Method and apparatus for facilitating use of services available via wireless connection

• US 10,264,448 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Agardh, Kare, Mellqvist, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/364,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20160302060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• 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 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method is disclosed for facilitating service usage by a wireless terminal. The method is implemented by a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon. The BLE beacon obtains service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point. The BLE beacon also obtains connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both. The BLE beacon periodically broadcasts the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions to a wireless terminal that lacks the non-BLE connection. A corresponding BLE beacon operative to implement the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating service usage by a wireless terminal, the method being implemented by a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon comprising:

obtaining service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point;

obtaining connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both of the non-BLE and BLE wireless connections; and

periodically broadcasting the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions to a BLE-enabled wireless terminal that lacks the non-BLE wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein the non-BLE wireless connection to the wireless access point is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection; and

wherein the connectivity information includes at least one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID), a channel, and a security key of the wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein the connectivity information relates to a plurality of different types of non-BLE wireless connections; and

wherein the service information describes a plurality of services offered via the plurality of non-BLE wireless connections.

4. The method of claim 1:

wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that cannot be used once the wireless terminal moves out of a coverage area of the BLE beacon;

or

wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that, once used by the wireless terminal to establish the non-BLE wireless connection, cannot be reused after the wireless terminal terminates the non-BLE wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a BLE beacon coverage area size; and

adjusting a signal strength used for the periodic broadcasting of the service information and connectivity information based on the requested BLE beacon coverage area size.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connectivity information is first connectivity information, the method further comprising:

obtaining different, second connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection with the wireless access point, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both;

based on the periodic broadcasting, receiving a response from the wireless terminal; and

selectively transmitting the second connectivity information to the wireless terminal based on whether the response meets a predefined criteria;

wherein both the first and second connectivity information are required for the wireless terminal to successfully establish the non-BLE wireless connection and utilize the service via the non-BLE wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic broadcasting is only performed when the BLE beacon resides within a coverage area of the access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information comprises a multi-bit value, with different bit positions representing different service attributes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information comprises one or more multi-bit values, each multi-bit value collectively serving as a single service attribute identifier.

10. A Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon comprising:

a transceiver; and

one or more processing circuits configured to;

obtain service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point;

obtain connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both of the non-BLE and BLE wireless connections; and

periodically broadcast the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions from the transceiver to a BLE-enabled wireless terminal that lacks established the non-BLE wireless connection.

11. The BLE beacon of claim 10:

wherein the non-BLE wireless connection to the wireless access point is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection; and

wherein the connectivity information includes at least one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID), a channel, and a security key of the wireless access point.

12. The BLE beacon of claim 10:

wherein the connectivity information relates to a plurality of different types of non-BLE wireless connections; and

wherein the service information describes a plurality of services offered via the plurality of non-BLE wireless connections.

13. The BLE beacon of claim 10:

wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that cannot be used once the wireless terminal moves out of a coverage area of the BLE beacon;

or

wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that, once used by the wireless terminal to establish the non-BLE wireless connection, cannot be reused after the wireless terminal terminates the non-BLE wireless connection.

14. The BLE beacon of claim 10, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

receive, via the transceiver, a request for a BLE beacon coverage area size; and

adjust a signal strength used for the periodic broadcasting of the service information and connectivity information based on the requested BLE beacon coverage area size.

15. The BLE beacon of claim 10, wherein the connectivity information is first connectivity information, and the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

obtain different, second connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection with the wireless access point, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both;

based on the periodic broadcasting, receive a response from the wireless terminal; and

selectively transmit the second connectivity information to the wireless terminal based on whether the response meets a predefined criteria;

wherein both the first and second connectivity information are required for the wireless terminal to successfully establish the non-BLE wireless connection and utilize the service via the non-BLE wireless connection.

16. The BLE beacon of claim 10, wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to perform the periodic broadcasting only when the BLE beacon resides within a coverage area of the access point.

17. The BLE beacon of claim 10, wherein the service information comprises a multi-bit value, with different bit positions representing different service attributes.

18. The BLE beacon of claim 10, wherein the service information comprises one or more multi-bit values, each multi-bit value collectively serving as a single service attribute identifier.