RESOURCE SHARING VIA CLOSE-PROXIMITY WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20090282130A1
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: STRAUSS, Jacob, ANTONIOU, Zoe
• Application Number:
  US12/119,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282130A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A system for sharing information between users and/or devices via close-proximity wireless communication. Devices located in close-proximity may be configured to transmit/receive wireless messages including information used to configure at least one of the devices. The configuration information may include, for example, information needed to add another user and/or device to a network group residing on the device receiving the configuration information. The configuration information may also serve other purposes, for example, to grant access to a resource located remotely to the device receiving the configuration information so that this wireless-enabled apparatus may remotely access and/or control the remote resource.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

activating a mode in an apparatus, the activated mode configuring the apparatus to send configuration information to, or receive configuration information from, at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

transferring the configuration information between the apparatus and the at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

determining, based on the configuration information, if additional communication is required in order to complete configuration in an apparatus that received the configuration information, and if additional configuration is required, initiating additional communication for the apparatus that received the configuration information; and

configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information using at least one of the received configuration information or the additional communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated mode further prepares configuration information in the apparatus for transmission via close proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated mode configures the apparatus to receive configuration information via close-proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a data record including at least one of a networking peer user, a device announcement, wireless link configuration data, service configuration/establishment data or content-related data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the close-proximity wireless communication is near field communication (NFC).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional communication comprises establishing an out-of-band connection in order to complete configuration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the out-of-band connection comprises establishing a short-range wireless connection between devices using a different wireless medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein additional communication comprises pre-configuring service discovery for one or more wireless mediums in order to complete configuration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises adding at least one member to at least one of an apparatus group or a user group residing in the apparatus, the at least one member including the at least one other apparatus or another user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises accessing resources located remotely to the apparatus that received the configuration information via wireless communication.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, comprising:

a computer readable program code configured to activate a mode in an apparatus, the activated mode configuring the apparatus to send configuration information to, or receive configuration information from, at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

a computer readable program code configured to transfer the configuration information between the apparatus and the at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

a computer readable program code configured to determine, based on the configuration information, if additional communication is required in order to complete configuration in an apparatus that received the configuration information, and if additional configuration is required, initiating additional communication for the apparatus that received the configuration information; and

a computer readable program code configured to configure the apparatus that received the configuration information using at least one of the received configuration information or the additional communication.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the activated mode further prepares configuration information in the apparatus for transmission via close proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the activated mode configures the apparatus to receive configuration information via close-proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the configuration information comprises a data record including at least one of a networking peer user, a device announcement, wireless link configuration data, service configuration/establishment data or content-related data.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the close-proximity wireless communication is near field communication (NFC).

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the additional communication comprises establishing an out-of-band connection in order to complete configuration.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the out-of-band connection comprises establishing a short-range wireless connection between devices using a different wireless medium.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein additional communication comprises pre-configuring service discovery for one or more wireless mediums in order to complete configuration.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises adding at least one member to at least one of an apparatus group or a user group residing in the apparatus, the at least one member including the at least one other apparatus or another user.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises accessing resources located remotely to the apparatus that received the configuration information via wireless communication.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio module configured to support close-proximity wireless communication; and

a controller, the controller being configured to;

activate a mode, the activated mode configuring the apparatus to send configuration information to, or receive configuration information from, at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

transfer the configuration information between the apparatus and the at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

determine, based on the configuration information, if additional communication is required in order to complete configuration in an apparatus that received the configuration information, and if additional configuration is required, initiating additional communication for the apparatus that received the configuration information; and

configure the apparatus that received the configuration information using at least one of the received configuration information or the additional communication.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the activated mode further prepares configuration information in the apparatus for transmission via close proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the activated mode configures the apparatus to receive configuration information via close-proximity wireless communication, prompts a user to move the apparatus into close-proximity with the at least one other apparatus, and prompts the user to trigger the transfer.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the configuration information comprises a data record including at least one of a networking peer user, a device announcement, wireless link configuration data, service configuration/establishment data or content-related data.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the close-proximity wireless communication is near field communication (NFC).

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the additional communication comprises establishing an out-of-band connection in order to complete configuration.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the out-of-band connection comprises establishing a short-range wireless connection between devices using a different wireless medium.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein additional communication comprises pre-configuring service discovery for one or more wireless mediums in order to complete configuration.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises adding at least one member to at least one of an apparatus group or a user group residing in the apparatus, the at least one member including the at least one other apparatus or another user.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information comprises accessing resources located remotely to the apparatus that received the configuration information via wireless communication.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for activating a mode, the activated mode configuring the apparatus to send configuration information to, or receive configuration information from, at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

means for transferring the configuration information between the apparatus and the at least one other apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

means for determining, based on the configuration information, if additional communication is required in order to complete configuration in an apparatus that received the configuration information, and if additional configuration is required, initiating additional communication for the apparatus that received the configuration information; and

means for configuring the apparatus that received the configuration information using at least one of the received configuration information or the additional communication.

32. A system comprising:

a source apparatus; and

at least one client apparatus;

the at least one client apparatus activating a mode, the activated mode configuring the client apparatus to send configuration information to, or receive configuration information from, the source apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

transferring the configuration information from the source apparatus to the client apparatus via close-proximity wireless communication;

determining, based on the configuration information, if additional communication is required in order to complete configuration in the client apparatus, and if additional configuration is required, initiating additional communication for the client apparatus; and

configuring the client apparatus using at least one of the received configuration information or the additional communication.