Method for data communication between a wireless device and a electronic device, and a data communication device

• US 9,277,350 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memory Technologies LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Memory Technologies LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Inkinen, Sami, Vapaakoski, Simo
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US14/518,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3814 Wireless link with a computer system port
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for wireless data communication between a wireless device having means for short-range data communication, and an electronic device includes mounting a data communication device having means for short-range radio frequency wireless data communication in a general purpose expansion memory location of the electronic device, activating a short-range radio frequency wireless data communication link between the wireless device and the data communication device, and transmitting data between the electronic device and the wireless device so that the wireless device operates as an ordinary expansion memory from the view point of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to connect the apparatus to a memory expansion interface of a host device, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a defined memory expansion interface specification;

a data storage memory;

a memory controller configured to write data received from the host device through the memory expansion interface to the data storage memory, the memory controller configured to receive the data from the host device based at least on instructions received from the host device that are compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification; and

a wireless data communication unit configured to transmit, to a wireless device, at least a portion of the data written to the data storage memory, transmission of the at least the portion of the data to the wireless device responsive, at least in part, to an instruction received from the wireless device to transmit the at least the portion of the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication unit transmits on a radio link.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication unit transmits on a wireless local area network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication unit transmits on an industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) frequency band.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication unit is compliant with a Bluetooth standard.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, embodied as a card that fits in a location within the host device, the location being compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host device comprises one or more of a digital camera or a computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a processor, a memory, and a transceiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the defined memory expansion interface specification comprises a Flash memory expansion interface specification.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data storage memory comprises Flash memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is configured to inhibit access by the host device to the data storage memory when the at least the portion of the data written to the data storage memory is wirelessly transmitted.

12. A method performed by an apparatus, the method comprising:

interfacing with a memory expansion interface of a host device, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a defined memory expansion interface specification, the apparatus comprising a data storage memory and a wireless data communication unit;

receiving data from the host device by use of instructions compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification;

writing the data received through the memory expansion interface from the host device to the data storage memory; and

responsive at least in part to receiving instructions received from a wireless device, wirelessly transmitting to the wireless device at least a portion of the data received through the memory expansion interface and written to the data storage memory.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wirelessly transmitting includes transmitting on a radio link.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wirelessly transmitting includes transmitting on a wireless local area network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the wirelessly transmitting includes transmitting on an industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) frequency band.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless data communication unit is compliant with a Bluetooth standard.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a Flash memory expansion interface specification and wherein the data storage memory comprises Flash memory.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the defined memory expansion interface specification is compliant with an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) specification.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising inhibiting access to the data storage memory by the host device while the at least the portion of the data written to the data storage memory of the apparatus is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless device.

20. A method performed by a wireless device, the method comprising:

establishing wireless communication with a wireless data communication unit of a memory expansion card placed into a memory expansion interface of a host device, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a defined memory expansion interface specification and wherein the memory expansion card comprises a data storage memory configured to be read and written through the memory expansion interface in a manner that is compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification;

wirelessly transmitting an instruction to the wireless data communication unit of the memory expansion card, the instruction to provide at least a portion of data that is written to the data storage memory by the host device via the memory expansion interface; and

wirelessly receiving, from the wireless data communication unit of the memory expansion card, the at least the portion of the data stored in the data storage memory.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the wirelessly transmitting and the wirelessly receiving are via a radio link.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the wirelessly transmitting and the wirelessly receiving are via a wireless local area network.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the wirelessly transmitting and the wirelessly receiving are in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the host device comprises one or more of a digital camera or a computing device.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least the portion of the data is an image, wherein the wireless device comprises a printer, and wherein the method further comprises causing the image to be printed by the printer.

23. The method of 20, wherein the wirelessly transmitting and the wirelessly receiving are via an industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) frequency band.

27. A computing system, comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver coupled to the processor;

a memory; and

one or more modules stored on the memory and executable by the processor to cause the computing system to;

establish wireless communication, via the transceiver, with a wireless data communication unit of a memory expansion card placed into a memory expansion interface of a host device, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a defined memory expansion interface specification and wherein the memory expansion card comprises a data storage memory configured to be read and written through the memory expansion interface in a manner that is compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification;

wirelessly transmit, via the transceiver, an instruction to the wireless data communication unit of the memory expansion card, the instruction to provide at least a portion of data that is written to the data storage memory by the host device via the memory expansion interface; and

wirelessly receive, via the transceiver and from the wireless data communication unit of the memory expansion card, the at least the portion of the data stored in the data storage memory.

28. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive on a radio link.

29. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive on a wireless local area network.

30. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive on an industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) frequency band.

31. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the wirelessly transmitting and the wirelessly receiving are in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

32. The computing system of claim 27, further comprising a display, wherein the at least the portion of the data is an image, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the processor to cause the computing system to cause the image to be displayed on the display.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface means for connecting the apparatus to a memory expansion interface of a host device, wherein the memory expansion interface is compliant with a defined memory expansion interface specification;

a data storage means for storing data received from the host device;

a controller means for writing the data received from the host device through the memory expansion interface to the data storage means, the controller means configured to receive the data from the host device based at least on instructions received from the host device that are compliant with the defined memory expansion interface specification; and

a wireless data communication means for transmitting, to a wireless device, at least a portion of the data written to the data storage means, transmission of at least the portion of the data to the wireless device responsive, at least in part, to an instruction received from the wireless device to transmit the at least the portion of the data.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the wireless data communication means is compliant with a Bluetooth standard.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the data storage means comprises Flash memory.