Limiting message diffusion between mobile devices

• US 20010039181A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Spratt, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,819,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Information with local relevance is diffused locally using mobile devices equipped with non-wired short-range communication means, the information being propagated from an originating point in messages passed from device to device in an unstructured way. The devices implement measures for limiting message propagation. For a device that is arranged to propagate a received message multiple times, these measures include increasing (75) the interval between retransmissions in dependence on how many times the same message has been received by the device either in total or during a recent period.

Claims

1. A method of locally diffusing information for presentation to users of mobile devices, the method involving propagating the information from an originating point in messages passed from device to device by non-wired short-range communication means of the devices, the number of copies of a message in propagation initially tending to increase due to the propagation activities of the receiving devices and then dying away as the devices implement propagation limitation measures for the message, at least one device being operative to send messages multiple times with the interval between retransmissions ofthe message being dependent on how many times the same message has been received by the device either in total or during a recent period.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the interval between retransmissions is increased with increasing number of receipts of the same message either in total or during a recent period.

3. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein each message includes a message ID that serves to distinguish one message from another, the message ID enabling a receiving device to ascertain if the same message has been previously received.

4. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein if more than a predetermined number of copies of a message are received in total, said at least one devices terminates further propagation of the message.

5. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein if more than a predetermined number of copies of a message are received during a recent period, said at least one devices terminates further propagation of the message.

6. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the information comprises at least one of:

information with at least an item that is explicitly or implicitly of local relevance

the position of the originating point.

7. A mobile device for locally diffusing information to other devices for presentation to their users, the mobile device comprising:

a message store;

a short-range wireless transceiver for receiving messages and storing them to said store, and for transmitting messages retrieved from the store;

a message receive/transmit counter for recording how many times each message is received and transmitted; and

a message-propagation controller operative to cause messages held in said store to be transmitted multiple times with the interval between retransmissions of each message being dependent on how many times the same message has been received by the device, either in total or during a recent period, as indicated by said counter.

8. A device according to

claim 7

, wherein the controller is operative to increase the interval between retransmissions of a message with increasing number of receipts of the same message either in total or during a recent period.

9. A device according to

claim 7

, wherein each message includes a message ID that serves to distinguish one message from another, the message ID being used by said counter to ascertain if the same message has been previously received.

10. A device according to

claim 7

, wherein if more than a predetermined number of copies of a message are received in total, the controller terminates further propagation of the message.

11. A device according to

claim 7

, wherein if more than a predetermined number of copies of a message are received during a recent period, the controller terminates further propagation of the message.