System and method for remotely controlling network resources

• US 20060080452A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ORB Networks Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Julia, Luc, Bing, Jehan, Le Nerriec, Yohan, Dubreuil, Jerome, Serghine, Maklouf
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A personal network may be established by interconnecting a plurality of satellites as part of the personal network. Each satellite may configured to communicate with one or more other satellites. On any given one of the plurality of satellites, data indicating a connectivity status for the one or more other satellites is automatically received, and information indicating a capability of the one or more other satellites is automatically received. The given satellite may be configured to enable at least one other corresponding satellite in the plurality of satellites to be made available for use, so that a capability of the at least one other corresponding satellite is made available for the given satellite.

Claims

1. A method for interconnecting a personal network, the method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network; and

enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to (i) access media resources on at least a second satellite in the plurality of satellites, (ii) initiate the second satellite to perform an operation for generating a media output from one or more of the media resources, (iii) direct the second satellite to stream data corresponding to the media output to the first satellite, and (iv) generate a remote media output from the streamed data;

wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are remotely located from one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the first satellite includes programming a network enabled device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resources correspond to a media file containing audio, and wherein the step of enabling the first device to generate a remote media output includes enabling at least the audio of the media file to be reproduced at a location of the first satellite using the streamed data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of causing the second satellite to playback the media file at a location of the second satellite concurrently with the first satellite playing back the audio file at he first location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to access media resources includes enabling the first satellite to access a media file containing video, and wherein the step of enabling the fist device to generate a remote media output includes enabling at least the video of the media file to be reproduced at a location of the first satellite using the streamed data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of enabling a first satellite (i) to access media resources on the second satellite, (ii) initiate the second satellite to perform an operation for generating a media output from one or more the media resources, and (iii) direct the second satellite to stream data corresponding to the media output to the first satellite are performed with no manual intervention from a location of the second satellite.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the steps of enabling a first satellite (i) to access media resources on the second satellite, (ii) initiate the second satellite to perform an operation for generating a media output from one or more the media resources, and (iii) direct the second satellite to stream data corresponding to the media output to the first satellite are performed in response to one or more actions of a user at the first location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving user-information specifying at least one of the first satellite and the second satellite.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of receiving the user-information includes receiving the user-information from a web site, and wherein the step of enabling the first satellite includes providing one or more instructions to a device of the first satellite in response to receiving the user-information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-information specifies a type of the first device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-information specifies one or more of a model, primary function, operating system, input interface, and network connection of the first device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of receiving user-information specifying the first device includes receiving a user-selection of the first device over one or more other devices that form part of the personal network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more other devices have a different primary function than the first device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network includes interconnecting at least some of the plurality of satellites using an Internet Protocol network, so that the first location and the second location are separated by the Internet Protocol network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the Internet Protocol network corresponds to the Internet.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the Internet Protocol network corresponds to an Ethernet network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite resides on a roaming device, and wherein the step of enabling a first satellite includes sending instructions to the roaming device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the roaming device is interconnectable to the personal network using a network for carrying wireless voice telephony data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the roaming device corresponds to a device having cellular phone capabilities.

20. A method for interconnecting a personal network, the method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network; and

enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to initiate a second satellite to perform one or more operations that results in a set of data, wherein the first satellite has a first location, and the second satellite has a second location that is remote from the first location; and

in response to the first satellite initiating the second satellite, enabling at least one of the first satellite and the second satellite to cause the set of data to be streamed from the second location to the first location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of enabling at least one of the first satellite and the second satellite to cause the set of data to be streamed from the second location to the first location includes enabling at least one of the first satellite and the second satellite to stream the set of data concurrently with the second satellite performing the one or more operations.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of enabling the second satellite to cooperate with the first satellite in streaming the set of data from the second location to the first location.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network includes interconnecting at least some of the plurality of satellites using an Internet Protocol network, so that the first location and the second location are separated by the Internet Protocol network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the Internet Protocol network corresponds to the Internet.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the Internet Protocol network corresponds to an Ethernet network.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to initiate a second satellite to perform one or more operations that results in a set of data includes enabling the first satellite to cause the second satellite to execute multiple applications.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of enabling the first satellite to cause the second satellite to execute at least a first application and a second application in series, and wherein performance of the second application uses at least some data generated by performance of the fist application,

28. The method of claim 27, wherein execution of the first application results in a first data set, and wherein execution of the second application results in a conversion of the first data set from a first format into a second format.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first format corresponds to a text-based format, and wherein the second format corresponds to a media format.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of enabling the first satellite to cause the second satellite to execute at least a first application and a second application in series includes enabling the first application to retrieve web content from a network site, and enabling the second application to convert the web content into audio.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the execution the second application corresponds to a text to speech conversion.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to initiate a second satellite to perform one or more operations includes enabling the first satellite to cause the second satellite to execute an application that generates data having a text-based format.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the first satellite resides on a roaming device, and wherein the step of enabling a first satellite includes sending instructions to the roaming device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the roaming device is interconnectable to the personal network using a network for carrying wireless voice telephony data.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the roaming device corresponds to a device having cellular phone capabilities.

36. A method for interconnecting a personal network, the method comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network;

receiving a user-selection of a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to control a second satellite in the plurality of satellite, wherein the first satellite has a first location, and the second satellite has a second location that is remote from the first location;

enabling the first satellite to control the second satellite in order to at least cause the second satellite to perform one or more operations that results in a set of data; and

enabling at least one of the first satellite and the second satellite to transfer the set of data to the first satellite.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a user-selection occurs at a third location that is remote from the first location and the second location.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the third location corresponds to a web site that a user accesses to enter the user-selection.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the third location corresponds to a location of a third satellite.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the first satellite, second satellite, and third satellite all reside on a different device.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the first satellite, second satellite, and third satellite all use a different network interface to communicate on the personal network.

42. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for interconnecting a personal network, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, perform steps comprising:

interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network; and

enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to (i) access media resources on at least a second satellite in the plurality of satellites, (ii) initiate the second satellite to perform an operation for generating a media output from one or more of the media resources, (iii) direct the second satellite to stream data corresponding to the media output to the first satellite, and (iv) generate a remote media output from the streamed data;

wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are remotely located from one another.

43. A system for interconnecting a personal network, the system comprising:

means for interconnecting a plurality of satellites that form at least a part of the personal network; and

means for enabling a first satellite in the plurality of satellites to (i) access media resources on at least a second satellite in the plurality of satellites, (ii) initiate the second satellite to perform an operation for generating a media output from one or more of the media resources, (iii) direct the second satellite to stream data corresponding to the media output to the first satellite, and (iv) generate a remote media output from the streamed data;

wherein the first satellite and the second satellite are remotely located from one another.