Wireless communication system

• US 10,200,523 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Dees, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US15/306,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 455 413, 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A slave device provides a service to a master device via wireless communication, e.g. via wireless docking. The master device has a graphical user interface arranged for generating a system image (400) for showing node elements (310, 311, 320) graphically representing the devices and services, e.g. on a touch screen. The user may draw a line (410, 420) on the touch screen between selected node elements causing a line drawing input being detected. The slave device now initiates a setup operation between selected devices corresponding to the selected node elements. The setup operation is subsequently performed by establishing a wireless connection between the selected devices. Advantageously, the user intuitively commands a wireless connection to be set up for using a service via wireless communication.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising at least two wireless devices including a master device providing a master function and a slave device providing a slave function, the slave device configured for providing at least one service and the master device configured for using the at least one service, the slave device and the master device configured for accommodating the at least one service via wireless communication, each device of the at least two wireless devices comprising:

a communication processor configured for the wireless communication;

a processor coupled to the communication processor and configured for accommodating the at least one service;

a first device of the at least two wireless devices comprising a graphical user interface including a display, an interaction element for receiving user input, and a graphical control processor coupled to the display and the interaction element, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for;

generating a system image for showing at least three node elements and connection elements between the node elements, a respective node element graphically representing at least one of the master device, the slave device and the at least one service, and a respective connection element graphically representing a wireless connection or service session that is established between the node elements;

selecting devices to be connected by receiving, via the interaction element, a line drawing input indicative of a line drawn in the system image between two selected node elements of the at least three node elements;

upon receiving the line drawing input, initiating a setup operation for the wireless connection or service session between the selected devices corresponding to the selected node elements, wherein the processor is configured for performing the setup operation by establishing the wireless connection or service session between the selected devices;

receiving, via the interaction element, a line erasing input indicative of removing a selected connection element between selected node elements in the system image; and

upon receiving the line erasing input, initiating a tear down operation that identifies the selected node elements and an existing connection or service session, wherein the processor is configured for removing the wireless connection or service session between the devices corresponding to the selected node elements.

2. The wireless communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one service comprises accessing and using at least one of:

a peripheral externally coupled to the slave device;

an internal resource of the slave device;

a network connected to the slave device.

3. The wireless communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second device of the at least two wireless devices comprises a display, and the graphical control processor in the first device is configured for transferring the generated system image to the second wireless device, and the second wireless device is configured for receiving the generated system image and displaying the generated system image via the display.

4. A wireless device for use in a wireless communication system, the device comprising:

a communication processor configured for wireless communication;

a processor coupled to the communication processor and configured for accommodating a service; and

a graphical user interface comprising a display, an interaction element for receiving user input and a graphical control processor coupled to the display and the interaction element, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for;

generating a system image for showing at least three node elements and connection elements between the node elements, a respective node element graphically representing at least one of the master device, the slave device and the at least one service, and a respective connection element graphically representing a wireless connection or service session that is established between the node elements;

selecting devices to be connected by receiving, via the interaction element, a line drawing input indicative of a line drawn in the system image between two selected node elements of the at least three node elements;

upon receiving the line drawing input, initiating a setup operation for a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices corresponding to the selected node elements, wherein the processor is configured for performing the setup operation by establishing a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices;

receiving, via the interaction element, a line erasing input indicative of removing a selected connection element between selected node elements in the system image; and

upon receiving the line erasing input, initiating a tear down operation that identifies the selected node elements and an existing connection or service session, wherein the processor is configured for removing the wireless connection or service session between the devices corresponding to the selected node elements.

5. The wireless device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for selecting a master or slave function by receiving, via the interaction element, a line direction input indicative of an origin node where the line drawn in the system image originated or a destination node where the line drawn in the system image ended, wherein the processor is configured for, upon receiving the line direction input, performing the master function when the device corresponds to the origin node or the slave function when the device corresponds to the destination node.

6. The wireless device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for selecting a master or slave function by receiving, via the interaction element as the line direction input, a direction reversal input indicative of a line drawn from a pre-existing destination node to a pre-existing origin node of a pre-existing connection, and the processor is configured for, upon receiving the line direction input, changing a master function of the pre-existing origin node into a slave function when the device corresponds to the pre-existing origin node or changing a slave function of the pre-existing destination node into a master function when the device corresponds to the pre-existing destination node.

7. The wireless device as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the processor is configured for wirelessly receiving information from another device of the at least two wireless devices about its services, wireless connection capabilities or ongoing connections, and

the processor is configured for wirelessly transmitting information to another device of the at least two wireless devices about its services, wireless connection capabilities or ongoing connections.

8. The wireless device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information is at least one of pre-association information in beacon frames, probe response frames in response to probe requests, and in GAS frames according to Wi-Fi standard IEEE 802.11.

9. The wireless device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the information in the frames is extended with service specific information elements or attributes that provide service specific information.

10. The wireless device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said service specific information is indicative of a graphical icon to be used in the respective node element in the system image.

11. The wireless device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for accessing a database of icons for retrieving an icon for generating the node element corresponding to a respective master device, slave device or service.

12. The wireless device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphical control processor is configured for determining spatial distance between the wireless devices and representing the relative spatial distances in the system image.

13. A method of initiating wireless communication for use in a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a communication processor configured for the wireless communication, a processor coupled to the communication processor and configured for accommodating a service, and a graphical user interface comprising a display and an interaction element for receiving user input, the method comprising:

generating a system image for showing at least three node elements and connection elements between the node elements, a respective node element graphically representing at least one of the master device, the slave device and the at least one service, and a respective connection element graphically representing a wireless connection or service session that is established between the node elements;

selecting devices to be connected by receiving, via the interaction element, a line drawing input indicative of a line drawn in the system image between two selected node elements of the at least three node elements;

upon receiving the line drawing input, initiating a setup operation for a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices corresponding to the selected node elements, wherein the processor is configured for performing the setup operation by establishing a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices

receiving, via the interaction element, a line erasing input indicative of removing a selected connection element between selected node elements in the system image; and

upon receiving the line erasing input, initiating a tear down operation that identifies the selected node elements and an existing connection or service session, wherein the processor is configured for removing the wireless connection or service session between the devices corresponding to the selected node elements.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for initiating wireless communication for use in a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a communication processor configured for the wireless communication, a processor coupled to the communication processor and configured for accommodating a service, and a graphical user interface comprising a display and an interaction element for receiving user input, the method comprising:

generating a system image for showing at least three node elements and connection elements between the node elements, a respective node element graphically representing at least one of the master device, the slave device and the at least one service, and a respective connection element graphically representing a wireless connection or service session that is established between the node elements;

selecting devices to be connected by receiving, via the interaction element, a line drawing input indicative of a line drawn in the system image between two selected node elements of the at least three node elements;

upon receiving the line drawing input, initiating a setup operation for a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices corresponding to the selected node elements, wherein the processor is configured for performing the setup operation by establishing a wireless connection or service session between the selected devices

receiving, via the interaction element, a line erasing input indicative of removing a selected connection element between selected node elements in the system image; and

upon receiving the line erasing input, initiating a tear down operation that identifies the selected node elements and an existing connection or service session, wherein the processor is configured for removing the wireless connection or service session between the devices corresponding to the selected node elements.