Combination internal modem and PC card radio operable in multiple modes

Patent 6516204 Issued on February 4, 2003. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 1, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Cellular digtial packet data mobile data base station
Patent #: 5544222
Issued on: 08/06/1996
Inventor: Robinson, et al.

Device for integration between voice and data radio communication
Patent #: 5594952
Issued on: 01/14/1997
Inventor: Virtuoso, et al.

Modem having an electromagnetic shield for a controller
Patent #: 5621363
Issued on: 04/15/1997
Inventor: Ogden, et al.

Connector assembly for a radio telephone and a computer
Patent #: 5657371
Issued on: 08/12/1997
Inventor: Suomi, et al.

Interface for switching plurality of pin contacts to transmit data line and plurality of pin contacts to receive data line to interface with serial controller Patent #: 5701515
Issued on: 12/23/1997
Inventor: Gradeler

Inventors

Assignee

Sierra Wireless, Inc.

Application

No. 724459 filed on 10/01/1996

US Classes:

455/557, Interface attached device (e.g., interface with modem, facsimile, computer, etc.)455/348, With retractable or readily detachable chassis455/351, Transportable455/553.1, Radiotelephone having plural transceivers (e.g., for analog and digital, trunking and cellular, etc.)455/558Card control element

Examiners

Primary: Nguyen, Lee
Assistant: Sobutka, Philip J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Thelen Reid & Priest LLP, Krebs; Robert E.

Foreign Patent References

WO 90/03076 WO. 03/13/1990
WO 94/29968 WO. 12/13/1994
2 285 558 WO. 07/13/1995

International Classes

H04B 001/03
H04B 001/08

Abstract

An inexpensive, PCMCIA-based radio transceiver is provided that interfaces to a separate baseband modem, which may itself be PCMCIA-based or may be an internal modem of a notebook computer. Together, the PCMCIA-based radio transceiver and the baseband modem realize a wireless modem. In order to miminize cost and increase versatility of the resulting wireless modem, the radio transceiver is a relatively unintelligent, protocol-agnostic, slave device that is controlled by commands issued by the baseband modem. The baseband modem may be a hardware modem or a software modem. In either case, the character of the baseband modem may be changed by downloading new software. The radio transceiver may also be exchanged for another within a family of radio transceivers, each of which customized for a particular radio standard. The result is an extremely flexible, extremely low-cost wireless modem solution.