Method and Apparatus for Bluetooth Discoverability Using Region Estimation

• US 20080214202A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toomey, Patrick A.
• Application Number:
  US11/681,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214202A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for Bluetooth discoverability using region estimation. One embodiment of a method for controlling Bluetooth discoverability of a wireless device includes monitoring the physical location of the wireless device and enabling Bluetooth discoverability if the current physical location of the wireless device is within a trusted region or disabling Bluetooth discoverability if the current physical location of the wireless device is outside of the trusted region.

Claims

1. A method for controlling Bluetooth discoverability of a wireless device, the method comprising:

monitoring a physical location of the wireless device;

enabling the Bluetooth discoverability if a current physical location of the wireless device is within a trusted region; and

disabling the Bluetooth discoverability if the current physical location of the wireless device is outside of the trusted region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted region is a physical region in which a user of the wireless device desires Bluetooth discoverability.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the trusted region is defined by:

defining a default trusted region in accordance with a first physical location of the wireless device, in response to an indication from the user that the first physical location is trusted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the default trusted region includes the first physical location of the wireless device, plus a spatial area surrounding the first physical location.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

dynamically expanding the default trusted region in accordance with movement of the wireless device, in order to define an expanded trusted region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the expanding comprises:

determining that a second physical location of the wireless device is within a threshold distance from the default trusted region; and

expanding the trusted region to include the second physical location of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold distance is defined in accordance with a type of environment in which the wireless device is operating.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the wireless device has remained within a bounded range of movement relative to the second physical location for at least a threshold period of time before expanding the trusted region.

9. A computer readable medium containing an executable program for controlling Bluetooth discoverability of a wireless device, where the program performs the steps of:

monitoring a physical location of the wireless device;

enabling the Bluetooth discoverability if a current physical location of the wireless device is within a trusted region; and

disabling the Bluetooth discoverability if the current physical location of the wireless device is outside of the trusted region.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the trusted region is a physical region in which a user of the wireless device desires Bluetooth discoverability.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the trusted region is defined by:

defining a default trusted region in accordance with a first physical location of the wireless device, in response to an indication from the user that the first physical location is trusted.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the default trusted region includes the first physical location of the wireless device, plus a spatial area surrounding the first physical location.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

dynamically expanding the default trusted region in accordance with movement of the wireless device, in order to define an expanded trusted region.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the expanding comprises:

determining that a second physical location of the wireless device is within a threshold distance from the default trusted region; and

expanding the trusted region to include the second physical location of the wireless device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the threshold distance is defined in accordance with a type of environment in which the wireless device is operating.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the wireless device has remained within a bounded range of movement relative to the second physical location for at least a threshold period of time before expanding the trusted region.