Technique for discovery using a wireless network

• US 20040253969A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schussler, John, Tucker, Neal, Nguyen, Vu X., Turkstra, Chris
• Application Number:
  US10/456,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20040253969A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/515
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A method for connecting a client device to a host device over a wireless connection is directed to a client device such as a Smart Display. The client device receives an identifier and parses the identifier to retrieve embedded configuration information. The identifier follows a protocol limiting the identifier to providing only a network name, such as IEEE 802.11x. The embedded configuration information assists in establishing communications between the client device and the host device because the embedded configuration information can be used to identify the host. If the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) described by an IEEE 802.1x protocol, the embedded configuration information can identify a TCP/IP address. The method includes comparing bytes of the received identifier with a stored identifier to determine a match. If a match is found, received identifier can be parsed for data for determining model type, a manufacturer identifier and a device type.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a client device to a host device over a wireless connection, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier over the wireless connection; and

parsing the identifier to retrieve embedded configuration information, the identifier following a protocol limiting the identifier to providing only a network name.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the embedded configuration information assists in establishing communications between the client device and the host device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the embedded configuration information identifies one or more of a name of the host device using the embedded configuration information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) described by an IEEE 802.11x protocol.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the SSID is a 32 bit ASCII code, the embedded configuration information identifying a TCP/IP address for connections to one or more slave devices.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing a first M bytes of the received identifier with a stored identifier to determine whether the first M bytes matches a stored identifier in the client device;

if a match is found, determining that the received identifier contains data;

decrypting the data; and

locating within the data one or more of a model type, a manufacturer identifier and a device type.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

checking a cyclic redundancy code (CRC); and

performing a cryptographic algorithm on the received identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device is one of a handheld computing device, a television, and a slave device.

9. A computer readable medium holding computer readable code for performing acts for connecting a client device to a host device over a wireless connection, the acts comprising:

receiving an identifier over the wireless connection; and

parsing the identifier to retrieve embedded configuration information, the identifier following a protocol limiting the identifier to providing only a network name.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the embedded configuration information assists in establishing communications between the client device and the host device.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the embedded configuration information identifies one or more of a name of the host device using the embedded configuration information.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) described by an IEEE 802.1x protocol.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the SSID is a 32 bit ASCII code, the embedded configuration information identifying a TCP/IP address for connections to one or more slave devices.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the acts include:

comparing a first M bytes of the received identifier with a stored identifier to determine whether the first M bytes matches a stored identifier in the client device;

if a match is found, determining that the received identifier contains data;

decrypting the data; and

locating within the data one or more of a model type, a manufacturer identifier and a device type.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 further comprising:

checking a cyclic redundancy code (CRC); and

performing a cryptographic algorithm on the received identifier.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the client device is one of a handheld computing device, a television, a recording device and a slave device.

17. A method of configuring a data structure for transmittal to a client device from a host device over a wireless connection, the method comprising:

locating a portion of an identifier following a protocol limiting the identifier for network identification; and

embedding configuration information into the identifier to enable a client device to be independent of two-way communication with the host device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting the identifier to the client device to enable the client device to parse the identifier to retrieve embedded configuration information.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the embedded configuration information identifies one or more of a name of the host device, a TCP/IP address, a model type, a manufacturer identifier and a device type.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) described by an IEEE 802.11x protocol.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the identifier is a 32 bit ASCII code, the embedded configuration information identifying a TCP/IP address for connections to one or more slave devices.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the embedded configuration information includes cyclic redundancy code (CRC) and cryptographic data.