Method and a wireless device for collecting sensor data from a remote device having a limited range wireless communication capability

• US 9,462,630 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Joseph M., Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, DiGirolamo, Rocco, Lynch, Kenneth F., Chitrapu, Prabhakar R., Hergenhan, Scott C., DiFazio, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Oanh
• Application Number:
  US12/986,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/201, 709/219, 709223-224, 709/249, 715/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device and method for registering devices on advanced networks as well as providing operative communications between a legacy device and a advanced network. The legacy device may contain data, such as sensor data, which is being collected on a network outside the communication range/abilities of the legacy device. An intermediary device may receive the data via a first communication scheme and send the device to a server collecting the data via a second communication scheme.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless

transmit/receive unit (WTRU) of collecting data from a previously unknown source and providing the data to a recipient, the method comprising:

detecting an indication from a remote device that data on the remote device is available for transfer from the remote device;

discovering the remote device after the detection of the indication from the remote device, the data being acquired by the remote device via a sensor, and the remote device being undiscovered prior to the detection of the indication, the remote device having a limited range wireless communication capability and the WTRU having the limited range wireless communication capability and an advanced range wireless communication capability and a subscription for the receipt of the data from the remote device;

receiving the data from the remote device after the discovery of the remote device, the data including at least one of;

an identification of the remote device or an identification of the sensor;

identifying a server based at least in part on the identification of the remote device or the identification of the sensor; and

sending the received data to the server from the WTRU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is in operable communication with the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is incapable of communicating directly with the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received data for a period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the period of time depends, at least in part, on at least one of a cost, security, or bandwidth of sending the received data to the server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the received data to the server is unachievable at a first time that the at least part of the data is received from the remote device, the sending the received data to the server becoming achievable at a second time subsequent to the first time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited range wireless communication capability utilizes Bluetooth.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the advanced range wireless communication capability utilizes a cellular data network or a Short Messaging Service (SMS).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the WTRU provides the remote device with an indication that the data has been received.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

receiving an acknowledgement from the server upon receipt of the received data;

or notifying the user that the received data has been received by the server.

11. A device, the device being a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU comprising a processor, the processor configured at least in part to:

detect an indication from the remote device that data on the remote device is available for transfer from the remote device;

discover the remote device after the detection of the indication from the remote device, the data being acquired by the remote device via a sensor, and the remote device being undiscovered prior to the detection of the indication, the remote device having a limited range wireless communication capability and the WTRU having the limited range wireless communication capability and an advanced range wireless communication capability and a subscription for the receipt of the data from the remote device;

receive the data from the remote device after the discovery of the remote device, the data including at least one of;

an identification of the remote device or an identification of the sensor;

identify a server based at least in part on the identification of the remote device or the identification of the sensor; and

send the received data to the server.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the sensor is in operable communication with the remote device.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a memory for storing the received data for a period of time.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein sending the received data to the server is unachievable at a first time that the at least part of the data is received from the remote device, the sending the received data to the server becoming achievable at a second time subsequent to the first time.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the server is incapable of communicating directly with the remote device.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the limited range wireless communication capability utilizes Bluetooth.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the advanced range wireless communication capability utilizes a cellular data scheme or Short Messaging Service (SMS).

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the remote device with an indication that the data has been received.

19. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a display for notifying a user that the at least part of the data has been received from the remote device or that the received data has been received by the server.