Direct data transfer among communication devices

• US 9,750,081 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Hirofumi, Shioya, Tomohiro, Sugano, Kei, Watanabe, Shoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): RENNER, BRANDON M
• Application Number:
  US14/739,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for transferring data among communication devices. The method includes a first communication device receiving, from a second communication device, data to be transferred and a condition defining a range of data transfer. The first communication device then determines whether a third communication device satisfies the condition defining the range of data transfer. On condition that the first communication device determines that the third communication device satisfies the condition, the first communication device directly transfers the data and the condition to the third communication device.

Claims

1. A first communication device for transferring data among communication devices, the first communication device comprising a processor, a memory, and program instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor, the program instructions configured to:

receive, from a second communication device, data to be transferred and conditions defining a range of data transfer, wherein the conditions defining the range of data transfer include a maximum distance for the data to be transmitted, wherein the maximum distance is defined by a length, and wherein the conditions defining the range of data transfer further include a data transfer area within which the data is permitted to be transferred, wherein the data transfer area is defined by a user selection on a map, wherein the map is a geographic view of the data transfer area displayed on a user interface of the second communication device;

determine whether a third communication device satisfies the conditions defining the range of data transfer; and

on condition that the third communication device is determined to have satisfied the conditions, directly transfer, by the first communication device, the data and the conditions to the third communication device.

2. The first communication device of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is further configured to:

determine whether a fourth communication device satisfies the conditions defining the range of data transfer; and

on condition that the fourth communication device is determined to have satisfied the conditions, directly transfer the data and the conditions to the fourth communication device.

3. The first communication device of claim 1, wherein in determining whether the third communication device satisfies the conditions, the first communication device is further configured to:

search for a communication device within the range of data transfer defined by the conditions; and

responsive to the search, identify the third communication device as a communication device that is within the range of data transfer defined by the conditions.

4. The first communication device of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is further configured to:

on condition that the third communication device has been determined to not have satisfied the conditions, send a notification to the second communication device indicating that the conditions are not satisfied.

5. The first communication device of claim 1, wherein in determining whether the third communication device satisfies the conditions, the first communication device is further configured to:

estimate a distance between the first communication device and the third communication device; and

determine whether the distance between the first communication device and the third communication device is within the range of transfer defined by the conditions.

6. The first communication device of claim 5, wherein:

the distance between the first communication device and the third communication device is estimated using global positioning system (GPS) and Bluetooth.

7. A computer program product for transferring data among communication devices, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive, from a second communication device, data to be transferred and conditions defining a range of data transfer, wherein the conditions defining the range of data transfer include a maximum distance for the data to be transmitted, wherein the maximum distance is defined by a length, and wherein the conditions defining the range of data transfer further include a data transfer area within which the data is permitted to be transferred, wherein the data transfer area is defined by a user selection on a map, wherein the map is a geographic view of the data transfer area displayed on a user interface of the second communication device;

program instructions to determine whether a third communication device satisfies the conditions defining the range of data transfer; and

program instructions to, on condition that the third communication device is determined to have satisfied the conditions, directly transfer, by the first communication device, the data and the conditions to the third communication device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to determine, by the first communication device, whether a fourth communication device satisfies the conditions defining the range of data transfer; and

program instructions to, on condition that the first communication device determines that the fourth communication device satisfies the conditions, directly transfer, by the first communication device, the data and the conditions to the fourth communication device.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to determine whether the third communication device satisfies the conditions further comprise:

program instructions to search for a communication device within the range of data transfer defined by the conditions; and

program instructions to, responsive to the search, identify, by the first communication device, the third communication device as a communication device that is within the range of data transfer defined by the conditions.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to, on condition that the third communication device has been determined to not have satisfied the conditions, send a notification, by the first communication device, to the second communication device indicating that the conditions are not satisfied.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to determine whether the third communication device satisfies the conditions comprise:

program instructions to estimate a distance between a first communication device and the third communication device; and

program instructions to determine whether the distance between the first communication device and the third communication device is within the range of transfer defined by the conditions.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the distance between the first communication device and the third communication device is estimated using global positioning system (GPS) and Bluetooth.