Remote data storage and retrieval for portable electronics

• US 7,526,314 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J
• Application Number:
  US10/080,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,624 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558, 455/66.1, 343/702, 348/231.1, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.7, 348/231.6, 348/714
• 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 or 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;

wherein said transceiver begins transmitting said image when said CPU determines said memory to have reached a threshold.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said threshold is programmable.

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

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

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

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

(a) acquiring an image with a digital camera;

(b) transmitting said image to cellular telephone using Bluetooth wireless communications;

(c) further transmitting said image to a cellular network using 3G wireless connection, 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;

wherein said digital camera further includes a central processing unit (“

CPU”

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

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said threshold is programmable.