SMART PROXIMITY PRIORITY PAIRING

• US 20140057563A1
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: SALAHSHOOR, Mohamad Reza
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0025 Near field system adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A method for overriding a pairing priority for a slave device connected to a master device, or for connecting a new slave device to the master device and setting a new pairing priority relative to an existing paired slave device over a short-range wireless connection such as Bluetooth®. The method includes executing an application and setting a connection priority override on either the slave device or the master device. When a connection between the slave device and master device is requested and negotiated, a priority override is communicated to the master device or queried on the master device, and if the priority override is higher than an existing priority, a connection for that device is completed with the master device, and additional slave devices in a list of last paired devices is adjusted by the master device.

Claims

1. A method for overriding a pairing priority for a slave device connected to a master device over a short-range wireless connection, comprising the steps of:

executing an application and setting a connection priority override;

negotiating a connection with the master device and sending the priority override to the master device; and

if the connection priority override is higher than an existing priority, completing the connection with the master device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth®

standard protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection priority override is based on at least one of a phone number, user identifier, alert, notification, and message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection priority override is established by setting the priority override on the slave device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection priority override is established by setting the priority override on the master device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the master device contains a listing of recently paired slave devices in a priority list and the priority list is dynamically adjusted based on receipt of a priority pairing request from a slave device among the priority of recently paired slave devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the highest priority of a slave device is based on a user preference set on the master device.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one processor and communications module configured for establishing short-range wireless communications with a master device, the processor configured to execute an application for overriding a pairing priority with the master device by;

executing an application and setting a connection priority override;

negotiating a connection with the master device and sending the priority override to the master device; and

if the connection priority override is higher than an existing priority, completing the connection with the master device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth®

standard protocol.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the connection priority override is based on at least one of a phone number, user identifier, alert notification, and message.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the connection priority override is established by setting the priority override on the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the connection priority override is established by setting the priority override on the master device.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the master device contains a listing of recently paired electronic devices in a priority list and the priority list is dynamically adjusted based on receipt of a priority pairing request from an electronic device among the priority of recently paired electronic devices.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the highest priority of an electronic device among the recently paired electronic devices is based on a user preference set on the master device.

15. A method for pairing a slave device to a master device over a short-range wireless connection, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to pair with the slave device;

negotiating a connection;

if the priority for the slave device is higher than any existing priority for at least one other slave device, completing the connection with the master device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting the priority of the at least one other slave device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting an option to add the new slave device for user selection.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the option includes highlighting the new device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising a handshake step prior to the negotiation.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising setting priority for the slave device relative to the at least one other slave device when high priority requests are simultaneously received at the master device, the highest priority being assigned based on user defined settings.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one processor and communications module configured for establishing short-range wireless communications with at least one slave device, the processor configured to execute an application for connecting to the at least one slave device by;

receiving a request to pair with the slave device;

negotiating a connection;

if the priority for the slave device is higher than any existing priority for at least one other slave device, completing the connection with the electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising adjusting the priority of the at least one other slave device.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising presenting an option to add the new slave device for user selection.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising executing a handshake step prior to the negotiation.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising setting priority for the slave device relative to the at least one other slave device at the electronic device when high priority requests are simultaneously received at the electronic device, the highest priority being assigned based on user defined settings.