Limiting message diffusion between mobile devices
First Claim
1. A method of locally diffusing an information item for presentation to users of mobile devices, the method comprising propagating the information item from an originating point in messages passed from device to device by non-wired short-range communication, a number of copies of the information item in propagation initially tending to increase due to propagation activities of receiving devices and then dying away as the devices implement propagation limitation measures for the information item, at least one device being operative to transmit the information item multiple times with an interval between retransmissions of the information item being dependent on how many times the information item has been received by the device either in total or during a recent period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Information with local relevance is diffused locally using mobile devices equipped with non-wired short-range communication means, the information being propagated from an originating point in messages passed from device to device in an unstructured way. The devices implement measures for limiting message propagation. For a device that is arranged to propagate a received message multiple times, these measures include increasing (75) the interval between retransmissions in dependence on how many times the same message has been received by the device either in total or during a recent period.
33 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A method of locally diffusing an information item for presentation to users of mobile devices, the method comprising propagating the information item from an originating point in messages passed from device to device by non-wired short-range communication, a number of copies of the information item in propagation initially tending to increase due to propagation activities of receiving devices and then dying away as the devices implement propagation limitation measures for the information item, at least one device being operative to transmit the information item multiple times with an interval between retransmissions of the information item being dependent on how many times the information item has been received by the device either in total or during a recent period.
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7. A mobile device for locally diffusing information item to other devices for presentation to their users, the mobile device comprising:
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a message store;
a short-range wireless transceiver for receiving the information item and storing the information item to the store, and or transmitting the information item retrieved from the store;
a receive/transmit counter for recording how many times the information item is received and transmitted; and
a propagation controller operative to cause the information item to be transmitted multiple times with an interval between retransmissions being dependent on how many times the information item has been received by the device, either in total or during a recent period, as indicated by the receive/transmit counter. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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13. A method of locally diffusing an information item for presentation to users of mobile devices, the method comprising:
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propagating the information item from an originating point in messages passed from device to device by non-wired short-range communication, the number of copies of the information item in propagation initially tending to increase due to the propagation activities of the receiving devices and then dying away as the devices implement propagation limitation measures for that item, at least one device being operative to transmit the information item multiple times with an interval between retransmissions of the information item being increased as more copies of the same item are received by the device either in total or during a recent period the interval, wherein the propagating is constrained by an associated time-relate value that is carried by the messages carrying that information item and is modified by each propagating device, prior to propagation of the information item, by an amount corresponding to a time the information item has resided, or will have resided, in the device at a time of propagation, wherein a receiving device does not propagate the information item if the associated time-related value in a received message carrying that information item, in combination with the time the information item has, or will have, resided in the device at the time the device is to propagate the item, indicates that an item-life threshold has been, or will have been, exceeded.
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Specification