Method and system for establishing a communication network

• US 7,027,836 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Telek, Michael J., Manico, Joseph A., Beaudet, Douglas B., Marino, Frank, Zacks, Carolyn A., Harel, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US10/238,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/419, 455/348, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/550, 455/519, 455/406, 455/434, 455/433, 235/380, 370/338, 379/142.06, 379/91.02, 711/122, 709/204, 713/182, 708/100, 345/156
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communication device is provided having a transceiver adapted to send and receive wireless communication signals and a contact surface. A contact circuit is adapted to detect contact of another communication device with said contact surface. A controller is adapted to enable communication only between the communication device and detected communication devices.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a transceiver adapted to send and receive wireless communication signals;

a contact surface;

a contact circuit adapted to detect contact of another communication device with said contact surface; and

a controller adapted to enable communication only between the communication device and detected communication devices; and

to determine a network identification signal in response to contact with a plurality of other communication devises; and

to share the network identification signal with said other communication devices; and

to use the network identification signal to identify communications to be limited to said other communication devices.

2. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the contact surface is electrically conductive and the contact circuit is adapted to detect an electrical connection between the contact surface and an electrically conductive contact surface of the other communication devices.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein said transceiver is operable in a contact registration mode wherein the transceiver is adapted to compromise the contact circuit and an ad hoc network communication mode.

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein said transceiver is operable to communicate in a manner that does not use the ad hoc communication mode.

5. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a user input adapted to receive a user profile comprising at least one of a network identification signal, a user name, a user image, sharing characteristics, a preferred sharing method, or an election to be added to expanded distribution lists, an election to save shared communications, or election to save other event related content.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the user profile comprises a network identification signal sharing authorization defining circumstances under which said other communication device can exchange the network identification signal of the communication device with still another communication device and wherein the controller is adapted to cause the network identification code authorization to be shared whenever the network identification signal transmitted.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to receive identification codes from each detected communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein each identification code has identification code sharing privilege associated therewith and said controller is adapted to share the identification codes of other communication devices only in accordance with the identification code sharing privileges.

9. The communication device of claim 7, further comprising a user input adapted to receive a user profile comprising at least one of an identification code, a user identification signal, a user image sharing characteristics, a preferred sharing method, an election to be added to extended distribution lists, an election to save shared communications, or an election to save other event related content.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein said profile includes a user identification signal and wherein said controller is adapted to share said user identification signal whenever said controller shares the device identification code.

11. The communication device of claim 9, further comprising an output for presenting signals to the user of the device wherein said controller is adapted to receive a user identification signal from detected communication devices and said controller is adapted cause the output to generate a signal in accordance with the user identification signal.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the identification signal comprises an image and the output comprises a display to present identification images.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said controller causes the display to present each identification image of each detected communication devices.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said communication device comprises an input and an output for communication between the user of the communication device and each user of the at least one other communication device and said communication device presents the identification image of each detected communication device.

15. The communication device of claim 14, further comprising a control input permitting the user to select from among the detected communication devices wherein said controller is adapted to cause the transceiver to transmit and receive communications only with the selected communication devices.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the output to present the identification image associated with each of the selected communication devices.

17. The communication device of claim 13, further comprising a camera to capture an image and the controller uses the captured image as an identification image.

18. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the contact surface comprises an antenna.

19. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising a channel selector wherein the controller is adapted to associate detected communication devices in groups with each group associated with a channel.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to detect the position of the channel selector and to communicate with groups of detected communication devices associated with the channel indicated by a position of the channel selector.

21. A communication system comprising:

at least two communication devices each communication device having,

a transceiver adapted to send and receive information using radio frequency signals said transceiver having an address;

a camera to capture images;

a display adapted to display images;

a contact surface;

a contact circuit adapted to detect temporary physical contact between the contact surface of the communication device and contact surface of another of the at least two communication devices; and

a controller adapted to determine an address list containing the address of each transceiver of each detected communication device, wherein each controller is operable for communicating only with communication devices having an address on the address list after the detected temporary contact.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the controller further exchanges an encryption code with other communication devices when contact is detected and encrypts all communications between the communication devices using the encryption code.

23. The communication system of claim 21, wherein at least one communication device has a user interface.

24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the user interface permits the user to enter a user profile identifying whether to allow the address of the communication device to be shared by other communication devices.

25. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the user interface permits the user to enter event profile information defining information for use in performing functions that are enabled only while the communication device is in communication with another communication device that is located at an event.

26. The communication system of claim 25, wherein the event profile information determines the functions of the communication device that are enabled during an event.

27. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the communication devices are adapted to exchange communications including stored files.

28. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the communication devices are adapted to exchange data that include video game communication and related data.

29. A method for forming a wireless communication network between at least two communication devices each having a contact surface, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the contact surface of one communication device into contact with the contact surface of at least one other communication device;

registering contact between the contact surfaces; and

,

separating the devices, limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between separate communication devices having previously registered contact.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between contacted devices comprises the steps of determining a user identification signal and the step of limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between contacted devices comprises only sending and receiving communications having the user identification signal.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of entering a profile containing a user identification signal.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein each communication device comprises a display and an input for receiving a user identification signal and further comprising the steps of entering a user identification signal and displaying identification signals associated with detected communication devices when the communication device is operated to communicate with detected devices.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one communication device is capable of communicating in at least two modes and at least one mode permits communication between any of the communication devices having registered contact, wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting between modes.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of entering a device profile defining information for use in performing functions that the communication device is to enable only during an event and enabling the communication device to exercise those capabilities during the event.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of transmitting a signal from one of the registered communication devices to more than one other registered communication device, said signal having an identification code.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the communication devices transmits information to the network.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of providing communication devices comprises the step of renting the communication devices.

39. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of storing communications made using the network.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of incorporating communications made using the network in to an output.

41. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps temporarily terminating network and restarting the network.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of terminating the network.

43. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of monitoring the usage of the communication device and adjusting the profile based upon the monitored usage.

32. A method for forming a wireless communication network between at least two communication devices each having a contact surface, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the contact surface of one communication device into contact with the contact surface of at least one other communication device;

registering contact between the contact surfaces; and

limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between communication devices having registered contact,

wherein the step of limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between contacted devices comprises the steps of determining a user identification signal and the step of limiting communication in at least one mode to communication between contacted devices comprises only sending and receiving communications having the user identification signal further comprising the steps of entering a sharing profile into a first communication device and using the sharing profile to limit the distribution of the user identification signal between a detected communication device and all other communication devices that contact the detected communication device without contacting the first communication device.