Networking of multiple mode handheld computing unit

• US 8,175,646 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US12/393,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20090197644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/74, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/557, 370/310
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A handheld computing unit includes a MMW transceiver, a hardware section, an operating system section, and an application section. When the handheld computing unit is in a extended mode: the hardware section is operably coupled to a hardware section of an extended computing unit; the operating system section is operably coupled to an operating system section of the extended computing unit; and the application section is operably coupled to an application section of the extended computing unit. When the handheld computing unit is in a network mode the hardware section is operably coupled to a hardware section of at least one other handheld computing unit.

Claims

1. A handheld computing unit comprises:

a millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver;

a hardware section operably coupled to the MMW transceiver;

an operating system section operably coupled to the hardware section; and

an application section operably coupled to the operating system section, wherein the application section includes a network coordinator application; and

wherein when the handheld computing unit is in an extended mode;

the hardware section is operably coupled to a hardware section of an extended computing unit;

the operating system section is operably coupled to an operating system section of the extended computing unit; and

the application section is operably coupled to an application section of the extended computing unit; and

wherein when the handheld computing unit is in a network mode, the hardware section is operably coupled to a hardware section of at least one other handheld computing unit via the MMW transceiver and is operable to coordinate with the network coordinator application to;

initiate communication with the at least one other handheld computing unit using the MMW transceiver;

identify common hardware features between the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit; and

for each common hardware feature, determine whether to utilize the common hardware feature in the at least one other handheld computing unit to perform functions for the handheld processing unit.

2. The handheld computing unit of claim 1 further comprises, at least one of, when the handheld computing unit is in the network mode:

the operating system section is operably coupled to an operating system section of the at least one other handheld computing unit; and

the application section is operably coupled to an application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit.

3. The handheld computing unit of claim 1 further comprises:

when the handheld computing unit is in a standalone mode;

the hardware section is operably coupled to perform a standalone hardware function;

the operating system section is operably coupled to perform a standalone operating system function; and

the application section is operably coupled to perform a standalone application function.

4. The handheld computing unit of claim 1, wherein the operating system section comprises:

a user communication section;

a system application section; and

a user application section.

5. The handheld computing unit of claim 1, wherein the application section comprises:

a user application section;

a system application section; and

a user communication section.

6. The handheld computing unit of claim 5 further comprises:

the hardware section including a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, wherein the RF transceiver is operably coupled to;

convert an outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal; and

convert an inbound RF signal into an inbound symbol stream; and

when the handheld computing unit is in the network mode;

the hardware section processes the user communication section to;

convert outbound data from the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit into the outbound symbol stream; and

convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data for the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit.

7. The handheld computing unit of claim 1 further comprises:

when the handheld computing unit is in the network mode, the hardware section is coupled in series, parallel, or a combination thereof with the hardware section of the at least one other handheld computing unit.

8. The handheld computing unit of claim 1, wherein the hardware section further processes the network coordinate application to:

initiate communication with the at least one other handheld computing unit to determine attributes of the operating system section and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit; and

determine network architecture resource mapping of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit based on the attributes.

9. The handheld computing unit of claim 8, wherein the determining the attributes of the operating system section and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit further comprises:

identify common operating system features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

for each common operating system feature, determine whether to utilize the common operating system feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify common application features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit; and

for each common application feature, determine whether to utilize the common application feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit.

10. The handheld computing unit of claim 8, wherein the determining the attributes of the hardware section, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit further comprises:

identify non-common hardware features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

map each non-common hardware feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify non-common operating system features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

map each non-common operating system feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify non-common application features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit; and

map each non-common application feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit.

11. The handheld computing unit of claim 8, wherein the network architecture resource mapping further comprises:

an ordering of using the attributes of the hardware section, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit and of the handheld computing unit.

12. A handheld computing unit comprises:

a millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver;

memory;

a processing module;

an input/output (IO) module; and

a MMW bus structure operably coupled to the MMW transceiver, the memory, the processing module, and the IO module;

wherein when the handheld computing unit is in an extended mode;

the processing module is operably coupled to a processing module of an extended computing unit;

the memory is operably coupled to memory of the extended computing unit; and

the IO module is operably coupled to an IO module of the extended computing unit; and

wherein when the handheld computing unit is in a network mode, the handheld computing unit is coupled to at least one other handheld unit via the MMW bus structure and;

the processing module is operably coupled via the MMW bus structure to a processing module of the at least one other handheld computing unit such that the handheld computing unit is operable to utilize the processing module of the least one other handheld computing unit;

the memory is operably coupled to memory of the at least one other handheld computing unit such that the handheld computing unit is operable to utilize the memory of the least one other handheld computing unit; and

the IO module is operably coupled to an IO module of the at least one other handheld computing unit such that the handheld computing unit is operable to utilize the IO module of the least one other handheld computing unit.

13. The handheld computing unit of claim 12, wherein the memory comprises:

an operating system section; and

an application section, wherein, when the handheld computing unit is in the network mode;

the operating system section is operably coupled to an operating system section of the at least one other handheld computing unit; and

the application section is operably coupled to an application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit.

14. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the operating system section comprises:

a user communication section;

a system application section; and

a user application section.

15. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the application section comprises:

a user application section;

a system application section; and

a user communication section.

16. The handheld computing unit of claim 15 further comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, wherein the RF transceiver is operably coupled to;

convert an outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal; and

convert an inbound RF signal into an inbound symbol stream; and

when the handheld computing unit is in the network mode;

the processing module processes the user communication section to;

convert outbound data from the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit into the outbound symbol stream; and

convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data for the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit.

17. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the application section comprises:

a network coordinator application, wherein the processing module processes the network coordinate application to;

initiate communication with the at least one other handheld computing to determine attributes of the processing module, the IO module, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit; and

determine network architecture resource mapping of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit based on the attributes.

18. The handheld computing unit of claim 17, wherein the determining the attributes of the processing module, the IO module, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit further comprises:

identify common processing module features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

for each common processing module feature, determine whether to utilize the common processing module feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify common IO module features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

for each common IO module feature, determine whether to utilize the common IO module feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify common operating system features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

for each common operating system feature, determine whether to utilize the common operating system feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify common application features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit; and

for each common application feature, determine whether to utilize the common application feature in one or more of the handheld computing unit and the at least one other handheld computing unit.

19. The handheld computing unit of claim 17, wherein the determining the attributes of the processing module, the IO module, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit further comprises:

identify non-common processing module features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

map each non-common processing module feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify non-common IO module features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

map each non-common IO module feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify non-common operating system features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit;

map each non-common operating system feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit;

identify non-common application features between the handheld computing unit and the at one other handheld computing unit; and

map each non-common application feature to the handheld computing unit or to the at least one other handheld computing unit.

20. The handheld computing unit of claim 17, wherein the network architecture resource mapping further comprises:

an ordering of using the attributes of the processing module, the IP module, the operating system section, and the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit and of the handheld computing unit.

21. A handheld computing unit comprises:

a millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver;

a hardware section operably coupled to the MMW transceiver;

an operating system section operably coupled to the hardware section;

an application section operably coupled to the operating system section; and

wherein when the handheld computing unit is in a network mode, the handheld computing unit is operably coupled to at least one other handheld computing unit via the MMW transceiver and;

the hardware section is operably coupled to a hardware section of at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit to form a common hardware resource for performing network functions;

the operating system section is operably coupled to an operating system section of the at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit to form a common operating system resource for performing network functions; and

the application section is operably coupled to an application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit to form a common application resource for performing network functions.

22. The handheld computing unit of claim 21 further comprises:

a first portion of the hardware section processing a standalone function; and

a second portion of the hardware section processing a network function with the hardware section of at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit.

23. The handheld computing unit of claim 22 further comprises:

a first portion of the operating system section processing a standalone function; and

a second portion of the operating system section processing a network function with the operating system section of the at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit.

24. The handheld computing unit of claim 22 further comprises:

a first portion of the application section processing a standalone function; and

a second portion of the application section processing a network function with the application section of the at least one other handheld computing unit computing unit.