Xerox Corporation

Christopher M Jones

Michael G Lamming

David L Pendlebury

Margery A Eldridge

Michael J Flynn

Michiel F E Kleyn

Mark Stringer

Ralph C Merkle

Anish Shah

A system is presented for transmitting document references or tokens between users of integrated wireless and wire-based communication services. The system includes workstations, files servers, printers and other devices coupled to a wire-based network. Mobile computing devices are coupled to the wire-based network through either IR (infrared) or RF (radio) transceiver gateways. Each mobile computing device appears to hold a user's collection of documents: the device is programmed to receive, transmit, and store document tokens. The system includes a token-enabled document server that uses digital signatures to provide secure transfer of document tokens between users of the mobile computing devices and email clients. The token-enabled document server operates independent of the identity of the holder of the document token. Only the issuer of the document token needs be registered with the signature based document server to properly authenticate document tokens.

Secure token-based document server

Non token-enabled devices are token-enabled using a token-enabler unit for operation in a distributed environment with mobile computing devices that reference documents using tokens. The mobile computing device is used to configure the token-enabler unit with identifying information of the non token-enabled device. The token-enabler unit, which is not operatively coupled to the non token-enabled device, is either fixedly attached or proximately located near the non token-enabled devices. In operation, mobile computing devices query the token-enabler unit for identifying information of the non token-enabled device, thereby seamlessly integrating the operation of non token-enabled devices with token-enabled devices.

Standalone device for identifying available document services in a token-enabled operating environment

A system is presented for transmitting document references or tokens to users of integrated wireless and wire-based communication services. The system includes workstations, files servers, printers and other devices coupled to a wire-based network. Mobile computing devices are coupled to the wire-based network through either IR (infrared) or RF (radio) transceiver gateways. Each mobile computing device appears to hold a uses personal collection of documents: the device is programmed to receive, transmit, and store document tokens. A document services request available to users of the mobile computing devices is an email-to-token service. Using this service, document tokens are emailed to recipients with an email account. The transmission protocol for performing the email-to-token service includes the step of transmitting a token-to-email service request from the mobile computing device over the wireless communication service to a token-enabled server located on the wire-based network. The token-enabled server accepts a document token and retrieves from a file server on the wire-based network a document identified by the document token. Subsequently, the token-enabled server sends the identified document in an email message to an email address specified by the user.

Mobile e-mail document transaction service

A method and a system are presented for transmitting document references or tokens to users of integrated wireless and wire-based communication services. The system includes workstations, files servers, printers and other devices coupled to a wire-based network. Mobile computing devices are coupled to the wire-based network through either IR (infrared) or RF (radio) transceiver gateways. Each mobile computing device appears to hold a user's personal collection of documents: the device is programmed to receive, transmit, and store document tokens. A document services request available to users of the portable devices is a document paging service. Using this service, a process operating on a repository of shared documents monitors for changes to specified files or file locations. Identification of changes made to documents on the repository of shared documents results in the transmission of a document token to selected users of the mobile computing devices identifying the changes. Once the document token identifying the changed document on the repository of shared documents is received, the document referenced by the document token is readily printed, displayed, or forwarded using available document services.

Mobile document paging service

A system for performing document services using mobile computing devices provides users of the system with document references that can be transmitted over integrated wireless and wire-based communication services. The system includes workstations, files servers, printers and other devices coupled to a wire-based network. Mobile computing devices are coupled to the wire-based network through either IR (infrared) or RF (radio) transceiver gateways. Each mobile computing device appears to hold a user's personal collection of documents by being programmed to receive, transmit, and store document tokens. A user interface at the mobile computing devices provide users with means for fast and easy access to document services that are proximate to where they are physically located. Through the user interface, a user queries a document device proximate to their physical location. Responsive to the query, a hierarchical list of available services is displayed at the user interface. The hierarchical list provides the user with immediate access to the queried document device, as well as links to other document devices that are ordered in a location and class specific hierarchy.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Christopher M Jones