Communications system including protocol interface device providing enhanced operating protocol selection features and related methods

A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, each of the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices communicating using at least one of a plurality of operating protocols, and at least one data storage device communicating using multiple operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

• a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols;
• a memory;
• and
• a protocol engine module connected to said memory and cooperating with said memory for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols,
• determining whether a given storage device of the plurality of data storage devices communicates using multiple operating protocols,
• selecting a single supported operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices if only a single operating protocol is supported by the given data storage device, and
• selecting a desired operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices from the multiple operating protocols if multiple operating protocols are supported by the given data storage device;
• said protocol engine module selecting the desired operating protocol based upon a ranking of the plurality of operating protocols, the ranking being based upon a total number of protocol-supported elements by each of the plurality data storage devices.

A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, each of the communications devices and the data storage devices communicating using at least one of a plurality of operating protocols, and at least one data storage device communicating using multiple operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

• a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of communications devices using respective operating protocols;
• a memory;
• and
• a protocol engine module connected to said memory and cooperating therewith for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols,
• determining whether a given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices communicates using multiple operating protocols,
• selecting a single supported operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices if only a single operating protocol is supported by the given data storage device, and
• selecting a desired operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices from the multiple operating protocols if multiple operating protocols are supported by the given data storage device;
• said protocol engine module selecting the desired operating protocol based upon a ranking of the plurality of operating protocols, the ranking being based upon a total number of protocol-supported elements by each of the plurality data storage devices.

A method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, each of the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices communicating using at least one of a plurality of operating protocols, and at least one data storage device communicating using multiple operating protocols, the method comprising:

• providing a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols;
• providing a protocol engine module for communicating with the front-end proxy module and for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols,
• determining whether a given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices communicates using multiple operating protocols,
• selecting a single supported operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices if only a single operating protocol is supported by the given data storage device, and
• causing the protocol engine module to select a desired operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device from the multiple operating protocols;
• the desired operating protocol being selected based upon a ranking of the plurality of operating protocols, the ranking being based upon a total number of protocol-supported elements by each of the plurality data storage devices.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules comprising:

• a front-end proxy module for communicating with a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols;
• and
• a protocol engine module for communicating with a plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols, and for communicating with the front-end proxy module;
• at least one data storage device communicating using multiple operating protocols, and the protocol engine module
• determining whether a given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices communicates using multiple operating protocols,
• selecting a single supported operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices if only a single operating protocol is supported by the given data storage device, and
• selecting a desired operating protocol for communicating with the given data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices from the multiple operating protocols if multiple operating protocols are supported by the given data storage device;
• the protocol engine module selecting the desired operating protocol based upon a ranking of the plurality of operating protocols, the ranking being based upon a total number of protocol-supported elements by each of the plurality data storage devices.