Remote storage for electronics

• US 20030157960A1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A system and a method for remotely storing information from portable electronics using a multi-point wireless link. The method and system involves a Bluetooth-enabled camera that communicates to a 3G cellular telephone via a Bluetooth wireless link, the telephone then uses the 3G wireless link to connect to a remote storage device via the Internet. Using this concept, the internal memory of the portable device is used as a buffer memory without needing to be in the vicinity of a computer because the cellular telephone can act as a go between from the portable device to the storage space via the Internet.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a CPU;

a transceiver coupled to said CPU, said transceiver capable of wireless communications;

a memory unit coupled to said CPU; and

an image capture device coupled to said CPU, said image capture device acquires an image;

wherein said transceiver wirelessly transmits said image to a remote storage device through an intermediate electronic device; and

wherein said transceiver automatically begins transmitting said images after said image is acquired by said image capture device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein said transceiver is further capable of Bluetooth wireless communications.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further including an input control coupled to said CPU;

wherein said transceiver transmits the image when said input control is activated.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3 wherein said transceiver is further capable of Bluetooth wireless communications.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein said transceiver begins transmitting said images when said CPU determines said memory to have reached a threshold.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein said threshold is programmable.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein said transceiver is further capable of Bluetooth wireless communications.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said transmitter of said portable electronic device may receive images from said remote storage device.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8 wherein said transceiver is further capable of Bluetooth wireless communications.

10. A cell phone, comprising:

a CPU;

a memory unit coupled to said CPU;

at least two transceivers both coupled to said CPU, a first transceiver providing communication to a portable electronic device and a second transceiver providing communication to a remote storage device;

wherein said cell phone transfers images from said portable electronic device to said remote storage device.

11. The cell phone of claim 10, wherein communications between said portable electronic device and said first transceiver comprise the Bluetooth protocol.

12. The cell phone of claim 10, wherein communications between said remote storage device and said second transceiver comprise the 3G protocol.

13. A portable computer, comprising:

a CPU;

a memory unit coupled to said CPU;

at least two transceivers both coupled to said CPU, a first transceiver providing communication to a portable electronic device and a second transceiver providing communication to a remote storage device;

wherein said portable computer transfers images from said portable electronic device to said remote storage device.

14. The portable computer of claim 13, wherein communications between said portable electronic device and said first transceiver comprise the Bluetooth protocol.

15. The portable computer of claim 13, wherein communications between said remote storage device and said second transceiver comprise the 3G protocol.

16. A cell phone comprising:

a CPU;

a memory unit coupled to said CPU;

at least two transceivers both coupled to said CPU, a first transceiver providing communication to a portable electronic device and a second transceiver providing communication to a remote storage device;

wherein said cell phone transfers images from said remote storage device to said portable electronic device using a communications link.

17. The cell phone of claim 16, wherein communications between said portable electronic device and said first transceiver comprise the Bluetooth protocol.

18. The cell phone of claim 16, wherein communications between said remote storage device and said second transceiver comprise the 3G protocol.

19. A portable computer comprising:

a CPU;

a memory unit coupled to said CPU;

at least two transceivers both coupled to said CPU, a first transceiver providing communication to a portable electronic device and a second transceiver providing communication to a remote storage device;

wherein said cell phone transfers images from said remote storage device to said portable electronic device using a communications link.

20. The portable computer of claim 19, wherein communications between said portable electronic device and said first transceiver comprise the Bluetooth protocol.

21. The portable computer of claim 19, wherein communications between said remote storage device and said second transceiver comprise the 3G protocol.

22. A system for remote data storage and retrieval for portable electronics, comprising:

a portable electronic device further comprising memory, a central processing unit (“

CPU”

), an image capture device, and a transceiver;

an intermediary electronic device further comprising memory and at least two transceivers;

a communication link between the portable device and the intermediary electronic device;

a communication link between the intermediary electronic device and a cellular network wherein said cellular network is connected to the Internet;

a remote storage device further comprising data storage space wherein said storage device is connected to the Internet; and

wherein said portable electronic device is able to transmit images to said remote storage device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said portable electronic device comprises a digital camera.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said communications link between said portable electronic device and said intermediary electronic device further comprises a Bluetooth wireless connection.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said communications link between said intermediary electronic device and said cellular network further comprises a 3G wireless connection.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said intermediary electronic device comprises a cellular telephone.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said intermediary electronic device comprises a portable computer.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein said transceiver automatically begins transmitting said image after said image is acquired by said image capture device.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein said camera further includes an input control and said transceiver transmits said image when said input control is activated.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein said transceiver begins transmitting said images when said CPU determines said memory to have reached a threshold.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said threshold is programmable.

32. A method for remote data storage and retrieval for portable electronics, comprising:

(a) acquiring an image with a portable electronic device;

(b) transmitting said image to an intermediate electronic device using wireless communications;

(c) further transmitting said image to a cellular network using wireless communications, wherein said cellular network is also connected to the Internet; and

(d) further transmitting said image to a remote storage device, wherein said storage device is also connected to the Internet.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said portable electronic device comprises a digital camera.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said wireless communications of step (b) comprises a Bluetooth wireless connection.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said wireless communications of step (c) comprises a 3G wireless connection.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said intermediary electronic device comprises a cellular telephone.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein said intermediary electronic device comprises a portable computer.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the transmission of said image automatically begins after the image is acquired by said digital camera.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein said digital camera further includes an input control and the transmission of said image begins when the input control is activated.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein said digital camera further includes a central processing unit (“

CPU”

) and memory;

wherein the transmission of said image begins when said CPU determines said memory to have reached a threshold.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said threshold is programmable.