Wireless communications device with network cache function

• US 6,836,663 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotzin, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/667,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/423, 455/424, 455/426, 455/445, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 455/456.1, 455/422.1, 455/403, 715/530
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A wireless communications device (100), after determining it can not locally satisfy a request for network data (201), sends a search query or request for data to a proximal device that has a network cache function (202). The proximal device searches for the requested data (203) and if the data is found, then the data is sent to the requesting wireless communications device from the proximal device (206). The data request is sent over a wide area network (204), for example, the Internet, if the proximal device does not have the requested data stored in a memory on the proximal device (204). The wireless communications device stores the data for subsequent use and, if necessary, subsequent provision to a proximal device.

Claims

1. A communications device comprising:

a first wireless interface for communicating with at least one other device from a first set of one or more other devices via a first wireless connection;

a network interface for communicating with at least one other device from a second set of one or more other devices via a network connection;

a processor that;

requests network data from the at least one other device from the first set of one or more other devices using the first wireless interface; and

requests the network data from the at least one other device from the second set of one or more devices using the network interface if the network data is not available from the at least one other device from the first set of one or more other devices using the first wireless interface;

wherein the first wireless interface is distinct from the network interface.

2. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless interface is adapted to communicate with other communications devices in close proximity.

3. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the network interface is a wireless interface.

4. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the network interface is a wired interface.

5. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the network interface is coupled to the Internet.

6. The communications device of claim 1 further comprising:

a display unit coupled to the processor;

a user input device coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store the network data that is retrieved from the first wireless interface or the network interface.

7. The communications device of claim 6 wherein the user input device is a keyboard.

8. The communications device of claim 6 wherein the processor determines whether the memory contains the network data prior to requesting the network data from the first wireless interface.

9. The communications device of claim 6 wherein the network data is supplied to another communications device over the first wireless interface.

10. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the communications device is at least one of a wireless telephone, pager, personal digital assistant, and computer.

11. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless interface and the network interface being distinct includes a wireless interface, which uses an interface protocol that is different than the interface protocol used by the network interface.

12. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless interface is an interface for an ad hoc network.

13. A method for obtaining data from proximal communications devices, the method comprising:

a first wireless communications device requesting network data from a second wireless communications device via a first wireless interface;

the second wireless communications device determining whether a memory on the second wireless communications device contains the network data that was requested by the first wireless communications device;

if the network data is not in the memory, then the first wireless communications device requesting the network data from a wide area network via a network interface, which is distinct from the first wireless interface; and

if the network data is in the memory, then the second wireless communications device sending a copy of the network data to the first wireless communications device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

the first wireless communications device storing the network data in a memory on the first wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

the first communications device supplying the network data to another communications device.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

the first wireless communications device displaying the network data on a display device.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first wireless communications device is adapted to communicate with other communications devices in close proximity.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the wide area network is accessed via a wireless interface.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the wide area network is accessed via a wired interface.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the wide area network comprises an Internet.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein step of the first wireless communications device requesting the network data from the second wireless communications device further comprises:

the first communications device determining whether the network data is available in a local memory on the first communications device; and

the first communications device requesting data from the second communications device if the network data is not available in the local memory.

22. A method for a wireless communication device to obtain information, the method comprising:

attempting to obtain the information from a nearby portable, wireless communication device via a short range wireless communication link;

failing to obtain the information via the short range wireless communication link; and

trying, in response to failing, to obtain the information from a remote location via any of a cellular communication link and a paging communication link, wherein the short range wireless communication link includes an air interface protocol different than an air interface protocol associated with the step of attempting.

23. The method as in claim 22 wherein the step of failing comprises any of:

receiving an indication that the information is not available; and

a passage of a predetermined amount of time without receiving the information.

24. A cellular telephone comprising:

at least one transmitter operable to communicate via a cellular telephone network and via a different, short range, wireless communication link;

at least one receiver coupled to the at least one transmitter and operable to communicate via the cellular telephone network and via the short range wireless communication link;

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the at least one transmitter, the at least one receiver, and the memory, wherein the controller, in response to a query for information, is operable to;

search the memory for the information;

attempt, responsive to the information not being in the memory, to communicate with a nearby wireless communication device via the short range, wireless communication link to obtain the information from the nearby wireless communication device; and

try, responsive to not being able to obtain the information from the nearby wireless communication device, to obtain the information from a remote location via the cellular telephone network.

25. The cellular telephone as in claim 24, wherein the short range wireless communication link comprises any of a frequency-hopped spread spectrum communication link, a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum communication link, an amplitude modulated communication link, a frequency modulated communication link, and a time division multiple access (TDMA) communication link.

26. A cellular telephone comprising:

at least one transmitter operable to communicate via a cellular telephone network and via a different, short range, wireless communication link;

at least one receiver coupled to the at least one transmitter and operable to communicate via the cellular telephone network and via the short range wireless communication link;

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the at least one transmitter, the at least one receiver, and the memory, wherein the controller, in response to a query for data, is operable to;

attempt to communicate with a nearby wireless communication device via the short range, wireless communication link to obtain the data from the nearby wireless communication device; and

try, responsive to not being able to obtain the information from the nearby wireless communication device, to obtain the information from a remote location via the cellular telephone network.