Method and system for utilizing standardized interface in a wireless device to discover and use local and remote resources

• US 9,042,329 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buer, Mark, Quigley, Thomas, MacInnis, Alexander G., Behzad, Arya, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Walley, John
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US14/031,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20140016608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-329, 370/331, 370/338, 370352-356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370400-402, 370465-466, 455/414.1, 455/416, 455/418, 455/426.1, 455/550.1, 455/557
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5691 Access to open networks; Ingress point selection, e.g. ISP selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may discover available networks, and available local and/or remote resources. The WMC device may configure routes utilizing one or more of discovered resources and one or more available networks. The routes may be utilized to performed operations requested via the WMC device. A standardized language and/or protocol may be utilized in discovering and/or communicating with available resources and/or networks. The standardized language and/or protocol may enable commonality among the discovered networks and/or resources, and encryption of data communicated through the established routes. The standardized language and/or protocol may be updated and/or modified to incorporate new resources either by direct interactions between said new resources and the WMC device, or via existing available resources and/or networks. The discovery of resources and/or establishment of routes may be user-triggered, or it may be based on user preference information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

discovering a first resource of a device by using a standardized language or protocol, said standardized language or protocol specifying a resource format;

discovering, by using the standardized language or protocol, a second resource that is available via a wireless network;

configuring an ad hoc network to establish a route between the first resource and the second resource; and

facilitating a performance of an operation using the first resource and the second resource by sending a control message to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying said standardized language or protocol to enable communication with a third resource, wherein the third resource is not supported in said standardized language or protocol prior to modifying said standardized language or protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying said standardized language or protocol comprises updating said standardized language or protocol in response to receiving a look-up table from the device, the look-up table identifying the third resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering the first resource in response to receiving an announcement message from the device, the announcement message specifying an availability of the first resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering the second resource in response to receiving an announcement message via the wireless network, the announcement message specifying an availability of the second resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the first resource comprises polling the device to determine whether the first resource is available to perform the operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the ad hoc network in response to receiving a request to perform the operation.

8. A system, comprising:

a wireless communication device comprising circuitry that is operable to;

determine whether a resource of a device is available by using a standardized language or protocol, said standardized language or protocol specifying a resource format, wherein the wireless communication device is operable to communicate with the device via a wireless link;

discover a wireless network;

configure an ad hoc network to establish a route between the device and the wireless network; and

facilitate a performance of an operation using the resource, wherein the operation is performed according to data that is communicated to the device via the route.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation is performed in response to sending a control message from the wireless communication device to the device, the control message being based on said standardized language or protocol.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said standardized language or protocol comprises a look-up table that enables determining whether the resource of the device is available.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further operable to modify said standardized language or protocol to enable communication with another resource, wherein the other resource is not supported in said standardized language or protocol prior to modifying said standardized language or protocol.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation comprises a play operation to play media content, the media content being streamed via the route.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry that is operable to determine whether the resource of the device is available is further operable to determine whether the resource of the device is available in response to receiving an announcement message from the device, the announcement message specifying an availability of the resource.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further operable to poll the device to determine whether the resource of the device is available to perform the operation.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, by a wireless communication device, whether a resource of a device is available in response to receiving a request to perform an operation, wherein the wireless communication device is operable to communicate with the device via a wireless link;

discovering a wireless network to perform the operation;

establishing a route between the device and the wireless network; and

facilitating a performance of the operation using the resource, wherein the operation is performed according to data that is communicated to the device via the route.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising using a standardized language or protocol to determine whether the resource of the device is available and to discover the wireless network, wherein said standardized language or protocol specifies a resource format.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising modifying said standardized language or protocol to enable communication with another resource, wherein the other resource is not supported in said standardized language or protocol prior to modifying said standardized language or protocol.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the operation is performed in response to sending a control message from the wireless communication device to the device, the control message being based on said standardized language or protocol.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining whether the resource of the device is available comprises determining whether the resource of the device is available by receiving an announcement message from the device, the announcement message specifying an availability of the resource, the announcement message being based on said standardized language or protocol.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the resource of the device is available comprises polling the device to determine whether the resource is available to perform the operation.