Method and apparatus for using a personal digital assistant to interface with a communication station

• US 20060117045A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daja Phillips, Gregory J. Wolff, Jonathan J. Hull
• Original Assignee: Daja Phillips, Gregory J. Wolff, Jonathan J. Hull
• Inventors: Wolff, Gregory J., Hull, Jonathan J., Phillips, Daja
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/002 Selecting or switching between an image communication channel and a non-image communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interfacing a personal digital assistant (PDA) with a communications appliance is provided. The method comprising a communication station receiving semi-structured data from a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a format native to the PDA, and parsing the semi-structured data to identify a type of the semi-structured data. If the semi-structured data is destination data, sending a job to a destination indicated by the semi-structured data.

Claims

1. A method of interfacing with a first information device, the method comprising:

receiving semi-structured data from a second information device in a format native to the second information device;

parsing the semi-structured data to identify a type of the semi-structured data;

reformatting the semi-structured data into a format that is understandable by the first information device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information device wirelessly transmits the semi-structured data, in a standard second information device format, to the communication station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information device is physically coupled to the first information device when sending the semi-structured data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to select one of the plurality of destinations, if the destination data indicates a plurality of destinations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination dictates how the data is sent.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising e-mailing the data if the destination is an e-mail address, and faxing the data if the destination is a fax number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching information from a source indicated by the source-location data, if the semi-structured data is source-location data; and

prompting a user to select the destination for the information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the destination may be one or more of the following:

a copy feature of the first information device, an e-mail address, and a fax number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein fetching information comprises:

connecting to a network;

connecting to the source; and

downloading the information from the source.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching information from a search location, if the semi-structured data is a search request; and

prompting the user to select the destination for the job based on the information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a search request comprises an incomplete data set.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein fetching information comprises:

connecting to a network;

connecting to the source; and

downloading the information from the source.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus for sending data from a first information device, the apparatus comprising:

a first information device to receive semi-structured data from a second information device in a format native to the PDA;

a parser to parse the semi-structured data and to identify a type of the semi-structured data;

sending logic to send appropriate data to a destination indicated by the structured data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first information device receives the data over an infrared beam in a standard format.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first information device further comprises a socket for receiving the second information device to enable physical coupling of the first information device to the first information device to send the semi-structured data.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a data structure logic to generate structured data from the semi-structured data and to determine if the destination data indicates a plurality of destinations; and

a user interface to prompt a user to select one of the plurality of destinations.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the destination dictates how the data is sent.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprises e-mailing the data if the destination is an e-mail address, and faxing the data if the destination if a fax number.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a retrieving logic to receive the structured data if the semi-structured data is source-location data, the retrieving logic further to fetch information from a source indicated by the source-location data; and

a user interface to prompt a user to select the destination for the information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the destination may be one or more of the following:

a copy feature of the first information device, an e-mail address, and a fax number.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. A method of sending data from a first information device, the method comprising:

receiving semi-structured data from a second information device in a format native to the second information device;

parsing the semi-structured data to identify a type of the semi-structured data;

acting on data in the manner indicated by the semi-structured data and a user; and

returning a confirmation receipt to the second information device in a format native to the second information device, the confirmation receipt including a unique identification (ID).

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)