Communication scheme for realizing effective data input/setup in compact size portable terminal device using locally connected nearby computer device

• US 7,080,154 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi, Shobatake, Yasuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US09/437,496
• Time in Patent Office: 2,442 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/245, 709/236, 709/249, 709/228, 709/203, 709/227, 709/232, 709/234, 345/157, 345/751, 345/163, 455/3.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 First party call control architectures

Abstract

A communication scheme in which it becomes possible to improve handling of a user interface or omit tedious operations in a portable terminal device by cooperating the computer device with the portable terminal device is disclosed. The portable terminal device obtains a prescribed information regarding the computer network that is necessary or utilizable in operating an application program to be operated on the portable terminal device by being connected to the computer network, from the computer device connected to the portable terminal device via the local network, carries out a prescribed processing for the application program according to at least a part of the prescribed information, and executes the application program by using a result of the prescribed processing and being connected to the computer network.

Claims

1. A portable terminal device, comprising:

a user interface for enabling user input into the portable terminal device;

a network connection unit configured to establish a connection to a computer network;

a local network connection unit configured to establish a connection to a local network different from the computer network, the local network being a network locally defined among the portable terminal device and at least one other computer device; and

a processing unit configured to upload a prescribed information regarding the computer network that is necessary or utilizable in operating an application program by being connected to the computer network and that is setup data or input data for the application program stored in said at least one other computer device, from said at least one other computer device connected to the portable terminal device via the local network through the local network connection unit, carry out a prescribed processing for automatically setting the setup data or the input data into the portable terminal device without requiring any user operation using the user interface, in a form utilizable by the application program on the portable terminal device, according to at least a part of the prescribed information, and execute the application program by using a result of the prescribed processing and being connected to the computer network through the network connection unit, wherein the processing unit makes a prescribed setup by storing said at least a part of the prescribed information into a prescribed memory region for the application program, either as obtained from said at least one other computer device or by converting said at least a part of the prescribed information into a format matching with the application program and/or a user interface of the portable terminal device.

2. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out the prescribed processing to make the prescribed setup regarding the computer network.

3. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit obtains the prescribed information related to a specified type of application program that exists in said at least one other computer device.

4. The portable terminal device of claim 3, wherein the processing unit obtains the prescribed information by transmitting to said at least one other computer device via the local network a first request for obtaining an identification information for identifying said specified type of application program, receiving a reply containing the identification information from said at least one other computer device via the local network in response to the first request, transmitting to said at least one other computer device via the local network a second request for obtaining the prescribed information according to the identification information contained in the reply, and receiving the prescribed information from said at least one other computer device via the local network in response to the second request.

5. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the local network enables data exchanges between the portable terminal device and said at least one other computer device by using a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a point-to-point wireless device, or an infrared as a medium.

6. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out data exchanges on the local network only with a computer device that is authenticated by a prescribed mutual authentication procedure.

7. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out a procedure for obtaining the prescribed information for each one of a plurality of application programs installed on the portable terminal device, at a timing of activation of the portable terminal device.

8. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out a procedure for obtaining the prescribed information for the application program at a timing of activation of the application program.

9. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out a procedure for transferring the prescribed information obtained from a first computer device via the local network to a second computer connected to the local network.

10. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit carries out a procedure for transferring the prescribed information obtained via the local network to one or a plurality of computer devices connected to the local network.

11. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the network connection unit carries out communications via the computer network through a radio base station.

13. The portable terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes the application program for an Internet telephone, a web browser, an email handler or a word processor.

12. A computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied therein for causing a computer to function as a portable terminal device having a user interface for enabling user input into the portable terminal device, the computer readable program codes include:

a first computer readable program code for causing said computer to establish a connection to a computer network;

a second computer readable program code for causing said computer to establish a connection to a local network different from the computer network, the local network being a network locally defined among the portable terminal device and at least one other computer device; and

a third computer readable program code for causing said computer to upload a prescribed information regarding the computer network that is necessary or utilizable in operating an application program by being connected to the computer network and that is setup data or input data for the application program stored in said at least one other computer device, from said at least one other computer device connected to the portable terminal device via the local network, carry out a prescribed processing for automatically setting the setup data or the input data into the portable terminal device without requiring any user operation using the user interface, in a form utilizable by the application program on the portable terminal device, according to at least a part of the prescribed information, and execute the application program by using a result of the prescribed processing and being connected to the computer network, wherein the third computer readable program code makes a prescribed setup by storing said at least a part of the prescribed information into a prescribed memory region for the application program, either as obtained from said at least one other computer device or by converting said at least a part of the prescribed information into a format matching with the application program and/or a user interface of the portable terminal device.