Establishing communication

• US 10,063,267 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Abdullahi
• Application Number:
  US14/489,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a broadband receiver of a wireless communications device may poll a broadband communications channel for configuration data. Once the configuration data has been received, the channel may be established, and connection information may be transmitted to a base station. The connection information may be an identifier for a user of a social-networking system. Based on the identifier, the device may be able to establish a narrowband communications channel with the base station. Using the identifier, the base station may be able to begin retrieving social-networking information for the user while establishing a communications channel using the narrowband transceiver. Once the narrowband communications channel has been established, the wireless communications device may be able to receive the social-networking information over that channel and provide social-networking functionality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a broadband transceiver of a wireless communications device, receiving from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station;

by the broadband transceiver of the wireless communications device, sending to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;

by the wireless communications device, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, configuring a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;

by the narrowband transceiver of the wireless communications device, establishing the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals;

by the narrowband transceiver of the wireless communications device, receiving social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and

by the wireless communications device, presenting the social-networking information to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:

targeted advertising for the social-networking user;

automatic check in of the social networking user;

customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user;

or

content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the wireless communications device, sending information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of:

source device identification information;

destination device identification information;

channel identification information;

security information;

symbol rate information;

error correction information;

channel equalization information;

timing information;

protocol information;

physical layer information;

medium access control layer information;

data link layer information;

network layer information;

or application information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information comprises one or more of:

an identifier for the user of the social-networking system;

an identifier of the wireless communications device;

a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel;

a password;

or a secret key.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of:

a Wi-Fi transceiver;

a Bluetooth transceiver;

a cellular transceiver;

or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

13. A wireless communications device comprising:

a broadband transceiver configured to;

receive from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station; and

send to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;

circuitry configured to, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, configure a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;

the narrowband transceiver, configured to;

establish the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals; and

receive social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and

a display configured to present the social-networking information to the user.

14. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:

targeted advertising for the social-networking user;

automatic check in of the social networking user;

customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user;

or

content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.

15. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.

16. The wireless communications device of claim 15, wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.

17. The wireless communications device of claim 15, wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.

18. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.

19. The wireless communications device of claim 18, wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

20. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the broadband transceiver is further configured to send information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

21. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of:

source device identification information;

destination device identification information;

channel identification information;

security information;

symbol rate information;

error correction information;

channel equalization information;

timing information;

protocol information;

physical layer information;

medium access control layer information;

data link layer information;

network layer information;

or application information.

22. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the connection information comprises one or more of:

an identifier for the user of the social-networking system;

an identifier of the wireless communications device;

a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel;

a password;

or a secret key.

23. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.

24. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of:

a Wi-Fi transceiver;

a Bluetooth transceiver;

a cellular transceiver;

or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

25. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive from a base station an initial broadband signal comprising configuration information for establishing a narrowband communications channel with the base station;

send to the base station a response broadband signal comprising connection information associated with a user of a social-networking system;

configure, based on the received configuration information of the initial broadband signal, a narrowband transceiver to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel;

establish the narrowband communications channel for communicating to the base station using narrowband signals;

receive social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system, the social-networking information being sent by the base station over the narrowband communications channel using the narrowband signals; and

present the social-networking information to the user.

26. The media of claim 25, wherein the social-networking information comprises one or more of:

targeted advertising for the social-networking user;

automatic check in of the social networking user;

customized television or video programming based on a user profile of the social-networking user;

or

content from a service or another device that is connected to the social-networking system.

27. The media of claim 25, wherein the narrowband communications channel is provided by the base station in accordance with a determination by the social-networking system.

28. The media of claim 27, wherein the determination is based on a social-graph connection between the user and an owner of the base station.

29. The media of claim 27, wherein the determination is based on the user checking in with an entity through the social-networking system, wherein the entity is associated with or is an owner of the base station.

30. The media of claim 25, wherein the social-networking information sent by the base station was retrieved from the social-networking system by the base station.

31. The media of claim 30, wherein the base station retrieves the social-networking information associated with the user from the social-networking system while the narrowband transceiver is being configured to communicate with the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

32. The media of claim 25, wherein the software is further operable when executed to send information to the social-networking system via the base station, the information being sent to the base station over the narrowband communications channel.

33. The media of claim 25, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of:

source device identification information;

destination device identification information;

channel identification information;

security information;

symbol rate information;

error correction information;

channel equalization information;

timing information;

protocol information;

physical layer information;

medium access control layer information;

data link layer information;

network layer information;

or application information.

34. The media of claim 25, wherein the connection information comprises one or more of:

an identifier for the user of the social-networking system;

an identifier of the wireless communications device;

a request to access a network over the narrowband communications channel;

a password;

or a secret key.

35. The media of claim 25, wherein the initial and response broadband signals are amplitude-shift-keyed signals.

36. The media of claim 25, wherein the narrowband transceiver is one of:

a Wi-Fi transceiver;

a Bluetooth transceiver;

a cellular transceiver;

or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.