Ad hoc network discovery menu
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a list of service attributes characterizing preferred services for accessing through wireless connection;
discovering at least two wireless networks, each of the at least two wireless networks having a different network identifier;
gathering information characterizing the discovered at least two wireless networks by obtaining service information associated with each of the at least two wireless networks describing available services of wireless devices in the respective networks;
forming a compiled network discovery service list including characteristic information from each of the at least two wireless networks derived from the respective service information obtained from the at least two wireless networks, wherein the compiled network discovery list ranks the at least two wireless networks based on at least partly by matching service information obtained from each of the at least two wireless networks with the maintained list of service attributes and signal characteristics of the respective networks; and
joining to one of the at least two wireless networks based on the compiled network discovery list.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When an ad hoc network is formed between short range wireless devices, at least one device assumes the role of an ad hoc network information provider for the new piconet. In this role, the device allocates a browsing hierarchy of service classes in its service registry. The service classes will provide a record to characterize the ad hoc network. When a new wireless device arrives within the communication range of any member of the ad hoc network, its inquiry signals are answered by the first member detecting the inquiry. If that first member is an ad hoc network information provider, it responds with information accessed from its service registry characterizing the ad hoc network. If, instead, an ordinary device in the ad hoc network is the first to respond to the inquiry signals of the arriving device, the device responds with the address of the ad hoc network information provider. The arriving device then pages the ad hoc network information provider to obtain information characterizing the ad hoc network.
72 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a list of service attributes characterizing preferred services for accessing through wireless connection; discovering at least two wireless networks, each of the at least two wireless networks having a different network identifier; gathering information characterizing the discovered at least two wireless networks by obtaining service information associated with each of the at least two wireless networks describing available services of wireless devices in the respective networks; forming a compiled network discovery service list including characteristic information from each of the at least two wireless networks derived from the respective service information obtained from the at least two wireless networks, wherein the compiled network discovery list ranks the at least two wireless networks based on at least partly by matching service information obtained from each of the at least two wireless networks with the maintained list of service attributes and signal characteristics of the respective networks; and joining to one of the at least two wireless networks based on the compiled network discovery list. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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a wireless device including a memory configured for maintaining a list of service attributes characterizing preferred services for accessing through wireless connection; at least two wireless networks, each of the at least two wireless networks having a different network identifier; said wireless device configured for discovering the at least two wireless networks; said wireless device configured for gathering information characterizing the discovered at least two wireless networks by obtaining service information associated with each of the at least two wireless networks describing available services of wireless devices in the respective networks; said wireless device configured for forming a compiled network discovery service list including characteristic information from each of the at least two wireless networks derived from the respective service information obtained from the at least two wireless networks, wherein the compiled network discovery list ranks the at least two wireless networks based on at least partly by matching service information obtained from each of the at least two wireless networks with the maintained list of service attributes and signal characteristics of the respective networks; and said wireless device configured for joining the wireless device to one of the at least two wireless networks based on the compiled network discovery list. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable medium having a stored computer program, comprising:
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program code in said computer readable medium for maintaining a list of service attributes characterizing preferred services for accessing through wireless connection; program code in said computer readable medium for discovering at least two wireless networks, each of the at least two wireless networks having a different network identifier; program code in said computer readable medium for gathering information characterizing the discovered at least two wireless networks by obtaining service information associated with each of the at least two wireless networks describing available services of wireless devices in the respective networks; program code in said computer readable medium for forming a compiled network discovery service list including characteristic information from each of the at least two wireless networks derived from the respective service information obtained from the at least two wireless networks, wherein the compiled network discovery list ranks the at least two wireless networks based on at least partly by matching service information obtained from each of the at least two wireless networks with the maintained list of service attributes and signal characteristics of the respective networks; and program code in said computer readable medium for joining to one of the at least two wireless networks based on the compiled network discovery list. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A wireless device, comprising:
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a wireless device including a processor, a memory for storing program code executable by the processor, a radio, and a user interface; program code in said memeory configured for maintaining a list of service attributes characterizing preferred services for accessing through wireless connection; program code in said memory configured for discovering at least two wireless networks, each of the at least two wireless networks having a different network identifier; program code in said memory configured for gathering information characterizing the discovered at least two wireless networks by obtaining service information associated with each of the at least two wireless networks describing available services of wireless devices in the respective networks; program code in said memory configured for forming a compiled network discovery service list including characteristic information fromn each of the at least two wireless networks derived from the respective service information obtained from the at least two wireless networks, wherein the compiled network discovery list ranks the at least two wireless networks based on at least partly by matching service information obtained from each of the at least two wireless networks with the maintained list of service attributes and signal characteristics of the respective networks; and program code in said memory configured for joining the wirless device to one of the at least two wireless networks based on the compiled network discovery list. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40)
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37. The wireless device of 31, wherein said gathering further comprises:
selectively searching for networks containing devices having a specified service attribute.
Specification