Dynamic networking modes method and apparatus

• US 20030142652A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ting, Albert H., Canova, Francis James Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable electronic device is disclosed. The portable electronic device includes a wireless transceiver, a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, a memory coupled to the processor and a program stored in the memory and running on the processor. The program provides automatic transitioning between a wireless infrastructure communication mode to an ad-hoc communication mode. The infrastructure mode is used when a request from a mobile device is received to access a communications network. The ad-hoc mode is used when a request from the mobile device is received to access resources on the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a program stored in the memory and running on the processor, the program providing automatic transitioning between a wireless infrastructure communication mode to an ad-hoc communication mode, the infrastructure mode being used when a request from a mobile device is received to access a communications network, and the ad-hoc mode being used when a request from the mobile device is received to access resources on the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver supports the IEEE 802.11 wireless communications protocol.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver supports the Bluetooth wireless communications protocol.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld computer.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein a connection to the communications network is through a wireless access point.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein a connection to the communications network is through a synchronization cradle coupled to a computer having a connection to the communications network.

7. A method of using a handheld computer for ad-hoc networking, comprising:

receiving an ad-hoc communications request from a mobile device;

automatically transitioning the handheld computer from an infrastructure communications mode to an ad-hoc communications mode upon receipt of the request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating between the handheld computer and the mobile device.

9. A portable device configured as a repeater, comprising:

means for providing communications between the portable device and a wired network;

means for automatically putting the portable device in a fixed network communications mode;

means for receiving a data signal wirelessly; and

means for forwarding the data signal wirelessly to a network user node.

10. The portable device of claim 9, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in an ad-hoc network.

11. The portable device of claim 9, further comprising means for providing account debiting information to the accounting system, wherein the account debiting information represents a debit to be recorded for an account associated with the portable device.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the credit is based on the forwarded data signal.

13. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the means for providing communications includes a synchronization cable coupled to a computer.

14. An access point, comprising:

a handheld computer;

a transceiver associated with the handheld computer for receiving a wireless transmission; and

a program running on the handheld computer that automatically transitions the handheld computer into an infrastructure mode when the handheld computer is in communication with a communications network and a mobile device requests access to the communications network.

15. The access point of claim 14, wherein the program automatically transitions the handheld computer to an ad-hoc networking mode when the mobile device requests access to the handheld computer.

16. The access point of claim 14, wherein the wireless transmission uses an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

17. The access point of claim 14, wherein the wireless transmission uses a Bluetooth protocol.

18. A method of using a handheld computer as a wireless access point, comprising:

providing a direct communications link between a handheld computer and a communications network;

transitioning the handheld computer from an ad-hoc network mode to an infrastructure mode when access to the communications network is requested by a mobile device; and

communicating, over a wireless communications channel, data from the mobile device to the handheld computer and to the communications network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transitioning step occurs automatically.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the communications network includes the internet.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the communications network includes a local area network.

22. A method of using a handheld computer as a wireless access point, comprising:

providing a direct communications link between a handheld computer and a communications network;

transitioning the handheld computer from an ad-hoc network when access to the communications network is provided by a synchronization cradle; and

communicating, over a wireless communications channel, data from the mobile device to the handheld computer and to the communications network.