Peer-to-peer host station

• US 20100081385A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Rosenblatt, Michael, Nakajima, Taido Lantz, Mayo, Sean Anthony, Mikhak, Amir Mahmood
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for allowing the sharing of one or more system resources between multiple devices. In one embodiment, a requesting device transmits a resource access request to a target device using a near-field communication (NFC) protocol. The target device responds by using the NFC connection to return a listing of resources available for sharing to the requesting device. The requesting device may select one or more of the available resources and establish an appropriate connection to access the selected resource or resources. In one embodiment, the requesting device may lack external network connectivity capabilities while the target device includes wi-fi connectivity as a shared resource. Accordingly, the requesting device may access external network of the target device via the target as a conduit.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface adapted to provide one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to one or more networks; and

a near field communication (NFC) interface adapted to utilize one of the one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to at least one secondary device, wherein the one of the one or more network connections provides, to the secondary device, access to one or more external networks of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the NFC device is adapted to utilize the one of the one or more network connections for file sharing between the electronic device and the secondary device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one of the one or more network connections is a wi-fi connection.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the one of the one or more network connections is an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network connection.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the one of the one or more network connections is a 3G network connection.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface adapted to provide one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to one or more networks, wherein the communication interface includes a near field communication (NFC) interface adapted to connect the electronic device to at least one secondary device, wherein the NFC device provides a connection for determination of a shared network between the electronic device and the secondary device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the shared network is adapted to provide a communication path between the electronic device and the secondary device for file sharing between the electronic device and the secondary device.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the shared network is a wi-fi network accessible by both the electronic device and the shared device.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the connection of the electronic device to at least one secondary device via the NFC device includes placing the NFC device in the electronic device adjacent to a secondary NFC device in the secondary device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein placing the NFC device in the electronic device adjacent to the secondary NFC device in the secondary device comprises positioning the NFC device and the secondary NFC device between about 2 cm and about 4 cm apart.

11. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

placing a first device adjacent to a second device;

initiating an NFC communication path between the first and the second devices comprising;

determining if a shared network between the first device and the secondary device exists;

connecting to the determined shared network; and

initiating a file transfer between the first and the second devices across the determined shared network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein placing the first device adjacent to the second device comprises positioning an NFC device in the first device and a secondary NFC device in the second device between about 2 cm and about 4 cm apart.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein initiating an NFC communication path comprises transmitting connection profiles between the first and second devices, wherein the connection profiles include information relating to the available network connections of the first and second devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if a shared network between the first device and the secondary device exists comprises comparing the connection profiles of the first and the second device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein connecting to the determined shared network comprises connecting the first and second devices to an extended network via a network connection available in both the first and the second devices.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein initiating a file transfer between the first and the second devices across the shared network comprises making data files from the first device accessible by the second device and making data files from the second device accessible by the first device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein initiating a file transfer comprises transferring selected data files from the first device to the second device across the determined shared network.

18. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

placing a first device adjacent to a second device;

initiating an NFC communication path between the first and the second devices comprising;

requesting a network connection from the first device by the second device;

granting the second device access to an allowed network connection of the first device via a host connection shared by both the first and second devices; and

communicating between the second device and an external network across the allowed network connection via the host connection.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the host connection is a wi-fi connection.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising providing access to data files of the first device to the second device via the host connection.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating an NFC communication path comprises transmitting connection profiles from the first device to the second devices, wherein the connection profiles include information relating to the available network connections of the first device and host connections of the first and second devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein requesting a network connection from the first device by the second device comprises choosing one or more of the connection profiles and transmitting the one or more chosen connection profiles from the second device to the first device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein granting the second device access to an allowed network connection of the first device comprises receiving the one or more chosen connection profiles from the second device and opening the one or more chosen connection profiles to access by the second device as the allowed network connection.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein communicating between the second device and an external network across the allowed network connection comprises the second device accessing the external network while the host connection remains available.