System and method for searching for wireless devices

• US 20040162804A1
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pathak, Rabindra, Blume, Leo Robert, McCoog, Phillip A., Strittmatter, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/369,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a search logic for a mobile device. The search logic is configured to perform a discovery process that causes a radio frequency transceiver to discover electronic devices having a compatible radio frequency transceiver. The search logic is configured to execute asynchronously with one or more different processes. A display logic is configured to display a device identifier for each of the electronic devices that are discovered.

Claims

1. A system for a mobile device having a radio frequency transceiver, the system comprising:

an asynchronous search logic configured to perform a discovery process that causes the radio frequency transceiver to discover imaging devices having a compatible radio frequency transceiver, the asynchronous search logic configured to execute asynchronously with one or more different processes; and

a display logic configured to display a device identifier for each of the imaging devices that are discovered.

2. The system of claim 1 further including filter logic configured to filter the imaging devices that are discovered based on one or more selected attributes.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the filter logic selects imaging devices having image rendering capabilities.

4. The system of claim 1 further including an execution logic configured to execute the asynchronous search logic in response to a triggering event.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the triggering event is based on an initiation of an imaging application.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the triggering event is user initiated.

7. The system of claim 1 further including an installation logic configured to automatically store device identifiers of imaging devices discovered and configured to generate a list of the device identifiers to be subsequently displayed for selection by a user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the installation logic includes a validation logic to sort the list of the device identifiers in accordance with a relevance score for each of the imaging devices corresponding to the device identifiers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the validation logic is configured to determine the relevance score for each of the imaging devices based on a time stamp corresponding to a time when the imaging device was discovered.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the validation logic is configured to determine the relevance score for each of the imaging devices based on a distance between the mobile device and the imaging device.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the installation logic is further configured to maintain usage information for each of the imaging devices discovered, the usage information being used to determine a relevance of an imaging device.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the asynchronous search logic and the display logic are embodied as software on a computer-readable medium.

13. An article of manufacture embodied in a computer-readable medium for use in a mobile device configured with wireless communication, the article of manufacture comprising:

first processor executable instructions for causing a processor to execute a search as a background task, the search including;

second processor executable instructions for causing a wireless transceiver to discover wireless enabled devices; and

third processor executable instructions for causing a processor to generate a list of discovered wireless enabled devices.

14. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 13 further including fourth processor executable instructions for causing a processor to determine if the discovered wireless enabled devices having imaging capabilities.

15. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 14 wherein the fourth processor executable instructions are configured to determine imaging capabilities in accordance with a Bluetooth device profile.

16. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 13 further including fifth processor executable instructions for causing a processor to automatically execute the search in response to a triggering event.

17. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 16 wherein the triggering event is an initiation of a software application.

18. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 13 further including sixth processor executable instructions for causing a processor to generate a list of previously discovered devices including storing one or more device attributes from each of the discovered wireless enabled devices.

19. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 18 further including logic for causing a processor to select devices from the list of previously discovered devices based on usage information for each of the devices.

20. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 18 further including validity logic for causing a processor to determine, during a subsequent search, a validity for each device in the list of previously discovered devices based on the one or more device attributes.

21. The article of manufacture as set forth in claim 20 wherein the validity logic include instructions to generate a relevance score based on the validity determined for each device.

22. A method of searching for electronic devices within a wireless communication range, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to a triggering event, initiating a search for one or more electronic devices that can process imaging requests by a wireless communication protocol; and

performing the search as an asynchronous task allowing one or more different tasks to be concurrently performed, the search including broadcasting one or more inquiry signals that request a response from electronic devices within a communication range.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 further including filtering the one or more electronic devices discovered by accepting devices having selected imaging capabilities.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 further including:

automatically storing one or more device attributes including a device identifier for each of the electronic devices accepted by the filtering step; and

displaying, for selection by a user for a subsequent search, the device identifier for each of the electronic devices stored.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24 further including:

displaying the device identifier with a relevance identifier.

26. The method as set forth in claim 24 further including:

receiving a search request for a selected electronic device based on a selected device identifier; and

terminating the search once a response from the selected electronic device is received.

27. The method as set forth in claim 22 further including:

determining imaging capabilities of each of the electronic devices discovered; and

generating a relevance score for each of the electronic devices based on the imaging capabilities.

28. The method as set forth in claim 22 further including storing device attributes for each electronic device found during the search.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28 further including generating a list of previously found devices to be displayed for selection.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29 further including generating the list based on usage information associated with each of the previously found devices.

31. The method as set forth in claim 28 further including storing a time stamp for each electronic device found.

40. The mobile device of claim 30 includes a cellular phone.

32. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a search logic configured to query, using the wireless transceiver, for a presence of electronic devices having a compatible wireless transceiver;

a filter logic configured to identify imaging devices from the electronic devices present;

execution logic configured to execute the search logic and filter logic as one or more background tasks on the mobile device allowing a user to perform other tasks concurrently.

33. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the execution logic is configured to initiate the search logic based on a non-user initiated triggering event.

34. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the filter logic is configured based on a Bluetooth device profile.

35. The mobile device of claim 32 further including installation logic configured to store one or more device attributes from each of the imaging devices identified by the filter logic.

36. The mobile device of claim 35 wherein the installation logic further includes validation logic to determine a relevance for each of the imaging devices based on the one or more device attributes.

37. The mobile device of claim 36 wherein the one or more device attributes includes a time stamp.

38. The mobile device of claim 36 wherein the one or more device attributes includes usage information.

39. The mobile device of claim 32 includes a digital camera.

41. A system for processing print requests comprising:

an image forming device configured to accept print requests by a wireless communication protocol;

a camera enabled cellular phone including;

a wireless transceiver logic configured to communicate in accordance with the wireless communication protocol;

a search logic configured to cause the wireless transceiver logic to discover one or more image forming devices configured to communicate with the wireless communication protocol, the search logic further configured to execute asynchronously as a background process; and

the wireless transceiver logic configured to transmit a print request to a selected image forming device where the print request is received from an imaging application.