Portable platform for networked computing

• US 10,097,641 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• 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., Coglitore, Giovanni, Kalinowski, Caitlin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Duyen My
• Application Number:
  US15/479,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20170208129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 709227, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/035 in self-organising networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/037 by reducing handover delay, e.g. latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a portable, networked, computing device comprises a processor, a plurality of radios, and a memory. The device may be operable to pair, by at least one of the radios, with a device associated with a user. The device may then monitor, by one of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network. When the device determines that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality, it may enable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices by turning on a radio to establish a connection with a second network and thereby providing connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices. If multiple networks are available, the device may select an optimal network based on an assessment of one or more factors.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more paired devices, wherein each of the paired devices is paired to a portable network device (PND) of a first user, and each of the paired devices comprises one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

establish a peer-to-peer connection with a portable network device (PND) of a second user, wherein the PND of the second user is within a threshold distance of the paired device;

authenticate access for the second user, wherein to authenticate access, the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to;

receive, from the PND of the second user, a pairing request associated with an identity of the second user,

request the first user to provide input to the PND of the first user confirming the identity of the second user, and

receive, from the PND of the first user, an indication that the PND of the first user has received the input confirming the identity of the second user; and

grant access to the second user to pair the PND of the second user with the paired device in response to the PND of the first user receiving input confirming the identity of the second user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

present the second user with a control interface for controlling the paired device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is established using Near-Field Communication (NFC).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein to request the first user to provide input, the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

search a social graph of the first user for the second user using the identity of the second user associated with the pairing request;

retrieve a user profile associated with the identity of the second user from the social graph; and

display at least a portion of the user profile.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the pairing request comprises a token to be used to search for the second user in the social graph of the first user.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first user is connected to the second user in the social graph of the first user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein to request the first user to provide input to the PND of the first user confirming the identity of the second user, the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to request the first user to click a button on the PND of the first user to confirm the identity of the second user and permit the second user to pair the PND of the second user with the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the device in the device cloud comprises a phone, desktop computer, refrigerator, security system, television (TV), automobile, tablet, camera, or a combination thereof.

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

establish, by a paired device, a peer-to-peer connection with a portable network device (PND) of a second user, wherein the paired device is paired to a portable network device (PND) of a first user, and the PND of the second user is within a threshold distance of the paired device;

authenticate, by the paired device, access for the second user, wherein to authenticate access, the software is further operable when executed to;

receive, from the PND of the second user, a pairing request associated with an identity of the second user,

request the first user to provide input to the PND of the first user confirming the identity of the second user, and

receive, from the PND of the first user, an indication that the PND of the first user has received the input confirming the identity of the second user; and

grant, by the paired device, access to the second user to pair the PND of the second user with the paired device in response to the PND of the first user receiving input confirming the identity of the second user.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

present, by the paired device, the second user with a control interface for controlling the paired device.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is established using Near-Field Communication (NFC).

12. The media of claim 9, wherein to request the first user to provide input, the software is further operable when executed to:

search, by the paired device, a social graph of the first user for the second user using the identity of the second user associated with the pairing request;

retrieve, by the paired device, a user profile associated with the identity of the second user from the social graph; and

display, by the paired device, at least a portion of the user profile.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the pairing request comprises a token to be used to search for the second user in the social graph of the first user.

14. A method comprising:

by a paired device that is paired to a portable network device (PND) of a first user, establishing a peer-to-peer connection with a portable network device (PND) of a second user, wherein the PND of the second user is within a threshold distance of the paired device;

by the paired device, authenticating access for the second user, wherein the authenticating access comprises;

receiving, from the PND of the second user, a pairing request associated with an identity of the second user,

requesting the first user to provide input to the PND of the first user confirming the identity of the second user, and

receive, from the PND of the first user, an indication that the PND of the first user has received the input confirming the identity of the second user; and

by the paired device, grant access to the second user to pair the PND of the second user with the paired device in response to the PND of the first user receiving input confirming the identity of the second user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

present the second user with a control interface for controlling the paired device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is established using Near-Field Communication (NFC).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein to request the first user to provide input, the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

search a social graph of the first user for the second user using the identity of the second user associated with the pairing request;

retrieve a user profile associated with the identity of the second user from the social graph; and

display at least a portion of the user profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pairing request comprises a token to be used to search for the second user in the social graph of the first user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first user is connected to the second user in the social graph of the second user.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein to request the first user to provide input to the PND of the first user confirming the identity of the second user, the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to request the first user to click a button on the PND of the first user to confirm the identity of the second user and permit the second user to pair the PND of the second user with the device.