocol stack.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, in which the data terminal comprises at least two data transmission means, wherein the data adapter comprises means for selecting the data transmission means to be used in a local data transmission connection at a time.

8. A data terminal to be used in a communication system, the communication system including a wireless communication device and first data transmission means for setting up a local data transmission connection between the data terminal and the wireless communication device, wherein the first data transmission means includes a data transmission means of the data terminal and a data transmission means of the wireless communication device, the data terminal comprising:

means for running application software;

an application programming interface;

means for controlling the data transmission means of the data terminal;

a first connection interface for data transmission between the application software and the application programming interface;

a common data adapter for transmitting data using different transfer protocols for different media types;

a second connection interface for data transmission between the application programming interface and the data adapter; and

one or several media interfaces for data transmission between the data adapter and the data transmission means of the data terminal.

9. A method for data transmission between a data terminal and a wireless communication device, in which method:

a local data transmission connection is set up between the data terminal and the wireless communication device;

the data terminal is equipped with an application programming interface and the data transmission means for the data terminal;

an application software is run in the data terminal;

data is transmitted between the application software and the application programming interface via the first connection interface;

a common data adapter is provided for transmitting data using different transfer protocols for different media types, wherein information is transmitted between the application programming interface and the data adapter via a second connection interface; and

information is transmitted between the data adapter and the data transmission means of the data terminal via one or several media interfaces.

10. The method according to claim 9, in which information is transmitted via the first connection interface with a first protocol, information is transmitted via said second connection interface with a second protocol, and information is transmitted via said media interface with a third protocol, wherein in the method, a protocol conversion is made on the information to be transmitted between the connection interface and the media interface.

11. The method according to claim 10, in which information is transmitted in infrared signals in the local data transmission connection, and that the third protocol used is the IrDA protocol, wherein an IrDA protocol stack is formed at the media interface.

12. The method according to claim 10, in which information is transmitted in radio frequency signals in the local data transmission connection, and that the third protocol used is the Bluetooth protocol, wherein a Bluetooth protocol stack is formed at the media interface.

13. The method according to claim 10, in which information is transmitted in wired, serial format in the local data transmission connection, and that the third protocol used is the RS232 protocol.

14. The method according to claim 9, in which the data terminal is provided with at least two data transmission means, wherein in the method, the data transmission means are selected for use in the local data transmission connection at a time.