Automated Service Discovery and Wireless Network Set-Up
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:
- performing neighbor and service discovery based on a special beacon transmitted from at least one computing device;
performing member selection to select at least one of the computing devices; and
transmitting a network set-up and service request that identifies the at least one selected computing devices, the network set-up and service request inviting each selected computing device to become a member of a wireless network and asking each invited computing device to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present technique for automating service discovery and the set-up of a wireless network improves a user'"'"'s experience when setting-up the wireless network and using one or more services. The technique includes automatic neighbor/service discovery using special beacons transmitted from wireless devices. Each special beacon identifies the wireless device (i.e., host) that transmitted the beacon along with the services provided by the device. For each special beacon that is received, a corresponding host name and the service provided by it are displayed in a graphical user interface. A user may select one or more of the host names and initiate a transmission of a network set-up and service request. The network set-up and service request identifies the selected host names and invites each selected host name to become a member of a wireless network. After the network has been set up, the service may be invoked automatically.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:
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performing neighbor and service discovery based on a special beacon transmitted from at least one computing device;
performing member selection to select at least one of the computing devices; and
transmitting a network set-up and service request that identifies the at least one selected computing devices, the network set-up and service request inviting each selected computing device to become a member of a wireless network and asking each invited computing device to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure being converted from a wireless transmission signal transmitted between two computing devices, the data structure comprising:
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a host name field wherein a host name for a host computing device is stored, the host name identifying the computing device that transmitted the wireless transmission signal;
an invitation list wherein an identifier for each computing device requested to become a member of a wireless network is stored; and
a service flag field wherein service bits are stored for specifying a type of service desired for the wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computing device, comprising:
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a processor;
a memory into which a plurality of instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method when executed by the processor, the method comprising;
displaying a hostname for each host computing device from which a beacon (300) is received, wherein displaying is via a graphical user interface;
providing a selection means on the graphical user interface for selecting at least one of the host computing devices; and
providing a create network means on the graphical user interface that when activated results in a transmission of a network set-up request, the network set-up request identifying each of the selected host computing devices and inviting each of the selected host computing devices to become a member of a wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification