Initializing relationships between devices in a network

• US 20030233399A1
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McKay, Philip, Wibisono, Himgan, Hoch, Michael, Gauba, Ravi, Lea, Rodger, Harwayne, Michael S., Liu, Jeff, Wang, Sidney, Tambata, Ippei, Coppinger, Elizabeth, Prohel, Andrew M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A relationship initiation between devices in a network is described. According to one embodiment, persona information is exchanged between devices in a network. Based upon the persona information, a user of a device may initiate a relationship with another device.

Claims

1. A computerized method:

communicating persona information associated with a first user from a first device to a second device on a network;

receiving persona information associated with a second user of the second device; and

initiating a relationship between the first and second devices based on the persona information associated with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating persona information includes broadcasting the persona information associated with the first user to a plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating persona information includes transmitting a first message from the first device to the second device for forwarding to a third device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the first message from the third device, the first message including persona information associated with a third user associated with the third device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

analyzing the persona information of the second user of the first device for a common interest.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a visualization of the second device based on the persona information associated with the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a relationship includes swapping an electronic file with the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a relationship includes initializing an instant messaging session with the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating a relationship includes initializing a gaming session with the second user.

10. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a device to perform a method comprising:

communicating persona information associated with a first user from a first device to a second device on a network;

receiving persona information associated with a second user of the second device; and

initiating a relationship between the first and second devices based on the persona information associated with the second user.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein communicating persona information includes broadcasting the persona information associated with the first user to a plurality of devices.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein communicating persona information includes transmitting a first message from the first device to the second device for forwarding to a third device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the first message from the third device, the first message including persona information associated with a third user associated with the third device.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing the persona information of the second user of the first device for a common interest.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a visualization of the second device based on the persona information associated with the second user.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein initiating a relationship includes swapping an electronic file with the second device.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein initiating a relationship includes initializing an instant messaging session with the second user.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the initiating a relationship includes initializing a gaming session with the second user.

19. A device comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a relationship initiation process executed by the processor from the memory to cause the processor to communicate persona information associated with a first user to a first device on a network, the first device being one of a plurality of devices on the network, to receive persona information associated with a second user of the first device, and to initiate a relationship between the first device based on the persona information associated with the second user of the first device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the relationship initiation process further causes the processor to broadcast the persona information associated with the first user to the plurality of devices.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the relationship initiation process further causes the processor to transmit a first message to the first device, wherein the first device is to forward the first message to a second device, the second device being one of the plurality of devices on the network.

22. The device of claim 21, the relationship initiation process further causes the processor, when transmitting the first message, to receive the first message from the second device, the first message including persona information associated with a third user associated with the second device.

23. The device of claim 19, the relationship initiation process further causes the processor to analyze the persona information of the second user of the first device for a common interest.

24. The device of claim 19, the relationship initiation process further causes the processor to generate a visualization of the first device based on the persona information associated with the second user of the first device.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the relationship initiation process further causes the processor, when initiating a relationship, to swap an electronic file with the first device.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein the relationship initiation process further causes the processor, when initiating a relationship, to initiate an instant messaging session with the second user of the first device.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein the relationship initiation process further causes the processor, when initiating a relationship, to initiate a gaming session with the second user of the first device.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for exchanging persona information with a first device; and

means for initializing a relationship with the first device based on the exchanged persona information, the means for exchanging coupled with the means for initializing.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for exchanging comprises:

a means for transmitting a first message to the first device, the first message to include the persona information of a user of the apparatus; and

a means for receiving a reply message from the first device, the reply message to include the persona information of a user of the first device.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

a means for analyzing the persona information received in the reply message.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for analyzing includes visualizing the persona information via a user interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for initializing a relationship includes a means for performing a conversation over the network between the device and the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for initializing a relationship includes a means for swapping a content file over the network between the device and the apparatus.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for initializing a relationship includes a means for performing a gaming session over the network between the device and the apparatus.