Method, apparatus, and computer program product for management of connected devices, such as in a wireless docking environment

• US 9,232,348 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huttunen, Juhani, Mostafa, Miraj, Aarnio, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US14/808,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 165 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/66.1, 455/500, 455/507, 455/508, 455/517
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments enable a wireless dockee device to analyze capability-related information characterizing one or more wireless and/or wired peripheral devices and planned use-related information, and perform an action based on the planned use-related information. A wireless docking center device manages the peripheral devices on behalf of the wireless dockee device. Example embodiments of the invention include wireless docking management of peripheral devices, power management in wireless docking, intelligent and automatic connection activation in wireless docking, notification based on user proximity to a peripheral device in wireless docking, and redirection of data transmission between peripheral devices in wireless docking. Wireless docking is mentioned as example herein, but similar solutions may also be applied to other connected device environments.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless dockee device, from a wireless docking center device, capability-related information characterizing one or more wireless peripheral devices;

analyzing, by the wireless dockee device, the capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices and planned use-related information; and

performing, by the wireless dockee device, an action with respect to one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information, based on the analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the wireless dockee device, information resulting from the analysis, to the wireless docking center device, for automatically performing an action with respect to one or more of the wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the wireless dockee device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the wireless dockee device, information resulting from the analysis, for user notification/information of selected ones of the one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the wireless dockee device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the wireless dockee device, a request to the wireless docking center device for status of the one or more wireless peripheral devices based on the planned use-related information; and

receiving by the wireless dockee device from the wireless docking center device, information based on the information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices specified in the request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing, by the wireless dockee device, the planned use-related information based on at least one of user settings and one or more applications or combinations of applications such as a calendar program in the dockee device, social networks or user activity related information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless docking center device and the wireless dockee device are integrated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless dockee device receives from one or more wireless peripheral devices, capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless dockee device, from the wireless docking center device, information of proximity of a user to the one of one or more peripheral devices;

analyzing, by the wireless dockee device, the information of proximity of the user to one of the one or more peripheral devices and planned use-related information; and

performing, by the wireless dockee device, an action with respect to one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information, based on the analysis.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing, by the wireless dockee device, a command resulting from the analysis, to the one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices, to perform services required by the planned use-related information.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

negotiating, by the wireless dockee device, with the wireless docking center device, redirection-related information to redirect data originated from a first one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices; and

analyzing, by the wireless dockee device, the received capability-related information and redirection-related information, and performing an action with respect to the first one and a second one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices, for redirection of the data to the second one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices, based on the analysis.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing, by the wireless dockee device, redirection-related information to the wireless docking center device, to redirect the data to the second one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices, based on the analysis.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the wireless dockee device, to the wireless docking center device, redirection-related information to redirect data originated from a first one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices to a second one of the one or more wireless peripheral devices.

8. 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;

receive from a wireless docking center device, capability-related information characterizing one or more wireless peripheral devices;

analyze the capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices and planned use-related information; and

perform an action with respect to one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information, based on the analysis.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, 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;

provide information resulting from the analysis, to the wireless docking center device, for automatically performing an action with respect to one or more of the wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, 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;

present information resulting from the analysis, for user notification/information of selected ones of the one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, 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;

transmit a request to the wireless docking center device for status of the one or more wireless peripheral devices based on the planned use-related information; and

receive from the wireless docking center device, information based on the information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices specified in the request.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, 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;

compute the planned use-related information based on at least one of user settings and one or more applications or combinations of applications such as a calendar program in the apparatus, social networks or user activity related information.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless docking center device and the apparatus are integrated.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus receives from one or more wireless peripheral devices, capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices.

15. A computer readable, non-transitory storage medium having computer executable program code recorded thereon, the computer executable program code, when executed by a computer processor, comprising:

code for receiving, by a wireless dockee device, from a wireless docking center device, capability-related information characterizing one or more wireless peripheral devices;

code for analyzing, by the wireless dockee device, the capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices and planned use-related information; and

code for performing, by the wireless dockee device, an action with respect to one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information, based on the analysis.

16. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

code for providing, by the wireless dockee device, information resulting from the analysis, to the wireless docking center device, for automatically performing an action with respect to one or more of the wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the wireless dockee device.

17. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

code for presenting, by the wireless dockee device, information resulting from the analysis, for user notification/information of selected ones of the one or more wireless peripheral devices capable of performing services required by the planned use-related information of the wireless dockee device.

18. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

code for transmitting, by the wireless dockee device, a request to the wireless docking center device for status of the one or more wireless peripheral devices based on the planned use-related information; and

code for receiving by the wireless dockee device from the wireless docking center device, information based on the information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices specified in the request.

19. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

code for computing, by the wireless dockee device, the planned use-related information based on at least one of user settings and one or more applications or combinations of applications such as a calendar program in the dockee device, social networks or user activity related information.

20. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless docking center device and the wireless dockee device are integrated.

21. The computer readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless dockee device receives from one or more wireless peripheral devices, capability-related information characterizing the one or more wireless peripheral devices.