Wireless personal area network with automatic detachment

Details Wireless personal area network with automatic detachment Wireless personal area network with automatic detachment

1998-07-02

2001-11-06

Ngo, Ricky (Department: 2664)

Multiplex communications

Communication over free space

Having a plurality of contiguous regions served by...

C370S230000, C370S475000, C455S556200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06314091

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data network and, more particularly, to a data network that facilitates bidirectional wireless data communications between a microcomputer unit and a plurality of peripheral units located within the proximity of the microcomputer unit.
B. Description of Related Art
The size and power consumption of digital electronic devices has been progressively reduced so that personal computers have evolved from lap tops and notebooks into hand-held or belt-carriable devices commonly referred to as personal digital assistants (PDAs). One area of carriable devices that has remained troublesome, however, is the coupling of peripheral devices or accessories to the main processing unit of the PDA. With rare exceptions, such coupling has typically been provided by connecting cables. The connecting cables restrict the handling of the PDA in such a manner as to lose many of the advantages inherent in the PDA's small size and light weight.
While some conventional systems have proposed linking a keyboard or a mouse to a main processing unit using infrared or radio frequency (RF) communications, such systems have typically been limited to a single peripheral unit with a dedicated channel of low capacity.
Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to develop a data network of low power consumption that provides highly reliable bidirectional data communication between a host or server microcomputer unit and a plurality of peripheral units while avoiding interference from nearby similar systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Systems and methods consistent with the principles of the present invention address this need by providing a wireless personal area network that operates at low power and permits a host unit to communicate with peripheral units with minimal interference from neighboring systems.
A system consistent with the principles of the present invention includes a plurality of peripheral devices attached to the network, at least one attaching peripheral device requesting to attach to the network, and a hub device connected to the network and communicating with the plurality of peripheral devices. The hub device receives the attachment request from the attaching peripheral device, provides the attaching peripheral device with attachment approval and a time-out interval, and detaches the attaching peripheral device when the attaching peripheral device fails to communicate with the hub device for a period of time equal to the time-out interval.


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