Method and system for managing information among personalized and shared resources with a personalized portable device

Abstract

A user's request via a portable or handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) to process data may result in discovery of one or more networked resources capable of handling the processing. One or more communication routes may be established between one or more discovered network resources and one or more of the HWCD and a networked terminating device. The portable HWCD may be configured as a gateway. The user's identity may be determined and the user's personal networking preferences may be acquired. Based user's preferences, a route may be established between discovered networked resources and one or more of the HWCD and the networked terminating device. The user's identity may be authenticated. Data may undergo rate and/or format conversion. The data may be protected by secure operations. One or more of the HWCD and the networked terminating device may consume or render the requested data.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A communication device, comprising:
 circuitry configured to
 establish a connection with at least one terminal device, 
 establish a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device, 
 establish a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network, and 
 control transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource. 
   
     
     
         22 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device. 
     
     
         23 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the communication device is configured as a gateway to establish communication links between plural terminal devices and plural resources located on plural networks. 
     
     
         24 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the circuitry establishes the connection with the terminal device, the connection with the at least one network, the communication link between the terminal device and the at least one resource, and controls transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource in response to a user request. 
     
     
         25 . The communication device according to  claim 24 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a user identity corresponding to the user request. 
     
     
         26 . The communication device according to  claim 25 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine user preferences based on the user identity. 
     
     
         27 . The communication device according to  claim 26 , wherein the circuitry establishes the communication link between the terminal device and the at least one resource based on the user preferences. 
     
     
         28 . The communication device according to  claim 25 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to authenticate the user identity. 
     
     
         29 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the information transferred includes voice communications. 
     
     
         30 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the information transferred includes data communications. 
     
     
         31 . The communication device according to  claim 30 , wherein the data communication includes at least one of audio and video streaming. 
     
     
         32 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to convert a format of the information to a format compatible with the terminal device. 
     
     
         33 . The communication device according to  claim 32 , wherein conversion of the format of the information includes converting a data rate of the information. 
     
     
         34 . The communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the connection between the communication device and the at least one terminal device is a wireless connection. 
     
     
         35 . The communication device according to  claim 34 , wherein the connection between the communication device and the at least one network is a wireless connection. 
     
     
         36 . The communication device according to  claim 34 , wherein the wireless connection between the communication device and the at least one terminal device forms a personal area network. 
     
     
         37 . The communication device according to  claim 36 , wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection. 
     
     
         38 . The communication device according to  claim 37 , wherein the communication device is a master device and the at least one terminal device is a slave device in accordance with a Bluetooth connection protocol. 
     
     
         39 . A method of causing a communication device to function as a gateway, comprising:
 establishing, with circuitry of the communication device, a connection with at least one terminal device;   establishing, with the circuitry, a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device;   establishing, with the circuitry, a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network; and   controlling, with the circuitry, transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource.   
     
     
         40 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a communication device, cause the processor of the communication device to perform a method comprising:
 establishing a connection with at least one terminal device;   establishing a connection with at least one network that includes at least one resource that is remote from the communication device;   establishing a communication link between the at least one terminal device and the at least one resource included in the at least one network; and   controlling transfer of information between the terminal device and the at least one resource.