Bluetooth communication through a single virtual port
A system that provides for Bluetooth communications from a first Bluetooth enabled device to a second Bluetooth enabled device is provided. The system comprising a Bluetooth manager that provides a graphical user interface, an Outgoing Port Driver that shares configurational information with and is started by the Bluetooth manager, a first serial port that receives data from an application operating on the first device, the first serial port acting as a virtual serial port where the first serial port is not connected to communications hardware, a second serial port that is connected to communications hardware, the second serial port acting as an outgoing port, and a Bluetooth stack that receives data to be communicated from the second serial port, wherein the Outgoing Port Driver directs the data from the first serial port to the second serial port via the Outgoing Port Driver.
1. A method of communications over a wireless network by a first device having an application, data being communicated to and from the application to a second device, the method comprising the steps of:
setting up the first device port to the communications, including:
performing a scan-associate process; and
updating a menu of available remote devices in dependence upon a result of the scan-associate process;
establishing and performing the communications based on a selection from the menu without performing the scan-associate process, including:
creating a virtual serial port for a communication with the application on the first device;
opening the virtual serial port;
providing the menu to a user and receiving a selection of the second device to which communications are to be made, the second device being listed on the menu;
creating an outgoing serial port for a communication with the second device; and
routing data from the virtual serial port to the outgoing serial port.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
switching a connection from the second device to a third device, including:
providing the menu to the user and receiving a selection of the third device to which communications are to be made, the third device being listed on the menu;
deleting the outgoing serial port for a communication with the second device; and
creating a new outgoing serial port for a communication with the third device.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
setting an outgoing port prompt mode for governing the menu.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the outgoing port prompt mode includes a first mode in which the menu comes up automatically every time the outgoing port is open.
5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the outgoing port prompt mode includes a second mode in which the menu comes up automatically only when the outgoing port is open and there is no selection from the menu.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing and performing comprising:
loading an outgoing port driver for creating the virtual serial port and the outgoing serial port.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of updating comprises:
compiling a list of available devices once the scan-associate process is performed.
8. A wireless device for communications over a wireless network, the wireless device having an application, data being communicated to and from the application to a remote device, the wireless device comprising:
a module for setting up the wireless device prior to the communications, including:
a module for performing a scan-associate process; and
a module for updating a menu of available remote devices in dependence upon a result of the scan-associate process;
a module for establishing and performing the communications based on a selection from the menu without performing the scan-associate process, including:
a module for providing the menu to a user for selection of the remote device from the menu; and
an outgoing port device for creating a virtual serial port for a communication with the application and for creating an outgoing serial port for a communication with the remote device in response to the selection of the remote device from the menu;
wherein data from the application is routed from the virtual serial port to the outgoing serial port.
9. The wireless device according to claim 8 , wherein the outgoing port device deletes the current outgoing serial port and creates a new outgoing serial port, in dependence upon the user's selection from the menu.
10. The wireless device according to claim 8 , wherein the wireless device comprises:
an outgoing port prompt mode for governing the menu.
11. The wireless device according to claim 10 , wherein the outgoing port prompt mode includes:
a first mode in which the menu comes up automatically every time the outgoing port is open.
12. The wireless device according to claim 10 , wherein the outgoing port prompt mode includes:
a second mode in which the menu comes up automatically only when the outgoing port is open and there is no selection from the menu.
13. The wireless device according to claim 8 , wherein the outgoing port device is loaded.
14. The wireless device according to claim 8 , wherein the module for updating comprises:
a module for compiling a list of available devices once the scan-associate process is performed.