Wireless enabled memory module
DCFirst Claim
1. A removable module for coupling to a digital host and a wireless network, the coupling to the host being via an expansion port of the host, the wireless network having at least one remote wireless device, the module comprising:
- a host-to-module interconnect enabled to removably couple with the host;
a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect;
wireless transceiver circuitry to couple with the wireless network;
media scaling circuitry;
a memory controller;
an embedded non-volatile memory coupled to the memory controller;
a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, and the memory controller, the control sub-system at least in part managing data transfers between the embedded non-volatile memory and the wireless network without requiring any action by the host; and
wherein the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, the memory controller, the embedded non-volatile memory, and the control sub-system are enabled to operate completely inside the host.
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Abstract
A wireless-enabled memory module provides host devices access to a memory via a standard memory expansion interface and further incorporates embedded processing capability and a wireless network capability. The wireless-enabled memory module can be used in any host device providing a compatible memory card controller and interface. Host devices so equipped become wireless-memory enabled devices and can provide memory access to any other remote device enabled for compatible wireless communications. It is thereby possible for a remote device to access the memory content of the memory module, and cause transfers of either full-size or scaled versions of the content to the remote device through a first network, and optionally further transfer the content from the remote device through a second network to the Internet in the form of an e-mail message or MMS attachment.
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Citations
151 Claims
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1. A removable module for coupling to a digital host and a wireless network, the coupling to the host being via an expansion port of the host, the wireless network having at least one remote wireless device, the module comprising:
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a host-to-module interconnect enabled to removably couple with the host; a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect; wireless transceiver circuitry to couple with the wireless network; media scaling circuitry; a memory controller; an embedded non-volatile memory coupled to the memory controller; a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, and the memory controller, the control sub-system at least in part managing data transfers between the embedded non-volatile memory and the wireless network without requiring any action by the host; and wherein the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, the memory controller, the embedded non-volatile memory, and the control sub-system are enabled to operate completely inside the host. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A removable module for operative coupling to a digital host, a removable memory, and a wireless network, the coupling to the host being via an expansion port of the host, the wireless network having at least one remote wireless device, the module comprising:
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a host-to-module interconnect enabled to removably couple with the host; a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect; wireless transceiver circuitry to couple with the wireless network; media scaling circuitry; a memory controller enabled to operate with the removable memory; a slot to receive and couple the removable memory to the memory controller; a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, and the memory controller, the control sub-system at least in part managing data transfers between the removable memory and the wireless network without requiring any action by the host; and wherein the host-to-module interface controller, the wireless transceiver circuitry, the memory controller, the embedded non-volatile memory, and the control sub-system are enabled to operate completely inside the host. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of transferring data, the method comprising:
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coupling a removable module to an expansion port of a host, the removable module having a host-to-module interconnect to removably couple with the host, a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect, a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, wireless transceiver circuitry coupled to the control sub-system, and a memory controller coupled to a non-volatile memory and coupled to the control sub-system; completely inside the host, operating the host-to-module interface controller, the control sub-system, the wireless transceiver circuitry, the memory controller, and the non-volatile memory; accessing the non-volatile memory through a user interface of a remote wireless-enabled device, the remote device being capable of communicating over a first wireless network to the removable module, the remote device being further capable of communicating over a second wireless network; transferring selected data between the remote device and the non-volatile memory without requiring any action by the host; coupling the remote device to the second wireless network; transferring the selected data between the remote device and a gateway and between the gateway and at least one location accessible via the Internet; and wherein the gateway is coupled to the second wireless network and further coupled to the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A system for transferring data, comprising:
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a host with an expansion port; a removable module coupled to the expansion port, the removable module having a host-to-module interconnect to removably couple with the host, a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect, a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, wireless transceiver circuitry coupled to the control sub-system, and a memory controller coupled to the control sub-system; a non-volatile memory coupled to the memory controller; a remote wireless-enabled device capable of communicating over a first wireless network to the removable module, capable of communicating over a second wireless network, and capable of transferring data between the first and the second wireless networks; a gateway coupled to the second wireless network and to the Internet; and wherein the control sub-system is enabled to operate completely inside the host and to manage data transfers between the non-volatile memory and the remote wireless-enabled device via the first wireless network without requiring any action by the host. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A method comprising the steps of:
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accessing memory content of a memory through a user interface of a remote wireless-enabled device, the remote device being capable of communicating over a wireless network to an accessory module communicating with the memory, the accessory module comprising a host-to-module interconnect to removably couple with a host, a host-to-module interface controller coupled to the host-to-module interconnect, a control sub-system coupled to the host-to-module interface controller, wireless transceiver circuitry coupled to the control sub-system, a memory controller coupled to the memory and coupled to the control sub-system, and media scaling circuitry; selectively coupling the accessory module with an expansion port of the host; selectively operating at least a portion of the accessory module completely inside the host; without requiring any action by the host, transferring data between the remote device and the memory; and without requiring any action by the host, controlling the transferring at least in part by the portion of the accessory module selectively operating completely inside the host. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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113. A method comprising the steps of:
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accessing memory content of a memory through a user interface of a remote wireless-enabled device, the remote device being capable of communicating over a first wireless network to an accessory module communicating with the memory, the remote device being further capable of communicating over a second wireless network; selectively coupling the accessory module with an expansion port of the host; selectively operating at least a portion of the accessory module completely inside the host; without requiring any action by the host, transferring data between the remote device and the memory; and without requiring any action by the host, controlling the transferring at least in part by the portion of the accessory module selectively operating completely inside the host; coupling the remote wireless-enabled device to the second wireless network; transferring the data between the remote device and a gateway coupled to the second wireless network and further coupled to the Internet; and transferring the data between the gateway and at least one location accessible via the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (114, 115)
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116. A system including:
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a removable module having a host connector enabled to couple to a host in a removable manner, an interface controller coupled to the host connector and enabled to exchange data with the host, a wireless transceiver enabled to communicate via a wireless network, media scaling circuitry; a memory controller enabled to load data from and store data into a memory, and a control sub-system coupled to the interface controller, the wireless transceiver, and the memory controller; and wherein the control sub-system is enabled to manage data transfers between the memory and the wireless network without requiring any action by the host and is further enabled to operate completely inside the host. - View Dependent Claims (117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136)
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137. A method comprising the steps of:
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in a removable module coupled to a host via an expansion port, accessing memory content of a non-volatile memory in response to commands received from the host; scaling a selected portion of the memory content; operating completely inside the host a wireless transceiver included in the removable module; and further in the removable module, without requiring any action by the host, accessing the memory content in response to commands received via the wireless transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151)
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Specification