Event-driven discovery method and apparatus

• US 20040003133A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pradhan, Salil, Jam, Mehrban
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for performing discovery between devices in a network. Using event-driven discovery, devices conserve energy resources and more rapidly join a given network. The event-driven discovery detects a common-event associated with a first device preparing to communicate with a second device. The first device then discovers the second device in response to detection of the common-event. For example, this common-event could be a handshake with another person. During discovery, the first and second devices exchange respective information and optionally may establish a communication session to exchange further information if desired.

Claims

20. A discovery apparatus that facilitates detection of a device in a network, comprising:

means for detecting a characteristic of a common-event;

means for a first device to initiate discovery of a second device responsive to the detection of the common-event;

means for the first and second device to exchange respective information during the discovery; and

means for establishing a communication session between the first device and the second device.

1. A discovery method facilitating communication between devices, comprising:

detecting a common-event associated with a first device preparing to communicate with a second device; and

initiating discovery of the second device by the first device responsive to detection of the common-event associated with the first device, wherein the first and second device exchange respective information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, establishing a communication session between the first device and the second device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device and second device are in a physical proximity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the common-event establishes a time interval for performing discovery.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second device initiates a discovery of the first device in response to detecting a common-event associated with the second device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein occurrence of the common-event is external to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second device initiates the discovery of the first device in response to the detection of the common-event associated with the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the common-event corresponds to a hand-gesture

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the common-event is generated external to the first device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a person generates the common-event.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a machine generates the common-event.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more characteristics of the common-event detected are selected from a set of characteristics including, movement, sound, scent, temperature, pressure and light-emission.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device further includes a sensor configured to detect at least the common-event associated with the first device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensor is capable of detecting one or more characteristics of the common-event selected from a set of characteristics including, movement, sound, scent, temperature, pressure and light-emission.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device is also capable of performing discovery continuously.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the user of the first device according to one or more biometric measurements.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the biometric measurements include a fingerprint taken from a platen associated with the first device.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the discovery exchanges information about the devices involved in the communication.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the information about the devices further includes information on a printer device capacity and capability.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a means for establishing a time interval for performing discovery based on the timing of the common-event.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a means external to the first device and the second device that generates the common-event.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a means associated with the first device for detecting the common-event.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a means associated with the second device for detecting the common-event.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 further a means for detecting a common-event corresponding to a hand-gesture.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein a machine generates the common-event.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a means for detecting one or more characteristics of the common-event selected from a set of characteristics including, movement, sound, scent, temperature, pressure and light-emission.

28. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the first device further includes a means for performing discovery continuously.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the first device further includes a means for identifying the user of the first device according to one or more biometric measurements.

26-1. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein a person generates the common-event.

30. An apparatus for discovering devices in a network, comprising:

a sensor component capable of detecting a common-event and initiating a discovery of devices in a network responsive to the common-event;

a transceiver component capable of processing a discovery protocol for discovering other devices;

a power source component that provides energy to operate the apparatus; and

a processor that processes operations associated with discovering devices in a network.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further wherein the sensor component is capable of detecting one or more characteristics of the common-event including a handshake, movement, sound, scent, temperature, pressure and light-emission.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the sensor component includes accelerometers that detect movement.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a data storage component holding applications that utilize the network to process information.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the application exchanges personal information between about a user.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the application is a file-swapping service for multimedia content.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the transceiver component is further capable of processing a data communication protocol for communicating with other devices.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the data communication protocol is compatible with TCP/IP.

38. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the data communication protocol and the discovery protocol are integrated together.

39. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the power source component is based on direct-current (DC).

40. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the power source component uses alternating-current(AC).