Method of transferring application data from a first device to a second device, and a data transfer system

• US 8,594,568 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Falck, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US12/299,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/519, 340/5.64, 340/5.83, 340/539.12, 340/539.1, 340/825.72, 340/33, 340/573.1, 340/10.33, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

The invention describes a method of transferring application data (F₁, F₂) from a first device (D_s) to a second device (D_T1, D_T2), which method comprises exchanging, through the body of a user (2) touching a touch interface (210) of the first device (D_s), connection-related data (4) between the first device (D_s) and a memory device (1), which memory device (1) is conveyed on the person of the user (2). Application data (F₁, F₂) is transferred from the first device (D_s) to the memory device (1) over a connection, between the first device (D_s) and the memory device (1), established on the basis of the connection-related data (4), and stored in a memory (220) of the memory device (1). The method subsequently comprises exchanging connection-related data (4) between the memory device (1) and the second device (D_T1) through the body of the user (2) touching a touch interface (230) of the second device (D_T1, D_T2), and at least part of the application data (F₁, F₂) being transferred from the memory (220) of the memory device (1) to the second device (D_T1, D_T2) over a connection, between the memory device (1) and the second device (D_T1, D_T2), established on the basis of the connection-related data (4). The invention further describes a data transfer system (20), a device (D_s, D_T1, D_T2) for utilizing application data (F₁, F₂), a memory device (1) and a data transfer front end (3″).

Claims

1. A method of transferring application data (F1, F2) from a first device (Ds) to a second device (DT1, DT2) via an intermediary memory device conveyed on the person of a user, which method comprises:

a) connecting the first device (Ds) to the memory device via intra-body communication, wherein said connection is established via a touch interface of the first device (Ds);

b) sending a network initiation signal from the first device (Ds) to the memory device via said intra-body communication;

c) exchanging connection-related data including network parameters between the first device (Ds) and the memory device via said intra-body communication to establish a first network between the first device (Ds) and the memory device;

d) setting up the first network by the memory device;

e) transferring application data (F1, F2) from the first device (Ds) to the memory device over the connection between the first device (Ds) and the memory device, established on the basis of the connection-related data;

f) storing the application data (F1, F2) in a memory of the memory device;

g) decoupling the first network connection between the first device (Ds) and the memory device;

h) connecting the memory device to the second device (DT1, DT2) via intra-body communication, wherein said connection is established via a touch interface of the second device (DT1, DT2), wherein the touch interface comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types;

i) sending a network initiation signal from the memory device to the second device (DT1, DT2) via said intra-body communication;

j) exchanging further connection-related data including network parameters between the memory device and the second device (DT1, DT2), via said intra-body communication to establish a second network between the memory device and the second device (DT1, DT2);

k) setting up the second network by the memory device;

l) transferring at least part of the application data (F1, F2) from the memory of the memory device to the second device (DT1, DT2) over said second network connection, between the memory device and the second device (DT1, DT2), established on the basis of the further connection-related data, and

m) decoupling the second network connection between the second device (DT1, DT2) and the memory device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a wireless radio connection between the memory device and the corresponding device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) is established on the basis of the connection-related data exchanged between the memory device (1) and the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2), and the application data (F₁, F₂) are transferred between the memory device (1) and the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) over the wireless radio connection (N).

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the direction of transfer of the application data (F₁, F₂) between the memory device (1) and a device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) is determined by the type of contact made by the user with the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2).

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the type of transfer of the application data (F₁, F₂) between the memory device and a device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) is indicated to be a copy transfer type or a paste transfer type or a move transfer type.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a label (L₁) is specified for the application data (F₁, F₂) and the label (L₁) is transferred with the application data (F₁, F₂) to the memory device.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the label (L₁) comprises a specification of a lifetime for the application data (F₁, F₂) and/or a specification of the number of times the application data (F₁, F₂) can be transferred from the memory device to a second device (D_T1, D_T2) and/or a specification of the second device (D_T1, D_T2) to which the application data (F₁, F₂) can be transferred from the memory device.

7. A data transfer system for transferring application data (F1, F2) between a first device (Ds) and a second device (DT1, DT2), comprising:

a memory device for conveyance on the person of a user, which memory device comprises

a memory for intermediate storage of application data (F1, F2),

a connection interface for exchanging connection-related data with a device (Ds, DT1) through the body of a user, wherein the connection-related data includes network parameters used for establishing a connection,

and a data transfer arrangement for receiving application data (F1, F2) from a first device (Ds) over a first network and for transmitting application data (F1, F2) to a second device (DT1, DT2) over a second data network, between the memory device and the second device (DT1, DT2), wherein the first and second data networks are established on the basis of the connection-related data, wherein the first and second data networks are generated by the memory device in response to signals received from a first touch interface assigned to the first device (Ds) and the touch interface assigned to the second device (DT1, DT2) and, assigned to the first device (Ds),

the touch interface and connection interface combination for exchanging connection-related data between the first device (Ds) and a memory device through the body of the user

and a data transfer arrangement for transmitting application data (F1, F2) from the first device (Ds) to the memory device over a connection, between the first device (Ds) and the memory device, established on the basis of the connection-related data, wherein the touch interface comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types;

and, assigned to the second device (DT1, DT2),

the touch interface and connection interface combination for exchanging connection-related data between the second device (DT1, DT2) and a memory device through the body of the user,

and a data transfer arrangement for transmitting application data (F1, F2) from the memory device to the second device (DT1, DT2) over a connection, between the memory device and the second device (DT1, DT2), established on the basis of the connection-related data.

8. A data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein a touch interface of a device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types between the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) and a memory device and/or a detection unit for detecting the type of contact made by the user with the touch interface for a variety of application data transfer types.

9. A device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) for utilising application data (F₁, F₂), comprising:

a touch interface and connection interface combination for sending a network initiation signal and exchanging connection-related data between the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) and a memory device, wherein the connection-related data includes network parameters comprising connection related data including at least a frequency of a radio channel over which data is to be exchanged and a network identifier, used for establishing a network between the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) and the memory device, wherein the touch interface comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types;

a data transfer arrangement for transferring application data (F₁, F₂) between the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) and the memory device over the connection between the memory device and the device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2), established on the basis of the connection-related data.

12. A device (D_S, D_T1, D_T2) according to claim 9, wherein the distinct transfer types include copy, move, paste.

10. A memory device for intermediate storage of application data (F1, F2) in transfer from a first device (Ds) to a second device (DT1, DT2), comprising:

a connection interface for receiving a network initiation signal and exchanging connection-related data with a device (Ds, DT1, DT2) through the body of a user, wherein the connection-related data includes network parameters comprising connection related data including at least a frequency of a radio channel over which data is to be exchanged and a network identifier, used for establishing a network;

a touch interface, wherein the touch interface comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types;

a data transfer arrangement for receiving application data (F1, F2) from a first device (Ds) over a first network and for transmitting application data (F1, F2) to a second device (DT1, DT2) over a second network, wherein said first and second networks are established on the basis of the connection-related data;

a memory for storing application data (F1, F2).

11. A data transfer front end for interfacing between a device (D) and a memory device according to claim 10, comprising

a data interface for transferring application data (F₁, F₂) from the device (D) to the data transfer front end;

a touch interface and connection interface combination for exchanging connection-related data between the data transfer front end and the memory device, wherein the connection-related data includes network parameters used for establishing a connection;

a data transfer arrangement for transferring application data (F1, F2) between the device (D) and the memory device over a connection established between the data transfer front end and the memory device on the basis of the connection-related data.

13. A device (Ds, DT˜

, DT2) for utilizing application data (F1, F2), comprising;

a touch interface and connection interface combination for sending a network initiation signal and exchanging connection-related data between the device (Ds, DT1 DT2) and a memory device, wherein the connection-related data includes network parameters comprising connection related data including at least a frequency of a radio channel over which data is to be exchanged and a network identifier, used for establishing a network between the device (Ds, DT1 DT2) and the memory device, wherein the touch interface comprises a suitable detection unit for detecting the type or sequence of contact made by a user, wherein the touch interface comprises a number of touchable regions for a corresponding number of distinct application data transfer types;

a data transfer arrangement for transferring application data (F1, F2) between the device (Ds, DT1, DT2) and the memory device over the connection between the memory device and the device (Ds, DT1, DT2), established on the basis of the connection-related data.