Transferring Data Using Ad Hoc Networks

• US 20080112354A1
• Filed: 11/11/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Toutonghi, Michael J
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,004 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for a local device to establish an ad hoc communications channel with a broadcast device is disclosed. The method comprises upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

Claims

1. A method for a local device to establish an ad hoc communications link with a broadcast device, comprising:

upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and

establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ad hoc communications link is in accordance with the Bluetooth wireless standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local device does not perform a scan to obtain the connection parameters of the broadcast device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the connection parameters from the broadcast device during a service registration operation with the broadcast device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service registration operation comprises receiving a service discovery request to discover a predefined service running on the local device from the broadcast device, and responding to the service discovery request in the affirmative.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the service discovery operation is performed while in a lower power mode in which a base band radio of the first device is turned on selectively.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein responding to the service discovery request comprises sending connection parameters to enable the broadcast device to accept a connection request from the local device during establishment of the communications link.

8. A method for establishing a secure communications channel between a first device and a second device using an ad hoc communications protocol, comprising:

assigning a globally unique identifier (GUID) to each of the first and second devices;

communicating the GUID for the first device to the second device and the GUID for the second device to the first device, using a trusted system;

on each of the devices saving a symmetric encryption key received from the trusted system;

on the first device, polling for the second device based on the GUID of the second device, receiving a response to the polling of the second device, authenticating the response in software, and establishing a secure communications link with the second device by encrypting packets sent to the second device using the symmetric encryption key.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein link layer key exchange as defined in the communications protocol is not performed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the GUIDs for the first and second devices are generated by the trusted system.

11. A method for a first device to transfer data to a second device, comprising;

in a first mode, checking memory for connection parameters to establish a communications link with the second device using an ad hoc networking protocol;

if the connection parameters are found in memory then establishing the communications link with the second device, and transferring the data to the second device over the communications link; and

in a second mode transferring the data to the second device over a cellular network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first device moves to the second mode if the communications link with the second device cannot be established,

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second mode is selectively invoked based on a priority associated with the data.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the ad hoc networking protocol comprises the Bluetooth wireless standard.

15. A computer readable medium, having stored thereon a sequence of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for a local device to establish an ad hoc communications link with a broadcast device comprising:

upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and

establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

16. A computer readable medium, having stored thereon a sequence of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for establishing a secure communications channel between a first device and a second device using an ad hoc communications protocol, the method comprising:

assigning a globally unique identifier (GUID) to each of the first and second devices;

communicating the GUID for the first device to the second device and the GUID for the second device to the first device, using a trusted system;

on each of the devices saving a symmetric encryption key received from the trusted system,

on the first device, polling for the second device based on the GUID of the second device, receiving a response to the polling of the second device, authenticating the response in software, and establishing a secure communications link with the second device by encrypting packets sent to the second device using the symmetric encryption key.

17. A computer readable medium, having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which when executed by a processor of a first device, causes the first device to perform a method fort transferring data to a second device comprising:

in a first mode, checking memory for connection parameters to establish a communications link with the second device using an ad hoc networking protocol;

if the connection parameters are found in memory then establishing the communications link with the second device, and transferring the data to the second device over the communications link; and

in a second mode transferring the data to the second device over a cellular network.

18. A system to establish an ad hoc communications link with a broadcast device, the system comprising:

a processor, and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

upon determining that the ad hoc communications link with the broadcast device is required, accessing memory to obtain connection parameters for the broadcast device; and

establishing a communications link with the broadcast device by sending a connection request to the broadcast device based on the connection parameters.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which when executed cause the system to toggle between a first mode, and a second mode, wherein in the first mode the system checks a memory for connection parameters to establish a communications link with another device using an ad hoc networking protocol; and

if the communications parameters are found in memory then the system establishes the communications link with the other device, and transfers the data to the other device over the communications link, and wherein in the second mode the system transfers the data to the other device over a cellular network.