System, method, and apparatus for extending wireless personal area networks using conferencing connection

• US 8,368,739 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nogarede, Katharine D., Rousch, Charles Gregory, Wilson, George Jed D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/688,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/169, 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 370/260, 370/337, 379/37, 379/158, 455/41.2, 455/416, 455/465, 455/556.1, 455/41.3, 709/204, 710/8
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus are disclosed whereby a wireless Personal Area Network such as a Bluetooth piconet may be extended to a remote location beyond the normal range by means of a conferencing connection. The conferencing connection may comprise, for example, one or more ISDN lines or an IP connection between two or more conference endpoints. The broadband connection may include a video channel, an audio channel, a control channel, and a Bluetooth channel.

Claims

1. A conference endpoint at a near end, the conference endpoint comprising:

a processor;

an interface coupled to the processor, wherein the interface is configured to send and receive audio data, control data, and Bluetooth data via a conference link to a remote endpoint at a far end, and exchange data pertaining to PAN capabilities of the near end endpoint with that of the remote endpoint; and

a Bluetooth module coupled to the interface via a serial link, wherein the Bluetooth module is configured to wirelessly send and receive data to and from a near-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

2. The conference endpoint as recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for dialing a phone number, wherein the phone number is received wirelessly from the near-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

3. The conference endpoint as recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending an electronic business card to a far-end Bluetooth-enabled device, wherein the electronic business card is received wirelessly from the near-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

4. The conference endpoint as recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending an image to a far-end Bluetooth-enabled device, wherein the image is received wirelessly from the near-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

5. The conference endpoint as recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending a file to a far-end Bluetooth-enabled printer, wherein the file is received wirelessly from the near-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

6. The conference endpoint as recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for synchronizing a first set of data stored on the near-end Bluetooth-enabled device with a second set of data stored on a far-end Bluetooth-enabled device.

7. A video conferencing unit at a first site, the video conferencing unit comprising:

a processor;

an interface coupled to the processor, wherein the interface is configured to send and receive audio data, video data, control data, and Bluetooth data via a conference link to an endpoint at a second site remote from the first site, and exchange data pertaining to PAN capabilities of the near end endpoint with that of the remote endpoint; and

a Bluetooth module coupled to the interface via a serial link, wherein the Bluetooth module is configured to wirelessly send and receive data to and from a Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site.

8. The video conferencing unit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for dialing a video number, wherein the video number is wirelessly transmitted from the Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site.

9. The video conferencing unit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending an electronic business card to a Bluetooth-enabled device located at the second site, wherein the electronic business card is received wirelessly from the Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site.

10. The video conferencing unit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending an image to a Bluetooth-enabled device located at the second site, wherein the image is received wirelessly from the Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site.

11. The video conferencing unit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending a file to a Bluetooth-enabled printer located at the second site, wherein the file is received wirelessly from the Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site.

12. The video conferencing unit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for synchronizing a first set of data stored on a Bluetooth-enabled device located at the first site with a second set of data stored on the Bluetooth-enabled device located at the second site.

13. A conference endpoint comprising:

a wireless communication module configured for wireless data communication with one or more near-end wireless devices; and

an interface operatively coupled to the wireless communication module and configured to send wireless data received from the one or more near-end wireless devices over a conference connection to a remote endpoint at a far end and further configured to send wireless data received over the conference connection from the remote endpoint at the far end to the one or more near-end wireless devices and exchange data pertaining to PAN capabilities, thereby allowing virtual physical proximity between the one or more near-end wireless devices and one or more wireless devices located at the far end.

14. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is a speaker phone and wherein the conference connection is a telephone call.

15. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is a videoconferencing terminal and wherein the conference connection is a video conference.

16. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference connection is a multipoint call.

17. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is configured to dial a conferencing number received wirelessly from a near-end wireless device.

18. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is configured to send an electronic business card received wirelessly from a near-end wireless device to a far-end wireless device.

19. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is configured to send an image received wirelessly from a near-end wireless device to a far-end wireless device.

20. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is configured to send a file received wirelessly from a near-end wireless device to a far-end wireless printer.

21. The conference endpoint of claim 13 wherein the conference endpoint is configured to synchronize a first set of data stored on a near-end wireless device with a second set of data stored on a far-end wireless device.