System and method for provision of proximity networking activity information

• US 20060178214A1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Uusitalo, Severi, Impio, Jussi, Perala, Timo K., Lehikoinen, Jaakko
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Systems and methods applicable, for instance, in proximity networking activity. For example, nodes and/or other computers may record, receive, and/or provide information regarding proximity networking activity. As another example, nodes and/or other computers may act to inform their users of proximity networking activity instances.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording, at a first node, information regarding proximity networking activity instances in which the first node is capable of partaking;

providing some or all of the information to a second node, wherein the second node holds information regarding proximity networking activity;

receiving at the first node from the second node some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the second node; and

informing a user of the first node of proximity networking activity instances associated with one or more geographical locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node provides to the user a map indicating, for one or more geographical locations, one or more proximity networking activity instances.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding proximity networking activity recorded at the first node includes geographical location information corresponding to each of the proximity networking activity instances in which the first node is capable of partaking.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding proximity networking activity received at the first node is employed in updating information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein some or all of the information recorded at the first node includes time information and is, based on associated timestamp information, valid for only certain periods of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node and the second node communicate via proximity connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first node and the second node are mobile nodes.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving at a first fixed node from a mobile node information regarding proximity networking activity;

receiving at the first fixed node from a second fixed node information regarding proximity networking activity;

updating some or all of information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first fixed node, wherein some or all of information regarding proximity networking activity received at the first fixed node is employed in the updating; and

providing from the first fixed node to a requesting node some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first fixed node,

wherein some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first fixed node includes geographical location information corresponding to one or more proximity networking activity instances.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising preparing, at the first fixed node, historical statistics corresponding to some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first fixed node.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first fixed node communicates with at least one of the mobile node, the second fixed node, and the requesting node via proximity connection.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first fixed node communicates with at least one of the mobile node, the second fixed node, and the requesting node via non-proximity connection.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the first fixed node includes information regarding one of proximity gaming, proximity messaging, and proximity media streaming.

13. A mobile node, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor disposed in communication with the memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with the stored program code; and

a network interface disposed in communication with the processor;

wherein the program code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform;

recording, at the mobile node, information regarding proximity networking activity instances in which the mobile node is capable of partaking;

providing some or all of the information to a second node, wherein the second node holds information regarding proximity networking activity;

receiving at the mobile node from the second node some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the second node; and

informing a user of the mobile node of proximity networking activity instances associated with one or more geographical locations.

14. The mobile node of claim 13, wherein the mobile node provides to the user a map indicating, for one or more geographical locations, one or more proximity networking activity instances.

15. The mobile node of claim 13, wherein the information regarding proximity networking activity recorded at the mobile node includes geographical location information corresponding to each of the proximity networking activity instances in which the mobile node is capable of partaking.

16. The mobile node of claim 13, wherein the information regarding proximity networking activity received at the mobile node is employed in updating information regarding proximity networking activity held by the mobile node.

17. The mobile node of claim 13, wherein some or all of the information recorded at the mobile node includes time information and is, based on associated timestamp information, valid for only certain periods of time.

18. The mobile node of claim 13, wherein the mobile node and the second node communicate via proximity connection.

19. A network device, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor disposed in communication with the memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with the stored program code; and

a network interface disposed in communication with the processor;

wherein the program code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform;

receiving from a mobile node information regarding proximity networking activity;

receiving from a fixed node information regarding proximity networking activity;

updating some or all of held information regarding proximity networking activity, wherein some or all of received information regarding proximity networking activity is employed in the updating; and

providing to a requesting node some or all of the held information regarding proximity networking activity,

wherein some or all of the held information regarding proximity networking activity includes geographical location information corresponding to one or more proximity networking activity instances.

20. The network device of claim 19 wherein the processor further performs preparing historical statistics corresponding to some or all of the held information regarding proximity networking activity.

21. The network device of claim 19 wherein the network device communicates with at least one of the mobile node, the fixed node, and the requesting node via proximity connection.

22. The network device of claim 19 wherein the network device communicates with at least one of the mobile node, the fixed node, and the requesting node via non-proximity connection.

23. The network device of claim 19, wherein the held information regarding proximity networking activity includes information regarding one of proximity gaming, proximity messaging, and proximity media streaming.

24. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium containing program code that when executed causes a first mobile node to perform:

recording, at the first node, information regarding proximity networking activity instances in which the first node is capable of partaking;

providing some or all of the information to a second node, wherein the second node holds information regarding proximity networking activity;

receiving at the first node from the second node some or all of the information regarding proximity networking activity held by the second node; and

informing a user of the first node of proximity networking activity instances associated with one or more geographical locations.