Method and apparatus for providing files to electronic devices

• US 9,723,435 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bukurak, David, Abratowski, Przemyslaw, Kramer, Kem-Laurin
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US15/243,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Method and apparatus for transferring a file from a sending wireless device to a receiving wireless device in a short-range wireless system. A file to be sent to the receiving wireless device is selected on the sending wireless device. The sending wireless device has a device list of receiving wireless devices. If the receiving wireless device is absent on the device list, the sending wireless device searches and identifies new devices. A device among the identified new devices is selected as the receiving wireless device. A connection is established between the sending wireless device and the receiving wireless device; and the file is sent to the receiving wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a file from a sending wireless device to a target receiving wireless device in a short-range wireless system, the method comprising:

receiving, on the sending wireless device, a selection of a file to be sent to the target receiving wireless device;

displaying, on the sending wireless device, a list of receiving wireless devices;

receiving a selection of at least one of the list of receiving wireless devices as the target receiving wireless device;

establishing a paired connection between the sending wireless device and the target receiving wireless device;

sending the file to the target receiving wireless device; and

after the file has been sent to the target receiving wireless device, displaying, on the sending wireless device, a user selectable option configured to initiate an operation to store pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device and to add the target receiving wireless device to a list of receiving wireless devices that have a stored paired connection with the sending wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a selection of the user selectable option; and

storing the pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device, wherein the target receiving wireless device is configured to be in paired connection with the sending wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless system is a Bluetooth™

system; and

the establishing a paired connection comprises pairing the sending wireless device with the target receiving wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless system uses one of Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Z-Wave and ZigBee.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless system is a wireless personal area network (PAN).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target receiving mobile device is at least one of a mobile phone, an audio player, an adapter for portable devices, an adapter for home entertainment device, a personal computer, a personal digital assistants (PDA), a digital camera, a Global Positioning System (GPS), or a video game console.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, on the sending wireless device, a selection of a second file to be sent to the target receiving wireless device;

displaying, on the sending wireless device, a revised list of receiving wireless devices that have a stored paired connection with the sending wireless device, wherein the revised list includes the target receiving wireless device;

detecting a selection of the target receiving wireless device; and

sending the file to the target receiving wireless device based on the stored pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing of the pairing information comprises:

determining an authentication protocol for the target receiving wireless device; and

storing data for authentication pursuant to the determined authentication protocol.

9. A wireless device, comprising:

a memory;

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive a selection of a file to be sent to a target receiving wireless device display a list of receiving wireless devices;

receive a selection of at least one of the list of receiving wireless devices as the target receiving wireless device;

establish a paired connection between the wireless device and the target receiving wireless device;

an interface configured to send the file to the target receiving wireless device in a short-range wireless system; and

wherein after the file has been sent to the target receiving wireless device, the at least one hardware processor is configured to display a user selectable option configured to initiate an operation to store pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device and to add the target receiving wireless device to a list of receiving wireless devices that have a stored paired connection with the wireless device.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, the at least one hardware processor further configured to:

detect a selection of the user selectable option; and

store the pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device, wherein the target receiving wireless device is configured to be in paired connection with the wireless device.

11. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the short-range wireless system is a Bluetooth™

system; and

the establishing a paired connection comprises pairing the wireless device with the target receiving wireless device.

12. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the short-range wireless system uses one of Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Z-Wave and ZigBee.

13. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the short-range wireless system is a wireless personal area network (PAN).

14. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the receiving mobile device is at least one of a mobile phone, an audio player, an adapter for portable devices, an adapter for home entertainment device, a personal computer, a personal digital assistants (PDA), a digital camera, a Global Positioning System (GPS), or a video game console.

15. The wireless device of claim 9, the at least one hardware processor further configured to:

receive a selection of a second file to be sent to the target receiving wireless device;

display a revised list of receiving wireless devices that have a stored paired connection with the wireless device, wherein the revised list includes the target receiving wireless device; and

detect a selection of the target receiving wireless device; and

the interface configured to send the file to the target receiving wireless device based on the stored pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device.

16. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the storing of the pairing information comprises:

determining an authentication protocol for the target receiving wireless device; and

storing data for authentication pursuant to the determined authentication protocol.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, on a sending wireless device, a selection of a file to be sent to a target receiving wireless device in a short-range wireless system;

displaying, on the sending wireless device, a list of receiving wireless devices;

receiving a selection of at least one of the list of receiving wireless devices as the target receiving wireless device;

establishing a paired connection between the sending wireless device and the target receiving wireless device;

sending the file to the target receiving wireless device; and

after the file has been sent to the target receiving wireless device, displaying, on the sending wireless device, a user selectable option configured to initiate an operation to store pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device and to add the target receiving wireless device to a list of receiving wireless devices that have a stored paired connection with the sending wireless device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

detecting a selection of the user selectable option; and

storing the pairing information related to the target receiving wireless device, wherein the target receiving wireless device is configured to be in paired connection with the sending wireless device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the short-range wireless system is a Bluetooth™

system; and

the establishing a paired connection comprises pairing the sending wireless device with the target receiving wireless device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the short-range wireless system uses one of Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Z-Wave and ZigBee.