Method, system, apparatus and computer program product for portable networking of multi-user applications

• US 20030157959A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makela, Jakke, Vihmalo, Jukka-Pekka, Lammintaus, Arto
• Application Number:
  US10/042,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157959A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus and computer program product for portable networking of multi-user applications for users of hand-held terminals. More specifically, the present invention utilizes a portable server with a mass memory for storing multi-user data used by users of the hand-held terminals. The server has the capability of storing various types of multi-user data and transmitting the data to a user of a terminal upon request. Using the present invention, terminals have increased flexibility for receiving and utilizing multi-user data without requiring large amounts of memory within the terminal itself.

Claims

1. A system for portable networking of multi-user applications, comprising:

at least one wireless terminal; and

a portable server including a mass memory module to store and communicate data to said at least one wireless terminal;

wherein a wireless protocol communicates the data between said server and said at least one wireless terminal via a wireless link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one wireless terminal further comprises:

a user interface that allows the user to request data from said mass memory module;

a wireless communication interface for communicating data between said portable server and said at least one wireless terminal.

a buffer memory for storing instruction for executing the data received by said at least one wireless terminal;

a processor in communication with said buffer memory for executing instruction stored in said buffer memory; and

a display for viewing the data received from said portable server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said server further comprises:

a mass memory module for storing data used by said at least one wireless terminal;

a processor in communication with said mass memory module that executes requests for data by said at least one wireless terminal and locates data in said mass memory module; and

a wireless communication interface for communicating data between said mass memory module and said at least one wireless terminal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless protocol for transmitting data to said wireless terminal is a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one wireless terminal and said portable server are both hand-held devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises an optional USB plug for connecting said server to a personal computer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said system further includes an optional plug as a data cable connection between said at least one wireless terminal and said server.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an optional plug as a power cable connection between said server and said at least one wireless terminal.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a single optional cable for both power and data transfer between said portable server and said at least one wireless terminal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said terminal is a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone, a personal digital assistant or a Bluetooth device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one wireless terminal device comprises a plurality of wireless terminals in communication with and receiving data from said potable server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said mass memory is either a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device or solid-state storage device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said mass memory module is exchangeable.

14. An apparatus for portable networking of multi-user applications, comprising:

a battery to supply power to the electrical components of said portable server;

a charging system in communication with said battery for charging said battery;

a mass memory module for storing data used by at least one wireless terminal;

at least one processor in communication with said mass memory for locating and retrieving data stored in said mass memory module; and

wireless interface for executing a wireless protocol and communicating the data between said mass memory and at least one wireless terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said battery is rechargable.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said charging system is a plug that charges the apparatus with the same charger used to charge said at least one wireless terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said charging system is a wall plug, and AC/DC converter.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said AC/DC converter is either fixed to the apparatus or removably connectable to the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus is a hand-held server.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless protocol used for communication between the apparatus and said at least one wireless terminal device is a Bluetooth protocol.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said mass memory is a magnetic storage device or an optical storage device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said mass memory fully exchangeable.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus further comprises an optional USB plug for connecting to a personal computer.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus further comprises an optional plug as a data cable connection to said at least one wireless terminal device.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus further comprising an optional plug as a power cable connection to said at least one wireless terminal device.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus further comprising an optional cable for both power and data connection to said at least one wireless terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one wireless terminal device is a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone, a personal digital assistant or a bluetooth device.

28. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one wireless terminal comprises a plurality of wireless terminal devices using said wireless protocol.

29. The method for portable networking of multi-user application, comprising:

storing multi-user data in the mass memory of portable server;

initiating wireless communication between said portable server and at least one wireless terminal device;

transmitting data stored in said mass memory to said wireless terminal device using a wireless protocol; and

executing of said multi-user data by said terminal device transmitted by said portable server.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said wireless terminal device comprises:

a user interface that allows the user to request data from said mass memory module;

a wireless communication interface for communicating data between said portable server and said wireless terminal.

a buffer memory for storing instruction for executing the data received by said wireless terminal;

a processor in communication with said buffer memory for executing instruction stored in said buffer memory; and

a display for viewing the data received by said portable server.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said portable server further comprises:

a mass memory module for storing data used by said at least one wireless terminal;

a processor in communication with said mass memory module that for executes requests for data by said wireless terminal and locates data in said mass memory module; and

a wireless communication interface for communicating data between said mass memory module and said wireless terminal.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said wireless protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said wireless terminal and said portable server are both hand-held devices.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing data and power to said server using an optional USB plug connection between said portable server and a personal computer.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing data to said wireless terminal device using an optional plug connection between said portable server and said wireless terminal.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing power to said wireless terminal using an optional plug connection between said portable server and said wireless terminal.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing both power and data to said wireless terminal using a single optional plug connection between said portable server and said terminal.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein said terminal is a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone, a personal digital assistant or a Bluetooth device.

39. The method of claim 29, further comprising communicating data stored in the mass memory to a plurality of wireless terminals.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein said mass memory is a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said mass memory is exchangeable.

42. A computer program product for portable networking of multi-user applications, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

program code in said computer readable medium storing multi-user data in the mass memory of portable server;

program code in said computer readable medium initiating wireless communication between said portable server and at least one wireless terminal device;

program code in said computer-readable medium for communicating data stored in said mass memory to at least one said wireless terminal device using a wireless protocol for execution by said wireless terminal.