Managing communication among network devices

• US 20030217179A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Batons Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Nobuyasu, Famolari, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A network element or server that manages name, address and identifying information of network devices that contain at least one Bluetooth interface is described. A Bluetooth Device Address may be queried by a first network device of a second network device to the server and the server may provide additional name, address and identifying information on the queried second network device to the first network device such that the first network device may establish a preferred connection with the second network device.

Claims

1. A server method of managing network communications, said method comprising:

receiving, from a first network device, a first address corresponding to a second network device; and

transmitting at least one second address, corresponding to the second network device, to the first network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device includes a first Bluetooth device, the second network device includes a second Bluetooth device and the first address includes a Bluetooth Device Address (BDA) associated with the second network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one second address corresponding to the second network device comprises at least one of an IP address corresponding to the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device includes a Bluetooth device, and the second network device includes a Multiple Interface Device (MID), wherein the MID includes a first interface and a second interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first interface is a Bluetooth interface and the second interface is an 802.11 interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an IP address of the Bluetooth interface of the MID, an IP name of the Bluetooth interface of the MID, an IP address of the 802.11 interface of the MID, or an IP name of the 802.11 interface of the MID.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device includes a Multiple Interface Device (MID), the second network device includes a Bluetooth device and the first address includes a Bluetooth Device Address (BDA) corresponding to the second network device, and wherein the MID includes a first interface and a second interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an IP address corresponding the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first interface includes a Bluetooth interface and the second interface includes an 802.11 interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said receiving is performed via an 802.11 Access Point (AP).

15. A network, comprising:

at least one network device including a network interface;

a storage device including a plurality of records having identifying information for said at least one network device; and

an access point device connected to said storage device,

wherein said access point device communicates with said at least one network device.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein the network interface is a Bluetooth interface.

17. The network of claim 15, wherein the access point device is a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

18. The network of claim 15, wherein said at least one network device further comprises an 802.11 interface.

19. The network of claim 18, further comprising an 802.11 Access Point (AP), wherein said AP communicates with said at least one network device.

20. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving, from a first network device, a first address corresponding to a second network device; and

,

transmitting at least one second address, corresponding to the second network device, to the first network device.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first network device includes a first Bluetooth device, the second network device includes a second Bluetooth device and the first address includes a Bluetooth Device Address (BDA) corresponding to the second network device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one second address corresponding to the second network device comprises at least one of an IP address corresponding to the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

24. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first network device includes a Bluetooth device, and the second network device includes a Multiple Interface Device (MID), wherein the MID includes a first interface and a second interface.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the first interface is a Bluetooth interface and the second interface is an 802.11 interface.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an IP address of the Bluetooth interface of the MID, an IP name of the Bluetooth interface of the MID, an IP address of the 802.11 interface of the MID, or an IP name of the 802.11 interface of the MID.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

29. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first network device includes a Multiple Interface Device (MID), the second network device includes a Bluetooth device and the first address includes a Bluetooth Device Address (BDA) corresponding to the second network device, and wherein the MID includes a first interface and a second interface.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an IP address corresponding the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first interface includes a Bluetooth interface and the second interface includes an 802.11 interface.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP).

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein said receiving is performed via an 802.11 Access Point (AP).

34. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first network device is a first Multiple Interface Device (MID) including a first interface and a second interface, the second network device includes a second Multiple Interface Device (MID) including a third interface and a fourth interface, and wherein further the first address includes a BDA corresponding to the second MID.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one second address comprises at least one of an IP address corresponding to the second network device or an IP name corresponding to the second network device.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the first interface and the third interface include Bluetooth interfaces and wherein further the second interface and the fourth interface include 802.11 interfaces.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said receiving is performed via a Bluetooth Access Point (BAP). 38. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said receiving is performed via an 802.11 Access Point (AP).