Content distribution & communication system for enhancing service distribution in short range radio environment

• US 20060258338A1
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ekberg, Jan-Erik, Markki, Outi, Kokkinenh, Heikki, Kuoppala, Mika
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

A system for propagating information among wireless communication devices in an efficient manner. More specifically, the invention involves regulating the behavior of a wireless communication device (WCD) between a primarily passive mode where client or slave availability is maximized and a primarily active mode where information propagation or master behavior is maximized. The regulation of the WCD is controlled based on the environment surrounding the WCD, including the devices in effective transmission range of the device, and the current condition of the WCD.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly propagating service information, comprising:

detecting the presence of an access point by a wireless communication device;

establishing a connection with the access point via wireless short-range communication in order to receive service information;

storing the service information in the wireless communication device prior to disconnecting from the access point;

transmitting at least part of the service information from the wireless communication device to other discovered wireless communication devices via wireless short-range communication; and

changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to an intermediate mode upon determining that a threshold condition is exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein short-range communication is at least one of a Bluetooth™

network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), an Ultra Wide Band Network (UWB), or a Wireless Universal Serial Bus Network (WUSB).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of an access point is detected via machine-readable information including at least Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily passive mode in response to the detection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the primarily passive mode comprises:

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

increasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

6. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily active mode in response to the disconnection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the primarily active mode comprises:

increasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate mode comprises:

balancing the wireless communication device activity relating to discovering other wireless short-range communication devices and listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts in view of device parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein device parameters include at least one of a battery power level, a use time, a financial measure and a number of connections.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and storing of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the other discovered wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level includes at least one of a number of information pushes to other devices, a number of other discovered wireless communication devices, a number of connection requests from other discovered wireless devices, a time period since the wireless communication device was in proximity of the access point and a current battery power level.

13. A wireless communication device for propagating service information, comprising:

detecting logic for detecting the presence of an access point by the wireless communication device;

receiving logic coupled to the detecting logic for establishing a connection with the access point via wireless short-range communication in order to receive service information;

a memory coupled to the receiving logic for storing the service information in the wireless communication device prior to disconnecting from the access point;

transmitting logic coupled to the memory for transmitting at least part of the service information from the wireless communication device to other discovered wireless communication devices via wireless short-range communication; and

control logic coupled to the memory for changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to an intermediate mode upon determining that a threshold condition is exceeded.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein short-range communication is at least one of a Bluetooth™

network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), an Ultra Wide Band Network (UWB), or a Wireless Universal Serial Bus Network (WUSB).

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the presence of an access point is detected via machine-readable information including at least Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

16. The device of claim 13, which further comprises:

said control logic changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily passive mode in response to the detection.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the primarily passive mode comprises:

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

increasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

18. The device of claim 13, which further comprises:

said control logic changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily active mode in response to the disconnection.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the primarily active mode comprises:

increasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the intermediate mode comprises:

balancing the wireless communication device activity relating to discovering other wireless short-range communication devices and listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts in view of device parameters.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein device parameters include at least one of a battery power level, a use time, a financial measure and a number of connections.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein the receiving and storing of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the wireless communication device.

23. The device of claim 13, wherein the transmitting of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the other discovered wireless communication device.

24. The device of claim 13, wherein the threshold level includes at least one of a number of information pushes to other devices, a number of other discovered wireless communication devices, a number of connection requests from other discovered wireless devices, a time period since the wireless communication device was in proximity of the access point and a current battery power level.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code therein for wirelessly propagating service information;

computer readable program code in said medium for detecting the presence of an access point by a wireless communication device;

computer readable program code in said medium for establishing a connection with the access point via wireless short-range communication in order to receive service information;

computer readable program code in said medium for storing the service information in the wireless communication device prior to disconnecting from the access point;

computer readable program code in said medium for transmitting at least part of the service information from the wireless communication device to other discovered wireless communication devices via wireless short-range communication; and

computer readable program code in said medium for changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to an intermediate mode upon determining that a threshold condition is exceeded.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein short-range communication is at least one of a Bluetooth™

network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), an Ultra Wide Band Network (UWB), or a Wireless Universal Serial Bus Network (WUSB).

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the presence of an access point is detected via machine-readable information including at least Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

28. The computer program product of claim 25, which further comprises:

computer readable program code in said medium for changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily passive mode in response to the detection.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the primarily passive mode comprises:

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

increasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, which further comprises:

computer readable program code in said medium for changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to a primarily active mode in response to the disconnection.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the primarily active mode comprises:

increasing the wireless communication device activity in discovering other wireless short-range communication devices; and

decreasing the wireless communication device activity in listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the intermediate mode comprises:

balancing the wireless communication device activity relating to discovering other wireless short-range communication devices and listening to wireless short-range communication connection attempts in view of device parameters.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein device parameters include at least one of a battery power level, a use time, a financial measure and a number of connections.

34. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the receiving and storing of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the wireless communication device.

35. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the transmitting of service information occurs only if the information is authorized by the other discovered wireless communication device.

36. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the threshold level includes at least one of a number of information pushes to other devices, a number of other discovered wireless communication devices, a number of connection requests from other discovered wireless devices, a time period since the wireless communication device was in proximity of the access point and a current battery power level.

37. A system for wirelessly propagating service information, comprising:

at least one wireless communication device;

an access point capable of communicating via short-range wireless communication;

detecting logic for detecting the presence of an access point by the wireless communication device;

receiving logic coupled to the detecting logic for establishing a connection with the access point via wireless short-range communication in order to receive service information;

a memory coupled to the receiving logic for storing the service information in the wireless communication device prior to disconnecting from the access point;

transmitting logic coupled to the memory for transmitting at least part of the service information from the wireless communication device to other discovered wireless communication devices via wireless short-range communication; and

control logic coupled to the memory for changing the operation mode of the wireless communication device to an intermediate mode upon determining that a threshold condition is exceeded.