Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-16
2003-09-30
Nguyen, Lee (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S418000, C709S201000, C709S217000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06628965
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to wireless devices such as wireless modems, wireless networks and personal data assistants (PDAs), and more particularly to a method and system for managing and controlling such wireless devices through a wireless control subsytem running on and extending a multi-tasking operating system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally, computers at remote locations communicated with one another through hard-wired or cable connections. One such common connection is a computer network known as a LAN (local area network) by which computers are connected to one another through other intermediary computers such as servers and routers via physical cabling (i.e., twisted-pair wire, coaxial cables, fiber optic lines) to and from the computers. Other hard-wired connection methods include connections by traditional modems which allow computers to communicate with one another over telephone or data lines.
More recently, with the proliferation of cellular and wireless technology, there has been a dramatic increase in “wireless” computing whereby computers can communicate with one another without cable or wires over wireless or cellular networks. Wireless computing allows for increased mobility of a computer user since it allows computer transmissions and communications from virtually any location where a wireless or cellular system is present. Today, wireless networks are prevalent almost everywhere in the world. With the increased use of laptop, notebook and palm-sized computers and PDAs, more and more individuals and companies now desire to communicate and exchange data by wireless exchange.
Although wireless computing is relatively new and continues to gain popularity, various methods of programming for and configuring wireless devices have been developed. One such “first generation” method for creating software to handle wireless devices was through the use of so-called direct device access. Direct device access gave the programmer the ability to have total control over the device. Unfortunately, a great deal of knowledge was required about the particular device and the network on which it operated as each device has its own unique method by which it is used. To make matters worse, each final software program which was developed was restricted to the particular device to which it was built. In order to switch networks or devices, each application would have to be re-written to accommodate the differences in the network and/or device.
“Middleware” (i.e., software that connects two otherwise separate applications) for wireless applications was then developed as the next step. By providing a common API (application program interface) upon which applications could be built, middleware applications could protect themselves from changes in the selected wireless networks, system upgrades and wireless devices, provided that the middleware actually supported the new networks and upgrades. Middleware, however, was designed around the programming models of the time such as single-threaded, single-application operating systems like DOS (disk operating system), with a single wireless device connected at a time.
Further, middleware made use of a polling approach whereby the software would constantly send out signals or polling sequences to determine whether or not a relevant event occurred in the wireless system (such as an out of coverage situation, whether a modem was on-line, etc.) This polling paradigm used up precious computer cycles and resulted in constant looping of requests for status information.
As operating systems evolved into multi-tasking 32-bit environments, such as Windows 95 and Windows NT, customers began to demand more from their software. At the same time, as mobile computing became more prevalent, the traditional approaches discussed above began to fall short. One solution was to simply port middleware to the new environments. However, this attempt did not take advantage of the new operating systems and all its features. Further, applications developed under a single-threaded, DOS programming model which were then “ported” to a multi-tasking environment were often difficult to successfully deploy.
Attempts were also made to place industry standard interfaces in front of middleware's proprietary API. However, these attempts were only marginally successful and problems surfaced. Middleware today lacks the ability to handle system-level events or handle multiple applications in a fashion appropriate for these environments. In order for middleware to truly fit into the new computing world, a port from a single-tasking environment is not enough.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a new generation of wireless-enabling technology to make wireless communications and programming easier and faster where direct device access and middleware cannot, and provide new features which allow the creation of applications which were nearly impossible to think about before. Such need is addressed by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention provides methods of operating a computer system for managing and controlling wireless devices. Preferred methods according to this aspect of the invention include the steps of providing at least one wireless device connected to a computer, providing a multi-tasking operating system having a base communications API to the computer, providing at least one wireless-related application running on the computer for enabling wireless communications among the wireless device and wireless-related application, and providing a wireless control subsystem to the computer. The a wireless control subsystem includes a programming module extending the base communications API through a set of programming objects callable by the wireless-related application, and a system module having a plurality of layers of linked programming objects which propagate information from object to object indicative of an occurrence of system level events related to the operation and/or status of the wireless device. The method further includes the steps of communicating the system level events from the wireless device to the system module; propagating information indicative of the system level events through at least some of the layers of objects within the system module; and further propagating the information indicative of the system level events from the system module to the programming module and from the programming module to the wireless-related application.
In another preferred method of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a computer system for managing and controlling wireless devices which allows system level event propagation across two or more computers. Such method preferably includes the steps of providing at least one wireless device connected to a first computer and providing a second computer remote from the first computer, with the first and second computers being connected by a communications link. A multi-tasking operating system is provided to each of the first and second computers, and the multi-task operating system of the second computer includes a base communications API. At least one wireless-related application is provided which runs on the second computer for enabling wireless communications between the wireless device and wireless-related application. The method further provides a wireless control subsystem to the first computer comprising a system module which has plurality of linked programming objects operative to propagate information from object to object indicative of an occurrence of system level events related to the operation and/or status of the wireless device. Still further, the method includes the steps of providing the second computer with a programming module extending the base communications API through a set of programming objects callable by a wireless-related application, communicating system level events from the wireless device to the system module, propagating information indicative of the system level events through at least s
Gervasio Patrick
LaRosa Mark I.
Petrov Andrew A.
Craver Charles
Dynamic Mobile Data Systems, Inc.
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
Nguyen Lee
LandOfFree
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