Automatic resource availability using Bluetooth

• US 7,424,267 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisenbach, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/073,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 method, apparatus, and system for automatically sharing data resources between Bluetooth devices. A Bluetooth device is paired with a “trusted” Bluetooth device. When paired devices are found, the Bluetooth device automatically allows the other device to present a virtual representation of data that is shared. The shared data can be selectively downloaded for use by the other device as long as the devices are in proximity. In an alternate embodiment, the devices may share pairing information with a network, so that the same shared resource can be made available at a large number of access points but specifically only for one paired, trusted device.

Claims

1. A method of sharing data on Bluetooth devices, comprising:

pairing a first Bluetooth device and a second Bluetooth device, the pairing comprising exchanging Bluetooth link keys;

designating a file or a folder residing in said second Bluetooth device as sharable with said first Bluetooth device;

manually browsing an index or a listing that is provided automatically at said first Bluetooth device when it is determined that said second Bluetooth device is in proximity with said first Bluetooth device, the index or the listing corresponding to the file or the folder residing in said second Bluetooth device; and

manually making a selection from the index or the listing that causes data from at least a portion of the file or at least a portion of the folder to be wirelessly transmitted from said second Bluetooth device to said first Bluetooth device,

wherein, when said second Bluetooth device is no longer in proximity of said first Bluetooth device, said first Bluetooth device deletes the data that was wirelessly transmitted from said second Bluetooth device to said first Bluetooth device due to the manual selection from the index or the listing.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising pairing said first Bluetooth device with a plurality of second Bluetooth devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein manually making the selection from the index or the listing causes at least a portion of an address book residing in said second Bluetooth device to be wirelessly transmitted from said second Bluetooth device to said first Bluetooth device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the file or the folder is never entirely copied onto said first Bluetooth device.

5. The method of claim 1 designating a second file or a second folder residing in said first Bluetooth device as sharable with said second Bluetooth device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second device propagates pairing information to a network of devices, each of which is allowed to make said shared resource available on said first Bluetooth device.

7. A system for sharing resources on Bluetooth devices, comprising two paired Bluetooth devices, wherein a first one of said devices is paired with a second one of said devices, said second device having a category of files residing in said second device that is designated as sharable with said first device, said first device automatically presenting a virtual representation of said sharable category of files when said first device and said second device are in proximity to each other, a manual selection of a portion of the virtual representation at said first device causing at least a portion of said sharable category of files to be wirelessly transferred from said second device to said first device,

wherein, when said second device is no longer wirelessly linked to said first device, said first device automatically deletes the data that was wirelessly transmitted from said second Bluetooth device to said first Bluetooth device due to the manual selection from the virtual representation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said first device deletes said virtual representation when said first and second devices are no longer in proximity.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said category of files comprises an address book.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said category of files is never entirely loaded onto said first device.

11. The system of claim 7,

wherein said first device has a second category of files residing in said first device that is designated as sharable with said second device,

wherein said second device automatically presents a second virtual representation of said sharable second category of files when said first device and said second device are in proximity to each other, and

wherein a manual selection of a portion of the second virtual representation at said second device causes at least a portion of said sharable second category of files to be wirelessly transferred from said first device to said second device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said second device propagates the pairing information for said first device to a network, and wherein a plurality of devices are each allowed to share said shared resource with said first device.

13. An integrated circuit in a first Bluetooth device, said integrated circuit including an application layer that performs the method comprising:

pairing with a second Bluetooth device;

detecting the proximity of said second Bluetooth device;

presenting a virtual file or a virtual folder on a user interface of said first Bluetooth device, the virtual file or the virtual folder representing a particular file or a particular folder residing in said second Bluetooth device, the particular file or the particular folder being designated as accessible to the first Bluetooth device; and

causing at least a portion of the particular file or at least a portion of the particular folder residing in said second Bluetooth device to be wirelessly transferred from said second Bluetooth device to said first Bluetooth device when a manual section is made from the virtual file or the virtual folder,

wherein said integrated circuit deletes said virtual file or said virtual folder when a link between said first Bluetooth device and said second Bluetooth device becomes invalid.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the integrated circuit is paired with a plurality of second devices.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the particular file or the particular folder corresponds to an address book residing in said second Bluetooth device.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein only a subset of the particular file or the particular folder is ever wirelessly transferred from said second Bluetooth device to the said Bluetooth device.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein said integrated circuit designates a second particular file or a second particular folder residing in said first Bluetooth device as accessible to said second Bluetooth device, and wherein said integrated circuit causes at least a portion of the second particular file or at least a portion of the second particular folder to be wirelessly transferred to the second Bluetooth device when a second virtual file or a second virtual folder presented at said second Bluetooth device is manually selected at said second Bluetooth device, the second virtual file or the second virtual folder corresponding to the particular file or the particular folder.