Wireless device discovery
First Claim
1. A method for discovering a wireless device on a computer network, the method comprising:
- broadcasting from the wireless device a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device, wherein the identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device; and
broadcasting from the wireless device a second data packet a plurality of times, wherein a first occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a first power level and a second occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a second power level lower than the first power level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for discovering wireless peripheral devices utilizing wireless broadcasts at multiple power levels. A first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device is broadcast by that wireless device. The identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device. After broadcasting the first data packet, the wireless device broadcasts a second data packet a plurality of times. A first occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a first power level and a second occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a second power level lower than the first power level. Additional broadcasts at diminishing power levels can further be utilized. Relative proximity of the broadcasting wireless device can be determined based on the lowest power level received from the device.
71 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for discovering a wireless device on a computer network, the method comprising:
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broadcasting from the wireless device a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device, wherein the identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device; and
broadcasting from the wireless device a second data packet a plurality of times, wherein a first occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a first power level and a second occurrence of the second data packet is broadcast at a second power level lower than the first power level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for discovering a wireless device on a computer network, the method comprising:
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broadcasting from the wireless device a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device, wherein the identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device; and
broadcasting from the wireless device a second data packet a plurality of times, wherein the second data packet is broadcast at more than one power level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for discovering a wireless device on a computer network, the method comprising:
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broadcasting from the wireless device a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device, wherein the identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device; and
broadcasting from the wireless device a second data packet a predetermined number of times at diminishing power levels.
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15. A wireless device, comprising:
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a processor;
a transceiver coupled to the processor; and
a computer-usable media containing computer-readable instructions adapted to cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;
causing the transceiver to broadcast a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless device, wherein the identification information contains at least a location and a functionality of the wireless device; and
after broadcasting the first data packet, causing the transceiver to broadcast a first occurrence of second data packet at a first power level and to broadcast a second occurrence of the second data packet at a second power level lower than the first power level. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A wireless peripheral device, comprising:
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a processor;
a transceiver coupled to the processor; and
a computer-usable media containing computer-readable instructions adapted to cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;
causing the transceiver to broadcast a first data packet containing identification information associated with the wireless peripheral device; and
after broadcasting the first data packet, causing the transceiver to broadcast a second data packet a predetermined number of times at diminishing power levels.
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26. A wireless imaging device, comprising:
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a processor;
a formatter coupled to the processor;
a print engine coupled to the formatter; and
a transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the transceiver is adapted to transmit a first data packet at an initial power level, the first data packet containing identification information associated with the imaging device, and to transmit a second data packet a plurality of times at diminishing power levels.
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27. A method of choosing a peripheral device on a wireless computer network containing a plurality of peripheral devices, the method comprising:
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receiving one or more first data packets, wherein each of the first data packets contains identification information associated with a peripheral device;
in response to receiving a first data packet from a peripheral device, listening for a second data packet and counting a number of times the second data packet is received from that peripheral device;
ranking the plurality of peripheral devices based at least in part on the number of times the second data packet is counted for each peripheral device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of choosing a peripheral device on a wireless computer network containing a plurality of peripheral devices, the method comprising:
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receiving one or more first data packets, wherein each of the first data packets contains identification information associated with a peripheral device and wherein each of the first data packets further contains information about a number of times a second data packet will be transmitted and a power level for each such transmission;
in response to receiving a first data packet, listening for the second data packet and determining a lowest power level at which the second data packet is received;
ranking the plurality of peripheral devices based at least in part on the lowest power level at which the second data packet is received for each peripheral device.
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35. An imaging device, comprising:
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means for rendering image data and providing a tangible output representative of the image data;
means for broadcasting a first data packet containing identification information associated with the imaging device; and
means for broadcasting a second data packet a plurality of times, wherein the means for broadcasting the second data packet is adapted to broadcast the occurrences of the second data packet at diminishing power levels. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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Specification