METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MULTI-TYPE SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100015919A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IV Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IV Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tian, Dan
• Application Number:
  US12/527,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20100015919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method, an apparatus and a system for managing multi-type short-range wireless communications for a wireless combination device are provided. The system has one wireless combination device and at least one other wireless device, in which the wireless combination device has multiple wireless communication modules for respectively supporting various type short-range wireless communications, and has one wireless connection management module connected with the wireless communication module and one wireless connection management interface connected with the wireless connection management module in order to manage uniformly multiple different types wireless communications between the wireless combination device and at least one other wireless device. For each of the other wireless devices, one unique entity is used to record it in the wireless combination device. The unique entity may be a parameter set, and includes all the wireless communication types supported by the wireless device and corresponding wireless communication parameters. The wireless combination device manages multiple different types communications with the other wireless devices according to the unique entity.

Claims

1. A method applied for a multi-wireless device to manage multiple types of wireless radios of short distance wireless communication, said multi-wireless device consists of multiple wireless communication modules to support multiple types of short distance wireless communications with said at least one other wireless device, said method comprising steps of:

for each wireless device among said other wireless devices which communicate with the multi-wireless, the multi-wireless device respectively obtains the wireless parameters of the wireless device through associated wireless communication module of said multiple wireless communication modules;

for each wireless device, a parameter set of a unique entity is formed in the multi-wireless device to record all the wireless parameters of the wireless device based on the obtained wireless parameters; and

for each parameter set of the unique entity, an associated unique entity identification is displayed on the wireless connection management interface of the multi-wireless device, so that a user could uniformly operate and manage the short distance wireless communication between the multi-wireless device and the wireless device corresponding to the parameter set of the unique entity.

2. The management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the wireless parameters of said wireless device includes the types of short distance wireless communication supported by the wireless device, the MAC address related to each type of short distance wireless communication;

said short distance wireless communication includes at least Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication, and UWB communication;

and when said short distance wireless communication is Wi-Fi communication, the wireless parameters of said parameter set of the unique entity further includes the network identification.

3. The management method according to claim 1, characterized in that said obtaining the wireless parameters includes steps of:

(a) through each wireless communication module, the multi-wireless device respectively obtains the list of peripheral wireless devices which support associated types of short distance wireless communications;

(b) through each wireless communication module, the multi-wireless device respectively establishes wireless communication in turn with associated wireless device in the wireless device list;

(c) the multi-wireless device sends the parameter inquiry commands to the connected wireless devices, and receives and stores the wireless parameters coming from the wireless devices.

4. The management method according to claim 1, characterized in that forming a parameter set of a unique entity, the obtained wireless parameters includes the unique device identifier for uniquely identifying the wireless device, said step including:

the multi-wireless device compares all the unique device identifiers respectively obtained through each wireless communication module, and merges the wireless parameters of the wireless device corresponding to the identical unique device identifier, and records them in a parameter set of a unique entity.

5. The method according to claim 4, said unique device identifier is configured with the Global Unique Identifier (GUID).

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that when said other wireless devices support multiple types of short distance wireless communications, and for each device among said other wireless devices, when the device names respectively related to each type of short distance wireless communication are configured with a unique device name, said unique device identifier could be configured with the unique device name.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that when said other wireless devices support multiple types of short distance wireless communications, and for each device among said other wireless devices, when the MAC addresses respectively related to each type of short distance wireless communication are identical, said unique device identifier could be configured with the MAC address.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that before step (c), there is another step that the multi-wireless device sends the user-defined parameter set inquiry command, so that the multi-wireless device could obtain the parameter sets of various wireless parameters related to the types of wireless communications supported by the wireless devices from the wireless devices which support multiple types of wireless communications.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that a wireless device among said other wireless devices could enumerate and configure all wireless parameters related to all types of short distance communications supported by itself, and includes the parameters in the parameter set. Moreover, after receiving the parameter set inquiry command from the multi-wireless device, the wireless device informs the multi-wireless device of all parameters included in the parameter set.

10. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that both the multi-wireless device and the wireless device are provided with Bluetooth Profile Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP), and all the parameters related to wireless communication of the wireless device are stored and registered in the SDAP service record list, said sending step including:

the multi-wireless device sends the parameter inquiry command through SDAP sending Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) request, and

the wireless device feeds back with SDP response through SDAP after receiving the SDP request, in order to inform the multi-wireless device of all its parameters.

11. The management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the multi-wireless device consults with the one of other wireless devices through the first type of wireless communication among multiple wireless communication modules about the connection authentication parameter required by the second type of wireless communication between the multi-wireless device and the one of other wireless devices, in order that the automatic connection authentication could proceed when the second type of communication is established.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said authentication parameter includes the secret key and the configuration and selection of encryption algorithm;

and both the multi-wireless device and the one of other wireless devices store the agreed connection authentication parameter required by the second type of wireless communication, and the multi-wireless device records this connection authentication parameter in the parameter set of the unique entity of the one of other devices.

13. A multi-wireless device that is able to manage multiple types of short distance wireless communications, including:

multiple wireless communication modules, used for supporting multiple types of short distance wireless communications with the at least one other wireless device;

a wireless connection management modules connected to the multiple wireless communication modules. The wireless connection management module is configured that for each wireless device of the other wireless devices communicating with the multi-wireless device, a parameter set of a unique entity is formed in the multi-wireless device based on the obtained wireless parameters, in order to record all wireless parameters of the wireless device; and

a wireless connection management interface connected to the wireless connection management module. The wireless connection management interface is configured that for each parameter set of the unique entity, an associated unique entity identification is displayed, so that the user could uniformly operate and manage the short distance wireless communication between the multi-wireless device and the wireless device corresponding to the parameter set of the unique entity.

14. The first device according to claim 13, characterized in that said wireless parameters include the types of short distance wireless communications supported by the wireless device, and the MAC addresses related to each type of short distance wireless communication;

said short distance wireless communication includes at least Bluetooth technology, Wi-Fi technology, and UWB technology;

and when the short distance wireless communication is Wi-Fi technology, said parameter set of unique entity further includes the network identification.

15. The multi-wireless device according to claim 13, characterized in that said wireless connection management module is configured that:

lists of the wireless devices supporting associated wireless communications are respectively obtained through each wireless communication module;

the multi-wireless device communicates respectively with the devices from said wireless device lists through each wireless communication module, and sends the parameter inquiry command to the wireless device and receives and stores the wireless parameters from the wireless device.

16. The multi-wireless device according to claim 13, the obtained wireless parameters includes a unique device identifier used for uniquely identifying the wireless device, and

said wireless connection management module is further configured that:

all the unique device identifiers obtained through each wireless communication module are compared, and the wireless parameters of the wireless devices corresponding to the identical unique device identifiers are merged and recorded in a parameter set of a unique entity.

17. The multi-wireless device according to claim 16, wherein said wireless connection management module could configure the unique device identifier with the Global Unique Identifier (GUID).

18. The multi-wireless device according to claim 16, characterized in that when said other wireless devices support multiple types of short distance wireless communication, and for each wireless device among the other wireless devices, when the device names respectively related to each type of short distance wireless communication are all configured with the unique device name, the wireless connection management module could configure the unique device identifier with the unique device name.

19. The multi-wireless device according to claim 16, characterized in that when said other wireless devices support multiple types of short distance wireless communication, and for each wireless device among the other wireless devices, when the MAC addresses respectively related to each type of short distance wireless communication are identical, the wireless connection management module could configure the unique device identifier with the MAC address.

20. The multi-wireless device according to claim 15, characterized in that said wireless connection management module is further configured that:

the user-defined parameter set inquiry command is sent to the wireless devices in said wireless device lists, so that the parameter set of all wireless parameters related to the types of wireless communications supported by the multi-wireless device is obtained from the wireless devices which support multiple types of wireless communications.

21. The multi-wireless device according to claim 15, characterized in that said wireless connection management module further includes Bluetooth Profile Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP), and said wireless connection management module is configured that the multi-wireless device sends the parameter inquiry command through SDAP sending Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) request.

22. A system that is able to manage multiple types of short distance wireless communications, including a multi-wireless device according to claim 13-21, and at least one other device which communicates with said multi-wireless device in multiple short distance wireless communication ways.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein a wireless device among said other wireless devices is provided with a wireless manager, which is able to enumerate and configure all wireless parameters related to all types of short distance communications supported by itself, and includes the parameters in the parameter set. Moreover, after receiving the parameter set inquiry command from said multi-wireless device, the wireless device informs the wireless connection management module of all wireless parameters included in the parameter set.

24. The multi-wireless device according to claim 22, characterized in that the wireless device includes Bluetooth Profile Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP), and all the parameters related to wireless communication of the wireless device are stored and registered in the SDAP service record list, and when the multi-wireless device sends the parameter inquiry command through SDAP sending Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) request, the wireless device feeds back with SDP response through SDAP in order to inform the multi-wireless device of the wireless parameters of associated type of wireless communication.