Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless short-range communication

• US 9,042,829 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Palin, Arto, Reunamaki, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/734,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/67.11, 455/62, 455/436, 455/63.1, 455/454
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to invoke a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless response messages received from one or more wireless devices responding to one or more wireless device discovery messages transmitted by the apparatus;

establishing, by the apparatus, a wireless communication connection with a selected wireless device, the selected wireless device being one of the one or more responding wireless devices, if the one or more wireless response messages received from the selected wireless device has a measured power level greater than a first threshold value;

measuring, by the apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from the selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and

invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an identity of the wireless communication connection after selecting the one of the one or more responding wireless devices, to enable identifying the wireless communication connection of the selected wireless device when measuring the power level of the received one or more wireless communication messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection, occurs after an interval following an establishment of the wireless communication connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a first connection handle associated with the wireless communication connection after selecting the one of the one or more responding wireless devices, and

starting a second connection handle referenced to the wireless communication connection, for association with the measuring the power level of the received one or more wireless communication messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value for establishing the wireless communication connection and the threshold value for invoking the programmed process are the same.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value for establishing the wireless communication connection and the threshold value for invoking the programmed process are referenced with respect to a preferred receive power range.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed process establishes a data connection with the selected wireless device, over the wireless communication connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second threshold values are either the same or different.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

measure a power level of one or more wireless response messages received from one or more wireless devices responding to one or more wireless device discovery messages transmitted by the apparatus;

establish a wireless communication connection with a selected wireless device, the selected wireless device being one of the one or more responding wireless devices, if the one or more wireless response messages received from the selected wireless device has a measured power level greater than a first threshold value;

measure a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from the selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and

invoke a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a second threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

store an identity of the wireless communication connection after selecting the one of the one or more responding wireless devices, to enable identifying the wireless communication connection of the selected wireless device when measuring the power level of the received one or more wireless communication messages.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an interval for delaying the measuring of the power level is timed by a timer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measuring of the power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection, occurs after an interval following an establishment of the wireless communication connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication connection is one of a Bluetooth connection or an IEEE 802.11 connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

store a first connection handle associated with the wireless communication connection after selecting the one of the one or more responding wireless devices, and

start a second connection handle referenced to the wireless communication connection, for association with the measuring the power level of the received one or more wireless communication messages.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the threshold value for establishing the wireless communication connection and the threshold value for invoking the programmed process are the same.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the threshold value for establishing the wireless communication connection and the threshold value for invoking the programmed process are referenced with respect to a preferred receive power range.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the programmed process establishes a data connection with the selected wireless device, over the wireless communication connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second threshold values are either the same or different.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless response messages received from one or more wireless devices responding to one or more wireless device discovery messages transmitted by the apparatus;

code for establishing, by the apparatus, a wireless communication connection with a selected wireless device, the selected wireless device being one of the one or more responding wireless devices, if the one or more wireless response messages received from the selected wireless device has a measured power level greater than a first threshold value;

code for measuring, by the apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from the selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and

code for invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a second threshold value.