TERMINAL PROVIDED WITH NETWORKING MODULE AND METHOD FOR RECEIVING AND TRANSMITTING DATA USING THE SAME

• US 20090164612A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Se-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

The present invention relates to a terminal provided with a networking module for sharing data with a counter terminal connected to the terminal and a method for receiving and transmitting data between two terminals. The terminal according to the present invention comprises a connection port 10 connecting the terminal to a counter terminal and a networking module 20 receiving and transmitting data through the connection port 10 connected with the counter terminal. A control unit 30 of the terminal commands the networking module 20 to receive and transmit data by running an interfacing program. In the terminal according to the present invention, since two terminals can share data stored in each other without other device such as an external storage device of an adapter, it is advantageous in that users can easily move data between two terminals.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a connection port configured to connect the terminal to a counter terminal;

a networking module configured to receive and transmit data through the connection port connected with the counter terminal; and

a control unit configured to command the networking module to receive and transmit data by running an interfacing program.

2. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the networking module comprises a controller configured to control data reception and transmission between the terminal and the counter terminal;

and a storage unit configured to store the interfacing program and a device driver for the networking module.

3. The terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the networking module is activated by power supplied through the connection port from the counter terminal.

4. The terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the networking module is configured to install the interfacing program and the device driver for the networking module on both the terminal and the counter terminal.

5. The terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interfacing program is run by detecting a connection between the terminal and the counter terminal.

6. The terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interfacing program provides a user interface which allows users to set storage areas of the terminal, storage areas of the counter terminal and transmitting directions to receive or transmit data, and receives or transmits data from or to the counter terminal according to user settings set by the user interface.

7. The terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interfacing program includes an uninstall program for uninstalling the interfacing program and the device driver for the networking module on the counter terminal, if disconnection between the terminal and the counter terminal is detected.

8. A method for receiving and transmitting data in a network in which at least two terminals connected to each other receive and transmit data, the method comprising:

(A) connecting a terminal provided with a networking module to a counter terminal through the networking module;

(B) activating the networking module provided in the terminal;

(C) running an interfacing program on the terminal and the counter terminal; and

(D) receiving or transmitting data between the terminal and the counter terminal according to the interfacing program.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step (B) comprises:

(B1) providing driving power to the networking module; and

(B2) installing a device driver for the networking module on the terminal and the counter terminal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(E) installing the interfacing program on the terminal and the counter terminal, if the networking module is activated in the step (B).

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step (B1) is conducted by turning on an internal power switch connected to the networking module by power provided from the counter terminal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step (E) is automatically conducted at the same time with activating the networking module.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(F) setting at least one of storage areas of the terminal, storage areas of the counter terminal and transmitting directions to receive or transmit data through the interfacing program.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

(G) detecting disconnection between the terminal and the counter terminal; and

(H) uninstalling at least one of the device driver for the networking module and the interfacing program installed in the step (B2) or the step (E), if the disconnection is detected.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step (F) comprises:

(F1) selecting storage areas to receive or transmit data in each of the terminal and the counter terminal;

(F2) displaying storage areas of each of the terminal and the counter terminal, selected in step (F1) on each other; and

(F3) selecting a storage area from displayed storage areas in each of the terminal and the counter terminal.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step (F1) further comprises a step of setting data receiving or transmitting level of the selected storage area.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step (F1) further comprises a step of certify an authority to allow data receiving or transmitting from or to the selected storage area.

18. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(I) changing Internet-sharing environment of each operating system of the terminal and the counter terminal according to predetermined criteria, if the networking module is activated;

(J) connecting the terminal to the Internet according to the Internet-sharing environment changed in the step (I).

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

(K) changing back the Internet-sharing environment of each operating system of the terminal and the counter terminal, changed in step (I), if disconnection between the terminal and the counter terminal is detected.

20. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(L) blocking power supply to the terminal and the counter terminal by means of operating systems of the terminal and the counter terminal if connection between the terminal and the counter terminal is detected in the step (A).

21. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(M) resuming the terminal or the counter terminal from a power saving mode if the terminal or the counter terminal is in the power saving state when the terminal is connected to the counter terminal in the step (A).

22. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(N) allowing to transmit data inputted by an input device of one of the terminal and the counter terminal to the other; and

(O) transmitting data inputted by the input device of one of the terminal and the counter terminal to the other.

23. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(P) setting an input device of the terminal as an input device for the counter terminal;

(Q) transmitting data inputted by the input device set as an input device for the counter terminal to the counter terminal;

(R) cancelling the setting in the counter terminal; and

(S) processing the data inputted by the input device and transmitted to the counter terminal.

24. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(N′

) allowing to display output data generated in one of the terminal and the counter terminal on a display device of the other;

(O′

) transmitting output data generated in one of the terminal and the counter terminal to the other.

25. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

(P′

) setting to display output data generated in the counter terminal on a display device of the terminal in the terminal;

(Q′

) transmitting the output data to the terminal;

(R′

) cancelling the setting in the counter terminal; and

(S′

) displaying output data generated in the terminal on the display device of the terminal.