Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for operational routing between proximate devices

• US 9,936,329 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dearman, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAKRABORTY, RAJARSHI
• Application Number:
  US13/416,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/502 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/21 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

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are herein provided for operational routing between proximate devices. A method may include receiving an indication that a second device is proximate a first device. The method may further include receiving an indication of at least one functional capability of the second device. The method may further include causing, by a processor, transfer of an operation from the first device to the second device based on at least one functional capability of the first device and the at least one functional capability of the second device and further based on the operation. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating performance of an operation on a first device, wherein the first device is capable of executing and completing performance of the operation;

receiving an indication, at the first device, that a second device is proximate the first device;

receiving an indication, at the first device, of at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device that defines, at least in part, a quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determining at least one user interface capability numerical value of the first device that defines a quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation;

comparing the at least one user interface capability numerical value, defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation, with the at least one user interface capability numerical value defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determining that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies a pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device; and

in response to determining that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies the pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device, determining that performance of the operation being performed on the first device should be transferred from the first device to the second device and enabling transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device, wherein in response to transferring performance of the operation from the first device to the second device, the operation is no longer performed on the first device after the transfer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein method further comprises:

causing a user to be prompted as to whether the operation should be transferred from the first device to the second device, prior to any transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation comprises providing content via a user interface.

4. Computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code portions stored thereon, the program code portions being configured, when the program product is run on a computer or network device, to cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying the operation to enable performance on the second device based on the at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device prior to causing transfer of the operation to the second device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deciding to enable transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device based on the comparison; and

causing transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device in order to complete the operation on the second device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

causing transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device, after deciding that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies the pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device, in order to complete the operation on the second device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein performance of the operation is initiated prior to receiving an indication that the second device is proximate the first device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein comparing the at least one user interface capability numerical value of the first device with the at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device comprises determining whether a first capability numerical value, defining at least in part the ability of the first device to perform the operation, exceeds a second capability numerical value defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

decide not to enable transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device based on the comparison;

refrain from causing transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device; and

enable the operation to be completed on the first device.

11. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

initiate performance of an operation on a first device, wherein the first device is capable of executing and completing performance of the operation;

enable the first device to receive an indication that the second device is proximate the first device;

enable the first device to receive an indication of at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device that defines, at least in part, a quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determine at least one user interface capability numerical value of the first device that defines a quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation;

compare the at least one user interface capability, defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation with the at least one user interface capability numerical value defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determine that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies a pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device; and

in response to determining that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies the pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device, determining that performance of the operation being performed on the first device should be transferred from the first device to the second device and enable transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device, wherein in response to transferring performance of the operation from the first device to the second device, the operation is no longer performed on the first device after the transfer.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause a user to be prompted as to whether the operation should be transferred from the first device to the second device, prior to any transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operation comprises providing content via a user interface.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to modify the operation to enable performance on the second device based on the at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device prior to causing transfer of the operation to the second device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device, after deciding that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies a pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device, in order to complete the operation on the second device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is the first device.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein deciding whether or not to enable transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device comprises deciding to transfer performance of the operation based on a determination, from at least one result of the comparison, that the second device is better suited to performing the operation than the first device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first device is capable of completing the operation but the second device is better suited to completing the operation than the first device.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one user interface capability numerical value, defining at least in part the ability of the first device to perform the operation, is compared with the at least one user interface capability numerical value, defining at least in part the ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device, prior to deciding whether or not to enable transfer of performance of the operation from the first device to the second device.

20. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

enable the first device to receive an indication that a second device is proximate a first device;

enable the first device to receive an indication of at least one user interface capability numerical value of the second device that defines, at least in part, a quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determine at least one user interface capability numerical value of the first device that defines a quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation;

compare the at least one user interface capability numerical value of the first device, defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the first device to perform the operation, with the at least one user interface capability numerical value defining at least in part the quantifiable ability of the second device to perform the operation instead of the first device;

determine that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies a pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device;

in response to determining that the second device has an associated user interface capability numerical value that satisfies the pre-defined relationship in comparison to the user interface capability numerical value of the first device, enable an operation to be transferred from the first device to the second device;

cause a prompt to be displayed, on at least one of the first device and the second device, asking whether to transfer the operation from the first device to the second device; and

cause, in response to a selection by the user to have the operation transferred, transfer of the operation from the first device to the second device, wherein in response to transferring performance of the operation from the first device to the second device, the operation is no longer performed on the first device after the transfer.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the prompt is displayed on the first device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the computer program code is configured to cause the apparatus to:

cause instructions for the second device to display the prompt to be transmitted from the first device to the second device, wherein the operation is transferred from the first device to the second device in response to reception of a signal, at the first device, from the second device indicating that the user selected to have the operation transferred.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus is the first device.