Cloud phone notifications

• US 10,028,309 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Aliyar, Jaseem
• Primary Examiner(s): Towfighi, Afshawn M
• Application Number:
  US15/026,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20160316500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

This relates to a method of sending data, such as documents, notifications, alerts, and messages, from a first wireless device to a second wireless device through a wireless connection, such as WiFi, when the limitations of Bluetooth capabilities are exceeded. The method of sending data can include, for example, the first wireless device storing the data on a remote server in a cloud computing system, and the second wireless device accessing the stored data from the remote server. The wireless devices can be configured to detect when another wireless device is out of physical range, when there are too many devices sharing the connection, if the environmental conditions are unsuitable, or if a device has powered down, for example. Additionally, the user or application may require a higher data transfer rate or a more secure connection.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless access point;

a second transceiver configured to communicate with a second wireless device using a peer-to-peer connection; and

a processor configured to;

determine a status of a communications link with the second wireless device through the second transceiver,

responsive to a determination that the status of the communications link with the second wireless device is unsuitable for communication, connect to the wireless access point via the first transceiver, and

receive data generated by the second wireless device through the first transceiver, the data comprising a notification of a communication received at the second wireless device, the notification being separate from the communication.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the status of the communications link by determining a received signal strength at the second transceiver, and determining whether the received signal strength at the second transceiver falls below a predetermined level.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the status of the communications link is determined to be unsuitable for communication when:

the peer-to-peer connection is unavailable, a number of other devices using peer-to-peer connections with the wireless device is greater than a first threshold, the second wireless device is not available, a data transfer rate over the peer-to-peer connection is less than a second threshold, or a security level of the peer-to-peer connection is less than a third threshold.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is further configured to enter a standby state in response to the determination that the status of the communications link is unsuitable for communication.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the status of the communications link with the second wireless device is suitable when the second transceiver is in the standby state.

6. The wireless device of claim 5, wherein the second transceiver is further configured to exit the standby state and reestablish connection with the second wireless device using the peer-to-peer connection.

7. The wireless device of claim 5, wherein the first transceiver is further configured to terminate communication with the wireless access point and enter a standby state.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive data communicated by the second wireless device from the first transceiver when the first transceiver is connected to the wireless access point.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the communication received at the second wireless device comprises at least one of an incoming phone call, a voicemail, a text message, or an email.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein determining the status of the communications link includes receiving an address resolution request including an IP address of the wireless device.

11. A method of a first wireless device communicating with a second wireless device, the method comprising:

determining a communications link status between the first wireless device and the second wireless device over a peer-to-peer connection; and

responsive to the communications link status being unsuitable,

transmitting an address resolution request from the second wireless device to a wireless access point,

receiving the address resolution request at the first wireless device,

connecting the first wireless device to the wireless access point, and

transmitting data, generated by the second wireless device, from the wireless access point to the first wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to the communications link status being suitable terminating the connection with the wireless access point, and reestablishing the peer-to-peer connection.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a notification indicative of the communications link status being suitable.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether an IP address included in the address resolution request corresponds to an IP address of the first wireless device in response to the communications link status being unsuitable.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the communications status link includes at least one of:

determining whether the peer-to-peer connection is available,

determining a number of other devices using peer-to-peer connections and determining whether the number of other devices is greater than a first threshold,

receiving a notification indicative of the second wireless device being powered down,

receiving a notification indicative of the peer-to-peer connection being unavailable,

determining a data transfer rate over the peer-to-peer connection and determining whether the data transfer rate is less than a second threshold, and

determining a security of the peer-to-peer connection and determining whether the security is less than a third threshold.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving communications on the second wireless device from a cellular connection; and

generating a notification in response to the received communications, wherein the data includes the generated notification.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification is generated after a time for acknowledged receipt of the received communications on the second wireless device exceeds a predetermined time limit.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the address resolution request excludes an IP address of the first device, the method further comprising:

connecting a third wireless device to the wireless access point; and

transmitting the data from the wireless access point to the third wireless device.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, data from a first wireless device, the data having been locally stored at the first wireless device;

responsive to receiving the data from the first wireless device, storing the data on the server and transmitting the data to a second wireless device, the second wireless device having been authorized to receive the data that is locally stored at the first wireless device;

receiving, at the server, a modification to the data from the first wireless device, the modification to the data being received responsive to the data having been accessed or edited at the first wireless device; and

responsive to receiving the modification to the data from the first wireless device, updating the data on the server based at least in part on the modification to the data and transmitting the modification to the data to the second wireless device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, at the server, an other modification to the data from the second wireless device, the other modification being received responsive to the data having been accessed or edited at the second wireless device; and

responsive to receiving the other modification to the data from the second wireless device, updating the data on the server based at least in part on the other modification, and transmitting the other modification to the first wireless device.