Role reversal from wireless docking center to wireless dockee

• US 9,521,697 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Verma, Lochan, Raveendran, Vijayalakshmi Rajasundaram
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, YEE F
• Application Number:
  US14/498,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A device configured to manage a wireless docking environment maintains one or more communication sessions between one or more peripheral devices; determines the device is in proximity of a second device; and in response to determining the device is in proximity of the second device, relinquishes control of at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

Claims

1. A method of managing a wireless docking environment, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a first device, one or more communication sessions between one or more peripheral devices;

determining if the first device is in proximity of a second device;

receiving from the second device a resource availability index;

comparing the resource availability index of the second device to a resource availability index of the first device;

in response to determining the first device is in proximity of the second device and based on the comparison of the resource availability index of the first device to the resource availability index of the second device, relinquishing control of at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first device is in proximity of the second device comprises determining a signal strength of a signal received from the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first device is in proximity of the second device comprises determining a round trip time for a signal sent to the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first device is in proximity of the second device comprises determining a position of the first device using a positioning system.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending a message to the second device indicating the first device is relinquishing control of the at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a termination time to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the first device is in proximity of the second device and determining a communication session with a first peripheral device is active, maintaining control of the communication session with the first peripheral device after relinquishing control of a second peripheral device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the first device is out of proximity of the second device, reestablishing a new communication session between the first device and at least one of the one or more peripheral devices.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource availability index of the second device is determined based on one or more of an indication of if the second device is plugged into a power supply, an amount of remaining battery life, memory availability, central processing unit (CPU) utilization, and available bandwidth of the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a first wireless docking center (WDC), and wherein the second device comprises a second WDC.

11. A device configured to manage a wireless docking environment, the device comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors configured to;

maintain one or more communication sessions between one or more peripheral devices;

determine the device is in proximity of a second device;

receive from the second device a resource availability index;

compare the resource availability index of the second device to a resource availability index of the first device;

in response to determining the device is in proximity of the second device and based on the comparison of the resource availability index of the first device to the resource availability index of the second device, relinquish control of at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein to determine the device is in proximity of the second device, the one or more processors are configured to determine a signal strength of a signal received from the second device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein to determine the device is in proximity of the second device, the one or more processors are configured to determine a round trip time for a signal sent to the second device.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein to determine the device is in proximity of the second device, the one or more processors are configured to determine a position of the device using a positioning system.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

send a message to the second device indicating the device is relinquishing control of the at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

send a termination time to the second device.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

in response to determining the device is in proximity of the second device and determining a communication session with a first peripheral device is active, maintain control of the communication session with the first peripheral device after relinquishing control of a second peripheral device.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

in response to determining the device is out of proximity of the second device, reestablish a new communication session between the device and at least one of the one or more peripheral devices.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the resource availability index of the second device is determined based on one or more of an indication of if the second device is plugged into a power supply, an amount of remaining battery life, memory availability, central processing unit (CPU) utilization, and available bandwidth of the second device.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the device comprises at least one of:

an integrated circuit;

a microprocessor;

or

a wireless communication device.

21. The device of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a first wireless docking center (WDC), and wherein the second device comprises a second WDC.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

maintain one or more communication sessions between one or more peripheral devices and a first device;

determine if the first device is in proximity of a second device;

receive from the second device a resource availability index;

compare the resource availability index of the second device to a resource availability index of the first device;

in response to determining the first device is in proximity of the second device and based on the comparison of the resource availability index of the first device to the resource availability index of the second device, relinquish control of at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 storing further instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

send a message to the second device indicating the first device is relinquishing control of the at least one of the one or more communication sessions to the second device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 storing further instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

send a termination time to the second device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 storing further instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining the first device is in proximity of the second device and determining a communication session with a first peripheral device is active, maintain control of the communication session with the first peripheral device after relinquishing control of a second peripheral device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 storing further instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining the first device is out of proximity of the second device, reestablish a new communication session between the first device and at least one of the one or more peripheral devices.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the resource availability index of the second device is determined based on one or more of an indication of if the second device is plugged into a power supply, an amount of remaining battery life, memory availability, central processing unit (CPU) utilization, and available bandwidth of the second device.