DATA SHARING BASED ON PROXIMITY-BASED AD HOC NETWORK

• US 20090201896A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., O'Sullivan, Joseph, Nair, Rahul, Paretti, Christopher, Zaltzman, Ori, Higgins, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method is described for constructing a proximity-based ad hoc network among a plurality of sensor-enabled devices and for using such a network to facilitate data sharing among users of those devices (referred to herein for simplicity as “sensors”). The system and method advantageously enables data to be shared among co-located sensors in a manner that does not require local connections or communication among those sensors and that protects user privacy. The system and method also beneficially enables data to be transferred among heterogeneous sensor types that would otherwise be incapable of detecting and/or communicating with each other. The system and method may perform user-initiated data transfer as well as automatic data transfer responsive to sensor proximity and other factors, such as commonality of user interests or activities or membership in a social network.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data between users, comprising:

receiving sensor data from each of a plurality of sensors;

constructing a proximity-based ad hoc network among the plurality of sensors based on the received sensor data;

determining that a first sensor in the plurality of sensors is spatially and temporally proximate to a second sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network; and

transferring user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor responsive to at least determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor comprises transferring the user data to a plurality of sensors that are spatially and temporally proximate to the first sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is of a first device type and the second sensor is of a second device type that is incapable of direct communication with the first device type, wherein the device types consist of:

WiFi devices,

cellular telephones, and

Bluetooth™

devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor comprises:

determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to a third sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network; and

determining that the third sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor based on the proximity-based ad hoc network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the transfer of the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor is authorized based on permissioning rules associated with a user of the first sensor and/or a user of the second sensor;

wherein transferring the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor comprises transferring the user data responsive to determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to determining that the transfer of the user data is authorized.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a relationship between a user of the first sensor and a user of the second sensor based on user data relating to one or more activities, interests, preferences, and/or social networks associated with each user;

wherein transferring the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor comprises transferring the user data responsive to determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to identifying the relationship.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises one of:

a user profile;

a business card;

a classified advertisement;

a personals advertisement;

a resume;

or

a help wanted posting.

8. A system, comprising:

a communications manager configured to receive sensor data from each of a plurality of sensors;

a location tracking manager configured to construct a proximity-based ad hoc network among the plurality of sensors based on the received sensor data; and

a data sharing manager configured to determine that a first sensor in the plurality of sensors is spatially and temporally proximate to a second sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network and to transfer user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor responsive to at least the determination that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data sharing manager is configured to transfer the user data received from the first sensor to a plurality of sensors that are spatially and temporally proximate to the first sensor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is of a first device type and the second sensor is of a second device type that is incapable of direct communication with the first device type, wherein the device types consist of:

WiFi devices,

cellular telephones, and

Bluetooth™

devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the data sharing manager is configured to determine that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor by determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to a third sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network and by determining that the third sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor based on the proximity-based ad hoc network.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the data sharing manager is further configured to determine whether the transfer of the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor is authorized based on permissioning rules associated with a user of the first sensor and/or a user of the second sensor and to transfer the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor responsive to the determination that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to the determination that the transfer of the user data is authorized.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the data sharing manager is further configured to identify a relationship between a user of the first sensor and a user of the second sensor based on user data relating to one or more activities, interests, preferences, and/or social networks associated with each user and to transfer the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor responsive to the determination that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to the identification of the relationship.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the user data comprises one of:

a user profile;

a business card;

a classified advertisement;

a personals advertisement;

a resume;

or

a help wanted posting.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processing unit to transfer data between users, the computer program logic comprising:

first means for enabling the processing unit to receive sensor data from each of a plurality of sensors;

second means for enabling the processing unit to construct a proximity-based ad hoc network among the plurality of sensors based on the received sensor data;

third means for enabling the processing unit to determine that a first sensor in the plurality of sensors is spatially and temporally proximate to a second sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network; and

fourth means for enabling the processing unit to transfer user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor responsive to at least determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the fourth means comprises means for enabling the processing unit to transfer the user data to a plurality of sensors that are spatially and temporally proximate to the first sensor.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first sensor is of a first device type and the second sensor is of a second device type that is incapable of direct communication with the first device type, wherein the device types consist of:

WiFi devices,

cellular telephones, and

Bluetooth™

devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the third means comprises:

means for enabling the processing unit to determine that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to a third sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the proximity-based ad hoc network; and

means for enabling the processing unit to determine that the third sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor based on the proximity-based ad hoc network.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program logic further comprises:

means for enabling the processing unit to determine whether the transfer of the user data received from the first sensor to the second sensor is authorized based on permissioning rules associated with a user of the first sensor and/or a user of the second sensor;

wherein the fourth means comprises means for enabling the processing unit to transfer the user data received from the first user to the second user responsive to determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to determining that the transfer of the user data is authorized.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program logic further comprises:

means for enabling the processing unit to identify a relationship between a user of the first sensor and a user of the second sensor based on user data relating to one or more activities, interests, preferences, and/or social networks associated with each user;

wherein the fourth means comprises means for enabling the processing unit to transfer the user data received from the first user to the second user responsive to determining that the first sensor is spatially and temporally proximate to the second sensor and to identifying the relationship.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user data comprises one of:

a user profile;

a business card;

a classified advertisement;

a personals advertisement;

a resume;

or

a help wanted posting.