Multi-hop heterogeneous wireless device feature sharing

• US 8,411,692 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Patil, Abhishek, Jing, Xiangpeng, Liu, Aixin, Nguyen, Djung
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLS, DONALD L
• Application Number:
  US12/869,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Available features of each of a group of wireless devices accessible over one of a group of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of a first wireless bridging computing device are registered for sharing. A request for use of an available feature of a first wireless device over a first wireless communication protocol interface is received from a second wireless device over a second wireless communication protocol interface. In response to the request, use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device is facilitated over the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of sharing device features via multi-hop communications across different wireless radio interfaces, comprising:

registering available features of each of a plurality of wireless devices accessible via one of a plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of a first wireless bridging computing device;

receiving a request for use of an available feature of a first wireless device via a first wireless communication protocol interface from a second wireless device via a second wireless communication protocol interface;

facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request;

publishing the available features of each of the registered wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices;

filtering the available features of the first wireless device to remove at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device, where filtering the available features of the first wireless device to remove the at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device comprises filtering the available features of the first wireless device based upon bandwidth requirements for the available feature; and

where publishing the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices comprises, for the second wireless device, publishing the filtered available features.

2. The method according to claim 1, where publishing the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices comprises publishing a number of wireless device hops to each published available feature.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a feature announcement message from each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

where registering the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of the first wireless bridging computing device comprises registering the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices in response to receipt of the feature announcement message from each of the plurality of wireless devices.

4. The method according to claim 3, where the feature announcement message received from each of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a number of wireless hops to each available feature.

5. The method according to claim 1, where registering the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of the first wireless bridging computing device comprises:

performing feature discovery for each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

classifying each discovered feature.

6. The method according to claim 5, where performing the feature discovery for each of the plurality of wireless devices comprises:

querying each of the plurality of wireless devices for the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

receiving a response message from each of the plurality of wireless devices comprising the available features and a number of wireless hops to each available feature.

7. The method according to claim 5, where classifying each discovered feature comprises creating a classification description of each discovered feature and further comprising modifying the classification description of at least one discovered feature.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a device type associated with one of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a wireless telephone device;

determining that the classification description of the at least one discovered feature comprises a Bluetooth headset classification description; and

where modifying the classification description of the at least one discovered feature comprises modifying a classification description of the Bluetooth headset classification description to a handsfree headset classification description for the wireless telephone device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, an available feature list comprising the available features of the wireless device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising generating, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, a device feature access profile comprising the available features of other of the plurality of wireless devices useable by the wireless device.

11. The method according to claim 1, where registering the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of the first wireless bridging computing device comprises registering each of the plurality of wireless devices for feature sharing.

12. The method according to claim 1, where the first wireless device comprises a second wireless bridging computing device and the requested available feature comprises a feature of a third wireless device registered with the second wireless bridging device that is not accessible via the first wireless bridging computing device.

13. The method according to claim 1, where each of the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices comprise at least one of a Bluetooth headset feature, a memory storage feature, an Internet access feature, a camera feature, and a telephone communication feature.

14. The method according to claim 1, where facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request comprises forwarding data packets associated with the requested available feature between the first wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless device via the second wireless communication protocol interface.

15. The method according to claim 14, where forwarding the data packets associated with the requested available feature between the first wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless device via the second wireless communication protocol interface comprises forwarding the data packets via a virtual Internet protocol (IP) bridging network layer of the first wireless bridging computing device.

16. The method according to claim 15, where the virtual IP bridging network layer operates above a first IP stack associated with the first wireless communication protocol interface, operates above a second IP stack associated with the second wireless communication protocol interface, and operates below a transmission control protocol (TCP) stack of the first wireless bridging computing device.

17. The method according to claim 1, where the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface comprise asymmetric links and where facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request comprises:

performing link speed, buffering, and queue controls that manage use of the requested available feature between the asymmetric links.

18. The method according to claim 1, where facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request comprises coordinating communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via one of a helper protocol conversion layer and a helper application of the first wireless bridging computing device.

19. The method according to claim 1, where facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request comprises:

providing a two-way communications interface between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.

20. The method according to claim 19, where providing the two-way communications interface between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface comprises:

allocating a plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface; and

performing message traffic management via the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.

21. The method according to claim 20, where the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface comprises at least two of an audio output queue, a video output queue, and a data storage output queue.

22. The method according to claim 1, where facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request comprises:

providing a plurality of concurrent feature sharing sessions between pairs of the plurality of wireless devices.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 1.

24. A method of sharing device features via multi-hop communications across different wireless radio interfaces, comprising:

registering available features of each of a plurality of wireless devices accessible via one of a plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces of a first wireless bridging computing device;

generating, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, an available feature list comprising the available features of the wireless device;

generating, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, a device feature access profile comprising the available features of other of the plurality of wireless devices useable by the wireless device;

publishing each device feature access profile to the wireless device for which each device feature access profile was generated;

receiving a request for use of an available feature of a first wireless device via a first wireless communication protocol interface from a second wireless device via a second wireless communication protocol interface;

where the publishing comprises publishing the available features of each of the registered wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices;

filtering the available features of the first wireless device to remove at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device, where filtering the available features of the first wireless device to remove the at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device comprises filtering the available features of the first wireless device based upon bandwidth requirements for the available feature;

where publishing the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices comprises, for the second wireless device, publishing the filtered available features; and

facilitating use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, comprising;

allocating a plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface; and

performing message traffic management via the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.

25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 24.

26. An apparatus for sharing device features via multi-hop communications across different wireless radio interfaces, comprising:

a plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces; and

a processor programmed to;

register available features of each of a plurality of wireless devices accessible via one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces;

receive a request for use of an available feature of a first wireless device via a first wireless communication protocol interface from a second wireless device via a second wireless communication protocol interface;

facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request;

publish the available features of each of the registered wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices;

filter the available features of the first wireless device to remove at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device;

where, in being programmed to publish the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices, the processor is programmed to, for the second wireless device, publish the filtered available features based upon bandwidth requirements for the available feature.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to publish the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices, the processor is programmed to publish a number of wireless device hops to each published available feature.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, where the processor is further programmed to:

receive a feature announcement message from each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

where, in being programmed to register the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces, the processor is programmed to register the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices in response to receipt of the feature announcement message from each of the plurality of wireless devices.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, where the feature announcement message received from each of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a number of wireless hops to each available feature.

30. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to register the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces, the processor is programmed to:

perform feature discovery for each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

classify each discovered feature.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, where, in being programmed to perform the feature discovery for each of the plurality of wireless devices, the processor is programmed to:

query each of the plurality of wireless devices for the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

receive a response message from each of the plurality of wireless devices comprising the available features and a number of wireless hops to each available feature.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30, where, in being programmed to classify each discovered feature, the processor is programmed to create a classification description of each discovered feature and where the processor is further programmed to modify the classification description of at least one discovered feature.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, where the processor is further programmed to:

determine that a device type associated with one of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a wireless telephone device;

determine that the classification description of the at least one discovered feature comprises a Bluetooth headset classification description; and

where, in being programmed to modify the classification description of the at least one discovered feature, the processor is programmed to modify a classification description of the Bluetooth headset classification description to a handsfree headset classification description for the wireless telephone device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, where the processor is further programmed to generate, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, an available feature list comprising the available features of the wireless device.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, where the processor is further programmed to generate, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, a device feature access profile comprising the available features of other of the plurality of wireless devices useable by the wireless device.

36. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to register the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices accessible via the one of the plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces, the processor is programmed to register each of the plurality of wireless devices for feature sharing.

37. The apparatus according to claim 26, where each of the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices comprise at least one of a Bluetooth headset feature, a memory storage feature, an Internet access feature, a camera feature, and a telephone communication feature.

38. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, the processor is programmed to forward data packets associated with the requested available feature between the first wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless device via the second wireless communication protocol interface.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, where, in being programmed to forward the data packets associated with the requested available feature between the first wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless device via the second wireless communication protocol interface, the processor is programmed to forward the data packets via a virtual Internet protocol (IP) bridging network layer.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, where the virtual IP bridging network layer operates above a first IP stack associated with the first wireless communication protocol interface, operates above a second IP stack associated with the second wireless communication protocol interface, and operates below a transmission control protocol (TCP) stack.

41. The apparatus according to claim 26, where the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface comprise asymmetric links and where, in being programmed to facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, the processor is programmed to:

perform link speed, buffering, and queue controls that manage use of the requested available feature between the asymmetric links.

42. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, the processor is programmed to coordinate communications between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via one of a helper protocol conversion layer and a helper application.

43. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, the processor is programmed to:

provide a two-way communications interface between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.

44. The apparatus according to claim 43, where, in being programmed to provide the two-way communications interface between the first wireless device and the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface, the processor is programmed to:

allocate a plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface; and

perform message traffic management via the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.

45. The apparatus according to claim 44, where the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface comprises at least two of an audio output queue, a video output queue, and a data storage output queue.

46. The apparatus according to claim 26, where, in being programmed to facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, the processor is programmed to:

provide a plurality of concurrent feature sharing sessions between pairs of the plurality of wireless devices.

47. An apparatus for sharing device features via multi-hop communications across different wireless radio interfaces, comprising:

a plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces; and

a processor programmed to;

register available features of each of a plurality of wireless devices accessible via one of a plurality of different wireless communication protocol interfaces;

generate, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, an available feature list comprising the available features of the wireless device;

generate, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, a device feature access profile comprising the available features of other of the plurality of wireless devices useable by the wireless device;

publish each device feature access profile to the wireless device for which each device feature access profile was generated;

receive a request for use of an available feature of a first wireless device via a first wireless communication protocol interface from a second wireless device via a second wireless communication protocol interface;

publish the available features of each of the registered wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices;

filter the available features of the first wireless device to remove at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device, where filtering the available features of the first wireless device to remove the at least one available feature un-useable by the second wireless device comprises filtering the available features of the first wireless device based upon bandwidth requirements for the available feature;

where in being programmed to publish the available features of each of the plurality of wireless devices to each other of the plurality of wireless devices the processor is programmed to, for the second wireless device, publishing the filtered available features;

facilitate use of the requested available feature of the first wireless device by the second wireless device via the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface in response to the request, where the processor is further programmed to;

allocate a plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface; and

perform message traffic management via the plurality of prioritized outbound message queues for each of the first wireless communication protocol interface and the second wireless communication protocol interface.