Automated service discovery and wireless network set-up
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:
- performing, at a first computing device, neighbor and service discovery by searching for a special beacon transmitted from one or more second computing devices, the special beacon comprising at least a host name that identifies each of the one or more second computing devices from which the special beacon is broadcasted;
performing, at the first computing device, member selection to select one or more of the second computing devices from each of which the special beacon is received and identified; and
transmitting, from the first computing device, a network set-up and service request for initiating a connection with the one or more selected second computing devices to establish a wireless network, the network set-up and service request identifying and inviting each of the one or more selected second computing devices to become a member of the wireless network and asking each of the invited second computing devices to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up, wherein the network set-up and service request and the special beacon conform to an IEEE 802.11 standard.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present technique for automating service discovery and the set-up of a wireless network improves a user'"'"'s experience when setting-up the wireless network and using one or more services. The technique includes automatic neighbor/service discovery using special beacons transmitted from wireless devices. Each special beacon identifies the wireless device (i.e., host) that transmitted the beacon along with the services provided by the device. For each special beacon that is received, a corresponding host name and the service provided by it are displayed in a graphical user interface. A user may select one or more of the host names and initiate a transmission of a network set-up and service request. The network set-up and service request identifies the selected host names and invites each selected host name to become a member of a wireless network. After the network has been set up, the service may be invoked automatically.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:
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performing, at a first computing device, neighbor and service discovery by searching for a special beacon transmitted from one or more second computing devices, the special beacon comprising at least a host name that identifies each of the one or more second computing devices from which the special beacon is broadcasted; performing, at the first computing device, member selection to select one or more of the second computing devices from each of which the special beacon is received and identified; and transmitting, from the first computing device, a network set-up and service request for initiating a connection with the one or more selected second computing devices to establish a wireless network, the network set-up and service request identifying and inviting each of the one or more selected second computing devices to become a member of the wireless network and asking each of the invited second computing devices to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up, wherein the network set-up and service request and the special beacon conform to an IEEE 802.11 standard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure being converted from a wireless transmission signal transmitted from a first computing device for initiating a connection with a second computing device to set-up a wireless network and invoke one or more desired services, the data structure comprising:
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a host name field wherein a host name for a host computing device, the host name identifying the first computing device that sends a request by transmitting the wireless transmission signal; an invitation list comprising an identifier for a second computing device requested to become a member of the wireless network; and a service flag field wherein service bits are stored for specifying one or more services desired to be invoked after the wireless network between the first and the second computing devices is set-up, wherein the wireless network conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computing device, comprising:
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a processor; a memory into which a plurality of instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method when executed by the processor, the method comprising; displaying at a received computing device a hostname for each of a plurality of host computing devices from which a beacon is received, wherein displaying is via a graphical user interface; providing a selection means on the graphical user interface for selecting at least one of the host computing devices; and providing a create network means on the graphical user interface that, when activated, results in a transmission of a network set-up request to establish a wireless network between the received computing device and the selected host computing device, the network set-up request identifying each of the selected host computing devices and inviting each of the selected host computing devices to become a member of the wireless network, wherein the wireless network conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification