System and method for extending a mobile device to control, connect and communicate with equipment, networks and systems

1. A system for extending mobile device functionality comprising:

a mobile device;

a portable mobile device extender coupled to the mobile device via a first communication link; and

a piece of measuring equipment coupled to the portable mobile device extender over a second communication link,

wherein the portable mobile device extender is configured to,

receive a command from the mobile device over the first communication link, wherein the command has a first format,

convert the command into a second format, wherein the second format corresponds to the piece of measuring equipment,

provide the command to the piece of measuring equipment in the second format over the second communication link,

receive, over the second communication link, a raw stream of data from the piece of measuring equipment that is responsive to said command, and

provide measurement-related data to the mobile device, wherein the measurement-related data is based on said raw stream of data,

wherein further the mobile device is configured to,

import a native computer-aided design (CAD) file,

compare at least a portion of said measurement-related data received from the portable mobile device extender to a nominal set of data from said CAD file, and

generate a report that includes results of said comparing.

2. The portable mobile device extender of claim 1 , wherein the second format is a device-specific communication protocol, and the first format is not device specific.

3. The portable mobile device extender of claim 1 , wherein the command corresponds to one or more of an instruction to return a current position, return a current vector, establish communication and perform device-specific task.

4. The portable mobile device extender of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to apply a fitting algorithm to the measurement-related data in connection with a fit geometry operation.

5. The portable mobile device extender of claim 4 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to compare results from the fit geometry operation to a predetermined tolerance.

6. The portable mobile device extender of claim 1 , wherein the measurement-related data comprises a full set of sampled data points received from the piece of measuring equipment corresponding to a single operator action.

7. The portable mobile device extender of claim 6 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to,

average together at least two individual sampled data points from said full set of sampled data points which have values within a predetermined tolerance of each other,

defining a single resultant sampled data point based on the average of the at least two individual sampled data points, and

adding the single resultant sampled data point to a point set to be analyzed in connection with a fit geometry operation.

8. The portable mobile device extender of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device is further configured add individual sampled data points to the point set to be analyzed only when such individual sampled data points differ by more than said predetermined tolerance.

9. A method for extending mobile device functionality comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a portable mobile device extender, a command from a mobile device over a first communication link, wherein the command has a first format;

converting the command into a second format, wherein the second format corresponds to a piece of measuring equipment coupled to the portable mobile device extender over a second communication link;

providing the command to the piece of measuring equipment in the second format over the second communication link;

receiving, over the second communication link, a raw stream of data from the piece of measuring equipment that is responsive to said command;

providing measurement-related data to the mobile device, wherein the measurement-related data is based on said raw stream of data;

importing, by the mobile device, a native computer-aided design (CAD) file;

comparing, by the mobile device, at least a portion of said measurement-related data received from the portable mobile device extender to a nominal set of data from said CAD file; and

generating a report that includes results of said comparing.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second format is a device-specific communication protocol, and the first format is not device specific.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the command corresponds to one or more of an instruction to return a current position, return a current vector, establish communication and perform device-specific task.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying, by the mobile device, a fitting algorithm to the measurement-related data in connection with a fit geometry operation.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising comparing, by the mobile device, results from the fit geometry operation to a predetermined tolerance.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement-related data comprises a full set of sampled data points received from the piece of measuring equipment corresponding to a single operator action.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the acts of:

averaging together at least two individual sampled data points from said full set of sampled data points which have values within a predetermined tolerance of each other;

defining a single resultant sampled data point based on the average of the at least two individual sampled data points; and

adding the single resultant sampled data point to a point set to be analyzed in connection with a fit geometry operation.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adding individual sampled data points to the point set to be analyzed only when such individual sampled data points differ by more than said predetermined tolerance.