Portable electronic devices

Details Portable electronic devices Portable electronic devices

1998-08-18

2001-05-08

Sheikh, Ayaz (Department: 2155)

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Input/output data processing

C455S418000, C455S557000, C455S166200, C713S310000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230214

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to portable electronic devices and more particularly to a method and apparatus for transmitting data between a portable electronic device and a remote electronic device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many different types of portable electronic devices are in use today. In particular, notebook computers, palm-top computers, and personal digital assistants (PDA) are commonplace. The use of mobile telephones is also widespread and it is expected that in the near future combined mobile telephone/PDA devices will be widely used.
With portable electronic devices which store large amounts of data and/or operating instructions, there is often a need to transfer data between the portable device and a remote electronic device such as a computer or printer. Conventionally, such data transfer is achieved by providing both devices with serial input/output (I/O) ports (e.g. RS232) and by interconnecting these ports with an electrical cable. More recently, some portable electronic devices have been provided with an infra-red (IR) I/O port to allow devices to transfer data via a wireless infra-red transmission link. A wireless link avoids the need to connect a cable between the communicating devices, making the setting up of the transmission link a relatively simple procedure and also reducing costs. However, IR links do not function, or do not function well, where there is no direct line of sight between the communicating devices and/or where electromagnetic interference is present. Both of these problems can arise when it is desired to couple a mobile telephone/PDA device to some other electronic device, for example a hands-free controller, inside a vehicle. Often, the only solution to this problem is to provide portable electronic devices with an additional I/O port which can be connected via a cable to a remote device in the event that the IR link does not function satisfactorily.
Typically, the space occupied by, and complexity of an IR interface port is considerably less than that of an electromechanical I/O port. Hence IR links are extremely desirable where portable electronic devices are concerned. However, this advantage is lost when it is necessary to include both electromechanical and IR input ports in the same device. The need for two such ports also increases the cost of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the above noted disadvantages.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable electronic device comprising:
an infra-red input/output communications port arranged in a first mode of operation to transmit data between the portable device and a remote electronic device via a wireless transmission link; and
coupling means associated with said infra-red communications port for coupling a first end of a data transmission cable to the infra-red communications port,
whereby in a second mode of operation said first end of the cable is coupled to the infra-red communications port of the portable device and a second end of the cable is connected to a remote electronic device and data is transmitted between the portable device and the remote electronic device via said infra-red communications port and the cable.
Embodiments of the present invention facilitate wireless data transmission when a wireless connection can be established between two IR ports and, when this is not possible, use of the same I/R input/output port on the portable electronic device to transmit data via a transmission cable.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a data transmission system comprising:
a portable electronic device according to the above first aspect of the present invention;
a remote electronic device having an infra-red input/output communications port which in said first mode of operation forms part of said wireless transmission link; and
a data transmission cable having a first end arranged to co-operate with said coupling means to couple the cable to said infra-red communications port of the portable electronic device, and a second end arranged to be coupled to either the infra-red communications port of the remote electronic device or to another communications port thereof.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the data transmission cable is an optical cable, and said first end of the data transmission cable is arranged to couple IR light from the IR port of the portable device into the cable and vice versa. The second end of the data transmission cable may be similarly arranged to couple IR light from said IR port of the remote device into the cable and vice versa. Alternatively, where the second end of the optical cable is arranged to be coupled to another input/output port of the remote device, and that port is an electromechanical port, the second end of the cable may comprise a transducer for converting IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa. The transducer may also comprise a protocol converter for converting serial protocol data (e.g. RS232, USB) into IR protocol data (e.g. IrDA) and vice versa. The converter(s) may be implemented either in hardware or in software.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, said data transmission cable is an electrical transmission cable and said first end of the cable comprises a transducer arranged to convert IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa. The transducer may also comprise a protocol converter for converting serial protocol data (e.g. RS232, USB) into IR protocol data (e.g. IrDA) and vice versa.
The second end of the cable may comprise a connector for coupling the cable to an electromechanical input/output port of the remote electronic device or may comprise a transducer for coupling the cable to said IR port of the remote device and for converting IR light signals into electrical signals and vice versa.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first end of the data transmission cable terminates at a cradle or holder which provides said co-operating coupling means.
In another embodiment of the invention, the portable electronic device is a mobile communication device such as a combined mobile telephone/PDA. The remote electronic device may be a ‘hands-free’ control unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a portable electronic device having an infra-red input/output port, the method comprising:
in a first mode of operation, transmitting data via wireless infra-red transmission between said infra-red port and an infra-red input/output port of a remote electronic device; and
in a second mode of operation, coupling a first end of a data transmission cable to the infra-red input/output port of the portable electronic device and coupling a second end of the cable to an input/output port of a remote electronic device, and thereafter transmitting data between the two coupled ports via said data transmission cable.


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