DETERMINING THE CONTEXT OF SURROUNDINGS

• US 20060193288A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E., Kurth, Scott W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

“Context” of an environment or area is considered to be one or more characteristics of the environment or area, manifested by the presence of various types of equipment or devices. Detection of various types of devices and equipment in a localized area is by way of short-range wireless signals over which data about the devices is transmitted to one or more subscriber units. The subscriber units can forward context-determinative data and information to a service provider which can vicariously use the equipment or devices in the area via the subscriber device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of context-determining devices each having a short range wireless signal transceiver configured to broadcast information via short range wireless signals; and

at least one subscriber unit configured to detect the short range wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices and further configured to derive contextual information from the short range wireless signals, wherein the at least one subscriber unit is further configured to issue one or more wireless control signals to at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices based on the derived contextual information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of an identity, one or more usages, a status, and one or more operations of the at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of context-determining devices includes memory containing stored validation data and each are configured to determine authorization of the at least one subscriber unit for controlling access to the at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices, wherein the authorization determination is based on a comparison of corresponding validation data received from the at least one subscriber unit with the validation data stored in the memory.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of context-determining devices is another subscriber unit, each having a short range wireless signal transceiver configured to broadcast information via short range wireless signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one subscriber unit is another context determining device configured to detect the short range wireless signals from at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices and further configured to derive contextual information from the short range wireless signals, wherein the another context determining device is further configured to issue wireless control signals to at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices based on the derived contextual information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the derived contextual information includes at least information relating to one or more service capabilities of the at least one of the plurality of context-determining devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one subscriber unit further includes a long range wireless transmitter configured to transmit the derived contextual information to at least one of a remote data collector and a remote service provider.

8. A method comprising:

detecting short range wireless signals broadcast from at least one context-determining device;

deriving contextual information from the short range wireless signals; and

issuing one or more wireless control signals to the at least one context-determining device based on the derived contextual information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of an identity, one or more usages, a status, and one or more operations of the at least one context-determining device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the derived contextual information includes at least information relating to one or more service capabilities of the at least one context-determining device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the derived contextual information to at least one of a remote data collector and a remote service provider.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein issuing one or more wireless control signals to the at least one context-determining device is further based on information contained in a device profile of the at least one context-determining device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises receiving data representing the device profile of the at least one context-determining device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending validation data to the at least one context-determining device, wherein the validation data represents authorization to control the at least one context-determining device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving information relating to a service provided by said remote service provider.

16. A subscriber unit comprising:

a transceiver configured to detect and receive short range wireless signals from at least one context-determining device; and

a processor configured to derive contextual information from the short range wireless signals, and issue wireless control signals to the at least one context-determining device.

17. The unit of claim 16, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of an identity, one or more usages, a status, and one or more operations of the at least one context-determining device.

18. The unit of claim 16, further comprising a long-range wireless transmitter configured to transmit the derived contextual information to at least one of a remote data collector and a remote service provider.

19. The unit of claim 16, wherein the process is further operative to issue wireless control signals to the at least one context-determining device based on information contained in a device profile of the at least one context-determining device.

20. The unit of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative to send validation data to the at least one context-determining device, wherein the validation data represents authorization to control the at least one context-determining device.