Portable bridge device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9253632-B2
Application number	US-201313847914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2013
Priority date	Mar 20, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A portable bridge device and methods for transmitting application data from the portable bridge device to one or more local devices of varying types, platforms and operating systems are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises establishing communication channels between the portable bridge device and first and second local devices, determining a platform or operating system of the local devices, and formatting, based on the determined platform or operating system, application data and transmitting the formatted application data to a portable bridge device interface module of the local devices via the communication channels. The portable bridge device may also establish a long-range communication channel to a remote computing device, and may operate as a gateway to a remote source of applications or resources. Operation of locally connected devices with the portable bridge device is not impacted by a temporary loss of connectivity between the portable bridge device and remote sources.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable bridge device comprising:
a processor and a memory;
a short-range communication module configured to establish a first communication channel between the portable bridge device and a first local device, and configured to establish a second communication channel between the portable bridge device and a second local device; and
at least one platform-specific interface module configured to:
determine a first computing platform of the first local device, the first computing platform running a first operating system;
process first application data, based on the determined first computing platform, to reformat the first application data into first reformatted application data suitable for presentation on the first computing platform;
transmit the first reformatted application data to a first portable bridge device interface module of the first local device via the first communication channel;
determine a second computing platform of the second local device, the second computing platform running a second operating system;
process second application data, based on the determined second computing platform, to reformat the second application data into second reformatted application data suitable for presentation on the second computing platform; and,
transmit to a second portable bridge device interface module of the second local device via the second communication channel.

2. The portable bridge device of claim 1 , wherein the first computing platform of the first local device and the second computing platform of the second local device are different.

3. The portable bridge device of claim 1 , wherein the first reformatted application data is stylistically consistent with the first computing platform of the first local device.

4. The portable bridge device of claim 3 , wherein the second reformatted application data is stylistically consistent with the second computing platform of the second local device.

5. The portable bridge device of claim 1 , wherein the portable bridge device is sized such that the portable device is easily carried on the body of a user.

6. The portable bridge device of claim 5 , wherein the portable bridge device is configured to be at least one of: attachable to a belt, storable in a pocket, and carried in a briefcase or purse.

7. The portable bridge device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an application execution module configured to execute at least one application at the portable bridge device to generate the first and second application data.

8. The portable bridge device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one platform-specific interface module is further configured to:
receive, from the first portable bridge device interface module via the first communication channel, first input data associated with user input received at the first local device for processing by the application execution module; and
receive, from the second portable bridge device interface module via the second communication channel, second input data associated with user input received at the second local device for processing by the application execution module.

9. The portable bridge device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a long-range communication module configured to establish a long-range communication channel between the portable bridge device and a remote computing device.

10. The portable bridge device of claim 9 , wherein the remote computing device comprises a storage and provisioning portal server.

11. The portable bridge device of claim 9 , wherein the portable bridge device is configured to receive the first application data and second application data from the storage and provisioning portal server via the long-range communication channel when at least one application is executed at the storage and provisioning portal server.

12. The portable bridge device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one platform-specific interface module comprises a first platform-specific interface module and a second platform-specific interface module, and wherein:
the first platform-specific interface module is further configured to:
receive, from the first portable bridge device interface module via the first communication channel, first input data associated with user input received at the first local device, and
transmit the first input data to the remote computing device via the long-range communication channel; and

the second platform-specific interface module is further configured to:
receive, from the second portable bridge device interface module via the second communication channel, second input data associated with user input received at the second local device, and
transmit the second input data to the remote computing device via the long-range communication channel.

13. A method for transmitting application data from a portable bridge device to a first local device and a second local device, the method comprising:
establishing, via a short-range communication module of the portable bridge, a first communication channel between the portable bridge device and the first local device;
establishing, via the short-range communication module of the portable bridge, a second communication channel between the portable bridge device and the second local device;
determining, utilizing at least one platform-specific interface module of the portable bridge device, a first computing platform of the first local device, the first computing platform running a first operating system;
processing first application data, utilizing the at least one platform-specific interface module of the portable bridge device and based on the determined first computing platform, to reformat the first application data into first reformatted application data suitable for presentation on the first computing platform;
transmitting the reformatted first application data to a first portable bridge device interface module of the first local device via the first communication channel;
determining, utilizing the at least one platform-specific interface module of the portable bridge device, a second computing platform of the second local device, the second computing platform running a second operating system; and
processing second application data, utilizing the at least one platform-specific interface module of the portable bridge device and based on the determined second computing platform, to reformat the second application data into second reformatted application data suitable for presentation on the second computing platform; and,
transmitting the reformatted second application data to a second portable bridge device interface module of the second local device via the second communication channel.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first computing platform of the first local device and the second computing platform of the second local device are different.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first reformatted application data is stylistically consistent with the first computing platform of the first local device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second reformatted application data is stylistically consistent with the second computing platform of the second local device.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
executing, using an application execution module, at least one application at the portable bridge device to generate the first and second application data.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first portable bridge device interface module via the first co

Assignees

• Research In Motion Ltd
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Griffin Jason Tyler
• Hamilton Alistair Robert

Classifications

• H04W4/60

  Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04L63/0281

  Proxies · CPC title

• H04W12/009

  specially adapted for networks, e.g. wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, RFID networks or cloud networks · CPC title

• H04L63/0272

  Virtual private networks · CPC title