Feature sharing

• US 20070072597A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Peuziat, Xavier, Guyot, Galina, Clauzel, Gilbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile telephone operable to use a feature of a second mobile telephone comprising a share module for obtaining details of one or more features on the second mobile telephone which are available for use by the mobile telephone a user interface for selecting an available feature; and a communication module for communicating data with the second mobile telephone to enable the selected feature to be used by the mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone operable to use a feature of a second mobile telephone comprising:

a share module for obtaining details of one or more features on the second mobile telephone which are available for use by the mobile telephone;

a user interface for selecting an available feature; and

a communication module for communicating data with the second mobile telephone to enable the selected feature to be used by the mobile telephone.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the share module is adapted for providing to the second mobile telephone details of one or more features on the mobile telephone which are available for use by the second mobile telephone.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the share module is further adapted to obtain, for each available feature, usage information indicating the how to use that feature.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 3, wherein the communication module is arranged to communicate data with the second mobile telephone in accordance with the obtained usage information relating to the selected feature.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the communication module is arranged to communicate with the second mobile telephone over a local wireless communication link, and further wherein the share module is arranged to obtain the details over the local wireless communication link.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the communication module is arranged to communicate with the second mobile telephone via a share coordination module accessible via a mobile data network.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the user interface is adapted to offer a service, the service requiring one or more functions at least one of which is not available on the mobile telephone, the share module being arranged to determine when the required features are available on the second mobile telephone, and to enable use of the service on the mobile telephone when it is determined that the required features are available on the second mobile telephone.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the share module is arranged to charge the mobile telephone for use made of a feature on the second mobile telephone.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the share module is arranged to obtain pricing information relating to the one or more features and to display such information to the user.

10. A method of using, from a first mobile telephone, a function available on a second mobile telephone, comprising:

obtaining details of one or more features on the second mobile telephone which are available for use by the first mobile telephone;

selecting an available feature;

communicating data with the second mobile telephone to enable the first mobile telephone to use the selected feature on the second mobile telephone.

11. Apparatus for enabling a first mobile telephone to use a feature of a second mobile telephone, comprising:

a share module for communicating with the second mobile telephone to obtain details of one or more features on the second mobile telephone which are available for use by the mobile telephone, the share module being further operable to communicate data between the first and second mobile telephone to enable a feature of the second mobile telephone to be used by the first mobile telephone.

12. A method of providing a service on a mobile telephone, the service requiring one or more functions, at least one of which is not available on the mobile telephone, the method comprising:

determining the non-available functions;

identifying one or more other mobile telephones which are operable to provide access to the one or more lacking functions;

communicating with the one or more identified mobile telephones to use the determined functions to thereby provide the service on the mobile telephone.