Mobility device assistant

• US 20060116160A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuccello, James Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) to automatically locate and/or connect to external devices is provided. A mobile computing device contains a mobility device assistant that is able to communicate with external devices, such as peripheral equipment and other devices. The mobility device assistant automatically searches via a wireless media to locate and communicate with the external device. The external device responds with relevant information about the external device. The external device can also communicate with the mobility device assistant via a proxy communication device or manager. The proxy manager maintains a database of information about those external devices that are unable to communicate. The mobility device assistant is configurable to locate and/or filter for specific external devices. The mobility device assistant can request external device information based upon an inferred state of the user or mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a wireless component that facilitates the device communicating wirelessly with other devices; and

an interface component that interfaces with a mobile device assistant (MDA) component, wherein the MDA component informs the portable communication device of available resources.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component automatically locates the available resources.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component is configurable to locate user-specified available resources.

4. The portable device of claim 1, the MDA component identifies a specific device among the available resources.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component locates the available resources based upon an inferred user-state.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component informs devices newly entered into a network of a subset of resources available to the respective devices.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, the available resources are peripheral devices.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component informs the portable communication device of the location of the available resources.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component maintains a listing of available resources.

10. The portable communication device of claim 1, the MDA component informs devices newly entered into a network of a subset of resources available to the respective devices.

11. A communication architecture, comprising:

a network that includes a plurality of resources; and

a mobile device assistant (MDA) component that informs devices newly entered into the network of a subset of resources available to the respective devices.

12. The communication architecture of claim 11, the available resources send a continuous wireless signal.

13. The communication architecture of claim 11, the available resources send a wireless signal upon receiving a request from the MDA.

14. The communication architecture of claim 11, further comprising a proxy manager that communicates on behalf of a plurality of resources.

15. The communication architecture of claim 14, the proxy manager contains identifying information about the plurality of resources.

16. The communication architecture of claim 11, the devices newly entered into the network comprise portable communication devices.

17. A method of using a communication system, comprising:

communicating wirelessly with a plurality of devices;

interfacing with a portable communication device via a mobility device assistant (MDA); and

informing the portable communication device of the existence of the plurality of devices.

18. The method of claim 17, communicating wirelessly with a plurality of devices further comprising:

automatically detecting a signal from the plurality of devices; and

receiving a response from the plurality of devices.

19. The method of claim 17, informing the portable communication device of the existence of the plurality of devices is based upon an inferred state of the portable communication device.

20. The method of claim 17, communicating wirelessly with a plurality of devices further comprises:

registering the plurality of devices with a proxy component; and

communicating with the plurality of devices though the proxy component.

21. A computer readable medium for allowing a portable communication device to locate a plurality of resources in a network, comprising:

a wireless component operable to communicate with other devices; and

an interface component adapted to interface with a mobility device assistant (MDA) component of the portable communication device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, the interface component transmits and receives data from the plurality of resources via wireless communication.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, the interface component transmits and receives data from a proxy unit that communicates for the plurality of resources.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, the MDA informs the portable communication device of the plurality of resources.

25. A portable communication system, comprising:

means for wireless communication with a plurality of devices;

means for determining existence of available resources; and

means for informing a user about the existence of available resources.

26. The portable communication system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for requesting available resources information; and

means for receiving the available resources information.