Discovering And Connecting Wireless Devices Without Discoverability

• US 20130091288A1
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Garden Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Open Garden Incorporated
• Inventors: Shalunov, Stanislav, Hazel, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Pairing among computing devices is achieved without any of the device entering discoverable mode. An inquiring device obtains a list of MAC addresses and transmits connection requests using the MAC addresses. Any device within reception distance that has the same MAC address would respond to the request. Upon receiving the response, the two devices would pair up. A beacon may be used to store MAC addresses and related data. Computing devices may send inquiries to the beacon and receive in return MAC addresses corresponding to the inquiry. The devices may then transmit pairing requests using these MAC addresses.

Claims

1. A process embodied in a processor readable code that, when executed causes a computing device to perform the steps comprising:

a. obtaining at least one MAC address of at least one target device;

b. causing the computing device to wirelessly transmit a connection request that includes a first MAC address;

c. if a response is received, causing the computing device to establish wireless pairing with the target device that sent the response, without entering a discoverable mode; and

,

d. if no response is received, causing the computing device to either terminate the process or wirelessly transmit another connection request that includes another MAC address and then revert to step c.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the another MAC address is different from the first MAC address and is changed each time step d is repeated.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the another MAC address is the same as the first MAC address.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining at least one MAC address comprises causing the computing device to transmit a request for MAC addresses to a listing agent.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the request includes geo-location information of the computing device.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the connection request proceeds according to probability ranking of MAC addresses.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the probability ranking is determined relative to the geo-location information.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining at least one MAC address comprises causing the computing device to transmit a request for MAC addresses to a paired device with which the computing device has already established pairing.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining at least one MAC address comprises causing the computing device to fetch a MAC address from a storage facility of the computing device.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining at least one MAC address comprises causing the computing device to transmit a request for MAC addresses to a beacon.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the beacon comprises at least one server having storage facility for storing MAC addresses and related data.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the beacon comprises a distributed table stored in plurality of computing devices.

13. A process embodied in a processor readable code that, when executed causes a computing device to perform the steps comprising:

establishing communication channels with a plurality of computing devices;

obtaining from each computing device its MAC address and related data;

storing the MAC address and related data in a storage facility; and

,

upon receiving a request from one of the computing devices, responding to the request by transmitting at least one MAC address from the storage facility.

14. The process of claim 13, further comprising, upon receiving the request, determining a geo-location of a requesting device and searching the storage for MAC addresses of computing devices in close proximity to the geo-location.

15. The process of claim 13, wherein the step of responding comprises transmitting a ranked list of MAC addresses.

16. The process of claim 13, wherein the related data comprises geo-location, and further comprising periodically receiving geo-location updates from the computing devices and storing the updates in the storage facility.

17. The process of claim 13, wherein the step of storing the MAC address comprises compiling a distributed table and wherein the storage facility comprises memory devices residing in the plurality of computing devices.

18. The process of claim 14, wherein the distributed table comprises a distributed hash table.

19. A system for enabling wireless pairing of computing devices, comprising:

a storage facility for storing MAC addresses of the computing devices;

a processing facility programmed to receive inquiries and respond by transmitting lists of MAC addresses relating to the requests;

said processing facility further obtaining updates and storing the updates in the storage facility.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the storage facility and the processing facility comprises at least one server coupled to a communication network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the storage facility and the processing facility comprises is distributed among the computing devices.