Portable Platform for Networked Computing

• US 20140280985A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G., Coglitore, Giovanni, Kalinowski, Caitlin E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,674,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/035 in self-organising networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/037 by reducing handover delay, e.g. latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a portable, networked, computing device comprises a processor, a plurality of radios, and a memory. The device may be operable to pair, by at least one of the radios, with a device associated with a user. The device may then monitor, by one of the radios, a signal for a connection established with a first network. When the device determines that the signal for the first network has dropped below a threshold level of quality, it may enable access point mode for at least one of the paired devices by turning on a radio to establish a connection with a second network and thereby providing connectivity to the second network for the at least one of the paired devices. If multiple networks are available, the device may select an optimal network based on an assessment of one or more factors.

Claims

1. A device cloud comprising:

a portable networking device;

one or more paired devices, wherein each of the paired devices are paired with the portable networking device; and

a control device paired with the portable networking device, wherein the control device comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor comprising instructions executable by the processor, the processor being operable when executing the instructions to;

sense one or more of the paired devices, wherein each paired device in the group is within threshold proximity;

determine a controllable group of one or more of the sensed devices, wherein each sensed device in the group provides a remote interaction interface;

present a user interface for a particular device of the controllable group; and

send commands to the particular device based on user input received in association with the user interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to:

receive feedback from the particular device; and

update the user interface in accordance with the received feedback.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to:

present a device selection interface to select one of the devices in the controllable group; and

receive user input identifying the particular device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein threshold proximity is determined with respect to the portable networking device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to sense paired devices comprises instructions to:

retrieve information from the portable networking device regarding which of the paired devices is within threshold proximity or available.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the controllable group of devices comprises instructions to:

determine, for each sensed device, whether the sensed device provides a remote interaction interface or whether authorization has been granted to the portable networking device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the controllable group of devices comprises instructions to:

update the determination of the controllable group as the paired devices drop out of or come within threshold proximity.

8. A method comprising:

by a control device paired with a portable networking device, sensing one or more paired devices, wherein each of the paired devices are paired with the portable networking device, and wherein each paired device in the group is within threshold proximity;

by the control device, determining a controllable group of one or more of the sensed devices, wherein each sensed device in the group provides a remote interaction interface;

by the control device, presenting a user interface for a particular device of the controllable group; and

by the control device, sending commands to the particular device based on user input received in association with the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the particular device; and

updating the user interface in accordance with the received feedback.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting a device selection interface to select one of the devices in the controllable group; and

receiving user input identifying the particular device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein threshold proximity is determined with respect to the portable networking device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensing the paired devices comprises:

retrieving information from the portable networking device regarding which of the paired devices is within threshold proximity or available.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the controllable group comprises:

determining, for each sensed device, whether the sensed device provides a remote interaction interface or whether authorization has been granted to the portable networking device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the controllable group comprises:

updating the determination of the controllable group as the paired devices drop out of or come within threshold proximity.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

sense, by a control device paired with a portable networking device, one or more paired devices, wherein each of the paired devices are paired with the portable networking device, and wherein each paired device in the group is within threshold proximity;

determine a controllable group of one or more of the sensed devices, wherein each sensed device in the group provides a remote interaction interface;

present, for display on the control device, a user interface for a particular device of the controllable group; and

send, by the control device, commands to the particular device based on user input received in association with the user interface.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive feedback from the particular device; and

update the user interface in accordance with the received feedback.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

present a device selection interface to select one of the devices in the controllable group; and

receive user input identifying the particular device.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein threshold proximity is determined with respect to the portable networking device.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the software operable when executed to determine the controllable group is further operable to:

determine, for each sensed device, whether the sensed device provides a remote interaction interface or whether authorization has been granted to the portable networking device.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the software operable when executed to determine the controllable group is further operable to:

update the determination of the controllable group as the paired devices drop out of or come within threshold proximity.