Method for waking a device in response to wireless network activity

• US 7,248,146 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kammer, David, Davis, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US11/155,387
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 455/54.1, 702/188, 709/203, 709/218, 709/223, 709/227, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 710/46.48, 710/260
• US Class Current: 340/286.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and a system for data transmission between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device is in a sleep mode. Transmission of data between the first electronic device and the second electronic device occurs while a microprocessor in the second device is in sleep mode and the wireless transceiver is in a wake mode. The first electronic device transmits data signals and the second electronic device detects the transmitted signal. A base band processor in the second electronic device optionally determines if the signal is from a known source. If the first electronic device is a known electronic device, an interrupt signal is generated to wake up the microprocessor in the second electronic device. The wakened microprocessor opens a communication port and disables the wake-up interrupt. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the data receive line is directly coupled to a line that triggers an interrupt when a signal is detected. The received message is then stored in memory for subsequent use.

Claims

1. A method for receiving information comprising:

receiving a communication signal including a connection request that is transmitted from a first electronic device to a second electronic device using a wireless communication protocol, said second electronic device comprising a processor and a wireless communication device, and wherein said processor is in a sleep mode while said wireless communication device is awake;

determining whether a communication port is closed;

in response to said connection request and provided said communication port is closed, automatically triggering an interrupt over an interrupt line to wake up said processor;

opening said communication port coupled to said wireless communication device for said processor to receive said communication signal and disabling said interrupt line;

closing said communication port after receiving said communication signal and enabling said interrupt line; and

storing said communication signal.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said second electronic device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said second electronic device is a handheld computer.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said wireless communication device substantially complies with the Bluetooth protocol.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said wireless communication device is Infrared (IR).

6. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining if said first electronic device belongs to a list of trusted devices before generating said interrupt to wake said processor.

7. A method as described in claim 6 wherein said processor adds an identification of a transmitting device to said list of trusted devices.

8. A method as described in claim 6 wherein a user initially creates said list of trusted devices in said processor.

9. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said communication port is a serial port.

10. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said communication port is a USB port.

11. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

upon power-up, notifying a user that a communication has been stored according to e); and

providing said user with an accept/reject function with respect to any stored communications.