Computer system for enabling a wireless interface device to selectively establish a communication link with a user selectable remote computer

• US 7,512,671 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Soucy, Alan Joseph, Gladwin, S. Christopher, Wilson, James Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US08/783,708
• Time in Patent Office: 4,458 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system which enables a plurality of wireless interface devices to be interfaced with a server. The server is configured to communicate with a plurality of wireless interface devices over a radio link. The server may be connected to either a wired or wireless local area network (LAN).

Claims

1. A system for providing remote access over a wireless link to a remote host server, the system comprising:

a plurality of remote computers within range of a wireless interface device forming a selectable group of remote computers, each of said remote computers in said selectable group of remote computers having a node address, CPU, a storage device for running and storing one or more programs, means for generating video data responsive to said one or more programs and means for receiving user input data, each remote computer including means for establishing a wireless connection with one or more wireless interface devices and transmitting its node address to said wireless interface device in response to a broadcast signal from said wireless interface device, wherein said node address of said remote computer is unknown by said wireless interface device until said broadcast signal is received;

said wireless interface device including a display and means for broadcasting signals requesting whether any of said remote computers within range are available and means for receiving node addresses from remote computers within range of said wireless interface device and displaying on said display those remote computers for which node addresses were received and establishing a wireless communication link between said wireless interface device and any one of said remote computers that are displayed on said display and selected thereby enabling a user to manually select a remote computer from said selectable group of computers displayed on said display and selectively establish a remote connection with the selected one of the remote computer defining a selected computer, said one or more wireless interface devices configured as a remote input/output (I/O) device for selectively taking control of said selected computer, said display for displaying said video data generated by said selected computer, an input system for receiving and transmitting said user input data to said selected computer and a wireless communication subsystem for interfacing with said selected computer over a wireless link for controlling and accessing said programs on said selected computer.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote computer forms a part of a local area network (LAN) with other remote computers.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said LAN is a wired LAN.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said LAN is a wireless LAN.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface device includes a serial port.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface device a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART).

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface device is a spread-spectrum device.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said wireless interface devices includes a pen-based interface permitting a user to enter commands using a stylus.