Ping feature for electronic devices

• US 20060234630A1
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lai, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 7,869,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A pinging electronic device, a pingable electronic device and a network for the devices are disclosed. The ping electronic devices comprising a ping function and a transmitter wherein the ping function is adapted to generate and the transmitter is adapted to transmit over an ad hoc wireless network at least one associated ping control message to at least one pingable electronic device paired to the pinging electronic device for actuation of at least one indicator element of the at least one pingable electronic device.

Claims

1. A pinging electronic device comprising a ping function and a transmitter wherein the ping function is adapted to generate and the transmitter is adapted to transmit over a Bluetooth capable or Bluetooth like network at least one associated ping control message to at least one pingable electronic device paired to the pinging electronic device for actuation of at least one indicator element of the at least one pingable electronic device.

2. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the at least one pingable electronic device comprises a plurality of pingable electronic devices and the ping function is adapted to ping all of the plurality of pingable electronic devices.

3. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the at least one pingable electronic device comprises a plurality of pingable electronic devices and the ping function is adapted to ping a subset of the plurality of pingable electronic devices based on a user selection.

4. The pinging electronic device according claim 1 wherein the ping control message contains instructions which define which of the at least one indicator elements are actuated.

5. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the ping control message sent to each of the at least one pingable electronic devices is identical.

6. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the ping control message sent to each of the at least one multiple pingable electronic devices is unique.

7. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the pinging electronic device is a master device.

8. The pinging electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the pinging electronic device is a peripheral device.

9. A pingable electronic device comprising a receiver, a ping message processor, and at least one indicator element wherein the receiver is adapted to receive a ping control message over a Bluetooth capable or Bluetooth like network and the ping message processor is adapted to actuate the at least one indicator element in response to the ping control message.

10. The pingable electronic device according to claim 9 wherein the ping message processor is adapted to decode whether the ping control message contains instructions to ping the pingable electronic device.

11. The pingable electronic device according to claim 9 wherein the ping control message contains instructions which determine which of the at least one indicator elements are actuated.

12. A Bluetooth capable or Bluetooth like network including a plurality of pingable electronic devices according to claim 9 and a pinging electronic device comprising a ping function and a transmitter wherein the pinging electronic device is paired to the plurality of pingable electronic devices and wherein the ping function is adapted to generate and the transmitter is adapted to transmit over the network the ping control message to the plurality of pingable electronic devices.

13. The network according to claim 12 wherein the ping function is adapted to ping all of the plurality of pingable electronic devices.

14. The network according to claim 12 wherein the ping function is adapted to ping a subset of the plurality of pingable electronic devices based on a user selection.

15. The network according to claim 12 wherein the ping control message contains instructions which define which of the at least one indicator elements are actuated.

16. The network according to claim 12 wherein the ping control message sent to each of the plurality of pingable electronic devices is identical.

17. The network according to claim 12 wherein the ping control message sent to each of the plurality of pingable electronic devices is unique.

18. The network according to claim 17 wherein the ping message processor of each of the plurality of pingable electronic devices is adapted to decode whether the ping control message contains instructions to ping the pingable electronic device.

19. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a ping message to be sent over a Bluetooth capable or Bluetooth like network, the computer readable code means comprising:

a computer readable code means for processing a received ping input command;

a computer readable code means for generating a ping message;

a computer readable code means for instructing a transmitter to transmit the ping message.

20. The computer readable code means according to claim 19 wherein the computer readable code means for generating a ping message further comprising:

a computer readable code means for generating the ping message for pinging multiple pingable electronic devices.

21. The computer readable code means according to claim 19 wherein the computer readable code means for generating a ping message further comprising:

a computer readable code means for generating the ping message for pinging a subset of pingable electronic devices based on a user selection.

22. The computer readable code means according to claim 19 wherein the computer readable code means for generating a ping message further comprising:

a computer readable code means for generating a ping control message containing instructions which specify which indicator elements are actuated.

23. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable code means comprising;

a computer readable code means for processing a ping message received from a Bluetooth capable or Bluetooth like network; and

a computer readable code means for instructing an indicator element to actuate in response to the ping message.