Wireless charging and communication with wireless communication devices in a communication system

• US 9,319,855 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Eaton, Eric Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US14/082,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A personal computing system and a mobile phone interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol while in a charging arrangement. The personal computing system can wirelessly charge a power source of the mobile phone. The personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a communication system. A server communicatively coupled to a first network and a wireless communication network can inhibit in the wireless communication network transmission of messages destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the mobile phone, in response to determining that the personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a charging arrangement.

Claims

1. A method with a personal computing system and a wireless communication device in a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, with a server communicatively coupled with a communication system, a messaging status update from at least one of a wireless communication device and a personal computing system, the wireless communication device and the personal computing system being connected together by a power transfer wired connection for transferring charging energy in a charging arrangement, the messaging status update indicating the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, the wireless communication device is not receiving via a wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device; and

inhibiting, with the server, transmission via the wireless communication network of the portion of one or more messages that are destined for reception by the wireless communication device, in response to receiving the messaging status update.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more messages comprise one or more email messages, and wherein the inhibiting further comprises:

inhibiting, with the server, transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more email messages that are destined for reception by the wireless communication device, in response to the receiving with the server the messaging status update.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the messaging status update indicating that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more email messages, and the portion of one or more email messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging status update comprises indication that at least one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system is associated with an account that is associated with the server, wherein the portion of one or more messages are associated with the account, and wherein the inhibiting further comprises:

inhibiting, with the server, transmission via the wireless communication network of the portion of one or more messages that are associated with the account and that are destined for reception by the wireless communication device, in response to the receiving with the server the messaging status update.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the messaging status update, updating at a message synchronization database associated with the server a messaging status record associated with the wireless communication device, to indicate that the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages that are associated with an account associated with the server, and that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the messaging status update, updating at a message synchronization database associated with the server a messaging status record associated with the wireless communication device, to indicate that the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating at the message synchronization database comprises updating at the message synchronization database a messaging status record associated with the personal computing system, to indicate that the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device, the personal computing system forwarding the portion of one or more messages to the wireless communication device by wirelessly transmitting the portion of one or more messages via short range wireless communication from the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a mobile phone.

10. A method with a personal computing system and a wireless communication device operating in a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a messaging status update from at least one of a wireless communication device and a personal computing system, the wireless communication device and the personal computing system being connected together by a power transfer wired connection for transferring charging energy in a charging arrangement, the messaging status update indicating

     1) the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system,

     2) one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system is not receiving via a wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and

     3) the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system; and

inhibiting transmission via the wireless communication network of the portion of one or more messages that are destined for reception by the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, while a messaging status associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device indicates that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, that the one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

updating at a message synchronization database associated with at least one of the server, the personal computing system, and the wireless communication device, a messaging status record associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, to indicate that the one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to receiving the messaging status update, updating at a message synchronization database associated with the server, a messaging status record associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device thereby indicating that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network a portion of one or more email messages, and that the portion of one or more email messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the portion of one or more email messages are associated with an account associated with the server, and wherein the messaging status record in the message synchronization database contains indication that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is associated with the account, and further wherein the inhibiting comprises:

inhibiting transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more email messages that are destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, in response to the messaging status record associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device indicating that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more email messages that are associated with the account, and that the portion of one or more email messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a mobile phone.

15. A communication system comprising:

a sever;

a first communication network and a wireless communication network, at least one of the first communication network and the wireless communication network being communicatively coupled with the server;

a personal computing system communicatively coupled with at least one of the first communication network and the wireless communication network;

a wireless communication device communicatively coupled with the wireless communication network, the wireless communication device and the personal computing system being connected together by a power transfer wired connection for transferring charging energy in a charging arrangement; and

the server being configured to;

inhibit transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more messages that are destined for reception by at least one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, in response to a messaging status associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device indicating that the one of the personal computing system and wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more messages, and that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more messages comprise one or more email messages.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server comprises an email server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a first short range wireless communication transceiver and the personal computing system comprises a second short range wireless communication transceiver, the first short range wireless communication transceiver and the second short range wireless communication transceiver being capable of short range wireless communication therebetween to exchange at least one information signal between the wireless communication device and the personal computing system;

the wireless communication device being configured to;

determine whether the wireless communication device is in a wireless charging arrangement with the personal computing system; and

in response to determining that the wireless communication device is in a wireless charging arrangement with the personal computing system, establishing short range wireless communication between the first short range wireless communication transceiver and the second short range wireless communication transceiver and thereby forwarding a copy of the portion of one or more messages to the one of the one of the personal computer and the wireless communication device that is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more messages.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one message synchronization database communicatively coupled to at least one of the server, the personal computing system, and the wireless communication device, the at least one message synchronization database for storing at least one messaging status record associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, the messaging status record containing information that indicates whether the wireless communication device is in a wireless charging arrangement with the personal computing system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the message status record contains information that indicates whether the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and information that indicates whether the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the message status record contains information that indicates whether the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is associated with an account associated with the server, and further that indicates whether the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages that are associated with the account, and further that indicates whether the portion of one or more messages that are associated with the account are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one message synchronization database, storing the at least one messaging status record, is communicatively coupled to the server, and wherein the server being further configured to:

receive a messaging status update from at least one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system, the messaging status update indicating whether the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system;

store messaging status information in the at least one messaging status record in response to receiving the messaging status update, messaging status information stored in the at least one messaging status record indicating whether the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, and further indicating whether one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more messages, and further indicating whether the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device; and

inhibit transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more messages that are destined for reception by the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device, in response to determining that messaging status information stored in the at least one messaging status record associated with the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device indicating that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, that the one of the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more messages, and further that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded to the one by the other one of the wireless communication device and the personal computing system.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one messaging status record being associated with the wireless communication device, and the messaging status information stored in the at least one messaging status record comprising information that indicates whether the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and that indicates whether the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device, and wherein the server being further configured to:

inhibit transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more messages that are destined for reception by the wireless communication device, in response to the at least one messaging status record associated with the wireless communication device indicating that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system, that the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more messages, and that the portion of one or more messages are to be forwarded by the personal computing system to the wireless communication device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the server comprises an email server and wherein the one or more messages comprise one or more email messages, and wherein the at least one message status record associated with the wireless communication device further contains information that indicates whether the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network at least a portion of one or more email messages, and that further indicates whether the portion of one or more email messages are to be forwarded to the wireless communication device by the personal computing system, and wherein the server being further configured to:

inhibit transmission via the wireless communication network of at least a portion of one or more email messages that are destined for reception by the wireless communication device, while a messaging status associated with the wireless communication device indicates that the wireless communication device is in a charging arrangement with the personal computing system and the wireless communication device is not receiving via the wireless communication network the portion of one or more email messages and the portion of one or more email messages are to be forwarded to the wireless communication device by the personal computing system.