Method and system for the dynamic selection, allocation and arbitration of control between devices within a region

• US 5,485,634 A
• Filed: 12/14/1993
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Maltz, David A., Theimer, Marvin M., Want, Roy, Elrod, Scott A., Schilit, William N., Goldstein, Richard J., Welch, Brent B., Weiser, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US08/166,478
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/58.1, 455/66, 455/68, 455/70, 455/67.1, 455/33.1, 379/59, 379/63, 379/61, 370/85.1, 370/85.7, 370/95.1, 370/85.2, 340/825.22, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.38, 340/825.5
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system is provided for servicing requests by a mobile controller to utilize stationary or mobile resources present within a partitioned communication cell such as an office or room in a building. The mobile controller has a control signal mechanism for generating control request signals to modify behavior of the stationary or mobile resource, with the range of the control request signals substantially limited to the partitioned communication cell. A room agent receives and acts upon the control request signals after dynamically determining availability of both mobile resources entering and exiting the partitioned communication cell and stationary resources already present in the partitioned communication cell. In operation, the room agent is configured to grant requests for utilization of mobile and stationary resources located within the partitioned communication cell when predetermined contextual attributes within the partitioned communication cell are consistent with previously specified interaction policies.

Claims

1. A method for servicing requests for resources by mobile controllers located in a partitioned communication cell, said partitioned communication cell having a set of interaction policies that constrain the granting of requests for resources, with stationary controllers and mobile controllers located in the partitioned communication cell defining a first membership set and stationary and mobile resources in said partitioned communication cell defining a second membership set, said method comprising the steps of

identifying stationary controllers, mobile controllers, stationary resources, and mobile resources present within the partitioned communication cell to define said first and said second membership sets, including the step of dynamically updating said first and said second membership sets as mobile controllers and mobile resources enter and exit said partitioned communication cell;

registering interaction requests with a room agent made by mobile controllers located in the partitioned communication cell;

identifying contextual attributes within the partitioned communication cell of each of said interaction requests made to the room agent;

granting said interaction requests made to the room agent for utilization of mobile resources and stationary resources located within the partitioned communication cell when the identified contextual attributes are consistent with said partitioned communication cell interaction policies; and

denying interaction requests having contextual attributes inconsistent with said partitioned communication cell interaction policies.

2. A system for servicing requests for resources by mobile controllers, said system comprising

a plurality of stationary resources and a mobile resources present within a partitioned communication cell,

at least one mobile controller movable into the partitioned communication cell, the mobile controller having a control signal mechanism for generating control request signals to control the stationary resources or the mobile resources, with the range of said control request signals substantially limited to the partitioned communication cell, and

a room agent for receiving and acting upon said control request signals, with the room agent dynamically determining availability of both mobile resources entering and exiting said partitioned communication cell and stationary resources present in said partitioned communication cell, the room agent being configured to grant said control request signals from said mobile controller for utilization of mobile and stationary resources located within the partitioned communication cell in accordance with predetermined contextual attributes defined within the partitioned communication cell.