Controlling Visibility of a Wireless Device in Discoverable Mode

• US 20090280744A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Kirkup, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A wireless device in a discoverable mode controls its visibility by determining whether to ignore or respond to an inquiry, received from an inquiring device, based at least in part on one or more properties of the inquiring device.

Claims

1. A method to control the visibility of a wireless device in a discoverable mode, the method comprising:

while said wireless device is in said discoverable mode, receiving an inquiry from an inquiring device;

responding to said inquiry if an identifier of said inquiring device is ascertainable from said inquiry and if said identifier is included in a set of identifiers of one or more devices previously connected to said wireless device; and

ignoring said inquiry if said identifier is not ascertainable from said inquiry or if said identifier is not included in said set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said discoverable mode is a general discoverable mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said inquiry is a general inquiry intended to discover devices in any discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said discoverable mode is a limited discoverable mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said inquiry is a limited inquiry intended to discover only devices in said limited discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

6. A method to control the visibility of a wireless device in a discoverable mode, the method comprising:

while said wireless device is in said discoverable mode, receiving an inquiry from an inquiring device;

responding to said inquiry if an identifier of said inquiring device is ascertainable from said inquiry, if said identifier corresponds to a particular manufacturer, and if an identifier of said particular manufacturer is included in a set of identifiers of one or more permitted manufacturers; and

ignoring said inquiry if said identifier of said inquiring device is not ascertainable from said inquiry or if said identifier of said inquiring device does not correspond to any particular manufacturer or if said identifier of said particular manufacturer is not included in said set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said discoverable mode is a general discoverable mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said inquiry is a general inquiry intended to discover devices in any discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said discoverable mode is a limited discoverable mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said inquiry is a limited inquiry intended to discover only devices in said limited discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

11. A wireless device comprising:

a wireless communication interface able to cause said wireless device to be in a discoverable mode and through which said wireless device is able to receive an inquiry from an inquiring device while in said discoverable mode;

a processor coupled to said wireless communication interface; and

a memory coupled to said processor,

wherein said memory is to store a set of identifiers of one or more devices previously connected to said wireless device, and

wherein said memory is to store code which, when executed by said processor, controls said wireless communication interface to respond to said inquiry if an identifier of said inquiring device is ascertainable from said inquiry and said identifier is included in said set, and causes said wireless device to ignore said inquiry if said identifier is not ascertainable from said inquiry or if said identifier is not included in said set.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein said discoverable mode is a general discoverable mode.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein said inquiry is a general inquiry intended to discover devices in any discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

14. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein said discoverable mode is a limited discoverable mode.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said inquiry is a limited inquiry intended to discover only devices in said limited discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

16. A wireless device comprising:

a wireless communication interface able to cause said wireless device to be in a discoverable mode and through which said wireless device is able to receive an inquiry from an inquiring device while in said discoverable mode;

a processor coupled to said wireless communication interface; and

a memory coupled to said processor,

wherein said memory is to store a set of identifiers of one or more permitted manufacturers, and

wherein said memory is to store code which, when executed by said processor, controls said wireless communication interface to respond to said inquiry if an identifier of said inquiring device is ascertainable from said inquiry, if said identifier corresponds to a particular manufacturer, and if an identifier of said particular manufacturer is included in said set, and causes said wireless device to ignore said inquiry if said identifier of said inquiring device is not ascertainable from said inquiry or if said identifier of said inquiring device does not correspond to any particular manufacturer or if said identifier of said particular manufacturer is not included in said set.

17. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein said discoverable mode is a general discoverable mode.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein said inquiry is a general inquiry intended to discover devices in any discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.

19. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein said discoverable mode is a limited discoverable mode.

20. The wireless device of claim 19, wherein said inquiry is a limited inquiry intended to discover only devices in said limited discoverable mode that are within range of said inquiring device.