Transferring application data between devices

• US 9,872,174 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Vincent Wei-Kang, Lee, Paul, Hecht, Gregory M., Chen, Erdi, Chen, Jenny Chun-yi, Carrera, Maria-Ines, Comment, Estelle Laure Myriam, Chu, Eric, Hong, Peter Jin, Adams, Christopher John, Dixon, Lucas Gill
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US14/491,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 713171
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus are described for transferring application data between devices. In one aspect, a method includes causing, by a first service running on a first device, the first device to establish a wireless connection with a second device; receiving, from a second service running on the second device, data specifying applications that are installed on the second device and supported by the second service, each of the applications being separate from the second service; determining, by the first service, that a first application installed on the first device matches one of the applications installed on the second device, the first application being separate from the first service; receiving, by the first service, first application data from the first application; and causing, by the first service, the first device to send the first application data to the second service running on the second device using the wireless connection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving over a first network, by a first application running on a first device, first application data for the first application;

causing, by a first service running on the first device, the first device to establish a wireless connection with a second device, wherein the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network, and the wireless connection is a connection that is separate from the first network;

receiving, from a second service running on the second device, data specifying applications that are installed on the second device and supported by the second service, each of the applications being separate from the second service and the first service;

determining, by the first service, that the first application installed on the first device matches one of the applications installed on the second device, the matching one of the applications being the first application, the first application being separate from the first service and the second service;

receiving, by the first service, first application data from the first application that the first application is receiving over the first network; and

causing, by the first service, the first device to send the first application data to the second service running on the second device using the wireless connection for receiving by the first application running on the second device, while the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network and while the first application on the first device receives the first application data for the first application at the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first service, that a second application installed on the first device matches a second of the one or more applications installed on the second device, the second application being different from the first application;

receiving, by the first service, second application data from the second application; and

causing, by the first service, the first device to send the second application data to the second device using the wireless connection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by the first service, the first device to broadcast wireless connection availability; and

receiving a wireless connection request from the second device; and

wherein the first service causes the first device to establish a wireless connection with the second device in response to receiving the wireless connection request from the second device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the first device to broadcast wireless connection availability comprises:

causing a speaker of the first device to emit an audio sample that specifies wireless connection data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection data comprises:

a service set identifier (SSID) for a wireless component of the first device;

a password for connecting to the wireless component; and

data identifying the first application.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection data comprises:

a short range communication identifier for a short range communication compliant component of the first device; and

data identifying the first application.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection data comprises a public key for encrypting communications between the first device and the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first application data is received by the first service through a first communications socket between the first application and the first service; and

the first application data includes an identifier identifying the first application.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein

the first service causes the first device to broadcast wireless connection availability in response to receiving first gesture input;

the wireless connection request includes a second gesture input; and

the first service causes the first device to establish a wireless connection with the second device only in response to determining that the second gesture matches the first gesture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first device includes one or more physical sensors for sensing physical motion of the first device; and

the first gesture is a physical gesture interpreted by the one or more physical sensors.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first device includes one or more touch sensors for sensing tactile input on a touch-sensitive screen; and

the first gesture is a pattern interpreted by the one or more touch sensors.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at first device that is unable to receive over a first network first application data for a first application installed on the first device, wireless data indicating that a wireless connection is available, the wireless data specifying an identifier for a second device that is able to receive, by the first application running on the second device, the first application data over the first network;

causing, by a first service running on the first device, the first device to establish a wireless connection with the second device, wherein the wireless connection is a connection that is separate from the first network;

receiving, from a second service running on the second device, data specifying applications that are installed on the second device and supported by the second service, the matching one of the applications being the first application, each of the applications being separate from the second service and the first service;

determining, by the first service, that a first application installed on the first device matches one of the applications installed on the second device, the first application being separate from the first service and the second service;

causing, by the first service, the first device to send a first request to the second service for first application data from a matching application that matches the first application, the application data being received by the second device over the first network;

receiving, by the first service and from the second service, the first application data for the first application while the first device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network and while the first application on the second device receives the first application data for the first application at the second device over the first network; and

providing, by the first service, the first application data to the first application running on the first device.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more data processing apparatus; and

a data storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatus, cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving over a first network, by a first application running on first device, first application data for the first application;

causing, by a first service running on the first device, the first device to establish a wireless connection with a second device, wherein the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network, the matching one of the applications being the first application, and the wireless connection is a connection that is separate from the first network;

receiving, from a second service running on the second device, data specifying applications that are installed on the second device and supported by the second service, each of the applications being separate from the second service and the first service;

determining, by the first service, that the first application installed on the first device matches one of the applications installed on the second device, the first application being separate from the first service and the second service;

receiving, by the first service, first application data from the first application that the first application is receiving over the first network; and

causing, by the first service, the first device to send the first application data to the second service running on the second device using the wireless connection for receiving by the first application running on the second device, while the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network and while the first application on the first device receives the first application data for the first application at the first device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the first service, that a second application installed on the first device matches a second of the one or more applications installed on the second device, the second application being different from the first application;

receiving, by the first service, second application data from the second application; and

causing, by the first service, the first device to send the second application data to the second device using the wireless connection.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing, by the first service, the first device to broadcast wireless connection availability; and

receiving a wireless connection request from the second device; and

wherein the first service causes the first device to establish a wireless connection with the second device in response to receiving the wireless connection request from the second device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein causing the first device to broadcast wireless connection availability comprises:

causing a speaker of the first device to emit an audio sample that specifies wireless connection data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless connection data comprises:

a service set identifier (SSID) for a wireless component of the first device;

a password for connecting to the wireless component; and

data identifying the first application.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless connection data comprises:

a short range communication identifier fora a short range communication compliant component of the first device; and

data identifying the first application.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless connection data comprises a public key for encrypting communications between the first device and the second device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more data processing apparatus, cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving over a first network, by a first application running on first device, first application data for the first application;

causing, by a first service running on the first device, the first device to establish a wireless connection with a second device, wherein the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network, and the wireless connection is a connection that is separate from the first network;

receiving, from a second service running on the second device, data specifying applications that are installed on the second device and supported by the second service, the matching one of the applications being the first application, each of the applications being separate from the second service and the first service;

determining, by the first service, that the first application installed on the first device matches one of the applications installed on the second device, the first application being separate from the first service and the second service;

receiving, by the first service, first application data from the first application that the first application is receiving over the first network; and

causing, by the first service, the first device to send the first application data to the second service running on the second device using the wireless connection for receiving by the first application running on the second device, while the second device is unable to receive the first application data for the first application over the first network and while the first application on the first device receives the first application data for the first application at the first device.