Method and apparatus in a wireless transceiver for seeking and transferring information available from a network server

• US 6,470,189 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldberg, Steven J., Souissi, Slim, Hill, Thomas Casey
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/408,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/219, 709/217, 709/222, 455/66, 455/509, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/579, 455/520, 455/41, 370/338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A first transceiver (122) detects (402) a need for desired information available from a network server (108). In response to detecting the need and before contacting the network server, the first transceiver attempts (412) to obtain the desired information from another transceiver of a plurality of wireless transceivers near the first transceiver, thereby potentially eliminating a necessity for the first transceiver to contact the network server to obtain the desired information.

Claims

1. A method in a first transceiver of a plurality of wireless transceivers for seeking and transferring desired information that is available from a network server, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a need for the desired information; and

in response to the detecting step and before contacting the network server, attempting to obtain the desired information from another transceiver of the plurality of wireless transceivers near the first transceiver by forming an ad hoc short range network, thereby potentially eliminating a necessity for the first transceiver to contact the network server to obtain the desired information by;

determining whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network and has received and stored a list of services available from the short range network; and

when the first transceiver is determined to be in contact with the short range network and to have received and stored the list of services available, determining, from the list of services available, whether a second transceiver in the short range network is indicated to have the desired information; and

communicating with the second transceiver to obtain the desired information, when the second transceiver is indicated to have the desired information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting step comprises the steps of:

determining whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network; and

when the first transceiver is determined to be in contact with the short range network, but a list of services available does not indicate that the desired information is available from the short range network, sending a service discovery message to the short range network to update the list of services available.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first transceiver belongs to a predetermined group of transceivers, and

wherein the first transceiver is designated to retrieve the desired information for the predetermined group, and

wherein the method further comprises in the first transceiver the steps of:

obtaining the desired information; and

transferring the desired information to the predetermined group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of

provisioning the plurality of wireless transceivers as to which and how much information can be shared dependent upon a criterion selected from a group of criteria consisting of a group identifier, a time of day, and a locale.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of

pre-programming fixed ones of the plurality of wireless transceivers with location information corresponding to a location at which each is placed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of

advertising, by ones of the plurality of wireless transceivers, availability of the desired information, in response to having the desired information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting step comprises the steps of:

testing whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network which has the desired information; and

when the first transceiver is found not to be in contact with the short range network which has the desired information, initiating, by the first transceiver a formation of an ad hoc short range network among the plurality of wireless transceivers located near the first transceiver;

sending, from the first transceiver through the ad hoc short range network, a query for the desired information, the query addressed to the plurality of wireless transceivers;

determining in response to the query, by a second transceiver of the plurality of wireless transceivers located near the first transceiver, that the second transceiver has the desired information; and

transmitting, by the second transceiver in response to the determining step, the desired information through the ad hoc short range network to the first transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiating step comprises the step of

initiating the formation of the ad hoc short range network among selected ones of the plurality of wireless transceivers located near the first transceiver, the selected ones selected according to a predetermined criterion.

9. A first transceiver of a plurality of wireless transceivers for seeking and transferring desired information that is available from a network server, the first transceiver comprising:

a receiver for receiving the desired information;

a transmitter for transmitting the desire information; and

a processing system coupled to the receiver and coupled to the transmitter for processing the desired information, wherein the processing system is programmed to;

detect a need for the desired information; and

in response to the detecting step and before contacting the network server, attempt to obtain the desired information from another transceiver of the plurality of wireless transceivers near the first transceiver by forming an ad hoc short range network, thereby potentially eliminating a necessity for the first transceiver to contact the network server to obtain the desired information by;

determining whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network and has received and stored a list of services available from the short range network; and

when the first transceiver is determined to be in contact with the short range network and to have received and stored the list of services available, determining, from the list of services available, whether a second transceiver in the short range network is indicated to have the desired information; and

communicating with the second transceiver to obtain the desired information, when the second transceiver is indicated to have the desired information.

10. The first transceiver of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further programmed to:

determine whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network; and

when the first transceiver is determined to be in contact with the short range network, but a list of services available does not indicate that the desired information is available from the short range network, send a service discovery message to the short range network to update the list of services available.

11. The first transceiver of claim 9,

wherein the first transceiver belongs to a predetermined group of transceivers, and

wherein the first transceiver is designated to retrieve the desired information for the predetermined group, and

wherein the processing system is further programmed to:

obtain the desired information; and

transfer the desired information to the predetermined group.

12. The first transceiver of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

provision the first transceiver as to which and how much information can be shared dependent upon a criterion selected from a group of criteria consisting of a group identifier, a time of day, and a locale.

13. The first transceiver of claim 9, wherein the processing system is preprogrammed with location information corresponding to a location at which the first transceiver is placed, when the first transceiver is fixed.

14. The first transceiver of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

advertise availability of the desired information, in response to having the desired information.

15. The first transceiver of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further programmed to:

test whether the first transceiver is in contact with a short range network which has the desired information; and

when the first transceiver is found not to be in contact with the short range network which has the desired information, initiate a formation of an ad hoc short range network among the plurality of wireless transceivers located near the first transceiver;

send, from the first transceiver through the ad hoc short range network, a query for the desired information, the query addressed to the plurality of wireless transceivers; and

receive, from a second transceiver in response to the query, the desired information through the ad hoc short range network.

16. The first transceiver of claim 15, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

initiate the formation of the ad hoc short range network among selected ones of the plurality of wireless transceivers located near the first transceiver, the selected ones selected according to a predetermined criterion.