Method, apparatus, and computer program product for recommending interaction between devices in a local environment

• US 8,725,828 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sathish, Sailesh, Hamalainen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US13/186,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections

Abstract

Various methods are provided for recommending interaction between devices in a local environment. One example method may include locating at least one device within a local environment in response to an interaction with content. The at least one device that is located within a local environment is configured to provide functionality related to the interaction with the content. The method may include identifying a selected device from the located at least one device based on a user profile recommendation and the interaction with the content. The method may further include causing at least one of the content and an executable to be transferred to the identified selected device. Similar and related example apparatuses and example computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause a plurality of local devices to be discovered in response to a user interaction with an executable, wherein the plurality of local devices are configured to provide functionality related to the user interaction with the executable and each of the plurality of local devices is defined by at least one functional definition;

select a local device from among the discovered plurality of local devices based on a user profile, the at least one functional definition of the local device and the user interaction with the executable, wherein the user profile indicates a preferred local device based on a set of functionality preferences and the at least one functional definition of the local device; and

cause at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable to be transferred to the selected local device, wherein at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable is performed by the apparatus in an instance in which less than all of the functionality related to the executable is transferred to the selected local device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive indications of user interactions with the plurality of local devices; and

update the user profile based on the received indications of user interactions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user profile further comprises an indication of one or more preferred devices of the plurality of local devices and user privacy preferences.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the functionality related to the executable includes at least one of content and a program that is to be processed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable is transferred to at least two selected local devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises:

a device participation module configured, when executed by the processor, to discover local devices; and

a session controller configured, when executed by the processor, to provide definitions regarding at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable being transferred to the selected local device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the session controller is further configured to provide semantic session types.

8. A method comprising:

locating at least one device within a local environment in response to an interaction with content, wherein the at least one device within a local environment is configured to provide functionality related to the interaction with the content, wherein each of the at least one local device is defined by at least one functional definition;

identifying, using a processor, a selected device from the located at least one device based on a user profile recommendation, the at least one functional definition of the local device and the interaction with the content, wherein the user profile indicates a preferred local device based on a set of functionality preferences and the at least one functional definition of the local device; and

causing at least one of the content and an executable to be transferred to the identified selected device, wherein at least one of the content and the executable is retained in an instance in which only one of the content or the executable is transferred to the identified selected device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving indications of user interactions with the at least one device; and

updating the user profile based on the received indications of user interactions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user profile further comprises an indication of one or more preferred devices of the at least one device within the local environment and user privacy preferences.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the functionality related to the content further includes a program that is to be processed.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable is transferred to at least two selected local devices.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

discovering local devices; and

causing definitions to be provided regarding at least a portion of the functionality related to the content being transferred to the selected local device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the provided definitions are further configured to provide semantic session type definitions.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one computer readable non-transitory memory medium having program code stored thereon, the program code which when executed by an apparatus cause the apparatus at least to:

receive an identification of available devices in response to a user interaction with an executable, wherein available devices are configured to provide functionality related to the user interaction with the executable and each of the available devices is defined by at least one functional definition;

select a local device from the received identification of available devices based on a user profile, the at least one functional definition of the local device and the user interaction with the executable, wherein the user profile indicates a preferred local device based on a set of functionality preferences and the at least one functional definition of the local device; and

cause at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable to be transmitted to the selected local device, wherein at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable is performed by the apparatus in an instance in which less than all of the functionality related to the executable is transferred to the selected local device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions to:

receive indications of user interactions with the plurality of available devices; and

update the user profile based on the received indications of user interactions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the user profile further comprises an indication of one or more preferred devices of the available devices and user privacy preferences.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the functionality related to the executable includes at least one of content and a program that is to be processed.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable is transferred to at least two selected local devices.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions to:

discover local devices; and

provide definitions regarding at least a portion of the functionality related to the executable being transferred to the selected local device.