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`UTILITY PATENT APPLICATION TRANSMITTAL
`~
`Submit an original and a duplicate for fee processing
`0
`(Only for new nonprovisional applications under 37 CFR 1.53(b))
`
`ADDRESS TO:
`
`Assistant Commissioner for Patents
`Box Patent Application
`Washington, D.C. 20231
`
`Attorney Docket No.
`
`MBHB00-399
`
`First Named Inventor
`
`Edward F. Bachner, Ill
`
`Express Mail No.
`
`EL028731226US
`
`Total Pages
`
`51
`
`8.
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`16. D
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`1.
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`3.
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`i.
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`APPLICATION ELEMENTS
`[gl Transmittal Form with Fee
`[gl Specification (including claims and
`abstract)
`[Total Pages 40 ]
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`Box 4b, is considered as being part of the
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`hereby incorporated by reference therein.
`:~ 6. D Microfiche Computer Program
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`17. 0 This is a CONTINUING APPLICATION. Please note the following:
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`filing fee.
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`c. 0 Amend the specification by inserting before the first line the sentence:
`This is a 0 continuation 0 divisional D continuation-in-part
`of application Serial No.
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`[Page 1 of 2]
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`Samsung Exhibit 1002 Page 00001
`
`

`
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`20. The Commissioner is hereby authorized to credit overpayments or charge any additional fees of the
`following types to Deposit Account No. 13-2490:
`a. ~ Fees required under 37 CFR 1.16.
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`21. ~ The Commissioner is hereby generally authorized under 37 CFR 1.136(a)(3) to treat any future
`reply in this or any related application filed pursuant to 37 CFR 1.53 requiring an extension of time as
`incorporating a request therefor, and the Commissioner is hereby specifically authorized to charge
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`United States Postal Service as "Express Mail Post Office to Addressee" under 37 CFR § 1.10 on
`the date indicated below and is addressed to the Asst. Commissioner for Patents, Box Patent
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`icatio
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`Name
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`City, State, Zip
`
`Signature
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`Date
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`1111111111111111
`020306
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`a.
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`[Page 2 of 2]
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`Page 00002
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`

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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATJtNT AND TRADEMARK OIC:Il'ICE
`
`(Attorneys Docket No. MBHB00-399)
`
`Edward F. Baehner.lii. et al.
`
`AppHoantor
`Patentee:
`
`Serial or
`Patent No.
`
`Title: WIRE.L:GSS INTELLIGENT PERSONAL SERVER
`
`Filed or
`Issued: ------~--~----
`
`VERIFIED STATEMENT CLAIMlNG SMALL ENTITY STATUS
`()1 C.F.R. § 1.9(f) AND § l.27(c)) • SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
`
`I hereby declate that I am
`0
`the owner of the small business concern identified below:
`~ an official of the small business concern empowered to act on behalf of the caneern identified
`below:
`
`NAME OF CONCERN Double-Time Corporation
`
`ADDRESS OF CONCERN
`
`110 Eaat Schiller Street, Suite 203, ElmhUT$t, Illinois 601245
`
`I hereby declare that the abave-identifred small business concern qualifies as a sm.all butiness concern as defined io
`13 C.F.R. § 121, and referenced in 37 C.F.R. § 1.9(d), for purposes of paying reduced fees to tlJ.e United States Pa.ttmt
`and Trademark Office. in that the number of employees of the c;r;mcem, including those of its affiliates, does not
`e;~~.ceed 500 persons. For purposes of this starement, (l) the number of employell'$ of the business concern is the
`llvcragc ov=- the pR!vious meal year of the concern of the persons employed on a full-time, part-t:bne, or temporary
`btuli~ during each of the pay periods of the fiscal year, and (2) concerns are affi1.ia.n::s oi each ot:her wbeu ejther,
`dlrecdy or lmUrcctly, one concern oontrols or ha11 tlw power tc control the other, ar a third party or parties controls or
`has the power to control both.
`
`I hereby declMe that rights under contract or law have been conveyed to and remain with the small busine$s concerti
`identified above with regard to the invention, entitled Wireless lntelligettt Pemonat Server by ioventor(s) Edward F.
`)3aohner III. John Major. and Xin Du.
`
`- 1 -
`
`Page 00003
`
`

`
`{
`I
`~~·
`
`the specification filed herewith.
`Applif.'lation S~s.l No . - - - - - - - , filed - - - -
`Patent Na.
`, islltled - - - - - -
`
`If the rights held by the above identified small business concern are not c:xcllllliv~. each individual concem or
`organitation havtng right., in !:® iuvcntion must file W~rifiod statement& avenin£l to their status as small entities. and
`no rights to the :invention are held by any person, other than the invenror, who would not qualify as an independent
`inventor under 37 CPR § 1.9(c) if thai person made the:; invention, or by any conc.em which would not qualify as a
`small business concern IUJder 37 CFR § 1.9(d), or a nonprofit organi~tion under '37 CFR § 1.9(e).
`
`Each person. concern or organization having any rights to the invention is listed below.
`
`I&]
`0
`
`No such person, eoncem or or&ranization exists.
`Each such petSon, concern ot organi:aadon i& listed below.
`
`Separate verified statements are required from each named perROn, concern or organization having rights In the
`in'V¢nticm averrins to their Mtal'UII aa muill entities.. (3 7 CF:R § 1.~7).
`
`I aolcnowledge the duty to file. iD this application or patent. notification of any change in slatus tesulting in loss of
`entitlement to small entity statu& prior ro paying, or at the time of payUl.g, the earliest of the i11s.ue fee or any
`maintenance fi:e ttuc after the dato on whloh status u a ~o:ma!l entity i~: no longer appropriate. ("37 C.F.R. § L2&{b))
`
`I hereby decJ.aro that aU statements made h~ of my own knowledg4 are true and that all statements made on
`information and belief fU'e believed to be tme; and funher that the$e statements wet:e made with the knowledge that
`willful false stat:ements and the like so made are punishable by fine or impri&'ONnent, or both, ~nder Sou:tion 1001 of
`Title 18 of the United States Code, and that such willt\:d false sta.t001ents may jeopardize the validity of the
`l'll)plication. any patent Issuing therein, or any patent to which th~ verified statement is din:cled.
`
`NAME OF PERSON SIONINO: e~ward F. &e:hncr, m
`
`TlTLE IN ORGANIZATION: Chief Technology Officer and Vice Chainnan
`
`ADDRESS OF PERSON SIGNING: 110 East Schiller Slreet, Suite 203, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
`
`~
`J
`
`-2-
`
`MCOO~Iji'I.L I!CEiiM~N
`HULauur (.li!ii\IJI<OFF
`300 SO<m1 W/4.Qf.P\ CRI\Ili
`CHlc:AGCI, ILUNOIS II¢114B
`T~LffflQNI! 13121 B I ~.COO f
`
`Page 00004
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`

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`5
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`10
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`15
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`Express Mail Label No. EL028731226US
`
`APPLICATION FOR UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT
`
`(Case No. MBHB00-399)
`
`Title:
`
`Wireless Intelligent Personal Server
`
`Inventor(s): Edward F. Bachner, III, a citizen of U.S.A., residing at 15522 West Hawk
`Haven Road, Lockport, Illinois 60441
`
`John Major, a citizen of U.S.A., residing at 16720 Las Cuestas, Rancho
`Santa Fe, California 92067
`
`Xin Du, a citizen of China, residing at 1536 Knoll Crest, Bartlett, Illinois
`60103
`
`Assignee:
`
`Double-Time Corporation
`110 East Schiller Street
`Suite 203
`Elmhurst, IL 60 126
`
`Page 00005
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`

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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`A. Field of the Invention
`
`This invention relates to the field of wireless telecommunications. More
`
`particularly, this invention relates to a wireless intelligent personal server that receives
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`5
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`data transmitted over a wireless communications channel and automatically processes it
`
`so as to maintain a copy of at least one electronic file stored in a source computer.
`
`B. Description of Related Art
`
`A typical modem office uses a number of different databases of information that
`
`1 o
`
`are frequently updated. Examples of such databases include schedules, contact lists,
`
`price lists, real estate lists, and incoming e-mails. Such databases are typically stored as
`
`electronic files on either an office-wide server or on individual personal computers
`
`located in the office space. Typically, individual workers in the office space are able to
`
`use personal computers, usually with network connections, to access the databases. More
`
`15
`
`particularly, the personal computers typically run applications that retrieve the desired
`
`information from the databases and display it to the user. With this configuration, the
`
`most up-to-date versions of the databases are typically available to the individual
`
`workers, even though the electronic database files are frequently updated.
`
`However, many workers often work outside of the office environment at least one
`
`20
`
`day per week, and, typically, it is more difficult to gain access to the most up-to-date
`
`versions of important electronic files when outside of the office environment. A
`
`currently used solution is to use portable computers to "dial in" to the office network
`
`using the PSTN, Internet, or other wireline networks. However, mobile workers do not
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`2
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`Page 00006
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`always have access to wireline connections at all desired times. Accordingly, wireless
`
`communications systems have been developed by which mobile workers can access their
`
`office databases even without a wireline connection. As an example, some wireless
`
`telephones are able to send and receive limited amounts of data using the wireless
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`5
`
`application protocol (W AP).
`
`However, most of these wireless communications approaches, including the W AP
`
`approach, use a "pull" methodology, whereby the user first requests the information and
`
`then waits for a response. This "pull" methodology has the disadvantage of high latency
`
`and, typically, high cost. The high latency arises from the delay that typically occurs in
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`1 o
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`each step of the process of retrieving the desired information. In particular, there is the
`
`time spent entering the keystrokes needed to make the request, the airtime spent
`
`transmitting the request, the delay in having the request reaching the office network
`
`through intermediate networks, the delay in having the office network search through its
`
`databases to formulate a response, and the delay in transmitting the response through the
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`15
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`intermediate networks and then over the air interface. The high latency is not only
`
`troublesome to the user; it leads to high costs due to the airtime needed to process the
`
`request and the response.
`
`The problem becomes more acute the more interactive the transaction becomes.
`
`A user using W AP to retrieve a new e-mail message with an attachment provides a
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`20
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`simple illustration of the problem. First, the user requests the new e-mail message and
`
`receives it after waiting for the latency period described above, for which the user is
`
`typically charged airtime. Second, the user reads the new e-mail message and sees that it
`
`has an attachment. Then the user must make another request to receive the attachment.
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`3
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`Page 00007
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`The user waits for another latency period to receive it, thereby typically incurring
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`additional airtime charges. Moreover, the latency period may be quite long, because files
`
`attached to e-mails are often quite large. Accordingly, existing "pull" approaches, such
`
`as W AP have substantial disadvantages.
`
`5
`
`Another problem with many technologies for receiving data over wireless
`
`channels is that they are highly device-specific, i.e., they are based on providing wireless
`
`functionality to existing devices, such as specific models of personal digital assistants
`
`(PDAs). However, there are a number of problems with device-specific approaches.
`
`First, many people use different computing devices at different times, so that providing
`
`1 o
`
`only one of the user's computing devices with wireless functionality is, at best, only a
`
`partial solution. Second, different computing devices differ in their abilities to handle
`
`different types of data. For example, desktop PCs typically have much more memory
`
`than PDAs, and desktop PCs often have access to high quality monitors, speakers, and
`
`peripherals to display information and provide functionality to the user in ways that are
`
`15
`
`unavailable to typical PDAs. On the other hand, PDAs also have many advantages over a
`
`desktop PC, such as portability. In addition to the availability of different hardware,
`
`different computing devices may have different operating systems and applications
`
`available to them. Accordingly, approaches that provide wireless functionality only to
`
`specific devices have substantial disadvantages.
`
`20
`
`For example, Kaufman, U.S. Patent No. 6,034,621, discloses systems and
`
`methods for communicating changes made to a data file on a personal computer (PC) to a
`
`personal digital assistant (PDA). In accordance with some of the disclosed embodiments,
`
`when the data file on the PC is changed, synchronization information is transmitted over
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`4
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`Page 00008
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`a paging network to a pager that is connected to the PDA, such as by a serial or parallel
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`connection.
`
`A synchronization routine
`
`in
`
`the PDA
`
`then
`
`interacts with
`
`the
`
`synchronization information output from the pager to update the data file in the PDA.
`
`While potentially reducing the latency problem, at least for small amounts of data,
`
`5
`
`the Kaufman approach suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, PDAs are not
`
`typically on all of the time. Thus, update information may be missed because of the PDA
`
`being off. Second, PDAs typically have a very limited memory, i.e., 8 megabytes or less.
`
`Because of this limited memory, mobile workers may not be able to access some of the
`
`very large electronic files that they can access at their offices.
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`10
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`5
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`Page 00009
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`

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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`In a first principal aspect, the present invention provides a wireless intelligent
`
`personal server that comprises a radio frequency (RF) receiver for receiving downstream
`
`data transmitted over a wireless communications channel, a memory, a central processing
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`5
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`unit (CPU), a set of embedded machine language instructions that are executable by the
`
`CPU for processing the downstream data to provide at least one electronic file in the
`
`memory, and a first interface for allowing an external display device to access the at least
`
`one electronic file.
`
`In a second principal aspect, the present invention provides a wireless data
`
`1 o
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`communication system that comprises a wireless intelligent personal server and a
`
`wireless telephone in communication with the wireless intelligent personal server. The
`
`wireless intelligent personal server includes a memory and a radio frequency (RF)
`
`receiver. The RF receiver receives downstream data transmitted over a first wireless
`
`communications channel, and the wireless intelligent personal server processes the
`
`15
`
`downstream data to provide at least one electronic file in the memory. The wireless
`
`telephone transmits an acknowledgement over a second wireless communications
`
`channel when the wireless intelligent personal server receives the downstream data.
`
`In a third principal aspect, the present invention provides a wireless data display
`
`system that comprises a wireless intelligent personal server and a display device in
`
`20
`
`communication with the wireless intelligent personal server. The wireless intelligent
`
`personal server includes a memory and a radio frequency (RF) receiver. The RF receiver
`
`receives downstream data transmitted over a wireless communications channel, and the
`
`wireless intelligent personal server processes the downstream data to provide at least one
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`6
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`Page 00010
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`electronic file. The display device has at least one application that accesses the at least
`
`one electronic file to display information to a user.
`
`In a fourth principal aspect, the present invention provides a method for updating
`
`a target electronic file to reflect changes made to a source electronic file. In accordance
`
`5 with the method, the target electronic file is stored in a wireless intelligent personal
`
`server. The wireless intelligent personal server receives downstream data transmitted
`
`over a wireless communications channel. The downstream data reflects changes made to
`
`the source electronic file. The wireless intelligent personal server automatically updates
`
`the target electronic file with the downstream data to provide an updated electronic file.
`
`1 o A display device is brought into communication with the wireless intelligent personal
`
`server, and the display device accesses the updated electronic file.
`
`In a fifth principal aspect, the present invention provides a method for creating,
`
`without user intervention, an electronic file on a wireless intelligent personal server. In
`
`accordance with the method, the wireless intelligent personal server receives downstream
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`15
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`data transmitted over a wireless communications channel. The wireless intelligent
`
`personal server automatically creates the electronic file from the downstream data. A
`
`display device is brought into communication with the wireless intelligent personal
`
`server, and the display device accesses the electronic file.
`
`20
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`7
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`Page 00011
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`

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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless synchronization system, in
`
`accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
`
`Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of a wireless intelligent personal server, in
`
`5
`
`accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
`
`Figure 3 is a front plan view of the wireless intelligent personal server ofFigure 2,
`
`in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
`
`Figure 4 is a side plan view of the wireless intelligent personal server ofFigure 2,
`
`in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
`
`10
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`
`Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication system 10 in
`
`accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. System 10 includes
`
`an enterprise information technology (IT) system 12, which typically includes a plurality
`
`15
`
`of computers and other devices networked together to provide computing and
`
`information technology services for a business or other organization. As shown in Figure
`
`1, one or more personal computers, such as personal computer (PC) 14, are connected to
`
`enterprise IT system 12. Enterprise IT system 12 may also have access to a centralized
`
`database for the enterprise, such as enterprise database 16, as shown in Figure 1.
`
`20
`
`Enterprise IT system 12 may be located entirely within one office area, or it may be
`
`distributed over various remote locations.
`
`System 10 also includes a first wireless network 20 and a second wireless network
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`22. First wireless network 20 is able to transmit data, at least intermittently, over one or
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`8
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`Page 00012
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`more downstream wireless channels to wireless receivers operating within its wireless
`
`coverage area. Preferably, first wireless network 20 uses subcarriers of frequency
`
`modulated (FM) radio transmissions and/or televisions transmissions to provide the
`
`downstream wireless channels. Most preferably, the subcarriers used by first wireless
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`5
`
`network 20 are modulated using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ODFM) in
`
`order to minimize multipath effects, such as fading and distortion, and to increase data
`
`throughput. Alternatively, first wireless network 20 may be a one-way paging network,
`
`which may use the FLEX™ protocol of Motorola, Inc., a two-way paging network, which
`
`may use the ReFLEX™ protocol of Motorola, Inc., or it may wirelessly transmit data by
`
`10
`
`some other means.
`
`Second wireless network 22 is preferably a cellular or PCS network that provides
`
`two-way wireless communications, in a format, such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, or
`
`GSM, for wireless telephones, such as wireless telephone 24. Thus, with reference to
`
`Figure 1, wireless telephone 24 is able to transmit to wireless network 22 over an
`
`15
`
`upstream channel26 and is able to receive from wireless network 22 using a downstream
`
`channel27.
`
`An intermediate network 28 is connected to first wireless network 20 and to
`
`second wireless network 22, and enterprise IT system 12 uses a wireless network
`
`management system 29 to communicate with wireless networks 20 and 22, via
`
`20
`
`intermediate network 28. Intermediate network 28 maybe any wide-area network (WAN)
`
`or local-area network (LAN) capable of transmitting digital data between enterprise IT
`
`system 12 and wireless networks 20 and 22. Preferably, intermediate network 28 is either
`
`the Internet or a private corporate network.
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`9
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`Page 00013
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`

`
`A wireless intelligent personal server (WIPS) 30 is able to receive data wirelessly
`
`transmitted by first wireless network 20. When WIPS 30 receives data transmitted by
`
`wireless network 20, WIPS 30 stores it in its memory, as described in more detail below.
`
`WIPS 30 is able to transfer the data stored in its memory to and from different types of
`
`5
`
`display devices 32, on at least an intermittent basis, as indicated by the dotted line in
`
`Figure 1. WIPS 30 may also be able to transfer data from its memory to and from
`
`wireless telephone 24 on at least an intermittent basis, as indicated by the dotted line in
`
`Figure 1.
`
`Display device 32 is a device that has a user interface for displaying the data
`
`10
`
`stored in WIPS 30. More particularly, display device 32 tyPically runs one or more
`
`applications to access the data stored in WIPS 30 and to display it to the user. The
`
`applications on display device 32 may also allow the user to modify the data stored in
`
`WIPS 30. Display device 32 may be a fixed-mounted device, such as a desktop PC, an
`
`advanced video game device, such as a Sony "PlayStation 2" device, or a set-top
`
`15
`
`television controller box, such as the type used to access services such as WebTV© (and
`
`which may also provide game-type functionality), or display device 32 may be a portable
`
`device, such as a laptop PC or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Moreover, WIPS 30
`
`preferably allows different kinds of display device 32 to access the data stored on it at
`
`different times. For example, a user may use a first desktop PC as display device 32 to
`
`20
`
`access the data stored in WIPS 30 at work, may use a PDA as display device 32 to access
`
`the data stored in WIPS 30 while traveling, and may use a Sony "PlayStation 2" device as
`
`display device 32 while at home.
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`10
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`Page 00014
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`

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`Data transfer between WIPS 30 and wireless telephone 24 and display device 32
`
`may occur in various ways. For example, WIPS 30 may be electrically connected to
`
`wireless telephone 24 and/or display device 32. Such electrical connection may be direct,
`
`i.e., so that electrical contacts on WIPS 30 directly contact electrical contacts on wireless
`
`5
`
`telephone 24 and/or display device 32. Alternatively, the electrical connection may be
`
`through electrical cables, which may be provided with standard connectors, such as USB
`
`connectors. Data transfer between WIPS 30 and wireless telephone 24 and display
`
`device 32 may also be wireless. For example, WIPS 30 and either wireless telephone 24
`
`or display device 32 may be provided with infrared ports, such as IrDA ports.
`
`10 Alternatively, WIPS 30 and either wireless telephone 24 or display device 32 may use
`
`short-range RF communication, such as the Bluetooth protocol, to transfer data. Other
`
`methods for data transfer may also be used. For example, WIPS 30 may be provided
`
`with a flash memory card, in which case data transfer to display device 32 may be
`
`effected by removing the flash memory card from WIPS 30 and connecting it to display
`
`15
`
`device 32. In any event, the connections between WIPS 30 and wireless telephone 24
`
`and display device 32 may be only intermittent. For example, in some embodiments,
`
`wireless telephone 24 may be directly electrically connected to WIPS 30 most of the
`
`time. However, the user may disconnect wireless telephone 24 from WIPS 30 in order to
`
`make or receive calls.
`
`20
`
`WIPS 30 receives data transmitted by first wireless network 20 over a
`
`downstream channel 34. Because this data transmission may occur at any time, WIPS 30
`
`is preferably always on in order to receive the transmission. When WIPS 30 receives a
`
`data transmission, WIPS 30 determines whether the transmission is intended for it, and, if
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`11
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`Page 00015
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`it is, WIPS 30 processes the data transmission accordingly. Typically, this means that
`
`WIPS 30 uses the data from the transmission either to update one or more of the files
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`stored in its memory or to add a new file to its memory. Preferably, WIPS 30 performs
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`these functions automatically, so that the user can receive the data while performing other
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`5
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`tasks. As described in more detail below, the user is then able to use display device 32 to
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`access the data stored in WIPS 30.
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`Once WIPS 30 has successfully received the data transmission, WIPS 30
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`preferably sends an acknowledgement signal. In preferred embodiments, WIPS 30 uses
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`wireless telephone 24 to send the acknowledgement signal to second wireless network 22
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`10
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`over an upstream channel 36. To accomplish this, WIPS 30 may make use of electrical
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`contacts, provided in most types of wireless telephone 24, that enable wireless telephone
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`24 to be remotely controlled. Thus, WIPS 30 sends signals to wireless telephone 24 to
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`cause it to dial a predetermined telephone number and then, once the call is established,
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`to transmit the acknowledgement signal. Because the acknowledgement signal will
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`15
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`typically be a digital signal, WIPS 30 may use different techniques for transmitting it,
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`depending on the type of wireless telephone 24. For example, if wireless telephone 24
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`can only transmit analog signals, then WIPS 30 preferably modulates the digital
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`acknowledgement signal before transmitting it to wireless telephone 24.
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`If wireless
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`telephone 24 can transmit digital signals, such as signals in CDMA, TDMA, or GSM
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`20
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`fmmat, then WIPS 30 may transmit the aclmowledgement signal to wireless telephone 24
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`in digital packet form.
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`However, at certain times when WIPS 30 is ready to send the acknowledgement
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`signal, wireless telephone 24 may not available. For example, wireless telephone 24 may
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`not be connected to, or in the range of wireless communication with, WIPS 30. Wireless
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`telephone 24 may also be unavailable because it is turned off or because it is engaged in a
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`telephone calL When wireless telephone 24 is unavailable, WIPS 30 preferably postpones
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`the acknowledgement until wireless telephone 24 becomes available for use. First
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`5 wireless network 20 will typically re-transmit the data intended for WIPS 30 until the
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`acknowledgement from WIPS 30 is received.
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`As an alternative approach, WIPS 30 may be able to transmit wireless signals on
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`its own, without the need for wireless telephone 24. For example, WIPS 30 may use
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`cellular digital packet data (CDPD) technology to transmit signals to second wireless
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`10
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`network 22 over upstream channel 26. As another approach, first wireless network 20
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`may be a two-way network, in which case, WIPS 30 may use the upstream channels of
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`first wireless network 20.
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`As noted above, the data stored in WIPS 30 may be accessed by display device
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`32. Preferably, display device 32 accesses the memory in WIPS 30 as it would an
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`15
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`external device, such as an external hard drive or a server on a local area network (LAN).
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`In this way, display device 32 can take advantage of the much larger memory that may be
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`available in WIPS 30.
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`In addition, a user may use different display devices to access the data stored in
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`WIPS 30 at different times. For example, a user may use a desktop PC to access WIPS
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`20
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`30 while at home, a laptop PC to access WIPS 30 while at work, a customer's device to
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`access WIPS 30 while visiting a customer, and a PDA to access WIPS 30 while traveling.
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`ln this way, WIPS 30 may serve as a convenient storage device so that a user's important
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`files are available wherever the user goes and are automatically and continually updated
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`with new information wherever the user travels within the range of wireless network 20.
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`In this way, the electronic files stored in WIPS 30 may be automatically updated
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`to reflect changes in the corresponding electronic files of enterprise IT system 12. This
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`5
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`capability can be very important to a user who maintains important data files on
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`enterprise IT system 12 at work but who also needs to access the information while the
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`user is traveling.
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`Such important data files may include the user's calendar of
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`appointments, inventory availability and current pricing, contacts, and incoming e-mail
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`messages.
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`10
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`For example, if the user is out of the office, the user's secretary may use computer
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`14 to enter a new appointment into the user's calendar. The calendar is typically stored
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`as an electronic file on computer 14, enterprise database 16, or elsewhere on enterprise IT
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`system 12. By means ofWIPS 30, the user is able to have access to the updated calendar
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`in the following way. Enterprise IT 12 sends the information needed to update the
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`15
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`calendar to wireless network management sy8tem 29, which, in tum, transmits it to first
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`wireless network 20 via intermediate network 28. First wireless network 20 then
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`transmits the update information to WIPS 30 over downstream channel 34. WIPS 30
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`receives the transmission and uses the information to update the calendar stored as an
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`electronic file in its memory. To signal that it has successfully received the update
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`20
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`information, WIPS 30 uses wireless telephone 24 to transmit an acknowledgement over
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`upstream chrumel 26 to second wireless network 22. Second wireless network 22, in
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`tum, transmits the acknowledgement to wireless network management system 29, via
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`intermediate network 28. Preferably, wireless network management system 29 resends
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`14
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`the update information, via intermediate network 28, to first wireless network 20 for re(cid:173)
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`transmission until management system 29 receives the acknowledgement, in order to
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`ensure that WIPS 30 receives the update information. In this way, updates to important
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`files on enterprise IT system 12 are automatically sent to WIPS 30, so that WIPS 30 will
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`5 maintain up-to-date copies of these important files. The user then brings WIPS 30 into
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`communication with display device 32 in order to access the electronic files stored in
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`WIPS 30.
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`In many cases, it is desirable to have changes made to the electronic files stored in
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`WIPS 30 reflected in the files stored in enterprise IT system 12. In particular, display
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`10
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`device 32 may change the electronic files stored in WIPS 30 that it accesses. For
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`example, the accessed electronic file may be the user's incoming e-mail messages, in
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`which case the user may wish to delete the incoming e-mails after the user has read them.
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`WIPS 30 may make the change, e.g., deleting one or more of the incoming e-mail
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`messages, in the electronic file stored in its mem