Method and system for proximity-based information retrieval and exchange in ad hoc networks
First Claim
1. A network, wherein discovery consists of emitting a plurality of requests and acquiring identifying information, the network comprising:
- a plurality of clients configured to send and receive information and configured to be either in a mode to discover other clients or in a mode to be discoverable by other clients, the plurality of clients including;
a plurality of secondary clients in the mode to be discoverable; and
at least one primary client in the mode to discover secondary clients; and
at least one server configured to send information to and receive information from the at least one primary client, the information received from the at least one primary client including identifying information of a plurality of discovered secondary clients, the at least one server including;
a client information database for storing client information associated with the plurality of clients, including identifying information, match information, and match criteria;
a matcher configured to identify matching secondary clients by determining neighboring secondary clients, and determining which neighboring secondary clients have client information that match the primary client'"'"'s match criteria; and
wherein when the at least one primary client sends to the at least one server the identifying information of the secondary clients acquired by the at least one primary client, and the matcher identifies matching secondary clients.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network has clients and a server. The clients can discover and be discovered by each other. Discovery includes emitting requests to and acquiring identifying information from clients within a certain geographical range. A discovering client sends all identifying information to the server. The server includes client information database and topological map, comprised of nodes representing clients and edges indicating the discovery of one client by another. When the server receives identifying information from the discovering client, the server updates the topological map and determines which neighboring clients of the discovering client matches the match criteria of the discovering client. The server may determine a discovery schedule detailing which client should discover next. The server may send the match information and discovery schedule to the discovering client, discovered clients, or a third party. The server may also store this information.
92 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A network, wherein discovery consists of emitting a plurality of requests and acquiring identifying information, the network comprising:
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a plurality of clients configured to send and receive information and configured to be either in a mode to discover other clients or in a mode to be discoverable by other clients, the plurality of clients including;
a plurality of secondary clients in the mode to be discoverable; and
at least one primary client in the mode to discover secondary clients; and
at least one server configured to send information to and receive information from the at least one primary client, the information received from the at least one primary client including identifying information of a plurality of discovered secondary clients, the at least one server including;
a client information database for storing client information associated with the plurality of clients, including identifying information, match information, and match criteria;
a matcher configured to identify matching secondary clients by determining neighboring secondary clients, and determining which neighboring secondary clients have client information that match the primary client'"'"'s match criteria; and
wherein when the at least one primary client sends to the at least one server the identifying information of the secondary clients acquired by the at least one primary client, and the matcher identifies matching secondary clients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for detecting clients that match a predetermined criteria, wherein discovery consists of emitting a plurality of requests and acquiring identifying information, the system comprising:
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a plurality of client modules configured to send and receive information, the plurality of client module s including;
a plurality of secondary client modules configured to be discoverable; and
at least one primary client module configured to discover secondary client modules; and
at least one server module configured to send information to and receive information from the at least one primary client module, the information received from the at least one primary client module including identifying information of the discovered secondary client modules, the at least one server module including;
a client information database for storing client information associated with the plurality of client modules, including identifying information, match information, and match criteria;
a matcher configured to identify matching secondary client modules by determining neighboring secondary client modules, and determining which neighboring secondary client modules have client information that match the primary client module'"'"'s match criteria; and
wherein when the at least one primary client module sends to the at least one server module the identifying information of the secondary client modules acquired by the at least one primary client module, and the matcher identifies matching secondary client modules. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of operating a network, wherein discovery consists of emitting a plurality of requests and acquiring identifying information, the network comprising at least one server and a plurality of clients configured to send and receive information, the plurality of clients including a plurality of secondary clients configured to be discoverable and at least one primary client configured to discover secondary clients, the method comprising the steps of:
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at the at least one primary client;
discovering secondary clients; and
sending information, including the identifying information, to the server;
at the at least one server;
receiving information from the at least one primary client;
updating a client information database with the information from the at least one primary client;
determining neighboring secondary clients; and
searching the client information database that stores client information associated with the plurality of clients, including identifying information, match information, and match criteria, for client information of neighboring secondary clients that match the at least one primary client'"'"'s match criteria to identify matching secondary clients. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A computer media, wherein discovery consists of emitting a plurality of requests and acquiring identifying information, the computer media comprising:
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a data structure including characteristic information about a plurality of clients and an access flag for each client represented, the access flag being in one of two states consisting of active and passive, the plurality of clients including at least one primary client that discovers and a plurality of secondary clients that are discoverable;
instructions for receiving an indication that the primary client represented in the data structure is within a predetermined distance of the secondary clients represented in the data structure;
whereinthe access flag for the primary client is set to the active state;
the access flags for the plurality of secondary clients is set to the passive state; and
instructions for finding secondary clients represented in the data structure with characteristic information matching the primary client'"'"'s characteristic information. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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Specification