Method and system for proximity-based information retrieval and exchange in ad hoc networks
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- at a server having one or more processors for executing instructions in one or more programs;
responding to identifying information, obtained from a primary client, for a plurality of secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client, wherein the identifying information is obtained by the primary client using a discovery process adapted to obtain the identifying information of the secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client for conveyance to the server, by;
identifying match criteria associated with a particular user who is associated with the primary client;
applying the match criteria to identify a first set of the plurality of secondary clients that match the match criteria and a second set of the plurality of secondary clients that do not match the match criteria; and
sending a response to the primary client in accordance with the identified first set of secondary clients; and
using a scheduler at the server, controlling states of the primary client and the plurality of secondary clients, wherein the states of the primary and secondary clients comprise an active state (SA), characterized by a respective client is being configured to discover other clients, and a passive state (SP), characterized by the respective client is being discoverable by other clients.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network has clients and a server. The clients can discover and be discovered by each other. Discovery includes emitting requests to and acquiring identifying information from clients within a certain geographical range. A discovering client sends all identifying information to the server. The server includes client information database and topological map, comprised of nodes representing clients and edges indicating the discovery of one client by another. When the server receives identifying information from the discovering client, the server updates the topological map and determines which neighboring clients of the discovering client matches the match criteria of the discovering client. The server may determine a discovery schedule detailing which client should discover next. The server may send the match information and discovery schedule to the discovering client, discovered clients, or a third party. The server may also store this information.
28 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a server having one or more processors for executing instructions in one or more programs; responding to identifying information, obtained from a primary client, for a plurality of secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client, wherein the identifying information is obtained by the primary client using a discovery process adapted to obtain the identifying information of the secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client for conveyance to the server, by; identifying match criteria associated with a particular user who is associated with the primary client; applying the match criteria to identify a first set of the plurality of secondary clients that match the match criteria and a second set of the plurality of secondary clients that do not match the match criteria; and sending a response to the primary client in accordance with the identified first set of secondary clients; and using a scheduler at the server, controlling states of the primary client and the plurality of secondary clients, wherein the states of the primary and secondary clients comprise an active state (SA), characterized by a respective client is being configured to discover other clients, and a passive state (SP), characterized by the respective client is being discoverable by other clients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
-
at a server having one or more processors for executing instructions in one or more programs; responding to identifying information, obtained from a primary client, for a plurality of secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client, by; identifying match criteria associated with a particular user who is associated with the primary client, applying the match criteria to identify a first set of the plurality of secondary clients that match the match criteria and a second set of the plurality of secondary clients that do not match the match criteria, and sending a response to the primary client in accordance with the identified first set of secondary clients; and at the server; using a scheduler at the server, controlling states of the primary client and the plurality of secondary clients, wherein the states of the primary and secondary clients comprise an active state (SA), characterized by a respective client being configured to discover other clients, and a passive state (SP), characterized by the respective client being discoverable by other clients. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A server for use in a system having a primary client and secondary clients, the server having;
-
at least one processor; memory to store one or more programs for execution by the at least one processor; and a scheduler configured to send a message to a primary client and a plurality of secondary clients to control states of the primary client and a plurality of secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client, wherein the states of the primary and secondary clients comprise an active state (SA), characterized by a respective client being configured to discover other clients, and a passive state (SP), characterized by the respective client being discoverable by other clients; wherein the processor is configured to cause the server to respond to identifying information, obtained from the primary client, for the plurality of secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client, wherein the identifying information is obtained by the primary client using a discovery process adapted to obtain the identifying information of the secondary clients in physical proximity to the primary client for conveyance to the server, by; identifying match criteria associated with the primary client; applying the match criteria to identify a first set of the plurality of secondary clients that match the match criteria and a second set of the plurality of secondary clients that do not match the match criteria; and sending a response to the primary client in accordance with the identified first set of secondary clients. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a respective client that is associated with a particular user, the respective client having one or more processors and memory to store one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors; discovering secondary clients in physical proximity to the respective client by performing a discovery process adapted to obtain identifying information of secondary clients in physical proximity to the respective client for conveyance to a server; in accordance with the discovering, sending to the server identifying information for a plurality of the secondary clients in physical proximity to the respective client; receiving from the server a response identifying a subset of the plurality of secondary clients satisfying match criteria, the match criteria associated with the respective client; displaying information to the particular user in accordance with the response; and receiving from a server a message to control the state of the respective client, wherein the state of the respective client comprises an active state (SA), characterized by the respective client being configured to discover other clients, and a passive state (SP), characterized by the respective client being discoverable by other clients. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
Specification