System and method for dynamic interface management

• US 20060217072A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Poyhonen, Petteri, Strandberg, Ove
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically instantiating a communication interface between a requesting entity and a client entity. A requesting entity transmits a trigger signal to a control point, where the trigger signal includes a preferred communication configuration. The control point inspects the preferred communication configuration and, if possible, instantiates a communication link that complies with the requested configuration. The communication link is deactivated either in response to a timing function, upon determining that the requesting and client entities have completed their data exchanges, or determining that an amount of time provided for the communication has expired.

Claims

1. A method of activating at least one communication link between a requesting entity and a client entity, comprising:

receiving a trigger signal by a control point associated with the client entity;

analyzing communication parameters contained within the trigger signal to determine compatibility of the client entity with the communication parameters;

applying a timing function in response to a positive determination of compatibility;

activating the at least one communication link in accordance with the communication parameters and the timing function; and

deactivating the at least one communication link in accordance with the timing function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received trigger signal contains communication parameters generated by the requesting entity from a first set of communication parameters to define the at least one communication link requested, wherein the communication parameters include a definition of a communication protocol and a communication medium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the communication parameters comprises generating a second set of communication parameters relating to the client entity, the second set of communication parameters defining communication capabilities within the client entity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating a second set of communication parameters comprises:

receiving a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal to activate an RFID tag located within the control point; and

transmitting the second set of communication parameters from the RFID tag in response to activating the RFID tag with the transmitted RFID signal.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the second set of communication parameters comprises transmitting a communication configuration relating to the client entity using a Bluetooth connection.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the second set of communication parameters comprises advertising a communication configuration relating to the client entity to a registry via a service discovery engine (SDE).

7. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the second set of communication parameters comprises transmitting a communication configuration relating to the client entity using a network management protocol.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the second set of configuration parameters comprises:

creating a trusted platform subsystem (TPS) within the control point; and

responding to TPS challenges from within the control point to transmit the second set of configuration parameters.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing communication parameters comprises comparing those communication parameters that exist in both the first set and the second set of communication parameters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises receiving the trigger signal by a control point that is coexistent with the client entity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises receiving the trigger signal via a control path, the control path being separate from the communication link between the requesting entity and the client entity.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises receiving the trigger signal by a control point that is separate from the client entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises registering the trigger signal from the requesting entity to the control point, wherein the requesting entity operates according to a mobile internet protocol (MobileIP).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein registering the trigger signal further comprises signaling a portion of the trigger signal from the control point to a home agent (HA) operating in conjunction with the requesting entity.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein registering the trigger signal further comprises advertising a portion of the trigger signal from the control point via a router advertisement.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) message by the control point, wherein the control point operates as a SIP proxy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the SIP message comprises including a session description protocol (SDP) message within the SIP message, wherein the SDP message forms the communication parameters.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the trigger signal comprises receiving the trigger signal from a member of a personal area network (PAN).

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising propagating the trigger signal to other members of the PAN, wherein one of the other members of the PAN operates as the client entity.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the timing function comprises:

establishing a start time for the communication link to become active; and

establishing a stop time for the communication link to become inactive.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the positive determination of compatibility is generated by the client entity and transmitted to the requesting entity in response to receiving the trigger signal.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the communication link comprises transitioning the communication link from a powered-off state to a powered-on state in response to an activation signal of the timing function.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the communication link comprises transitioning the communication link from a powered-on state to a powered-off state in response to a deactivation signal of the timing function.

24. A communication system providing at least one communication link between a client entity and a requesting entity in response to a trigger signal sent from the requesting entity, the system comprising:

a client entity coupled to receive the trigger signal and adapted to activate the at least one communication link in response to the trigger signal, the client entity including,

an interface adapted to receive the trigger signal;

a receiver coupled to the interface and adapted to parse the trigger signal to obtain communication configuration parameters associated with the at least one communication link; and

an execution environment coupled to the receiver and adapted to instantiate operation of the at least one communication link in accordance with the communication configuration parameters, wherein the at least one communication link is activated from a previously deactivated state.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the interface is adapted to receive the trigger signal from wireless media.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the interface is adapted to receive the trigger signal from wired media.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the client entity further comprises a database adapted to store one or more communication configurations instantiable by the execution environment.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the client entity further comprises a logic block coupled to the database and the receiver and adapted to compare the communication configuration parameters to the instantiable communication configurations to determine compatibility.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the client entity further comprises:

a timer block adapted to generate a timing signal; and

a trigger block coupled to the logic block and the timer block and adapted to generate an activation signal in response to the timing signal and a positive determination of compatibility.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the client entity further comprises a capability module coupled to the interface and the database and adapted to provide the one or more communication configurations instantiable by the execution environment in response to a configuration request received from the interface.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the interface comprises radio frequency identification (RFID) tags coupled to the capability module and adapted to transmit the one or more communication configurations instantiable by the execution environment in response to the configuration request.

32. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a communication device for providing on-demand communication links by performing steps comprising:

receiving a request to activate a communication link;

parsing the request to obtain a preferred communication configuration;

comparing the preferred communication configuration to a set of predetermined communication configurations; and

activating the communication link having a communication configuration equivalent to the preferred communication configuration in response to a positive comparison.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 further comprising instructions to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request to provide the set of predetermined communication configurations; and

transmitting the set of predetermined communication configurations in response to the received request.

34. A communication device, comprising:

an interface adapted to receive a trigger signal containing communication link definitions;

a receiver coupled to the interface and adapted to parse the communication link definitions;

a logic block coupled to receive the parsed communication link definitions and adapted to compare the communication link definitions to communication configuration capabilities associated with an execution environment; and

a timer block coupled to the logic block, wherein the timer block initiates a timing function that activates the execution environment in response to a positive match between the communication configuration capabilities and the communication link definitions.

35. The communication device of claim 34, wherein the interface includes a wireless interface.

36. The communication device of claim 35, wherein the wireless interface includes one or more of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Short Messaging Service (SMS) interface.

37. The communication device of claim 34, wherein the interface includes a wired interface.

38. The communication device of claim 37, wherein the interface includes one or more of a IEEE 1394 and a Universal Serial Bus interface.

39. The communication device of claim 34, further comprising a capability module coupled to receive the communication configuration capabilities and adapted to provide the communication configuration capabilities to the logic block.

40. The communication device of claim 34, wherein the execution environment resides within the communication device.

41. The communication device of claim 40, wherein the execution environment includes at least one communication medium and one communication protocol activated in response to the timing function.

42. The communication device of claim 34, wherein the execution environment resides external to the communication device.

43. The communication device of claim 42, wherein the execution environment resides within one or more device external to the communication device and includes at least one communication medium and one communication protocol activated in response to the timing function.