> Date: 30 Apr 1999 12:41:06 -0700
> From: Ade Barkah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: transmitting data by IR
>
> >4. Installing IrOBEX on other devices does not solve the interoperability
> >problem. It merely moves the problem further up the protocol stack to the
> >application layer. With IrOBEX I can still receive data I can't do anything
> >with (similar to getting an AmiPro document via email and not being able
> >to read it). This is not my idea of a seamless use model.
>
> Well, this is a problem with no solution. Regardless of the communica-
> tions method there will always be data types which cannot be handled.
> This problem isn't limited to IrDA or IrOBEX. The IrDA protocols simply
> provide common ways to exchange data.
>
A problem with no solution????
Allow me to introduce JetSend. JetSend is a transport independent, platform
independent communication protocol designed specifically to solve this
problem!!!
With JetSend two communication appliances *negotiate* (through the JetSend
protocols) content. And (this is the clincher) the two devices are
required to support the JetSend mandatory content format. This guarantees
that the two devices will be able to exchange content in a meaningful way.
For example, a PalmOS device, specifically the DateBook application, wants
to exchange an appointment with a WinCE device. The JetSend enabled PalmOS
device opens a JetSend session with the WinCE device and essentially says
"I can offer you this data in the following 3 formats:
- iCalendar
- ASCII text
- the mandatory JetSend encoding"
The WinCE device says "I understand iCalendar; I choose that format. And
since it is calendar data I will add it to my Outlook schedule". The
PalmOS device proceeds to send the content in the chosen format.
Suppose the PalmOS device wanted to print that appointment out. It connects
with a JetSend enabled printer and does *exactly the same thing*. The printer,
however, says "I don't understand iCalendar but I do understand ASCII text so
I pick that encoding" and proceeds to render the content on to paper. Note that
there is no modeling of the receiver by the sender. Another way to say this is
there are no device drivers involved. What a great situation for resource-
constrained devices like PalmOS devices! You don't need to add a device driver
for every device you want to communicate with!
No matter what JetSend device the PalmOS device connects with meaningful content
exchange is guaranteed to happen since both sender and receiver must support the
mandatory JetSend encoding (300dpi, 1-bit mono, RLE compressed raster data).
JetSend is in every HP printer that has been released since fall 1997 and we
are now mounting an 'assault' of the information appliance ecosystem (PDA's,
cell phones, digital cameras).
So, you see, there are efforts being made to solve this "unsolveable" problem.
JetSend is extremely well suited for the PDA/IR ecosystem. I encourage everyone
to think about the benefits of a well populated JetSend ecosystem. The spec
is free; no run-time royalties. Proprietary encodings are supported.
Check out www.jetsend.com for more information. It is coming.
Also, if anyone is interested there is a JetSend Developers Conference May
19 - 21 in San Diego. Again, more information on the web page.
Adrian Pfisterer
Hewlett-Packard.
