Virtual peripheral hub device and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8937930-B2
Application number	US-94873910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2010
Priority date	Nov 19, 2009
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

Methods and devices provide a virtual peripheral hub and services enabling remote access to peripherals commonly connected to personal computers in a manner that simplifies device networking. A virtual peripheral hub device may include a processor and wireless communication transceivers configured to connect to cellular and/or WiFi networks to access a remote server, and wired and/or wireless local networks for connecting to peripheral devices. The virtual peripheral hub device may plug into a power source (e.g., a wall socket or cigarette lighter), connect to a peripheral device, and be configured to enable any computer attached to a local area network or the Internet to use or access the peripheral device. An associated server-based service enables discovery of the virtual peripheral hub device and connected peripherals. The associated server-based server may provide the drivers for various peripherals, store and forward data, and provide remote access to the various peripherals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing access to a peripheral device, comprising:
accessing a remote server from a communication device via a first wireless network;
upon accessing the remote server, providing a unique identifier associated with the communication device from the communication device to the remote server;
generating a secure communication driver specific to the communication device at the remote server in response to receiving the unique identifier;
sending the secure communication driver to a personal computer;
subsequent to provision of the unique identifier, coupling the peripheral device to the communication device;
identifying the peripheral device to the remote server from the communication device;
associating the peripheral device with the communication device in a data store in the remote server;
receiving peripheral device data from the peripheral device in the communication device; and
transmitting the peripheral device data to the remote server from the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a second wireless communication link between the peripheral device and the communication device,
wherein coupling the peripheral device to the communication device and receiving peripheral device data from the peripheral device in the communication device are accomplished via the established second wireless communication link.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing the remote server from the personal computer via an Internet; and
receiving the peripheral device data in the personal computer from the remote server via the Internet using the secure communication driver.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless network is a cellular data network, the method further comprising:
placing a data call to the remote server from the communication device via the cellular data network;
indicating on the communication device when a communication link is established between the communication device and the remote server;
accessing the remote server from the personal computer via an Internet;
transmitting a user identifier and a code printed on the communication device to the remote server from the personal computer via the Internet;
determining at the remote server whether the transmitted code matches the unique identifier provided by the communication device; and
associating the communication device with the user identifier if it is determined that the transmitted code matches the unique identifier provided by the communication device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
assigning an IPv6 address to the peripheral device; and
informing a web browser of the peripheral device IPv6 address.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
downloading an appropriate driver for the coupled peripheral device to the personal computer if it is determined that the transmitted code matches the unique identifier provided by the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the peripheral device data from the communication device to the remote server as encapsulated internet protocol (IP) packets via an Internet;
receiving the encapsulated IP packets at the remote server;
unpacking the encapsulated IP packets to obtain the peripheral device data; and
processing the peripheral device data in the remote server using a driver appropriate for the peripheral device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the processed peripheral device data to another server via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
discovering peripheral devices coupled to the communication device; and
identifying each discovered peripheral device to the remote server.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wireless network is a cellular telephone network,
the method further comprises transmitting a message from the remote server to the communication device via the cellular telephone network,
accessing the remote server from a communication device via a first wireless network is accomplished in response to receiving the message via the cellular telephone network.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmitted message is a simple message service (SMS) message.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving the SMS message in the communication device; and
determining whether the SMS message indicates that the communication device should activate,
wherein accessing the remote server from a communication device via a first wireless network is accomplished in response to determining that the SMS message indicates that the communication device should activate.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the peripheral device data from the communication device to the remote server as encapsulated internet protocol (IF) packets via an Internet;
receiving the encapsulated IP packets at the remote server;
forwarding the encapsulated IP packets from the remote server to a second server via the Internet;
unpacking the encapsulated IP packets at the second server to obtain the peripheral device data; and
processing the peripheral device data in the second server using a driver appropriate for the peripheral device.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a predetermined time has expired since the peripheral device was last accessed; and
sending a signal to the peripheral device commanding it to power down when the predetermined time has expired.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a request for data of the peripheral device from the remote server to the communication device; and
sending a request for data to the peripheral device in response to receiving the request for data of the peripheral device in the communication device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining whether the peripheral device is powered down in response to receiving the request for data of the peripheral device in the communication device; and
sending a signal to the peripheral device commanding it to power up if it is determined that the peripheral device is powered down.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a global location of the communication device from a global positioning system (GPS) sensor within the communication device;
transmitting the GPS location information from the communication device to the remote server;
determining a user identity in the remote server based on the GPS location information; and
associating the communication device with the determined user identity.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining in the communication device whether a change has occurred in received peripheral device data;
establishing a communication link with the remote server via the first wireless network when the communication device determines that a change has occurred in received peripheral device data; and
transmitting the changed peripheral device data to the remote server from the communication device.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the peripheral device is a household system; and
the remote server is configured to provide control signals to the household system via the communication device.

20. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
authenticating one or more of the personal computer, a user of the personal computer, the communication device and the peripheral device pri

Assignees

• Sprigg Stephen A
• Ziv Noam A
• Lauer Craig B
• Pathikonda Kedarnath
• Gardner Iii Richard W
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Sprigg Stephen A
• Ziv Noam A
• Lauer Craig B
• Pathikonda Kedarnath
• Gardner Iii Richard W

Classifications

• H04L2212/0025

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F9/4411 Primary

  Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers · CPC title

• H04L65/40

  Support for services or applications · CPC title

• H04L2212/00

  Encapsulation of packets · CPC title

• H04L9/00

  {Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic} arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols · CPC title