System for communicating between a dynamic group of apparatuses
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising:
- a sending apparatus;
a receiving apparatus,said sending apparatus comprising message sending means for transmitting a message frame,said receiving apparatus comprising message receiving means for receiving a message frame,said system comprising at least three apparatuses, each apparatus being a sending apparatus as well as a receiving apparatus;
said message frame comprising a message type field for distinguishing between at least a first and second type of message frame, said first type of message frame being a group frame and comprising a channel field for identifying a communication channel, and said second type of message frame being a broadcast frame;
each apparatus comprising;
storage means for storing at least one application, each application being identified by an application identification, and each application corresponding to at least one application stored in the storage means of another apparatus;
execution means for executing selected application of said at least one application;
active activation means for actively activating a selected application, said active activating comprising the steps of;
causing said message sending means to transmit a broadcast frame for requesting the activation of said selected application, said broadcast frame comprising the identification of said selected application;
determining for said selected application a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being referred to as first communication channel; and
causing said execution means to execute said selected application, said application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating to said corresponding applications using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel; and
passive activation means for passively activating an application, said passive activating comprising the steps of;
upon said message receiving means receiving a broadcast frame which requests the activation of a local application, verifying whether the local application, which corresponds to the application identified by said broadcast frame, should be locally activated, andif said application should be activated;
determining from the information supplied in said broadcast frame a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being the same as said first communication channel; and
causing said execution means to execute said local application, said local application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system allows an apparatus, such as a computer or a PDA, to establish communication between a local application and applications in at least one other apparatus. The communication is established when a user of an apparatus triggers execution of a seection application. An active activation unit invites applications in the other apparatuses to join by using a message sending unit to transmit a broadcast frame to all apparatuses, requesting activation of the selected application. The broadcast frame specifies which application is being activated. The active activation unit then determines a communication channel which corresponds to the application and the selected application, stored in storage, is executed by an execution unit. The broadcast frame is received by a message receiving unit in other apparatuses. A passive activation unit verifies whether the receiving apparatus has an application, which corresponds to the specified application and whether such an application needs to be activated. If so, the passive activation unit determines which communication channel corresponds to the application (the same communication channel as determined by apparatus) and uses an execution unit to execute the corresponding application, which is stored in storage. The group of applications, which in this way has been formed, communicates by using group frames. The group frames include a channel field which identifies a communication channel. The formed group of applications uses the communication channel which corresponds to the selected application in the apparatus.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a sending apparatus; a receiving apparatus, said sending apparatus comprising message sending means for transmitting a message frame, said receiving apparatus comprising message receiving means for receiving a message frame, said system comprising at least three apparatuses, each apparatus being a sending apparatus as well as a receiving apparatus; said message frame comprising a message type field for distinguishing between at least a first and second type of message frame, said first type of message frame being a group frame and comprising a channel field for identifying a communication channel, and said second type of message frame being a broadcast frame; each apparatus comprising; storage means for storing at least one application, each application being identified by an application identification, and each application corresponding to at least one application stored in the storage means of another apparatus; execution means for executing selected application of said at least one application; active activation means for actively activating a selected application, said active activating comprising the steps of; causing said message sending means to transmit a broadcast frame for requesting the activation of said selected application, said broadcast frame comprising the identification of said selected application; determining for said selected application a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being referred to as first communication channel; and causing said execution means to execute said selected application, said application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating to said corresponding applications using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel; and passive activation means for passively activating an application, said passive activating comprising the steps of; upon said message receiving means receiving a broadcast frame which requests the activation of a local application, verifying whether the local application, which corresponds to the application identified by said broadcast frame, should be locally activated, and if said application should be activated; determining from the information supplied in said broadcast frame a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being the same as said first communication channel; and causing said execution means to execute said local application, said local application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A communication system comprising a plurality of communication apparatus, each apparatus comprising:
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a sending apparatus; a receiving apparatus, said sending apparatus comprising message sending means for transmitting a message frame, said receiving apparatus comprising message receiving means for receiving a message frame, said message frame comprising a message type field for distinguishing between at least a first and a second type of message frame, said first type of message frame being a group frame and comprising a channel field for identifying a communication channel, and said second type of message frame being a broadcast frame; storage means for storing at least one application, each application being identified by an application identification, and each application corresponding to at least one application stored in the storage means of another apparatus; execution means for executing selected applications of said at least one application; active activation means for actively activating each selected application, said active activating comprising the steps of; causing said message sending means to transmit a broadcast frame to request activation of the selected application, said broadcast frame comprising the identification of the selected application; determining for the selected application, a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being a first communication channel; and causing said execution means to execute the selected application, said application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating to said corresponding applications using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel; and passive activation means for passively activating an application, said passive activating comprising the steps of; upon said message receiving means receiving a broadcast frame which requests the activation of a local application, verifying whether the local application, which corresponds to the application identified by said broadcast frame, is to be locally activated, and if said application is to be activated; determining from the information supplied in said broadcast frame, a corresponding communication channel, said communication channel being the same as said first communication channel; and causing said execution means to execute said local application, said local application, while being executed by said execution means, communicating using group frames, whose channel field comprises the identification of said first communication channel.
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13. A communication system comprising a plurality of apparatuses, each apparatus comprising:
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message sending means for transmitting a message frame; message receiving means for receiving a message frame; acknowledge sending means for transmitting an acknowledgment frame when the message receiving means correctly receives a message frame; acknowledge receiving means for receiving an acknowledgment frame; and storage means for storing at least one application, each application corresponding to at least one application stored in storage means of another of said apparatuses of said plurality of apparatuses, each message frame being one of a broadcast frame and a group frame, the broadcast frame being received by said message receiving means of each of said plurality of apparatuses, and the group frame being received by corresponding applications.
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Specification