Systems and methods for managing wireless communication

• US 20060233191A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Quinn, Liam B., Pirzada, Fahd B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing wireless communication between information handling system/s and one or more peripherals or other external devices, and that may be implemented in one embodiment to provide a virtual wireless docking environment for a portable information handling system and associated wired and wireless attached devices and peripherals.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising communication processing components, said communication processing components comprising a wireless docking manager.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein said communication processing components further comprise a docking profile manager in communication with said wireless docking manager.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein said communication processing components further comprise one or more applications and two or more network interface components, at least one of said network interface components being a wireless network interface component;

wherein each of said network interface components are configured to connect with one or more external devices; and

wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to manage connectivity between said information handling system and said one or more external devices by managing communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components.

4. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is further configured to:

communicate information to a first one of said applications identifying one or more of said external devices that are currently available for connection to said first one of said applications; and

manage connectivity between said first one of said applications and one of said external devices that is chosen by said first one of said applications or a user of said first one of said applications.

5. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to dynamically manage communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on characteristics of said one or more external devices, characteristics of said one or more of said network interfaces, or a combination thereof.

6. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to dynamically manage communication between a first one of said applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on bandwidth requirement information.

7. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to automatically maintain connection between a first one of said applications and one of said external devices by dynamically re-routing connection between said first one of said applications and two or more of said network interface components.

8. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to authenticate connection between said one or more applications and said one or more external devices.

9. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein said wireless docking manager is configured to dynamically manage communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on one or more connection policies.

10. An information handling system comprising communication processing components, said communication processing components comprising:

an application layer;

a network interface layer; and

a wireless docking manager communicating between said application layer and said network interface layer.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein said application layer comprises one or more applications;

wherein said network interface layer comprises two or more network interface components, at least one of said network interface components being a wireless network interface component; and

wherein said wireless docking manager comprises a docking layer.

12. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein said communication processing components further comprise a docking profile manager in communication with said wireless docking manager.

13. A method of managing communication between one or more applications and two or more network interface components using a wireless docking manager;

wherein said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components comprise communication processing components of an information handling system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication processing components further comprise one or more applications and two or more network interface components, at least one of said network interface components being a wireless network interface component;

wherein each of said network interface components are configured to connect with one or more external devices; and

wherein said method further comprises using said wireless docking manager to manage connectivity between said information handling system and said one or more external devices by managing communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using said wireless docking manager to communicate information to a first one of said applications identifying one or more of said external devices that are currently available for connection to said first one of said applications; and

using said wireless docking manager to manage connectivity between said first one of said applications and one of said external devices that is chosen by said first one of said applications or a user of said first one of said applications.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising using said wireless docking manager to manage to dynamically manage communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on characteristics of said one or more external devices, characteristics of said one or more of said network interfaces, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising using said wireless docking manager to dynamically manage communication between a first one of said applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on bandwidth requirement information provided by said first one of said applications.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising using said wireless docking manager to automatically maintain connection between a first one of said applications and one of said external devices by dynamically re-routing connection between said first one of said applications and two or more of said network interface components.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising using said wireless docking manager to authenticate connection between said one or more applications and said one or more external devices.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising using said wireless docking manager to dynamically manage communication between said one or more applications and said two or more network interface components based at least in part on one or more connection policies.