Radio accessory for communicating with a programmable computing device and method therefor

• US 5,648,990 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilder, Bryant, DeLuca, Michael J., Kraul, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/432,349
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 375/220, 375/222, 375/316, 379/57, 395/700, 340/825.44, 455/142, 455/61, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A radio accessory (20) for a personal computing device (50) has a receiver (30) and an interface circuit (32) for receiving and digitizing paging signals modulated on a radio frequency carrier. The paging signals are encoded in accordance with a predetermined protocol such as POCSAG. The personal computing device (50) then decodes the digitized paging signals in accordance with software instructions provided either by the instruction memory (40) in the accessory (20) or on a disk (84). The accessory (20) also has an identification code which validates software from the disk (84) to deter unauthorized use of the accessory (20). The accessory (20) also has a transmitter (28) for sending wireless information.

Claims

1. A radio accessory for a digital computing device, the radio accessory comprising:

a housing;

a radio frequency receiver located within said housing for receiving a radio frequency signal comprising modulated symbols organized in accordance with a predetermined signaling protocol for communicating message information;

said radio frequency receiver further for demodulating the modulated symbols for generating demodulated symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

an interface circuit located within said housing and coupled to said radio frequency receiver for digitizing the demodulated symbols thereby producing digitized symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

a connector affixed to said housing for removably coupling the radio accessory to a corresponding connector affixed to the digital computing device, said connector for communicating the digitized symbols to the digital computing device for processing by the digital computing device in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information;

a first storage media located within said housing of the radio accessory for storing instructions for the digital computing device, said instructions controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information; and

a second storage media not located within said housing, for storing additional instructions controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with a modification of the predetermined signaling protocol.

2. A radio accessory for a digital computing device, the radio accessory comprising:

a housing;

a radio frequency receiver located within said housing for receiving a radio frequency signal comprising modulated symbols organized in accordance with a predetermined signaling protocol for communicating message information;

said radio frequency receiver further for demodulating the modulated symbols for generating demodulated symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

an interface circuit located within said housing and coupled to said radio frequency receiver for digitizing the demodulated symbols thereby producing digitized symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

a connector affixed to said housing for removably coupling the radio accessory to a corresponding connector affixed to the digital computing device, said connector for communicating the digitized symbols to the digital computing device for processing by the digital computing device in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information;

a first storage media located within said housing of the radio accessory for storing instructions for the digital computing device, said instructions controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information, wherein additional digitized symbols are organized in accordance with a second predetermined signaling protocol in order to communicate the message information; and

a second storage media not located within said housing, for storing additional instructions for controlling processing of the digital computing device to decode the additional digitized symbols in accordance with the second predetermined signaling protocol.

3. A radio accessory for a digital computing device, the radio accessory comprising:

a housing;

a radio frequency receiver located within said housing for receiving a radio frequency signal comprising modulated symbols organized in accordance with a predetermined signaling protocol for communicating message information;

said radio frequency receiver further for demodulating the modulated symbols for generating demodulated symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

an interface circuit located within said housing and coupled to said radio frequency receiver for digitizing the demodulated symbols thereby producing digitized symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

a connector affixed to said housing for removably coupling the radio accessory to a corresponding connector affixed to the digital computing device, said connector for communicating the digitized symbols to the digital computing device for processing by the digital computing device in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information;

a first storage media located within said housing of the radio accessory for storing instructions for the digital computing device, said instructions controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information, said instructions further control processing by the digital computing device to manage the message information within the digital computing device; and

a second storage media not located within said housing for storing additional instructions for controlling the processing by the digital computing device to modify management of the message information within the digital computing device.

4. A radio accessory for a digital computing device, the radio accessory comprising:

a housing;

a radio frequency receiver located within said housing for receiving a radio frequency signal comprising modulated symbols organized in accordance with a predetermined signaling protocol for communicating message information;

said radio frequency receiver further for demodulating the modulated symbols for generating demodulated symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

an interface circuit located within said housing and coupled to said radio frequency receiver for digitizing the demodulated symbols thereby producing digitized symbols organized in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol;

a connector affixed to said housing for removably coupling the radio accessory to a corresponding connector affixed to the digital computing device, said connector for communicating the digitized symbols to the digital computing device for processing by the digital computing device in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information;

a first storage media located within said housing for storing a first portion of instructions for controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with the predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information; and

a second storage media not located within said housing for storing a second portion of instructions for controlling processing by the digital computing device to decode the digitized symbols in accordance with a second predetermined signaling protocol to recover the message information.

5. The radio accessory according to claim 4, wherein

the first storage media further stores a unique code;

and

the second storage media further stores instructions for verifying the unique code.