Peer-to-peer host station

• US 9,560,471 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Mikhak, Amir Mahmood, Nakajima, Taido Lantz, Mayo, Sean Anthony, Rosenblatt, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/974,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• 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 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for allowing the sharing of one or more system resources between multiple devices. In one embodiment, a requesting device transmits a resource access request to a target device using a near-field communication (NFC) protocol. The target device responds by using the NFC connection to return a listing of resources available for sharing to the requesting device. The requesting device may select one or more of the available resources and establish an appropriate connection to access the selected resource or resources. In one embodiment, the requesting device may lack external network connectivity capabilities while the target device includes wi-fi connectivity as a shared resource. Accordingly, the requesting device may access external network of the target device via the target as a conduit.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to provide one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to one or more networks; and

a short-range interface configured to utilize one of the one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to at least one secondary device;

wherein to utilize the one of the one or more network connections, the short-range interface is further configured to;

receive a connection profile of the at least one secondary device from the at least one secondary device;

determine a common network is available based at least in part on the connection profile, the common network comprising a network provided by one or more other devices to the electronic device and the at least one secondary device;

in response to determining the common network is available, communicate, to the at least one secondary device, a notification indicating the common network is to be used for communicating between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device; and

form, using a corresponding one of the one or more network connections, a connection to the common network for communicating between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the short-range interface is further configured to:

utilize the one of the one or more network connections for file sharing between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one of the one or more network connections comprises a Wi-Fi connection.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one of the one or more network connections comprises an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network connection.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one of the one or more network connections comprises a 3G network connection.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one of the one or more network connections selectively provides, to the at least one secondary device, access to one or more external networks of the electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the determining a common network is available based at least in part on the connection profile further comprises:

determining the common network from an overlap between connections of a second connection profile of the electronic device to connections in the connection profile.

20. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the common network comprises a private network, the private network requiring one or more authentication keys for access.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to provide one or more network connections for connecting the electronic device to one or more networks, wherein the communication interface comprises a short-range interface configured to;

connect the electronic device to at least one secondary device;

receive a connection profile of the at least one secondary device;

determine a shared network between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device is available based at least in part on the connection profile, the shared network comprising a network provided by one or more other devices to the electronic device and the secondary device;

in response to determining the shared network is available, communicate a notification to the at least one secondary device, the notification indicating the shared network is to be used for communicating between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device; and

form, using a corresponding one of the one or more network connections, a connection to the shared network for communicating between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the shared network provides a communication path to share at least one file between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the shared network comprises a Wi-Fi network accessible by both the electronic device and the at least one secondary device.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein to form the connection, the short-range interface is configured to:

determine the short-range interface is adjacent to a second short-range interface in the at least one secondary device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the short-range interface and the second short-range interface are between about 2 centimeters and about 4 centimeters apart.

11. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

placing a first device adjacent to a second device;

initiating a short-range communication path between the first device and the second device, wherein the initiating comprises;

receiving a connection profile of the second device from the second device;

determining that a shared network between the first device and the second device exists based at least in part on the connection profile , the shared network comprising a network provided by one or more other devices to which both the first device and the second device are able to connect;

in response to determining the shared network between the first device and the second device exists;

communicating, to the second device, a notification indicating the determined shared network is to be used for communication between the first device and the second device,

connecting to the determined shared network, and

initiating a file transfer between the first and the second devices across the determined shared network, and

in response to determining the shared network between the first device and the second device does not exist;

operating the first device as a base station for the second device, the operating comprising utilizing a network connection for the first device to connect to the second device, wherein the network connection provides, to the second device, access to one or more external networks of the first device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the placing the first device adjacent to the second device comprises positioning a short-range device in the first device and a second short-range device in the second device between about 2 centimeters and about 4 centimeters apart.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating the short-range communication path comprises:

transmitting connection profiles between the first and second devices, wherein the connection profiles include information relating to the available network connections of the first and second devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the shared network between the first device and the secondary device exists comprises:

comparing the connection profiles of the first device and the second device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the connecting to the determined shared network comprises:

connecting the first device and second device to an extended network via a network connection available in both the first device and the second device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating the file transfer between the first device and the second device across the shared network comprises:

making first data files from the first device accessible to the second device; and

making second data files from the second device accessible to the first device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating the file transfer comprises:

transferring selected data files from the first device to the second device across the determined shared network.

21. A method for initiating a short-range communication path between a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

receiving a connection profile of the second device from the second device;

determining that a common network between the first device and the second device is available based at least in part on a connection profile of the second device, the connection profiled received by the first device from the second device, the common network comprising a network provided by one or more other devices in communication with the first device and the second device;

in response to determining the common network between the first device and the second device is available, communicating, to the at least one secondary device, a notification to indicate the common network is to be used for communications between the electronic device and the at least one secondary device; and

connecting the electronic device and the at least one secondary device over the common network.