Local file transfer

• US 7,212,785 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pradhan, Salil, McDonnell, James Thomas Edward, Macer, Peter J., Brassil, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US09/875,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 4554562-4563, 455/466, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 4554261-4262, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/404.1, 455/445, 455/435.1, 455/410, 455/517, 235/462.45, 705/18, 705/26, 380/258, 365/189.05, 709/206
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1421 Indication of expected costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method is disclosed of transferring data to a first communications device having a first transceiver for communication at a first data rate over a long range, and a second transceiver for communication at a second, higher data rate over a short range. The method includes forming a co-ordinated short-range wireless network using the first communications device and at least one second communications device of a similar type. Communication is then initiated between the first communications device and said at least one second communications device to establish whether that second communications device has data required by the first communications device. The first communications device then communicates, upon the first communications device receiving confirmation that a second communications device has the required data, with a service provider using its first transceiver to request permission for the transfer of the required data from said communications device to the first communications device. Finally, the required data is transferred from said second communications device to the first communications device, following transmission by the service provider to the first communications device of authorisation.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data to a first communications device having a first transceiver for communication at a first data rate over a long range, and a second transceiver for communication at a second, higher data rate over a short range, the method being performed by using a coordinated short-range wireless network including the first communications device and at least one second communications device of a similar type, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating communication between the first communications device and said at least one second communications device to establish whether or not said at least one second communications device has data required by the first communications device;

(b) the first communications device communicating, upon the first communications device receiving confirmation that a second communications device has the required data, with a service provider using its first transceiver to request permission for the transfer of the required data from said second communications device to the first communications device; and

(c) transferring the required data from said second communications device to the first communications device following transmission by the service provider to the first communications device of authorisation.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, prior to step (c), the service provider transmits provisional permission, together with a costing, to the first transceiver of the first communications device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of the first communications device transmitting a message accepting the costing to the service provider using its first transceiver.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of the service provider issuing an authorisation once acceptance of the costing has been received from the first communications device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of the service provider communicating said costing to a network service provider of the first communications device.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second transceiver of the first communications device communicates, once the authorisation has been received, with said second communications device to inform that device that authorisation has been received and to request downloading of the required data.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an mp3 file constitutes the required data.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an initial step of inputting a list of required data files into a memory provided in the first communications device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, during step (a), the list of required data files is communicated by the second transceiver of the first communications device to said at least one second communications device within the short-range wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

transferring data to one of the at least one second communications device, said second communications device having a first transceiver for communication at the first data rate over a long range, and a second transceiver for communication at the second, higher data rate over a short range;

initiating communication between the second communications device and the first communications device to establish whether or not said first communications device has data required by the second communications device, the second communications device communicating, upon the second communications device receiving confirmation that the first communications device has the required data, with the service provider using its first transceiver to request permission for the transfer of the required data from said first communications device to the second communications device; and

transferring the required data from said first communications device to the second communications device following transmission by the service provider to the second communications device of authorisation.

11. A communications device having a first transceiver for communication at a first data rate over a long range, a second transceiver for communication at a second, higher data rate over a short range, a music player, a memory, and a processor for controlling downloading of music files to the memory, and for transferring music files from the memory to the music player, the processor being programmed to control the second transceiver to request downloading of a given music file at the second data rate from a similar communications device within the range of the second transceiver, and to control the first transceiver to request permission from a service provider to download said given music file from a similar communication device holding said music file in its memory.

12. A communications device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to control the second transceiver to request downloading of said music file once authorisation is received from the service provider.

13. A communications device as claimed in claim 11, further including a filter for enabling only certain music files from the similar communications device to be downloaded from the second transceiver into the memory.

14. A method of transferring data to a first communications device having a first transceiver for wireless communication at a first data rate over a long-range link, and a second transceiver for wireless communication at a second, higher data rate over a short-range link, the method being performed by using a coordinated short-range wireless network including the first transceiver of the first communications device and a short-range transceiver of the second communications device, the short-range transceiver of a second communications device being arranged for wireless communication at the second, higher data rate, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating communication between the second transceiver of the first communications device and the short-range transceiver of the second communications device,

(b) establishing whether said second communications device has data required by the first communications device as a result of the initial communication, the first communications device transmitting via the long-range link, upon the first communications device receiving confirmation that the second communications device has the required data, with a service provider using the first transceiver to request permission for transfer of the required data from said second communications device to the first communications device; and

(c) transferring the required data from said second communications device to the first communications device via the short-range link between the second transceiver of the first device and the transceiver of the second device, the transfer occurring following transmission, via the long-range link, by the service provider to the first communications device of authorisation.