Method and apparatus for infrared data communication

• US 7,480,462 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehravari, Nader, Ternullo, Noah J., Madden, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, DALZID E
• Application Number:
  US11/745,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 398/128, 398/135, 398/136, 398/138, 398/127
• US Class Current: 398/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2569 due to polarisation mode dispersion [PMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

An apparatus and method for conveying contextually relevant information to a wireless client (112) is disclosed. More particularly, an emitter (108) transmits a diffuse infrared signal to a client (112) having an IrDA infrared communication interface (130). Emitter (108) communicates with client (112) by making a link layer in emitter (108) compliant with an IrDA link layer running on client (112). To perform communication, data is received at emitter (108) from a service provider (102). The data is formatted into an IrDA compliant diffuse infrared signal and transmitted to client (112). Client (112) receives the data and parses it to extract contextually relevant information contained therein.

Claims

1. A handheld device for receiving an infrared transmitted signal containing a message over a communication medium, said handheld device comprising:

a physical layer;

a link layer;

means for receiving said transmitted signal to form a received signal;

means for passing said received signal to said physical layer;

means for passing said received signal from said physical layer to said link layer;

means for determining if said received signal is a unidirectional signal or a bi-directional signal;

means for processing said unidirectional signal without handshaking if said handheld device is not coupled to a handheld interface in a Point-Of-Presence (POP);

means for processing said bidirectional signal with handshaking; and

means for utilizing information contained in said received signal to accomplish a task.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein said receiving means is a bi-directional infrared communication interface.

3. The handheld device of claim 2 wherein said transmitted signal is a diffuse infrared signal.

4. The handheld device of claim 3 wherein said transmitted signal is conveyed in a format compatible with said physical layer and said link layer.

5. The handheld device of claim 4 wherein said physical layer and said link layer are infrared-data-association (IrDA) compliant.

6. The handheld device of claim 5 wherein said transmitted signal includes a broadcast XML element containing said information.

7. The handheld device of claim 6 wherein said transmitted signal contains an integrity XML element encapsulating said broadcast XML element.

8. The handheld device of claim 7 wherein said receiving means is an infrared-data-association (IrDA) compliant communication interface.

9. The handheld device of claim 8 wherein said transmitted signal comprises an on-interval corresponding to the presence of said transmitted signal at said receiving means and an off interval corresponding to the absence of said transmitted signal at said receiving means, said on-interval and said off-interval being separated by an interval of time, said on-interval further conveying at least a portion of said transmitted signal to said receiving means.

10. The handheld device of claim 9 wherein said link layer can accommodate a signal containing less than an entire message during said on-interval.

11. The handheld device of claim 8 wherein said transmitted signal includes a first on-interval, a first off interval occurring immediately after said first on-interval, a second on-interval occurring immediately after said first off interval and a second off interval occurring immediately after said second on-interval.

12. The handheld device of claim 11 wherein said link layer can accommodate said received signal when a portion of said message is present during said first on-interval and the remainder of said message is present during said second on-interval.

13. A method of utilizing executable code in a handheld device comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal at a physical layer communicatively associated with a communication interface to form a received signal;

processing said received signal as a unidirectional signal without handshaking if said handheld device is not coupled to a handheld interface in a Point-Of-Presence (POP);

processing said received signal as a bi-directional signal with said handshaking if said handheld device is coupled to a handheld interface in said Point-Of Presence (POP);

performing said handshaking if said received signal is a bi-directional signal;

passing said received signal from said physical layer to a link layer;

extracting information contained in said received signal; and

making said information available to a user of said handheld device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said communication interface is an infrared-data-association (IrDA) compliant interface.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said received signal is obtained from a transmitter having a emitter link layer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said emitter link layer is compatible with said link layer.

17. The method of claim 16 further including a plug-in, said plug-in for performing said step of extracting information and said step of making said information available.

18. A method of receiving a unidirectional-infrared-data-signal from a transmitter comprising:

receiving said data signal at a communication interface to form a received signal;

processing said received signal as a unidirectional signal without handshaking if said step of receiving is not accomplished by coupling with a Point-Of-Presence (POP);

processing said received signal as a bi-directional signal with said handshaking if said step of receiving is accomplished by coupling with a Point-Of Presence (POP);

performing said handshaking if said received signal is a bi-directional signal;

passing said received signal from said communication interface to a physical layer;

making said received signal available to a link layer; and

utilizing information contained in said received signal to accomplish a task.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said communication interface is an infrared-data-association (IrDA) compliant communication interface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said data signal is comprised of an on-interval corresponding to the presence of said data signal at said communication interface and an off-interval corresponding to the absence of said data signal at said communication interface, said on-interval and said off-interval separated by an interval of time, said on-interval further conveying at least a portion of said data signal to said physical layer.