Automatic resource availability using bluetooth

• US 7,796,946 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisenbach, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TUAN
• Application Number:
  US12/207,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/566, 370/328, 370/338
• 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;

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

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

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

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

pairing the first Bluetooth device with a plurality of second Bluetooth devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

browsing an index or a listing that is provided at the first Bluetooth device when it is determined that the second Bluetooth device is in proximity with the first Bluetooth device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the index or the listing corresponds to the file or the folder residing in the second Bluetooth device.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the selection is made from the index or the listing.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing comprises exchanging Bluetooth keys.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection causes at least a portion of an address book residing in the second Bluetooth device to be wirelessly transmitted from the second Bluetooth device to the first Bluetooth device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the file or the folder is not entirely copied onto the first Bluetooth device.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

designating a second file or a second folder residing in the first Bluetooth device as sharable with the second Bluetooth device.

10. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the second Bluetooth device propagates pairing information to a network of network devices, and

wherein each network device is allowed to make the shared resource available on the first Bluetooth device.

11. A system for sharing resources on Bluetooth devices, comprising two paired Bluetooth devices that comprise a first Bluetooth device and a second Bluetooth device, wherein the first Bluetooth device is paired with the second Bluetooth device, the second Bluetooth device having a category of files residing in the second Bluetooth device that is designated as sharable with the first Bluetooth device, the first Bluetooth device presenting a virtual representation of the sharable category of files when the first Bluetooth device and the Bluetooth second device are in proximity to each other, wherein a selection of a portion of the virtual representation at the first Bluetooth device causes at least a portion of the sharable category of files to be wirelessly transmitted from the second Bluetooth device to the first Bluetooth device, and wherein, when the second Bluetooth device is no longer wirelessly linked to the first Bluetooth device, the first Bluetooth device automatically deletes the data that was wirelessly transmitted from the second Bluetooth device to the first Bluetooth device due to the selection from the virtual representation.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first Bluetooth device deletes the virtual representation when the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device are no longer in proximity.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the category of files comprises an address book.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the category of files is not entirely loaded onto the first device.

15. The system according to claim 11,

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

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

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

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the second Bluetooth device propagates pairing information for the first Bluetooth device to a network, and wherein a plurality of devices of the network are allowed to share the shared resource with the first Bluetooth device.

17. In one or more integrated circuit chips in a first Bluetooth device, one or more protocol stacks that perform a method, the method comprising:

pairing with a second Bluetooth device;

detecting a proximity of the second Bluetooth device;

presenting a virtual file or a virtual folder on a user interface of the first Bluetooth device, the virtual file or the virtual folder representing a particular file or a particular folder residing in the 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 the second Bluetooth device to be wirelessly transmitted from the second Bluetooth device to the first Bluetooth device when a section is made from the virtual file or the virtual folder, wherein the one or more integrated circuits delete the virtual file or the virtual folder when a link between the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device is no longer valid.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more integrated circuit chips are paired with a plurality of Bluetooth devices.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the particular file or the particular folder corresponds to an address book residing in the second Bluetooth device.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein only a subset of the particular file or only a subset of the particular folder is wirelessly transmitted from the second Bluetooth device to the first Bluetooth device.

21. The method according to claim 17, comprising:

designating a second particular file or a second particular folder residing in the first Bluetooth device as accessible to the second Bluetooth device; and

causing at least a portion of the second particular file or at least a portion of the second particular folder to be wirelessly transmitted to the second Bluetooth device when a second virtual file or a second virtual folder presented at the second Bluetooth device is selected at the second Bluetooth device, the second virtual file or the second virtual folder corresponding to the particular file or the particular folder.