Enabling Wireless Device Communication

• US 20130060862A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Douillet, Ludovic, Liu, Kai, Sugiyama, Nobukazu, Wingo, Lobrenzo
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area

Abstract

A wireless communication device is configured to communicate with at least one other electronic user communication device that is connected to communicate on an electronic communication network. The user'"'"'s device automatically creates a communication list comprising the at least one other electronic user communication device on the network, and the user communication device sends the communication list to a remote server device. So configured, the user communication device can automatically create a communication list of devices with which the user can use instant messaging or chat-like communications, without having to separately discover, search, or otherwise locate such devices and add them as friends or buddies or approved communication devices to a communication list. Accordingly, the electronic user communication device will provide to a user a communication list without additional registration or other set-up procedures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

an electronic user communication device communicating with an electronic communication network to determine at least one other electronic user communication device connected to communicate on the electronic communication network;

the electronic user communication device'"'"'s automatically creating a communication list comprising the at least one other electronic user communication device;

sending the communication list to a remote server device;

receiving an electronic communication from the at least one other electronic user communication device;

providing the electronic communication for consumption by a user of the electronic communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a single message to the remote server device, the single message configured to trigger the remote server device to send at least a portion of the single message to electronic user communication devices of the communication list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating with the electronic communication network comprises communicating with the electronic communication network comprising a network of devices connected to a wide area network through a common router.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating with the electronic communication network comprises communicating with the electronic communication network comprising a network of devices within a short range wireless communication area.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic user communication device comprises one of a computer, a tablet computing device, an appliance based communication device, or a mobile phone-type communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically pinging devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network to determine individual statuses for individual ones of the devices and to add devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network connected since a last ping to devices on the communication list.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising using an XMPP-type protocol to periodically detect devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network to determine individual statuses for individual ones of the devices and to add devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network connected since a last ping to devices on the communication list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising using an XMPP-type protocol to make the electronic user communication device available for discovery by other devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network.

9. A method comprising:

in response to initial startup of an electronic user communication device;

automatically registering with a remote server device;

automatically communicating with at least one other electronic user communication device connected to communicate on an electronic communication network;

the electronic user communication device'"'"'s automatically creating a communication list comprising the at least one other electronic user communication device;

automatically sending the communication list to a remote server device configured to route a message from the electronic communication device to devices on the communication list.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the automatically communicating with the electronic communication network comprises communicating with the electronic communication network comprising a network of devices connected to a wide area network through a common router.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the automatically communicating with the electronic communication network comprises communicating with the electronic communication network comprising a network of devices within a short range wireless communication area.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the electronic user communication device comprises one of a computer, a tablet computing device, an appliance based communication device, or a mobile phone-type communication device.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising using an XMPP-type protocol to make the electronic user communication device available for discovery by other devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising applying a filter to control which of the at least one other electronic user communication device are added to the communication list and to limit which of the other devices can discover the electronic user communication device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface device;

a wireless transceiver;

a processor device in communication with the user interface device and the wireless transceiver, the processor device configured to;

control the wireless transceiver to communicate with at least one other electronic user communication device connected to communicate on an electronic communication network;

automatically create a communication list comprising the at least one other electronic user communication device;

control the wireless transceiver to send the communication list to a remote server device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the user interface device is configured to receive inputs to define an electronic message and the processor device is configured to send the electronic message to the remote server to trigger to the remote server to send the electronic message to electronic user communication devices of the communication list.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus comprises one of a computer, a tablet computing device, an appliance based communication device, or a mobile phone-type communication device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor device is configured to control the wireless transceiver to periodically ping devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network to determine individual statuses for individual ones of the devices and to add devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network connected since a last ping to devices on the communication list.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor device is configured to use an XMPP-type protocol to periodically detect devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network to determine individual statuses for individual ones of the devices and to add devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network connected since a last ping to devices on the communication list.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor device is configured to use an XMPP-type protocol to make the electronic user communication device available for discovery by other devices connected to communicate on the electronic communication network.