Method and devices for data transfer

• US 7,650,470 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trek 2000 International Limited (Trek Technology Singapore PTE Limited)
• Original Assignee: Trek 2000 International Limited (Trek Technology Singapore PTE Limited)
• Inventors: Poo, Teng Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US10/481,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,127 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/154, 711/200, 455/426.2, 710/36, 710/44
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A storage apparatus is proposed for facilitating wireless communication between a computer device and one or more external portable electronic devices, or between those external devices. The storage apparatus includes a wireless transceiver for entering communication with any of one the devices. When the storage apparatus is communicating with any of the devices, it can transmit to that device any data stored in its memory for transmission to that device. Furthermore, the storage apparatus can receive from that device, and transmit to its memory, data to be relayed to another of the devices.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data within a system including a plurality of devices that includes a computing device, a data transfer apparatus, and one or more external devices, each of the computing device and the one or more external devices including wireless communication means, and the data transfer apparatus comprising a processor, a non-volatile memory, and wireless transceiver means, the method comprising:

transmitting a first wireless signal from a first external device to the wireless transceiver means of the data transfer apparatus, the first wireless signal including first data for transmission to one of the plurality of devices,

storing by the processor the first data in the non-volatile memory of the data transfer apparatus such that the first data is associated with the first external device,

transmitting a second wireless signal from a second external device to the wireless transceiver means of the data transfer apparatus, the second wireless signal including second data for transmission to one of the plurality of devices;

storing by the processor the second data in the non-volatile memory of the data transfer apparatus such that the second data is associated with the second external device; and

wirelessly transmitting the first data to one of the plurality of devices by the wireless transceiver means of the data transfer apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of devices is the computing device.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising establishing communication by the first external devices with the data transfer apparatus upon determining that an internal memory of the first external devices contains a predetermined amount of data.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the first external devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the first external device, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the first external device.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the one of the plurality of devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the one of the plurality of devices, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the one of the plurality of devices.

6. The method according to claim 2 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the computing device, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the computing device, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the computing device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of devices is one of the one or more external devices.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the first external device, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the first external device, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the first external device.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the one of the plurality of devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the one of the plurality of devices, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the one of the plurality of devices.

10. The method according to claim 7 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and one of the external devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the external device, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the external device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the first external devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the first external device, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the first external device.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the one of the plurality of devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the one of the plurality of devices, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the one of the plurality of devices.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing communication between the data transfer apparatus and the one of the plurality of devices, including transmitting an ID code to the data transfer apparatus by the one of the plurality of devices, wherein the data transfer apparatus uses the ID code to verify the identity of the one of the plurality of devices.

14. A system comprising:

a computing device;

one or more external devices, each of the computing device and the one or more external devices including wireless communication means; and

a data transfer apparatus comprising;

wireless transceiver means for receiving and transmitting wireless signals;

a processor; and

a non-volatile memory;

the processor being arranged, upon receipt by the wireless transceiver means of a wireless signal from a first external device containing first data for relay to another device in the system, to store at least a portion of the first data in the non-volatile memory such that the portion of the first data is associated with the first external device, and upon receipt by the wireless transceiver means of a second wireless signal from a second external device containing second data for relay to another device in the system, to store at least a portion of the second data in the non-volatile memory such that the portion of the second data is associated with the second external device, and, upon subsequently establishing communication with the other device in the system, to cause the wireless transceiver means to wirelessly transmit the stored portion of the first data to the other device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more external devices includes an internal memory and is arranged to initiate communication with the data transfer apparatus to transmit the wireless signal to the data transfer apparatus, upon the amount of data stored in the internal memory reaching or approaching the capacity of the internal memory.

16. A data transfer apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting wireless signals from and to a first device, a second device, and a third device, the first device including a memory having a first memory capacity and a wireless transceiver and the second device including a memory having a second memory capacity and a wireless transceiver;

a processor; and

a non-volatile memory having a third memory capacity, wherein the third memory capacity is substantially greater than the first memory capacity;

wherein the processor is capable of, upon receipt by the wireless transceiver of a wireless signal from the first device containing first data for relay to the second device, storing at least a portion of the first data in the non-volatile memory such that the portion of the first data is associated with the first device, and, upon receipt by the wireless transceiver of a wireless signal from the third device containing third data for relay to the second device, storing at least a portion of the third data in the non-volatile memory such that the portion of the third data is associated with the third device, and, upon subsequently establishing communication with the second device, wirelessly transmitting the stored portion of the first data to the second device.

17. The data transfer apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the second device is a computer.

18. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first device is a portable device.

19. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the second device is a portable device.