Platform-enabled proximity service

• US 10,469,622 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pottier, Marc Christopher, Morris, Max Glenn, Martin, Travis J., Loholt, Michael N., Davis, Darren R., Dandawate, Priya Bhushan, Shipley, Kenton A., Zia, Khurram M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liao, Hsinchun
• Application Number:
  US15/788,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments include processes, systems, and devices for initiating proximity actions upon the activation of a proximity connection. A proximity service receives an indication from a proximity provider that a proximity connection is established, and then determines a joint proximity context of the proximity connection. The proximity service then initiates a proximity action to facilitate a proximity function indicated by the joint proximity context. Joint proximity contexts include indications that an application has queued content to be shared with a proximity device, that an application has registered to publish messages on a namespace, that an application has subscribed to messages on a namespace, that an application has registered to find a peer application on a proximity device to enable multi-user collaboration, and that a device seeks to pair with another device.

Claims

1. A method for providing platform-enabled proximity service, comprising:

receiving, by a proximity service of a device, an indication from a proximity provider that a proximity connection is established between the device and another device;

exchanging with another proximity service of the other device, in response to the indication, pre-staged context information via the proximity connection;

in response to the exchanged pre-staged context information, determining a joint proximity context of the proximity connection between the device and the other device, wherein the pre-staged context information includes indications of a plurality of proximity functions registered either with the proximity service by a plurality of different applications of the device or with the other proximity service by a plurality of applications of the other device; and

initiating, based on the determining the joint proximity context of the proximity connection between the device and the other device, a pre-staged proximity action comprising establishing a peer connection between an application of the device and an application of the other device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the application of the device a registration to find a peer application on a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action further comprises establishing, by the proximity service of the device, an out-of-band connection between the application of the device and the application of the other device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication that the application of the other device has registered to find a peer application on a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes presenting, by the proximity service of the device, a user interface element that provides a selectable option to consent to launching the application of the device and establishment of the peer connection between the application of the device and the application of the other device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a registration from a sharing service of the device that the sharing service has content queued by the application of the device for sharing with a proximity device, and wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication of the registration, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes establishing, by the proximity service of the device, an out-of-band connection between the sharing service and the other device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication that a sharing service of the other device has queued content from the application of the other device to send to a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes presenting a user interface element that provides a selectable option to consent to receipt of the queued content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising inferring a proximity function from a state of the application of the device, and wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication of the inferred proximity function.

7. An apparatus for providing platform-enabled proximity service, comprising:

means for receiving, by a proximity service of a device, an indication from a proximity provider that a proximity connection is established between the device and another device;

means for exchanging with another proximity service of the other device, in response to the indication, pre-staged context information via the proximity connection;

means for, in response to the exchanged pre-staged context information, determining a joint proximity context of the proximity connection between the device and the other device, wherein the pre-staged context information includes indications of a plurality of proximity functions registered either with the proximity service by a plurality of different applications of the device or with the other proximity service by a plurality of applications of the other device; and

means for initiating, based on the determining the joint proximity context of the proximity connection between the device and the other device, a pre-staged proximity action comprising establishing a peer connection between an application of the device and an application of the other device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for receiving from the application of the device a registration to find a peer application on a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action further comprises establishing, by the proximity service of the device, an out-of-band connection between the application of the device and the application of the other device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication that the application of the other device has registered to find a peer application on a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes presenting, by the proximity service of the device, a user interface element that provides a selectable option to consent to launching the application of the device and establishment of the peer connection between the application of the device and the application of the other device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for receiving a registration from a sharing service of the device that the sharing service has content queued by the application of the device for sharing with a proximity device, and wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication of the registration, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes establishing, by the proximity service of the device, an out-of-band connection between the sharing service and the other device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication that a sharing service of the other device has queued content from the application of the other device to send to a proximity device, and wherein the pre-staged proximity action includes presenting a user interface element that provides a selectable option to consent to receipt of the queued content.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for inferring a proximity function from a state of the application of the device, and wherein the joint proximity context includes an indication of the inferred proximity function.