Connection and synchronization with a device in a non-active state based on near field communication

• US 10,135,494 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Adrangi, Farid, Bakshi, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US13/976,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20140220886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Technologies for one-tap connection and synchronization with a device in a non-active state are disclosed. When a user brings a first device enabled for Near Field Communication (NFC) to close proximity of a second NFC-enabled device when the second device is in a non-active state, the second device may be awakened, or placed in an active state, for a period of time to perform one or more operations before returning to the non-active state. These operations include, for example, allowing the first device to access data stored in the second device and synchronizing one or more applications installed on the second device with remote servers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of a first device in close proximity of a second device, the second device being in a non-active state, wherein the non-active state is an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state other than ACPI state S0 (S-zero state);

receiving from the first device information including a command that includes a list of operations that the second device is directed to perform once the second device activates into an active state, and a shutdown policy indicating whether the second device should shut down or stay in the active state after completing one or more operations in the list of operations;

determining whether or not the second device should be in the active state according to the command received from the first device;

activating the second device in response to the determination that the information indicates an activation of the second device, wherein the activating includes changing the second device into the active state; and

performing, by the second device, the one or more operations in the list of operations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more operations performed by the second device include allowing the first device to access data stored on the second device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second device remains in the active state for up to a defined duration before returning to the non-active state.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting the presence of the first device in close proximity of the second device includes detecting the presence of the first device in close proximity of the second device based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting the presence of the first device in close proximity of the second device includes recognition of a Near Field Communication (NFC) tap between the first and second devices.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the information being received from the first device, triggering one or more applications installed on the second device to synchronize with one or more respective remote servers upon the second device being in the active state.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the command includes information that indicates a connection profile.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the connection profile includes parameters relating to connecting to the first device via Wi-Fi, connecting to the first device via Bluetooth, or connecting to a public Wi-Fi access point that the first device has already scanned and identified to be legitimate and safe for use.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein activating the second device includes directing the second device to return to the non-active state upon the one or more applications completing synchronization with the one or more respective remote servers or upon an expiration of a defined duration, whichever occurs first.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the activating and while the second device is in the active state, the method further comprising:

directing one or more applications to synchronize with one or more respective remote servers.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the command triggers the second device to allow the first device to access data stored in the second device while the second device is in the active state.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein after the activating and while the second device is the active state, the method further comprising:

directing the second device to return to the non-active state upon completion of the first device accessing the data stored in the second device or upon expiration of a defined duration, whichever occurs first.

13. A circuit comprising:

a wireless detector configured to detect a presence of a wireless device that is in close proximity of the wireless detector and receive information including a command that includes a list of operations, and a shutdown policy indicating whether a computing device in which the circuit is installed should shut down or stay in the active state after completing operations in the list of operations; and

a controller coupled to the wireless detector, the controller configured to;

verify whether the wireless device is an authorized device according to the information received from the wireless device;

determine that the computing device in which the circuit is installed should transition from a non-active state to an active state according to the command received from the wireless device, wherein the non-active state is an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state other than the active state, and wherein the active state is an ACPI S0 state (S-zero state); and

activate the computing device so that the computing device remains in the active state for a defined duration, or less, before returning to the non-active state.

14. The circuit as recited in claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to perform one or more operations when the computing device is in the active state and before the computing device returns to the non-active state.

15. The circuit as recited in claim 13, wherein, according to the information received from the wireless device, the controller is further configured to:

identify a first operation indicated in the information that can be executed without the computing device being in the active state; and

execute the first operation with the computing device in the non-active state.

16. The circuit as recited in claim 13, wherein, according to the information received from the wireless device, the controller is further configured to:

transition the computing device from the non-active state to the active state;

cause the wireless detector to transmit data stored in the computing device to the wireless device in response to receiving the information that includes the command from the wireless device; and

transition the computing device from the active state to the non-active state upon completing transmission of the data to the wireless device in accordance with the shutdown policy, or upon an expiration of the defined duration, whichever occurs first.

17. The circuit as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a synchronizer configured to launch one or more applications installed on the computing device, and to cause the one or more applications to synchronize with one or more respective remote servers; and

a connection manager coupled to the synchronizer, and configured to communicatively establish a network connection with the one or more remote servers.

18. The circuit as recited in claim 13, wherein, according to the command in the information received from the wireless device, the controller is further configured to:

transition the computing device from the non-active state to the active state;

cause a connection manager to communicatively establish a first connection with the wireless device;

cause a synchronizer to launch a first application installed on the computing device and synchronize the first application with a first remote server over the first connection; and

transition the computing device from the active state to the non-active state upon completing the synchronization of the first application with the first remote server in accordance with the shutdown policy, or upon an expiration of the defined duration, whichever occurs first.

19. The circuit as recited in claim 18, wherein the command further includes information indicative of a connection profile based on which the connection manager establishes the first connection, the list of operations for the computing device to execute when the computing device is in the active state during the defined duration, and the shutdown policy.

20. The circuit as recited in claim 19, wherein the connection profile includes parameters relating to connecting to the wireless device via Wi-Fi, connecting to the wireless device via Bluetooth, or connecting to a public Wi-Fi access point.

21. The circuit as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless detector employs a Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

22. A non-transitory computer accessible medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, direct the one or more processors to execute operations comprising:

detecting a presence of a first device in close proximity of a second device while the second device is in a non-active state, wherein the non-active state is an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state other than an active state, and wherein the active state is an ACPI S0 state (S-zero state);

receiving from the first device information including a list of operations, and a shutdown policy indicating whether the second device should shut down or stay in the active state after completing one or more operations in the list of operations;

determining, according to the list of operations received from the first device, whether or not the first device is an authorized device;

in an event that it is determined the first device is an authorized device and based from the received list of operations, placing the second device in an active state for at most a predetermined duration before returning the second device to the non-active state in accordance with the shutdown policy; and

enabling the activated second device to have the first device gain access to data stored on the activated second device based on the received information.

23. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the data stored in the second device to the first device in response to the information received from the first device having a command requesting the data stored in the second device; and

returning the second device to the non-active state upon completion of the transmission of the data stored in the second device to the first device in accordance with the shutdown policy, or upon an expiration of the predetermined duration, whichever occurs first.

24. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

launching one or more applications installed on the second device to synchronize with one or more respective remote servers in response to the information received from the first device having a command requesting the data stored in the second device; and

returning the second device to the non-active state upon the one or more applications completing the synchronization with the one or more respective remote servers in accordance with the shutdown policy, or upon an expiration of the predetermined duration, whichever occurs first.

25. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute instructions;

a memory configured to store thereon a set of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, direct the one or more processors to execute operations comprising;

detecting a presence of a wireless device in close proximity of the computing system in a non-active state, wherein the non-active state is an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state other than an active state, and wherein the active state is an ACPI S0 state (S-zero state);

receiving from the wireless device information which is a command that includes a list of operations and a shutdown policy indicating whether the second device should shut down or stay in the active state after completing one or more operations in the list of operations;

determining whether or not the computing system should be in an active state according to the list of operations received from the wireless device; and

activating the computing system in response to a determination that the list of operations includes an operation for activating the computing system, the activation being placing the computing system in an active state.

26. The computing system as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

a wireless detector configured to detect the presence of the wireless device and to receive the information from the wireless device that is in close proximity of the wireless detector.

27. The computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein the activating operation occurs in response to determining that the computing system should be in the active state.

28. The computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein the computing system remains in the active state for up to a defined duration before returning to the non-active state.

29. The computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein the detecting operation includes the detection of the presence of the wireless device in close proximity of the computing system based on a Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.