Personal area network proxy service for video on demand and other systems

A computer program product comprising:

• a plurality of processor-executable instructions that embody a mobile application for execution by a portable computer, the instructions being resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and being configured, upon execution by a processor of the portable computer, to:
• create a proxy service through which a wireless personal area network (“PAN”) is established to pair the portable computer with another device via a PAN connection and through which a wide area network (“WAN”) connection is established between the mobile application and a remote server, wherein the proxy service leverages an existing data service plan from a carrier for the portable computer and does not leverage a tethering plan from the carrier for the portable computer;
• receive a plurality of segments of a message from the another device through the proxy service over the PAN connection;
• reassemble the message from the received message segments according a PAN protocol;
• prepare the message for transmission over the WAN connection according to a WAN protocol;
• and
• send the prepared message to the remote server through the proxy service over the WAN connection according to the WAN protocol.

An apparatus comprising:

• a wide area network (“WAN”) transceiver configured to send and receive data over a WAN connection;
• a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver configured to communicate with a device over a PAN connection;
• a memory configured to store a plurality of processor-executable instructions that embody a mobile application;
• and
• a processor in cooperation with the memory, wherein the processor configured to execute the mobile application;
• wherein the PAN transceiver, the WAN transceiver, the memory, and the processor are resident on a member of the group consisting of (1) a smart phone, (2) a tablet computer, and (3) a mobile handheld computing device;
• wherein execution of the mobile application causes the processor to:
• create a proxy service through which the mobile application communicates with the device via the PAN transceiver and the PAN connection and through which the mobile application communicates with a remote server via the WAN transceiver and the WAN connection, wherein the proxy service leverages an existing data service plan from a carrier for the member and does not leverage a tethering plan from the carrier for the member;
• receive a plurality of segments of a message from the device through the proxy service over the PAN connection;
• reassemble the message from the received message segments according a PAN protocol;
• prepare the message for transmission over the WAN connection according to a WAN protocol;
• and
• send the prepared message to the remote server through the proxy service over the WAN connection according to the WAN protocol.

A proxy system for linking a device with a remote server via a mobile application, the system comprising:

• a device comprising a serial connector;
• a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit comprising a PAN transceiver, a processor, and a serial connector;
• a portable computer comprising a processor, a memory, a PAN transceiver, and a wide area network (“WAN”) transceiver, the portable computer including a mobile application that is embodied as a plurality of processor-executable instructions resident in the portable computer's memory;
• and
• a server;
• wherein the PAN transceiver unit is configured to connect with the device's serial connector via the PAN transceiver unit's serial connector;
• wherein the portable computer's processor is further configured to execute the mobile application to create a proxy service through which there is a PAN communication path between the device and the mobile application via a wireless PAN that is established between the PAN transceivers of the PAN transceiver unit and the portable computer and through which there is a WAN communication path between the mobile application and the server via the portable computer's WAN transceiver, wherein the proxy service leverages an existing data service plan from a carrier for the portable computer and does not leverage a tethering plan from the carrier for the portable computer;
• wherein the device is configured to output message data to the PAN transceiver unit through the device's serial connector;
• wherein the PAN transceiver unit's processor is configured to (1) receive the message data from the device via the PAN transceiver unit's serial connector, and (2) send the message data to the portable computer via the transceiver unit's PAN transceiver and the wireless PAN according to a PAN protocol;
• wherein the portable computer is configured to, through the proxy service created by execution of the mobile application, (1) receive the message data sent by the PAN transceiver unit and (2) send the message data to the server via the WAN communication path according to a WAN protocol;
• and
• wherein the server is configured to receive and process the message data sent by the portable computer.

A method comprising:

• connecting a distinct personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit with a device, wherein the PAN transceiver unit comprises (1) a serial connector, (2) a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver, (3) a memory in which a plurality of software instructions are stored, and (4) a processor in cooperation with the serial connector, PAN transceiver, and memory, the processor configured to execute the software instructions, wherein the connecting step comprises connecting the serial connector of the PAN transceiver unit with a complementary serial connector of a device;
• establishing a personal area network (“PAN”) connection between the PAN transceiver unit and a PAN transceiver-equipped computer via the respective PAN transceivers of the PAN transceiver unit and the PAN transceiver-equipped computer, wherein the PAN connection provides a link through which the device communicates with a remote server via the PAN transceiver unit and a proxy service created as a result of execution of a mobile application by the PAN transceiver-equipped computer, the proxy service providing a communication path to the remote server via a wide area network (WAN), wherein the proxy service leverages an existing data service plan from a carrier for the PAN transceiver-equipped computer and does not leverage a tethering plan from the carrier for the PAN transceiver-equipped computer;
• the processor, via execution of the software, (1) receiving data from the device via the complementary serial connectors of the device and the PAN transceiver unit, (2) forming a message according to a PAN protocol based on the received data, and (3) sending the message to the PAN transceiver of the PAN transceiver unit;
• the PAN transceiver of the PAN transceiver unit wirelessly communicating the message to the PAN transceiver-equipped computer via the PAN connection for delivery to the remote server via the proxy service.