Bluetooth association based on docking connection

• US 7,249,212 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pierce, Justin Monroe, Do, Phuc Ky, Reveron, Ramon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZAMAN, FAISAL M
• Application Number:
  US11/020,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 710303-304
• US Class Current: 710/304
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for wirelessly coupling a computer with a peripheral device. The peripheral device is initially docked to a docking port in the computer. Detecting the docking event, the computer then turns on the docked peripheral device and listens for identifiers from all peripheral devices within range of the computer, including the identifier for the peripheral device that is presently docked with the computer. The computer then instructs the docked peripheral device to turn off, thus preventing the docked peripheral device from broadcasting its identifier. By a process of deduction, the computer is able to identify the docked peripheral device. In a preferred embodiment, the docked peripheral device subsequently is wirelessly associated only with the computer to which that peripheral device was initially docked.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless peripheral device; and

a computer system composed of;

a docking station;

a connection detector in the docking station that detects when the wireless peripheral device is docked at the docking station;

an IDentification Signal Receiver (IDSR); and

a Peripheral Device Locking Logic (PDLL), wherein the PDLL includes logic to;

receive from the IDSR a first list of all peripheral devices within range of the IDSR,

stop a transmission of an IDentification (ID) signal from the docked peripheral device, and

subsequently receive from the IDSR a second list of peripheral devices within range of the IDSR, wherein the second list of peripheral devices does not contain the ID signal from the docked peripheral device, wherein the PDLL determines the ID of the docked peripheral by contrasting the first and second lists, and

wherein the wireless peripheral device is a docked peripheral device that is docked in the docking station, and wherein the PDLL initializes communication only with the docked peripheral device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises:

mechanical means for turning the docked peripheral device off and on, wherein the transmission of the ID signal from the docked peripheral device is stopped when the mechanical means turn off the docked peripheral device.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises:

electrical means for turning the docked peripheral device off and on, wherein the transmission of the ID signal from the docked peripheral device is stopped when the electrical means turn off the docked peripheral device.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is capable of conmunicating with the computer system using a short-range wireless commumcation system.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the short-range wireless communication system is a Bluetooth®

system.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the PDLL includes a subtraction logic that logically subtracts the contents of the second list from the contents of the first list.

7. A method comprising:

docking a wireless peripheral device to a docking port in a computer;

turning on the wireless peripheral device though the use of switching means, in the docking port, which are coupled to a power switch in the wireless peripheral device, thus enabling the docked wireless peripheral device to transmit a docked device identification signal from the docked wireless peripheral device;

receiving, at the computer, identification signals from all peripheral devices within range of the computer;

generating a first list of all of the peripheral devices based on the received identification signals;

turning off the docked wireless peripheral device though the use of the switching means in the docking port, thus causing the docked wireless device to cease transmitting the docked wireless device'"'"'s identification signal;

receiving, at the computer, identification signals from remaining peripheral devices that do not include the docked peripheral device;

generating a second list of the remaining peripheral devices;

deducing that the identifier for the docked wireless peripheral device is an identifier found in the first list but missing in the second list; and

subsequently establishing an exclusive wireless connection with the docked wireless peripheral device whose identity was deduced in the deducing step.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the switching means in the docking port are mechanical means that engage against the power switch in the docked wireless peripheral device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the switching means in the docking port are electrical means that send a signal to the power switch in the docked wireless peripheral device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the peripheral device is capable of communicating with the computer system using a short-range wireless communication system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the short-range wireless communication system is a Bluetooth®

system.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the deducing step is performed by logically subtracting the contents of the second list from the contents of the first list.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the peripheral device is a scanner docked in a tablet computer that is mounted on a shopping cart.

14. A computer program product, residing on a computer usable medium, comprising:

program code for docking a wireless peripheral device to a docking port in a computer;

program code for turning on the wireless peripheral device through the use of switching means, in the docking port, which are coupled to a power switch in the wireless peripheral device, thus enabling the docked wireless peripheral device to transmit a docked device identification signal from the docked wireless peripheral device;

program code for receiving, at the computer, identification signals from all peripheral devices within range of the computer;

program code for generating a first list of all of the peripheral devices based on the received identification signals;

program code for turning off the docked wireless peripheral device through the use of the switching means in the docking port, thus causing the docked wireless device to cease transmitting the docked wireless device'"'"'s identification signal;

program code for receiving, at the computer, identification signals from remaining peripheral devices that do not include the docked peripheral device;

program code for generating a second list of the remaining peripheral devices;

program code for deducing that the identifier for the docked wireless peripheral device is an identifier found in the first list but missing in the second list; and

program code for subsequently establishing an exclusive wireless connection with the docked wireless peripheral device whose identity was deduced in the deducing step.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the switching means in the docking port are mechanical means that engage against the power switch in the docked wireless peripheral device.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the switching means in the docking port are electrical means that send a signal to the power switch in the docked wireless peripheral device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the peripheral device is capable of communicating with the computer system using a short-range wireless communication system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the short-range wireless communication system is a Bluetooth®

system.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the deducing step is performed by logically subtracting the contents of the second list from the contents of the first list.