System for distributed personal device management

• US 8,880,680 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cluster Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Cluster Wireless LLC
• Inventors: Kumar, Prem Jothipragasam, O'Neil, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Hee Soo
• Application Number:
  US12/704,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A personal device management server device comprises a processing device, first and second communication interfaces, and a memory. The first communication interface is coupled with the processing device and is arranged to communicate with a wireless communication network. The second communication interface is coupled with the processing device and is arranged to communicate with a client device. The memory is coupled with the processing device and arranged to store instructions comprising a personal device management system. The personal device management system is arranged to control allocation of one or more components of a communication service with the individual client device elements via the second communication interface.

Claims

1. A personal device management server device, said device comprising:

at least a processing device for management of at least a client device, wherein the client device is configured to be in communication with said personal device management server device;

at least a first communication interface, wherein the first communication interface is a Wide Area Network (WAN) interface, coupled with the processing device, the first communication interface arranged to communicate with at least the client device;

at least a memory configured to be coupled with said processing device and arranged to store instructions, arranged to be executed by said processing device, wherein said personal device management system is arranged to control allocation of one or more components of a communication service with the client device via the first communication interface, wherein said personal device management system comprises a set of services management functionality, wherein said services management functionality comprises a service management module and a subscription management module, and a set of device management functionality, wherein said device management functionality comprises a discovery module, an operation module, a management module and an administration module;

wherein said personal device management server device further comprising a second communication interface coupled with the processing device, the second communication interface arranged to communicate with a wireless communication network;

wherein the device arranged to at least one of simultaneously communicate with a plurality of client devices and simultaneously allocate a plurality of client devices with at least a service component, wherein the client devices are configured to support more than one service component, further wherein the server device is arranged to communicate with a first client device using a protocol of the second communication interface different from the protocol with which the server device is arranged to communicate with a second client device; and

wherein said server device sized to be user-transportable along with being user friendly.

2. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is a cellular-based communication interface.

3. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communication interface is a wireless local area network interface and the first communication interface is a wireless wide area network interface.

4. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communication interface is a near field communication interface and the first communication interface is a wireless wide area network interface.

5. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the near field communication interface comprises at least one of BLUETOOTH and RFID.

6. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communication interface is a near field communication interface and the first communication interface is a wireless local area network interface.

7. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is a near field communication interface.

8. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the near field communication interface comprises at least one of BLUETOOTH and RFID.

9. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, the first communication interface is arranged to communicate with at least a client device.

10. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, said server device further comprising:

an input/output (I/O) device coupled with said processing device, for communicating with a user.

11. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, said input/output device comprising a display for displaying information to a user.

12. The personal device management server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service management functionality comprises at least a service management module and a subscription management module and the device management functionality comprises at least a discovery module, an operation module, a management module and an administration module.

13. A method of managing communication of at least one of a service and a service component with one or more client devices from a personal device management server device, said method comprising:

allocating one or more services of said personal device management server device to one or more client devices based on at least one of a predefined user preference with respect to at least one of a service and a client device and a client device attribute, wherein the client device attribute is configured to comprise at least hardware attributes,

wherein personal device management server device is configured to allocate at least one of a service and a service component to be owned by at least one of the client device and said personal device management server device;

wherein said method further comprising;

receiving a service attribute set of at least a client device; and

receiving a user preference assigning a service allocation priority to at least one service attribute of the at least one client device;

wherein said allocating comprising;

allocating a service of said personal device management server device to a client device based on the service allocation priority, wherein said service allocation priority is configured to be based on at least proximity of the client device with respect to a predetermined region set by the server device;

wherein said allocating further comprising;

determining one or more components of the one or more services;

allocating a service component of the determined one or more components to one or more client devices, wherein the determined service components are entered into a common pool of service components; and

managing the common pool resources of the personal device management server device and at least one of the client devices, by the personal device management server device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

registering at least a client device with the personal device management server device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said registering comprises at least one of validating and authenticating the one or more client devices with a corresponding validation or authentication server.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said registering comprises validating and authenticating the one or more client devices with a corresponding validation and authentication server.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, said registering comprising:

storing at least a client device attribute at the personal device management server device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the one or more client device attributes comprise at least one of a hardware attribute set and a service attribute set, wherein said method is configured to enable communication of said personal device management server device with the client device in accordance with at least stored client device attributes.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, said registering comprising:

updating a service definition database with one or more client device service attributes at said personal device management server device, wherein the service definition comprises at least one of a hardware attribute set and a service attribute set.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, said registering comprising:

registering client device hardware attributes with said personal device management server device; and

registering client device service attributes with said personal device management server device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said registering client device service attributes comprises at least one of validating and authenticating one or more client device service attributes with a corresponding validation or authentication server.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the transmitted one or more attributes of the personal device management server device comprise at least one service attribute set of the personal device management server device.

23. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said registering client device service attributes comprises validating and authenticating one or more client device service attributes with a corresponding validation and authentication server.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

assigning ownership of a service of the one or more services to at least one of the personal device management server device and one or more client devices.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

managing, by the device assigned ownership of the service, one or more hardware attributes of the device assigned ownership corresponding to hardware attributes related to the service.

26. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the assigning ownership comprises assigning ownership of one or more components of a service of the one or more services of the personal device management server device.

27. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting one or more attributes of the personal device management server device to at least one client device.

28. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user preference assigning a device priority to at least a client device.

29. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user preference assigning a device priority to at least one of the one or more client devices; and

allocating a service of said personal device management server device to a client device based on at least one of the service allocation priority and the device priority,

wherein said service allocation priority is configured to be based on at least proximity of the client device with respect to a predetermined region set by the server device.

30. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether another client device within a predetermined region of the personal device management server comprises one or more client device attributes to support at least one of the one or more services previously allocated to a client device; and

re-allocating the at least one service of the one or more services from the previously allocated client device to the other client device based on at least one of the user preference and the client device attribute of the other client device.

31. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether another client device within a predetermined region of the personal device management server comprises one or more client device attributes to support at least one of the one or more services previously allocated to a client device; and

allocating a copy of the at least one service to the other client device based on at least one of the user preference and the client device attribute of the other client device and retaining the original service allocation to the previously allocated client device.

32. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

managing, by the personal device management server device, a wake up schedule of one or more of the one or more client devices.

33. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

deferring, by the personal device management server device, allocation of a component of a service of the one or more services to one or more client devices until a client device having a device attribute corresponding to the component is in communication with said personal device management server device.

34. The method as claimed in claim 13, allocating comprises allocating two or more services of the personal device management server device to two or more client devices using two or more communication protocols via a single communication interface of the personal device management server device.

35. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising storing instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method.