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1. tion mode may be implemented automatically or in response to a user input In one implementation the use of the detected resource may correspond to steps performed in establishing a pairing or relationship between the mobile device and the primary computer 120 An example of the first communica tion mode is a connection made through Remote Network Driver Interface Specification RNDIS as provided through ACTIVESYNC software published by MICROSOFT CORP 0039 Ifthe determination of step 220 is that the program ming resource is not detected step 240 provides that the Jul 30 2009 mobile device 100 programmatically or automatically enables another communication mode for communications between the two other devices In one embodiment the pro cessor 112 identifies itself as a mass storage device using for example USB Protocol and presents one or more files to the user for selection and transfer to the primary computer 120 This may include files for providing the primary computer with the communication or synchronization application 0040 As an alternative or addition step 240 may provide for the automatic transfer of files to enable the communica tion application or other programming resource on the pri mary computer Thus once no programming resource is detected step 240 may enable the automatic transfer as part of the second communication mode with or without the mobile device implementing other functionality such
2. or initiate the install process comes from a website 0078 Numerous other user interface features may alterna tively be presented based on design and implementation preferences 0079 System Architecture 0080 FIG 8 illustrates software or logic components of a system that may be implemented on a mobile computing device in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein In an embodiment system 800 includes a communi cation component 810 which implements any of the commu nication modes described with previous embodiments and which may control use of a physical port for use in establish ing the connection 115 see FIG 1 Mode implementation logic 812 may be provided or integrated with the communi cation component 810 0081 The system 800 may include a communication part nership or synchronization module 830 that includes a pro gram that forms a part of a communication platform with a corresponding program on the primary computer 120 Like wise system 800 may include a mass storage module 840 and a network modem module 860 Each of the synchronization module 830 mass storage module 840 and network modem 850 may be include or use a corresponding driver to enable the respective communication modes see FIG 5 The com munication module 810 may include a controller see FIG 5 to enable mode selection where one module is used in place of the driver With the selection of a module the driver for that module may b
3. the communication mode 101 is implemented responsive to the programmatic determina tion that the primary computer 120 has the programming resource corresponding to a synchronization and or commu nication application The first communication mode 101 may include a protocol by which data is exchanged or synchro nized between the two computers Likewise the second com munication mode 103 is implemented responsive to a pro grammatic determination that the programmatic resource is not present on the primary computer 120 The second com munication mode 103 may enable a primary or alternative functionality such as functionality to enable or facilitate transfer synchronization of application and or data files to and from the primary computer As another embodiment the second communication mode 103 may be default when the device is new or subjected to a hard reset see e g FIG 3A and FIG 3B As described below a switch amongst communi cation modes may be made programmatically i e responsive to events or conditions or manually including through manipulation of hardware or software input features 0033 Methodology 0034 Embodiments described herein contemplate mul tiple techniques or methods by which a system such as described with FIG 1 may be implemented to enable and provide a shared platform amongst a paired or coupled com puting device combination One or more embodiments pro vide that a mobile computing device is configured t
4. thus requiring two successive communication modes with the RNDIS connection being performed last ii prompt the user with a message to install a newer version of the programming resource through use of the memory resources of the mobile device or iii ignore the older version of that programming resource as if the programming resource was not present or iv scale down its corresponding communication program to be compatible with the program on the primary computer Other variations or functions may also be performed 0099 The primary computer may also include an operat ing system or other application that has native resources for equipping itself with the appropriate program to communi cate with the mobile device In such cases the mobile device may be configured to detect the presence of such functionality on the primary computer and may respond by disabling or preventing execution of the alternative communication mode and mass storage enabler 340 Such a delay enables the pri mary computer to equip itself with programming code that the mobile device is otherwise configured to detect The pri mary computer may use as its source its own library of programming code or it may access a web site where the desired programming resource can be installed In either case the installation may occur at the onset when the mobile device makes its initial connection to the primary computer 0100 Some embodiments described herein provide
5. a folder in the library resource 842 and to open or copy those files from the mobile device to the primary com puter or vice versa The files may include a set of instruc tions and or data that can be installed in part or whole to provide the desired programming resource on the primary computer 0085 As an alternative or variation the mass storage mod ule 840 may be configured to identify separate instances of a mass storage space on the memory resources 114 see FIG 1 of the device 100 The partitions that are identified by the instances may correspond to partitions formed in the memory resource 114 and or drive designations In one implementa tion the device 100 FIG 1 may be equipped with a card slot suchas for holding a MicroSD card The mass storage module 840 may be executable to display separate instances for each partition or drive For example the mass storage module 840 may execute to display a separate partition for the library resources 842 and for the storage card that is maintained in the device The user can then access and use files displayed through each partition 0086 Other modes of operation that may be provided from the system 800 include wireless network communica tion capabilities as provided from the network modem mod ule 840 0087 As detailed in an embodiment of FIG 6 the mass storage module 840 may be operative as default under certain conditions like when the device is just out of the box But
6. computer enables the computing device to establish the second communication mode to com municate with the primary computer In response to detecting that the primary computer has the program installed the computing device switches from the first communication mode to the second communication mode 0021 Among other benefits embodiments described herein enable elimination of independent media in the pack aging of mobile devices For example mobile devices are typically sold with CD ROM software installation programs and user manuals Such media adds bulk to the overall pack age Moreover users are compelled to install the CD ROM even when their computers are equipped with the necessary software thereby diminishing the out of the box experience Jul 30 2009 of the user In contrast to conventional approaches embodi ments described herein enable the user to simply connect the mobile device to the primary computer without the first time requirement of CD ROM operation or installation In this way the packaging and out of the box experience of the user is enhanced Moreover the user no longer needs to manually install software on separate computers using CD Roms or the like but rather can rely on the mobile device functionality 0022 As used herein the terms programmatic pro grammatically or variations thereof mean through execution of code programming or other logic A programmatic action may be performed with s
7. determines that the specific programming resource is provided on the primary computer the processor is configured to implement a first mode of communication with the primary com puter else the processor is configured to implement a second mode of communication with the primary computer the second mode of communication being different than the first mode of communication 22 The computing device of claim 21 wherein the proces sor is configured to enable a manual transfer of a file for providing or installing the specific programming resource from the computing device to the primary computer when the first mode of communication with the primary computer is implemented 23 The computing device of claim 21 wherein the proces sor is configured to enable at least a portion of a storage of the computing device to be used as a mass storage device on the primary computer when the first mode of communication with the primary computer is implemented 24 The computing device of claim 21 wherein the proces sor is configured to automatically transfer a file or data set corresponding to the specific programming resource from the computing device to the primary computer when the US 2009 0193155 Al first mode of communication with the primary computer is implemented 25 The computing device of claim 21 wherein the specific programming resource corresponds to an application for enabling synchronization and or transfer of data to or from
8. entirety TECHNICAL FIELD 0002 The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for implementing a shared platform or software resource for coupled computing devices BACKGROUND 0003 FIG 10 illustrates typical contents of the mobile device package as sold through retail outlets The package may include a mobile device 1010 a cable 1020 and a CD ROM or other storage media on which installation files and user manuals and other resources may be provided The user may install the CD ROM on a desktop or laptop computer i e a primary computer With use of the CD ROM the user may select language preference install software appli cation s necessary for communicating with the mobile device review the user manual preview or receive access to third party applications and receive support information BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0004 FIG 1 illustrates a system that enables communica tions between a mobile device and a primary computer according to an embodiment 0005 FIG 2 illustrates a programmatic method that may be implemented on the mobile device according to an embodiment 0006 FIG 3A and FIG 3B illustrate mode settings of the device under different conditions according to an embodi ment 0007 FIG 4 illustrates another method performed on the mobile device when the mobile device is first connected to the primary computer under an embodiment 0008 FIG 5 is a simplified block diagr
9. in many cases embodiments contemplate that the synchroniza tion mode is enabled when the mobile device is connected to the primary computer This may occur for example at each instance after the first instance of the user connecting the mobile device to a personal computer In the event that the user connects the mobile device to a new computer for example one or more embodiments provide that the system 800 is configured to detect the non presence of the synchro nization application or resource In one embodiment a detect component 820 may be linked to both the mass storage mod ule 840 and the synchronization module 830 The detect component 820 may monitor the synchronization module 830 when the device is in the synchronization mode and just connected to the personal computer Ifthe connected personal computer has the corresponding synchronization or commu nication application the synchronization module 830 may begin operations of its synchronization or communication applications If the personal computer does not have the cor responding synchronization or communication application then the synchronization module 830 may generate an error or otherwise not perform The detect component 820 may US 2009 0193155 Al detect this result from the synchronization module 830 and perform a programmatic mode switch to enable the mass storage module This enables auto installation of the desired programmatic resource to occur 0088 As an al
10. presence of another device In one embodiment the communication port 118 may be operated as a USB port With standard USB protocol the processor 112 may detect the presence of a computer such as the primary computer 120 0037 In step 220 the processor 112 executes or causes execution of a process that makes a determination as to whether a specific programming resource is present on the connected primary computer 120 As described with an embodiment of FIG 1 the specific programming resource may correspond to a communication and or synchronization application that controls enables or otherwise facilitates communications between the mobile device 100 and primary computer 120 In an embodiment processor 112 may execute logic or programming when a first time or configuration time connection is made with a primary computer The logic programming may seek to identify the primary computer 120 and or wait for the primary computer to initiate a form of communication In particular one embodiment may initiate with the false presumption that the i communication appli cation is installed on the primary computer 120 and ii be configured to detect a return communication in which the communication application which is presumed to be present seeks out a corresponding component on the mobile device If a duration passes where the communication application is not detected as accessing the corresponding component on the mobile device the de
11. servers Other examples of US 2009 0193155 Al computer storage mediums include portable storage units such as CD or DVD units flash memory such as carried on many cell phones and personal digital assistants PDAs and magnetic memory Computers terminals network enabled devices e g mobile devices such as cell phones are all examples of machines and devices that utilize processors memory and instructions stored on computer readable medi ums 0026 System Description 0027 FIG 1 illustrates a system for enabling communi cations between a mobile device 100 and a primary computer 120 according to an embodiment The mobile device 100 includes one or more processor s 112 a memory resource 114 and a communication port 118 that enables a connection to be made with a corresponding communication port 122 of the primary computer 120 The communication port 118 may correspond to either a wireless or wireline port such as pro vided with any of the different connectors and connections e g USB micro USB wireless USB defined under any one ofthe Universal Serial Bus standards While local wireless or wireline connections are contemplated an embodiment may provide for the mobile device 100 to establish for purpose of implementing any of the embodiments described herein a link with the primary computer that may be made wirelessly and or made across a network such as through a cellular network through infrared communications or
12. the computing device 26 The computing device of claim 21 wherein the proces sor is configured to establish a relationship for communicat Jul 30 2009 ing with the primary computer when the second mode of communication is implemented 27 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the proces sor is configured to automatically determine whether the spe cific programming resource is present on the primary computer
13. the primary computer 120 may respond by ceasing to recognize the mobile device 100 as a CD Rom drive and ceasing to run or use the autorun files One result may be that the primary computer 120 drops the display of the user interface 0068 On the mobile device One embodiment provides in step 650 that the mobile device s response to the dismount or switch command includes mounting a new driver or commu nication mode In the case where the controller 510 operates two drivers or otherwise provides two communication modes the switch may be to the only other communication mode present In an embodiment in which three of more communication modes are present other criteria or condi tions may rule as to whether which of the two or more other communication modes will be selected In one embodiment the controller 510 FIG 5 identifies which driver to use by interpreting the command from the primary computer 120 For example the controller may be configured to distinguish between different out of bound values that are contained in a command which may be structured under SCSI protocol In another embodiment the controller 510 FIG 5 selects the communication mode by a sequence 0069 The use of out of bound values in the commands may enable an embodiment to extend SCSI protocol to allow communication with the mobile device when the mobile device is emulating a CD Rom device Under a conventional use SCSI protocol would only enable simpl
14. the user perform one or more of i initiate or stop installation or i enable the user to signal a switch in the communication mode 10 The computing device of claim 9 wherein at least one ofthe autorun files include instructions that execute to signal the mobile device the switch in the communication mode 11 The computing device of claim 10 wherein the switch in the communication mode is signaled using an out of bounds command 12 The computing device of claim 6 wherein the second module is operable to execute an application on the comput ing device that requires the primary computer to execute a corresponding application in order to enable the computing device and the mobile device to exchange data and wherein the one or more installation files are executable on the pri mary computer to determine whether the primary computer includes the corresponding application as the designated pro grammatic resource 13 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the one or more modules include a third module that is operative in a third communication mode to be operative in enabling a sec ond alternative function 14 The computing device of claim 13 wherein the third module enables a network modem function 15 A method for operating a computing device the method comprising establishing one ofa first communication mode or a second mode to communicate with a primary computer that is coupled to the computing device across a communi
15. through WiFi or other radio based communications 0028 In one variation the communication port 118 includes a port that is capable of one or both of standardized and or proprietary protocols For example the port 118 may modify or provide one or more additional pins n its layout as compared to an otherwise standardized port 118 0029 Still further the mobile device 100 may correspond to a wireless communication device such as a cellular tele phony messaging device The primary computer 120 may correspond to a fully resourced computer system such as a desktop computer or laptop computer that includes a heavy operating system 0030 In an embodiment functionality described with a system such as shown by FIG 1 is implemented when the mobile device 100 or primary computer 120 do not know each other This may occur when for example the mobile device 100 is first connected to the primary computer 120 or just after when the mobile device is reset In such a scenario an embodiment provides that the processor 112 of the mobile device 100 is configured to implement different communica tion modes 101 103 in the connection 115 formed between the mobile device 100 and the primary computer 120 Each communication mode may incorporate or use a different communication protocol 0031 Still further the mobile device 100 may execute a process or provide a programmatic process that executes on the primary computer 120 that automa
16. 0 after for example being unpackaged i e brought out of its retail box operated from a default state or switched into the mass storage mode In this scenario step 610 as performed on the mobile device 100 and step 612 as performed on the primary computer 120 provide that the two computers handshake and establish a communication link under an established communication protocol e g USB The mobile device 100 emulates the CD Rom mass storage when the communication link is established 0061 Onthe mobile device 100 Following establishment of the communication link step 620 provides that the mobile device 100 enables the primary computer to access and use one or more autorun files that are provided on the mobile device 100 By emulating a CD Rom device the primary computer 120 may be triggered to automatically access and launch or use the autorun files In one embodiment the mobile device 100 may include one kind of autorun files for initiating installation of the synchronization application or platform and another kind of autorun in which a user inter face is generated from instruction provided on the CD Rom 0062 On the primary computer 120 In step 622 the pri mary computer executes or launches the autorun programs and files This includes initiating installation of the synchro nization program and launching a user interface As described with for example an embodiment of FIG 4 an embodiment provides that the instal
17. 0 and the primary computer 120 perform steps of the newly established communication mode For the synchroni zation mode this may correspond to the two computers syn chronizing or sharing files For the modem mode this may correspond to the mobile device 100 acting establishing a wireless link over a cellular or other wireless network The operations required for the newly switched mode may be performed automatically once the user provides the com mand to switch modes using the user interface 0072 User Interface 0073 FIG 7 illustrates a user interface 700 for use with one or more embodiments described In one embodiment the user interface 700 may be generated on the primary computer 120 using files that are read from the mobile device 100 when the mobile device is in the mass storage mode As such the user interface 700 may result from the primary computer 120 being triggered with the autorun program The user interface 700 may include one or more features that enable user inter action The features include for example icon selections check boxes menu items or other features that enable the user to make selections and enter other input 0074 According to anembodiment the user interface 700 includes a first feature 710 to enable the user to switch com munication modes As detailed with an embodiment of FIG 6 the user input may be translated into a command that is communicated back to the primary computer 120 0075 An embod
18. 100 120 Handshake Connect Handshake Connect Present As Mass Storage Recognize As Mass Storage Device CD Rom Device CD Rom 610 612 Provide Autorun Run Autorun File s Launch Ul Ul install Initiate Perform Install 620 622 Process UI Input Transmit User Input to Switch Modes 630 Monitor For Driver Dismount Command 632 Dismount Mass Storage Device Driver 640 Remove User Interface 642 Recognize and Communicate With Sync Driver 652 Load Sync or Alternative Driver 650 FIG 6 Patent Application Publication Jul 30 2009 Sheet 4 of 5 US 2009 0193155 A1 User Interface 700 Welcome Screen FIG 7 Detect Component 820 Communication Install 210 Library 842 User Modem Interface Module 850 840 FIG 8 Patent Application Publication Jul 30 2009 Sheet 5 of 5 US 2009 0193155 A1 Processor 910 Display 940 Windows Mobile Getting Started CD USB sync cable Palm Treo 500 1030 smartphone 1020 1010 FIG 10 US 2009 0193155 Al SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING A SHARED PLATFORM OR SOFTWARE RESOURCE FOR COUPLED COMPUTING DEVICES RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 This application claims benefit of priority to provi sional U S Patent Application No 61 024 541 filed Jan 29 2008 the aforementioned priority application being hereby incorporated by reference in its
19. 3 and FIG 4 According to an embodiment the device 100 includes a controller 510 that implements the communi cation mode that the device performs across its communica tion port 118 The controller 510 may implement at least two modes of communication For example as described with an embodiment of FIG 4 controller 510 may implement i a mass storage mode in which the controller 510 loads the mass storage driver 520 so as to emulate a mass storage device i e CD Rom to the connected primary computer 120 and ii a synchronization mode in which the controller 510 uses another driver 530 in communicating with one or more other applications on the mobile device to exchange and synchro nize records with one or more corresponding records on the mobile device 0057 As an option or alternative an embodiment provides that the controller 510 may implement three of more commu nication modes across the communication port 118 In one embodiment for example the controller 510 may implement a modem mode by loading or using another driver 530 in which wireless communication capabilities of the mobile device 100 are extended to the primary computer 120 One or more additional modes 540 of communication may also be implemented 0058 According to one embodiment the controller 510 switches modes based on the occurrence of a condition or event For example the controller 510 may be configured to implement the mass storage mode 520 when the devic
20. 5 Al need ofa separate media to carry software needed to establish the partnership and communication activity Rather embodi ments described herein enable the mobile device to simulate a CD ROM or other media that would otherwise carry pro grams such as executable files for the primary computer The mobile device may be configured to i provide or execute processes that detect the presence of the necessary software on the primary computer ii enable or cause installation of the necessary software when the necessary software is not detected as being present and iii implement different com munication modes and functionality when communicating with the primary computer depending on whether the pri mary computer is determined to have the necessary software Under one embodiment the mobile device is able to be seen as a CD ROM or independent media for enabling installation on or use of the necessary software to the primary computer but only if the mobile device determines that the necessary software is not present on the primary computer Depending on the implementation the installation files may be trans ferred from the mobile device or the mobile device may direct the primary computer to access the files from a website or other network location When the necessary software is in fact present on the primary computer the mobile device may suppress its CD ROM mass storage functionality and simply communicate with that software 001
21. 9 Still further one or more embodiments include a computing device comprising a communication port memory resources and one or more processors The one or more processors are configured to combine with the memory resources to operate one or more of the plurality of modules The plurality of modules are operative in order to handle exchange of communications with a primary computer over the communication port The one or more modules include a first module that is operative in a first communication mode in enabling exchange of communications with the primary com puter over the communication port The exchange of commu nications causes the primary computer to access and execute one or more autorun files from the computing device The one or more modules may also include a second module that is operative in a second communication mode to be operative in enabling an alternative function to be performed with or for the primary computer over the communication port 0020 Additionally one or more embodiments provide for establishing one of a first communication mode or a second mode to communicate with a primary computer that is coupled to the computing device across a communication port When the first communication mode is established the primary computer may be triggered to access and autorun one or more files that are stored on the mobile device The one or more files include an installation file for a program that when operated on the primary
22. US 20090193155A1 a2 Patent Application Publication o Pub No US 2009 0193155 A1 as United States Skillman et al 43 Pub Date Jul 30 2009 54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING A SHARED PLATFORM OR SOFTWARE RESOURCE FOR COUPLED COMPUTING DEVICES 76 Inventors Peter Skillman San Carlos CA US Kevin Michael O Shaughnessy Galway IE Sung ho Park Santa Clara CA US Correspondence Address SHEMWELL MAHAMEDI LLP 4880 STEVENS CREEK BOULEVARD SUITE 201 SAN JOSE CA 95129 1034 US 21 Appl No 12 152 656 22 Filed May 14 2008 Related U S Application Data 60 Provisional application No 61 024 541 filed on Jan 29 2008 Mobile Device 100 Processor 112 Publication Classification 51 Int Cl GO6F 3 00 2006 01 GPP WS Oaie tati tico ta iad 710 14 57 ABSTRACT A computing device includes a communication port memory resources and one or more processors The one or more processors are configured to combine with the memory resources to operate one or more of the plurality of modules The plurality of modules are operative in order to handle exchange of communications with a primary computer over the communication port The one or more modules include a first module that is operative ina first communication mode in enabling exchange of communications with the primary com puter over the communication port The exchange of commu nications causes the primary compu
23. age mode 310 may be ofa CD Rom variant which under existing conventions triggers the oper ating system of the mated primary computer 120 to run a program or set of instructions supplied from the device Thus as an alternative to a mass storage CD Rom mode another embodiment provides that the mobile device 100 emulates a device that triggers the primary computer 120 to perform an autorun of a programmatic resource stored on or from the mobile device 100 In such an embodiment the primary com puter 120 may be pre configured to use drivers or operating level resources to load and execute one or more applications and interfaces from an attached device 0044 When two modes of communication are provided an embodiment may require the mobile device 100 to have default mode settings In particular the mobile device 100 may have default mode settings for an out of the box OOB configuration state e g such as when the device is used for the first time after purchase or after hard reset state In FIG 3A the device is shown having the OOB configura tion state in which the mass storage mode 310 is default In one embodiment the OOB configuration state sets the device to the mass storage device mode set as default In this mode the mobile device 100 mounts the mass storage device driver to the communication port of the mobile device 100 until an event or condition causes that driver to be dismounted in favor of the altern
24. al communications across a data bus of two USB ports An example of such is SCSI signals which may be used as a means of communication between an application running on the primary computer and the device USB client driver directly by means of an embed ded or unsupported command In order to be received and interpreted as an out of mode command one or more embodiments provide that the primary computer s execution of the autorun files for the user interface cause the primary computer to generate command instructions that have the overall structure of in mode commands i e they have head ers and data structures that are established by the communi cation protocol e g SCSI The primary computer 120 may inherently include the capability to communicate the com mand in the standardized format using for example stan dardized drivers that are normally provided with the comput er s operating system However the commands carry out of bound values that trigger the controller 510 rather than the mass storage driver For example the mass storage driver may pause or not process the out of bound command value thus triggering the controller 510 to respond to the command 0066 On the mobile device 100 Step 640 provides that response to the command with the out of bound value may be that the controller 510 switches communication modes First in step 640 the mobile device dismounts the mass storage driver 520 0067 Step 642 provides that
25. am of logical ele ments of the mobile device for enabling the alternative com munication modes such as described with embodiments of FIG 3 and FIG 4 0009 FIG 6 is a flow diagram that illustrates sequences of operations performed by a mobile device and a primary com puter when the mobile device is connected under the mass storage drive under an embodiment 0010 FIG 7 illustrates a user interface 700 for use with one or more embodiments described 0011 FIG 8 illustrates software or logic components of a system that may be implemented on a mobile computing device in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein 0012 FIG 9 illustrates software or logic components of a system that may be implemented on a mobile computing device in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein Jul 30 2009 0013 FIG 10 illustrates typical contents of the mobile device package as sold through retail outlets under the prior art DETAILED DESCRIPTION 0014 Embodiments described herein enable implementa tion ofa shared platform or software resource amongst paired or coupled computing devices In particular an embodiment provides that a mobile device is equipped with drivers or other resources to enable programmatic detection as to whether a programmatic resource is present on the primary computer In one implementation the programmatic resource may include software that enables or otherwise facilitates the m
26. as declaring itself as mass storage 0041 Still further as another option an embodiment pro vides that the mobile device 100 enables the user to control further the selection and use of the particular communication mode after the processor of the device implements the first mode In one embodiment subsequent to step 230 where the communication mode uses the detected resource on the pri mary computer 100 the mobile device provides instructions or otherwise prompts the primary computer 120 into enabling the user to select to switch functionality and or communica tion modes For example if in the first communication mode the mobile device 100 and the primary computer 120 are exchanging communications as part of a partnership step 250 provides that the user is shown either on the primary com puter or on the mobile device a user interface that enables the user to switch communication modes and functionality pro vided by the mobile device Under one embodiment the user may select i to switch to the second communication mode where the mobile device is seen by the primary computer as a mass storage device e g dismount first communication mode connection and mount new communication mode con nection or ii to switch to a third communication mode such as one where the mobile device 100 is used by the primary computer 120 as a modem for Internet browsing 0042 As an alternative or additional embodiment to a methodology such as de
27. ative synchronization or communication driver Such an event of condition may correspond to for example user action 312 or the passage of time or the first instance that the mobile device 100 is coupled to the primary computer 120 0045 According to an embodiment the OOB condition may also be representative of a condition of the device just after a hard reset In the OOB condition the device may have a setting that establishes as default that the mode setting is to emulate the CD Rom drive 0046 FIG 3B illustrates the scenario where the mobile device 100 is no longer in the out of box state In such sce nario the default setting may switch in that the communica tion mode 320 may be enabled The device may still be configured to do a mode switch 315 where it switches back to the mass storage mode 310 in response to for example user action or programmatic detection of a need for the alternative mode e g device detects a new computer pairing In one embodiment mode switching may be implemented by the user operating a user interface feature see FIG 7 presented on the primary computer 120 but originating from the mobile device 100 when the two devices are connected 0047 With reference to an embodiment of FIG 3A and FIG 3B when the mobile device 100 is operated in the mass storage device mode the mobile device may execute or cause the primary computer 120 to execute a process that i checks existing installation resourc
28. bile device may serve a third function for the primary computer Internet connection sharing In this mode of opera tion the mobile device may use its wireless resources to provide wireless modem functionality for the primary com puter One more embodiments provide that the user may elect to switch to such a third communication mode while another communication mode is active The user may enter input for making the switch using the user interface 350 For example the user may cease synchronization using synchronization component 330 and initiate the Internet connection sharing 0098 Still further while embodiments described above provide that the detection component 320 or other program matic element is capable of detecting a specific program ming resource such as a synchronization on communication program on the primary computer one amore embodiments further provide that the detection component is configured to detect and handle a type or version of the programming resource rather than just mere presence of the programming resource For example if the primary computer hosts a com US 2009 0193155 Al munication or synchronization program that is of an older version the mobile device may perform functions that include one of the following i automatically update the older version of the programming resource on the primary computer and then perform the communication or synchro nization using the corresponding communication mode
29. ca tion port when the first communication mode is established trigger ing the primary computer to access and autorun one or more files that are stored on the mobile device wherein the one or more files include an installation file for a program that when operated on the primary computer enables the computing device to establish the second communication mode to communicate with the primary computer in response to detecting that the primary computer has the program installed switching from the first communica tion mode to the second communication mode 16 The method of claim 15 wherein triggering the primary computer to access and autorun one or more files includes operating the mobile device to emulate a device that triggers inherent functionality in the primary computer to seek and run one or more files on the mobile device 17 The method of claim 16 wherein triggering the primary computer includes operating the mobile device to emulate a CD Rom drive or device 18 The method of claim 17 wherein triggering the primary computer to access and autorun one or more files that are stored on the mobile device includes causing the primary computer to initiate an installation of a synchronization program for use in syn Jul 30 2009 chronizing records on the mobile device when the mobile device is connected and communicating with the primary computer in the second communication mode and switching from the first communicatio
30. ch as contact records management calendar applications tasks lists image or video media capture and other functionality Other examples include devices that provide audio and or video playback or Global Positioning Services GPS as pri mary or enabled functions Mobile computing devices in par ticular may have numerous types of input mechanisms and user interface features such as keyboards or keypads multi directional or navigation buttons application or action but tons and contact or touch sensitive display screens Specific types of messaging that may be performed includes messag ing for email applications Short Message Service SMS messages Multimedia Message Service MMS messages and proprietary voice exchange applications such as SKYPE Still further other types of computing device con templated with embodiments described herein include laptop or notebook computers ultra mobile computers personal digital assistants and other multi functional computing devices 0092 The device 900 includes one or more processors 910 memory resources 920 one or more communication ports 930 a display assembly 940 and one or more mechani cal input features not shown The processor 910 may pro vide the processing resource to enable any of the communi cation modes or modules for enabling the communication modes as described with an embodiment of FIG 8 as well to enable from the mobile device the transfer of data or instructi
31. corresponding application executing on the primary computer 6 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the first mod ule is configured to provide one or more installation files as at least one of the autorun files wherein when the first module is operating in the first communication mode the one or more installation files are transferrable to the primary computer and executable on the primary computer to initiate a process that determines whether the primary computer includes a desig nated programmatic resource 7 The computing device of claim 6 wherein the one or more installation files are executable to i cause the primary computer to skip installation if the process determines that the primary computer includes the designated programmatic resource or ii cause the primary computer to complete US 2009 0193155 Al installation if the process determines that the primary com puter does not include the designated programmatic resource 8 The computing device of claim 7 wherein the one or more installation files are executable to cause the primary computer to complete installation by accessing a network location to download one or more files 9 The computing device of claim 7 wherein the first mod ule is configured to transfer instructions to the primary com puter for generating a user interface as at least one of the autorun files wherein the instructions for the user interface are executable on the primary computer to enable
32. e commands to be exchanged between an application on the primary computer and a connected disk drive In an embodiment such as described however the mobile device may benefit from inter preting a return command from the primary computer as an instruction to perform some operation such as amode switch To make or facilitate interpretation of command on the mobile device the out of bound values may be used in an SCSI structured command to trigger or cause the mobile device e g through its controller aware of for example the user input or some other event that occurs on the primary computer Thus the out of bound SCSI type commands may Jul 30 2009 enable the primary computer to communicate with the mobile device as a standard CD Rom device while enabling the mobile device to interpret the commands from the primary computer in ways that extend outside of the mass storage mode e g mode switch 0070 On the primary computer 120 As a result of the autorun installation process or its existing resources the pri mary computer 120 is equipped with the necessary program to execute the program or platform needed for use with the mobile device s other communication modes Step 652 pro vides that the primary computer 120 handshakes and estab lishes a connection with the mobile device 100 that uses the platform or shared resource of the alternative communication mode 0071 Steps 660 and 662 provide that each of the mobile device 10
33. e is in an out of the box state With an event such as provided by user input or by completion of a method such as described with FIG 4 the device may switch modes into another of the modes For example as described with an embodiment of FIG 7 the mobile device 100 may be configured to launch or enable execution of a user interface from which the user can specify instructs or commands that switch the communica tion mode that is present 0059 FIG 6 is a flow diagram that illustrates sequences of operations performed by a mobile device 100 and the primary computer 120 when the mobile device is connected under the Jul 30 2009 mass storage drive mode and then switched to the synchroni zation mode under an embodiment of the invention Refer ence may be made to elements described in other figures in order to illustrate suitable components or elements for per forming an operation being described An embodiment of FIG 6 suggests a sequence of steps that may be followed by the mobile device 100 see FIG 1 and the primary computer 120 see FIG 1 However other embodiments may vary or alter the sequence use other steps described elsewhere in this application or omit one or more steps being described 0060 Initially an embodiment described with FIG 6 assumes that the mobile device 100 has the mass storage driver mounted for use with its communication port 118 Thus the mobile device 100 may be coupled to the primary computer 12
34. e mounted onto to the communication port 0082 Additionally the communication component 810 may execute and enable data communications between the mobile device and the primary computer using data or instructions provided by any of the modules When the syn chronization mode is selected the driver of the synchroniza tion module 830 is mounted to the communication port of the device and one or more synchronization or data sharing applications are executed that communicate with counterpart programs on the primary computer 120 not shown in FIG 8 to enable synchronization of files and sharing of data amongst the two computers In particular one or more embodiments provide that the synchronization program 830 is executed in connection with a corresponding communication mode being implemented by the communication application 810 This mode may correspond to the first communication mode 101 e g RNDIS made across the connection 115 as described with an embodiment of FIG 1 or FIG 2 0083 When in mass storage mode the mass storage mod ule 840 identifies enables the autorun applications which include the user interface files 850 In one embodiment the user on the primary computer not shown can operate of the generated user interface 700 see FIG 7 that includes any one or more features which enable the user to 1 select to have the communication synchronization program or application installed ii switch modes As mentioned one o
35. e one or more modules include a first module that is operative in a first communication mode in enabling exchange of communications with the primary computer over the communication port wherein the exchange of communications causes the primary com puter to access and execute one or more autorun files from the computing device wherein the one or more modules include a second module that is operative in a second communication mode to be operative in enabling an alternative function to be per formed with or for the primary computer over the com munication port 2 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors enable only one of the first or second com munication modes to be in place at a given instance 3 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the first mod ule is configured to trigger the primary computer to automati cally access and run one or more files on the mobile device 4 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the first mod ule includes a mass storage driver that enables the first mod ule to be recognized as a CD Rom device to the primary computer when the computing device is connected to the primary computer in the first communication mode 5 The computing device of claim 1 wherein the second module includes a synchronization module that includes an application that executes when the computing device is con nected to the primary computer in the second communication mode to exchange data with a
36. es on the primary computer ii provides installation resources for the primary computer as needed As will be described the primary computer 120 may be checked for existence of any application or resource that constitutes for example the communication platform with the mobile device 100 including determination of whether older or alternative versions of the communication platform exist 0048 FIG 4 illustrates another method performed on the mobile device when the mobile device is first connected to the primary computer under an embodiment In an embodiment such as described the mobile device is capable of emulating Jul 30 2009 devices that enable the communication modes such as described with embodiments of FIG 3A and FIG 3B This allows for the mobile device to provide control or otherwise serve as a source for installation of software onto the primary computer As with other embodiments reference may be made to elements described with other figures in order to specify or illustrate a suitable element for performing a step or sub step of a method being described 0049 Step 410 provides that the device is configured to communicate with the primary computer 120 in the mass storage mode This mode may be implemented when the mass storage driver is mounted to the communication port 118 The mass storage driver may be of a species or kind that triggers or otherwise causes the primary computer 120 to autorun a corresponding appl
37. escribed herein to extend to individual elements and concepts described herein independently of other concepts ideas or system as well as for embodiments to include combinations of elements recited anywhere in this application Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings it is to be understood that the invention is not Jul 30 2009 limited to those precise embodiments As such many modi fications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art Accordingly it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents Furthermore it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodi ment can be combined with other individually described fea tures or parts of other embodiments even ifthe other features and embodiments make no mentioned of the particular fea ture This the absence of describing combinations should not preclude the inventor from claiming rights to such combina tions What is claimed is 1 A computing device comprising a communication port memory resources one or more processors that combine with the memory resources to operate any one of a plurality of modules the plurality of modules being operative in order to handle exchange of communications with a primary computer over the communication port wherein th
38. for use of out of bound values in structured standardized com mands such as provided by SCSI As an extension of such embodiments one or more embodiments may use out of bound values in such commands from more complex or struc tured purposes For example the primary computer 120 FIG 1 may enable multiple modes of communications to be selected from the user interface 700 by use of such com mands or command values In one embodiment for example the command values may be distinguishable so as to be inter pretable by the mobile device for different tasks or operations As another example rather than enabling a standard install routine or process the mobile device 100 FIG 1 may signal the primary computer 120 instructions for execution that enable the two devices to engage in a multi step setup proto col In such a protocol the user may make choices in the installation provide configuration data and or make other decisions through operation of the user interface 700 see FIG 7 The inputs from the user may be translated into different out of bound values structured through for example SCSI protocol and communicated and interpreted on the mobile device In this way the primary computer sees and communicates with the mobile device as a CD Rom drive while the mobile device 100 is able to respond to certain conditions or inputs from the user that are made on the pri mary computer 0101 It is contemplated for embodiments d
39. ication on the mobile device 100 In one implementation the mass storage driver corresponds to a CD Rom driver which under conventional operating systems e g WINDOWS based systems are recognizeable to trigger the autorun event However other implementations may use other autorun drivers such as those that may be standardized or pre configured for recognition in the operating system of the primary computer In one embodiment step 410 may be implemented by default for when the device is first turned on or used Subsequent to the out of the box scenario step 410 may be performed when the user selects the mass storage driver to be active on the communication port 118 0050 Once the user initially connects the mobile device 100 to the primary computer 120 step 420 provides that the primary computer 120 is detected on the communication port 118 For example the user may extend a USB or Firewire bus line by connecting corresponding USB connectors to the mobile device 100 and the primary computer 120 0051 In step 430 the primary computer 120 detects the mobile device 100 as a CD Rom or other autorun type device and responds by automatically autorunning the cor responding application that is provided from the mobile device 100 The operating system of the primary computer 120 may include inherent functionality to recognize the CD Rom driver and autorun the corresponding application resid ing on the mobile device 100 0052 I
40. iment may perform the install at the ini tiation of the user Accordingly a second feature 720 may be provided to enable the user to select as input the option to have the install performed For example after a determination that a synchronization program or platform is not present a menu option may be presented to the user to enable the user to have the program 0076 The user interface 700 may include numerous other features including features for enabling access to web resources or assistance Web resource features may trigger the primary computer 120 to access a corresponding web site to enable the user to view materials or download As an alterna tive the web resource features may enable automatic down loads For example a user manual feature 732 may enable the user to operate the user interface 700 to access the user manual either off the mobile device 100 or from a web site Likewise registration 734 or help features 736 may enable the user to access for example specific web sites or locations where the user may perform additional steps 0077 While some embodiments described provide that instructions for installing the synchronization programs arrive from the mobile device 100 one or more embodiments provide that some or all of the instructions required to enable US 2009 0193155 Al the install come from a web site Still further one or more embodiments contemplate that authorization or verification to perform an install
41. lation of the synchroni zation program may be terminated prematurely in response to the installation process making a determination that the pro gram already exists on the primary computer 120 Alterna tively the installation process may be completed in response to the installation process making the determination that the program did not exist or existed as an outdated version 0063 On the primary computer In step 630 the primary computer 120 may receive and process input from user inter action with the displayed user interface The input may cor respond to a command from the user to switch modes The primary computer 120 may transmit the command to the mobile device 100 The command may be provided in part using the established protocol on the communication port 0064 On the mobile device 100 In Step 632 the control ler 510 see FIG 5 listens or monitors the communication port 118 on the mobile device 100 for commands that are instructs from the user to switch communication modes 0065 With regard to steps 630 and 632 the commands that are communicated from the primary computer 120 may include out of mode commands The out of mode commands may include the instruct that is generated in response to the user specifying input to change modes In particular one or more embodiments provide for modifying or embedding a command protocol within existing standardized communica US 2009 0193155 Al tion protocols that are used to sign
42. n mode to the sec ond communication mode includes synchronizing one or more sets of records on the mobile device with cor responding records on the primary computer 19 A method for operating a computing device the method comprising enabling each of a mass storage mode and a synchroniza tion mode for communicating with a primary computer that is coupled to the computing device across a com munication port initially connecting or attempting to connect to the pri mary computer using the synchronization mode determining that the mobile device is unable to connect or maintain connection to the primary computer using the synchronization mode switching to the mass storage mode while remaining con nected to the primary computer so as to trigger the primary computer to access and run one or more pro grams for communicating with the mobile device in the synchronization mode 20 The method of claim 19 wherein switching to the mass storage mode includes emulating a CD Rom drive to the primary computer so as to trigger the primary computer to autorun one or more files on the mobile device 21 A computing device comprising a communication port a processor that is configured to detect a connection with a primary computer over the communication port once the connection with the primary computer is detected determine whether a specific programming resource is provided on the primary computer wherein if the processor
43. n one embodiment the primary computer auto matically initiates the autorun installation process at every instance that the primary computer 120 is connected to the mobile device 100 when the mobile device emulates the mass storage device i e when the mass storage driver is mounted onto the communication port 118 Functionality for detect ing the version and or presence of the application being installed may be integrated into the application installation process For example the application that is to be autorun may include or be incorporated with functionality that detects on the installing device whether the program that is being installed is already present Under one embodiment the auto run application may correspond to an installation program for a synchronization or data sharing application Once the instal lation process is initiated code or instructions provided with the autorun application may implement a operation that iden tifies whether the application exists on the primary computer 120 In one implementation the version of the existing appli cation may also be determined 0053 The installation process may then determine whether installation is required in step 435 The installation process may determine whether to perform a partial or full installation upon detecting that the desired program is not present or present under outdated version If the determina US 2009 0193155 Al tion is that a partial or full installa
44. o emulate multiple kinds of devices to a paired primary computer for purpose of enabling i installation of a communication plat form application on the primary computer as needed ii use of the communication platform application with the pri mary computer and or iii use of some other programmatic resource or application with the primary computer 0035 With reference to FIG 2 an embodiment provides a computer implemented method in which a mobile computing device is configured to be able to switch into a mode by which an installation source is emulated A computer implemented method such as described may be performed through execu tion of code or software on the mobile device 100 and or primary computer 120 According to an embodiment method such as described may enable the mobile device to emulate or otherwise operate as a mass storage device for use in install ing resources or other software onto a primary computer according to an embodiment The device may emulate such an installation source by detecting first time installation or pairing In describing a method of FIG 2 reference is made to elements of FIG 1 for purpose of illustrating suitable elements for performing a step or sub step being described 0036 In a step 210 processor 112 of the mobile device 100 detects the connection with the primary computer 120 In US 2009 0193155 Al one embodiment the mobile device 120 monitors a commu nication port to detect
45. obile device and the primary computer in being paired sharing an integrated platform or otherwise sharing synchro nizing data 0015 An embodiment further provides for establishing a communication platform or software resource for the pairing of a mobile computing device and primary computer where the mobile computing device has the added ability to emulate more than one type of device for purpose of triggering actions on the primary computer to cause or affect installation of the desired programmatic resource Instructions for the installa tion may be carried on the mobile device As an alternative or addition the mobile device may trigger or assist the primary computer in downloading the instructions from a website In this way mobile device may serve as a source for the instal lation of the platform or software resource on the primary computer as necessary 0016 Additionally one or more embodiments described herein enable a mobile device to be equipped with logic and programming to enable the device to simulate storage media from which a primary computer may be configured to operate in a partnership or synchronization capacity with the mobile device In general the mobile device may refer to a wireless cellular voice and messaging device The primary computer may correspond to a desktop or laptop computer 0017 According to an embodiment a mobile device is configured to include logic and programming for use with a primary compu
46. oftware firmware or hardware and generally without user intervention albeit not necessarily automatically as the action may be manually triggered 0023 One or more embodiments described herein may be implemented using programmatic elements often referred to as modules or components although other names may be used Such programmatic elements may include a program a subroutine a portion of a program or a software component ora hardware component capable of performing one or more stated tasks or functions As used herein a module or com ponent can exist on a hardware component independently of other modules components or a module component can be a shared element or process of other modules components pro grams or machines A module or component may reside on one machine such as on a client or on a server or a module component may be distributed amongst multiple machines such as on multiple clients or server machines Any system described may be implemented in whole or in part ona server or as part of a network service Alternatively a system such as described herein may be implemented on a local computer or terminal in whole or in part In either case implementation of system provided for in this application may require use of memory processors and network resources including data ports and signal lines optical electrical etc unless stated otherwise 0024 Embodiments described herein generally require the use of comp
47. ons to enable the primary computer to run the autorun applications or generate the user interface As an alternative or addition one or more embodiments further provide for the display 940 of the device to generate or provide a version of the user interface such as described with one or more other embodiments Sill further one variation provides that display assembly 940 is touch or contact sensitive to enable any of Jul 30 2009 the user inputs described with other embodiments to be made directly onto the mobile device 0093 The one or more communication ports may include wireless or wireline ports An embodiment such as described with FIG 1 through FIG 8 may be executed through for example a wireless micro USB port although other stan dardized and non standardized communication ports may be used Alternatively embodiment such as described with FIG 1 through FIG 8 may be implemented using wireless com munication ports including local wireless communication ports such as provided by BLUETOOTH standards Wireless Fidelity 802 11 b or g or cellular networks More specifi cally the mobile device may include one or more wireless communication port 930 to provide wireless connectivity ofa particular type or types for purpose of carrying out any one or more type of wireless operations For example the com munication port 930 may correspond to a WAN radio module for sending and receiving cellular voice data a local wireles
48. r more embodiments provide that the mass storage module may pro cess return commands that include out of bound values to signal mode switch or other user input The user may select from the generated user interface to have the installation performed for the communication or synchronization pro gram As an alternative or addition the mass storage module may be configured to launch an installation process automati cally on the primary computer The installation process may Jul 30 2009 then detect and stop existence of the application that is to be installed If no such detection occurs the installation process may perform the installation process to completion 0084 In one embodiment the mass storage module 840 enables the files of the library resource 842 to be read so as to emulate a CD Rom device The library resource 842 provide aselection of files on the memory of the mobile device for use in this mode of communication The files may be hidden or located away from the normal area of user interaction in the device memory As an addition or alternative the mass stor age enabler 840 may enable files to be written or copied onto the primary computer An embodiment provides that once the image of content from the library resource is generated the mass storage module 840 executes to provide the personal computer s user access to the library resource 842 on the mobile device In this way the user is enabled to view the contents of
49. s communication port such as Bluetooth or wireless USB an infrared port a Global Positioning System radio or a WiMAX radio 0094 The memory resources 920 may include Flash memory Random Access Memory and or persistent memory i e ROM The memory resources 920 include instructions and data for implementing functionality and programmatic actions such as provided with any of the embodiments described Additionally the memory resources 920 may carry databases or data stores of records that contain active data items such as described above for synchronization or com munication and or enable actions on such data items of sav ing the data items 0095 In one embodiment some or all of the functionality provided from the mobile device 900 such as the mass stor age module 840 or its autorun programs are partitioned on the device so as to be sealed or in the ROM of the device Still further some or all of the functionality provided from the mobile device 900 may be secured from user access by secu rity features such as through the use of hidden files 0096 Alternative and Variations 0097 With reference to an embodiment of FIG 3 numer ous alternatives or variations are described herein As an addition or variation while some embodiments described above provide for use of two communication modes and corresponding functionality one more embodiments provide the use of three of more communication modes For example the mo
50. scribed with FIG 2 one or more embodiments provide that the mobile device 100 is config ured to integrate and leverage the operating system of the personal computer in order to provide its own functionality In particular one or more embodiments provide that the mobile device 100 is configured to emulate a CD Rom drive to the primary computer 120 in order to trigger the operating system of the primary computer 120 to perform a specific set of anticipated functions Such emulation enables the mobile device 100 to perform desired tasks and functions under established frameworks and protocols so that the mobile device 100 is capable of equipping or enabling the equipment of the primary computer 120 with programmatic resources for use with communications with the mobile computing device Accordingly the mobile device 100 is able to cause execution on the primary computer of an application or set of instructions that enable one or more of the following i initiate and or complete program installation ii launch user interface and iii switch modes of operation with the primary computer when triggered 0043 With reference to FIG 3A and FIG 3B the mode settings of the device are illustrated under different condi tions In an embodiment the mobile device 100 is capable of at least two mode settings i mass storage mode 310 and US 2009 0193155 Al ii synchronization or communications mode 320 As will be described the mass stor
51. ter The logic or programming may eliminate the need for inclusion of a separate installation CD ROM or media in the packaging of the device as a product Among other functionality the logic and programming provided on the mobile device may be executed either on the mobile device or on the primary computer to detect whether a con nected primary computer has necessary software for creating a communication partnership with the mobile device More over an embodiment provides that the programming and logic carry software or instructions to enable the primary computer either through manual operation or automatically to be equipped with the necessary software if the determina tion is made that the software is not present In one embodi ment the user may transfer the files to the primary computer from the mobile device Other variations are possible such as the mobile device prompting or directing the primary com puter to access an Internet location e g supply URL that is used by a browser on the primary computer where the file is available for download Programming that can be detected and or transferred from the mobile device may include com munication software that enables the primary computer and mobile computing device to synchronize and share data 0018 Still further one or more embodiments described herein enable a mobile device to establish a partnership for communication activity with a primary computer without US 2009 019315
52. ter to access and execute one or more autorun files from the computing device The one or more modules may also include a second module that is operative in a second communication mode to be operative in enabling an alternative function to be performed with or for the primary computer over the communication port Primary Computer 120 Mode101 Mode 103 Connection 115 Patent Application Publication Jul 30 2009 Sheet 1 of 5 US 2009 0193155 A1 Prima Computer 120 Mode101 Mode 103 Processor 112 Connection 115 FIG 1 Detect Connection With Primary Computer 210 Determine Whether Programming Resource is Present on Primary Computer 220 Implement First Communication Mode That Uses Programming Resource From Mobile Device 230 Enable Second Communication Mode 240 FIG 2 Display User Interface 250 Patent Application Publication Jul 30 2009 Sheet 2 of 5 US 2009 0193155 A1 320 312 torage Connect k 310 i he ov FIG 3A Driver Is Mounted For Communication Port To Enable Default Mass Storage Mode 410 Primary Computer Is Detected 420 Run Autorun 430 Install Required 435 Skip Install Perform Install 450 440 Load Driver to Enable Other Mode 460 FIG 4 Patent Application Publication Jul 30 2009 Sheet 3 of 5 US 2009 0193155 A1 Device Controller 510 Modem other 540 Handheld Device Primary Computer
53. termination may be made that the com munication application is not present on the primary com puter 120 As an alternative or variation the processor 112 may execute or cause execution of a process that seeks to identify specific or non specific software components or applications are associated with the communication port in use on the primary computer 120 In one implementation an application on the mobile device may seek to receive or exchange preliminary data with a corresponding component on the primary computer 120 The initial data exchange or attempt thereof may determine as to whether i the sought out communication program or programming is present on the primary computer ii the sought out communication program or programming is not present or is incompatible or iii the sought out communication program is present as a prior or incompatible version to the corresponding program ming element on the mobile device 0038 Ifthe application or other programming resource is detected in step 220 step 230 provides that the mobile device 100 implements a first communication mode that involves use of the detected resource on the primary computer 120 and or its corresponding programming element on the mobile device The first communication mode may for example 1 implement and use a specific data transfer protocol with the primary computer and ii use or be controlled by the detected communication application The first communica
54. ternative or addition the user interface mod ule 850 may be launched from more than just the mass storage module 840 For example in one embodiment the user inter face module 850 may be enabled anytime when the connec tion 115 see FIG 1 is present in order to provide the user information e g graphical indication about the communi cation mode that is active 0089 Hardware Diagram 0090 FIG 9 provides a hardware diagram for a mobile computing device configured to include features such as described with any other embodiment provided herein In general embodiments described herein may apply to numer ous kinds of mobile or small form factor computing devices In general such devices include the ability to synchronize or communicate with larger computers i e a PC for purpose of performing synchronization of files or records exchanging data or otherwise leveraging off the functionality and data provided from the PC 0091 One type of mobile computing device that may be configured to include embodiments described herein includes a mobile telephony computing device such as a cellular phone or mobile device with voice telephony applications sometimes called smart phone A computing device such as described may be small enough to fit in one hand while providing cellular telephony features in combination with other applications such as messaging web browsing media playback personal information management e g su
55. tically detects whether a specific programming resource is provided on the primary computer 120 The specific programmatic resource may cor respond to an application or programmatic element that is part ofa communication platform for enabling data sharing or synchronization between the mobile computing device 100 and the primary computer 120 In one embodiment the spe cific programming resource that is sought corresponds to a synchronization application for updating or synchronizing emails contact records calendar events or other personal information management records of the primary computer 120 and the mobile device 100 In one embodiment the Jul 30 2009 processor 112 selects the communication mode 101 103 based on a determination as to whether the primary computer 120 has the specific programming resource In another embodiment the communication modes are set at least ini tially by default designations For example in one imple mentation the default designation is based on the assumption that the programmatic resource does not exist From the default setting the communication modes may be switched based on user input or the occurrence of certain conditions e g after initial use responsive to user input passage of time 0032 Inan embodiment each communication mode 101 103 has a corresponding protocol or associated function or purpose that is different than that of the other communication mode Under one embodiment
56. tion is required step 440 provides that the required installation is performed For example primary computer 120 may execute the autorun application to install an updated or full version of the desired communication or synchronization program 0054 Ifthe determination of step 435 is that the desired program is present step 450 provides that the autorun instal lation program is terminated after it is initiated or otherwise before its completion Thus following step 435 0055 Following one or both of step 440 or 450 step 460 provides that the mobile device 100 may remain in the mass storage mode until an event or condition occurs that causes the device to switch to another communication mode In one embodiment the mobile device 100 may provide instructions with the autorun application that launches a user interface on the primary computer 120 The user interface enables user input to enable the mobile device to switch communication modes with the primary computer i e mount a different driver to the communication port 118 As an alternative the mobile device 100 may switch out of the mass storage mode and into one or more alternative modes such as the synchro nization or communication modes automatically following termination of the mass storage mode 0056 FIG 5 is a simplified block diagram of logical ele ments of the mobile device for enabling the alternative com munication modes such as described with embodiments of FIG
57. uters including processing and memory resources For example systems described herein may be implemented on a server or network service Such servers may connect and be used by users over networks such as the Internet or by a combination of networks such as cellular networks and the Internet Alternatively one or more embodi ments described herein may be implemented locally in whole or in part on compuling machines such as desktops cellular phones personal digital assistants or laptop computers Thus memory processing and network resources may all be used in connection with the establishment use or performance of any embodiment described herein including with the perfor mance of any method or with the implementation of any system 0025 Furthermore one or more embodiments described herein may be implemented through the use of instructions that are executable by one or more processors These instruc tions may be carried on a computer readable medium Machines shown in figures below provide examples of pro cessing resources and computer readable mediums on which instructions for implementing embodiments of the invention can be carried and or executed In particular the numerous machines shown with embodiments of the invention include processor s and various forms of memory for holding data and instructions Examples of computer readable mediums include permanent memory storage devices such as hard drives on personal computers or

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