System and method for simplified resource sharing

• US 20100082784A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Rosenblatt, Michael, Nakajima, Taido Lantz, Mayo, Sean Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for simplified resource-sharing with electronic devices are provided. For example, a method for using at least one resource of a variety of electronic devices from another electronic device may include receiving resource-sharing information associated with a resource-sharing electronic device via near field communication, determining a resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device based on the resource-sharing information, and sharing at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device using the determined resource-sharing scheme. The resource-sharing information may be received from a near field communication interface of the resource-sharing electronic device or from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

Claims

14. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to run a resource-sharing application;

a memory device operably coupled to the processor and configured to store a resource-sharing scheme associated with sharing at least one resource of a resource-sharing electronic device via the resource-sharing application;

an electronic display configured to display a representation of the resource-sharing scheme;

an input/output interface configured to receive resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device, wherein at least a portion of the resource-sharing information indicates how the resource-sharing scheme may be obtained from a web location or from the resource-sharing electronic device; and

a network interface configured to obtain the resource-sharing scheme from the web location or from the resource-sharing electronic device based on the resource-sharing information and to receive resource-sharing data from the resource-sharing electronic device to use a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device.

1. A method comprising:

receiving resource-sharing information associated with a resource-sharing electronic device via a resource-using electronic device through wireless near field communication;

determining on the resource-using electronic device a resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device based on the resource-sharing information; and

sharing at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device via the resource-using electronic device using the determined resource-sharing scheme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource-sharing information is received by the resource-using electronic device from a near field communication interface of the resource-sharing electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource-sharing information is received from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information comprises receiving information identifying the at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information comprises receiving information identifying the resource-sharing electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises transmitting via the resource-using electronic device at least a portion of the resource-sharing information to a web location and receiving onto the resource-using electronic device from the web location information indicating the resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the information indicating the resource-sharing scheme from the web location comprises receiving onto the resource-using electronic device software representing the resource-sharing scheme.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises establishing communication between the resource-using electronic device and the resource-sharing electronic device via a communication channel other than wireless near field communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises receiving onto the resource-using electronic device software representing the resource-sharing scheme from the resource-sharing electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises exchanging a resource-sharing stream of data between the resource-using electronic device and the resource-sharing electronic device via a communication channel other than wireless near field communication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication channel other than wireless near field communication comprises a local area network connection, a personal area network connection, a wide area network connection, a wired input/output connection, an infrared connection, or an Internet connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises sharing at least one resource of a media player, a computer, a digital video recorder, an optical disc player, a cable or satellite television receiver, a video game system, a digital television, a home theater receiver, a digital projector, a handheld computer, a printer, a portable phone, a digital camera, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises sharing at least one resource of software running on the resource-sharing electronic device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive the resource-sharing information, wherein the resource-sharing information comprises information identifying the resource-sharing scheme for using a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive the resource-sharing information, wherein the resource-sharing information comprises information identifying the resource-sharing electronic device.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the input/output interface comprises a near field communication interface configured to receive the resource-sharing information from a near field communication interface of the resource-sharing electronic device.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the network interface comprises a local area network interface, a personal area network interface, a wide area network interface, an infrared interface, or any combination thereof.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the resource-sharing electronic device comprises a media player, a computer, a digital video recorder, an optical disc player, a cable or satellite television receiver, a video game system, a digital television, a home theater receiver, a digital projector, a handheld computer, a printer, a portable phone, a digital camera, or any combination thereof.

16-1. The device of claim 14, wherein the input/output interface comprises a near field communication interface configured to receive the resource-sharing information from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

17-2. The device of claim 14, wherein the electronic display is configured to display a list of resources available from the resource-sharing electronic device.

20. A method comprising:

receiving resource-sharing information from a resource-sharing electronic device onto a resource-using device, wherein the resource-sharing information comprises information identifying resource-sharing software for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device, information identifying the resource-sharing electronic device, or any combination thereof;

obtaining the resource-sharing software on the resource-using device based on the resource-sharing information received from the resource-sharing electronic device; and

using the resource-sharing software to use a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device from the resource-using electronic device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device onto the resource-using device comprises receiving the resource-sharing information via near field communication.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information onto the resource-using device via near field communication comprises receiving the resource-sharing information from a near field communication interface of the resource-sharing electronic device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information onto the resource-using device via near field communication comprises receiving the resource-sharing information from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving the resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device onto the resource-using device comprises scanning and decoding a matrix barcode associated with the resource-sharing electronic device, wherein the matrix barcode is configured to encode the resource-sharing information.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein obtaining the resource-sharing software on the resource-using device based on the resource-sharing information comprises contacting a web service on the Internet and receiving on the resource-using device the resource-sharing software from the web service based on the resource-sharing information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving on the resource-using device the resource-sharing software from the web service comprises sending a portion of the resource-sharing information to the web service and receiving on the resource-using device the resource-sharing software based on the portion of the resource-sharing information sent to the web service.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein sending the portion of the resource-sharing information to the web service comprises sending a serial number associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein sending the portion of the resource-sharing information to the web service comprises sending a version number of the resource-sharing software associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein obtaining the resource-sharing software on the resource-using device based on the resource-sharing information comprises determining from the resource-sharing information that the resource-sharing software may be obtained from the resource-sharing electronic device, requesting the resource-sharing software from the resource-sharing electronic device, and receiving on the resource-using device the resource-sharing software from the resource-sharing electronic device.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein using the resource-sharing software to use the resource of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises using a resource of a media player, a computer, a digital video recorder, an optical disc player, a cable or satellite television receiver, a video game system, a digital or analog television, a home theater receiver, a digital projector, a handheld computer, a printer, a portable phone, a digital camera, or any combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein using the resource-sharing software to use a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device comprises sharing a resource of software running on the resource-sharing electronic device.

32. A method comprising:

providing resource-sharing software to be installed on a resource-using electronic device, wherein the resource-sharing software is configured to be used by the resource-using electronic device to use a resource of a resource-sharing electronic device after receiving resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the resource-sharing software comprises providing software to enable the resource-using electronic device to use a resource of a resource-sharing device, wherein the resource-sharing device comprises a media player, a computer, a digital video recorder, an optical disc player, a cable or satellite television receiver, a video game system, a digital or analog television, a home theater receiver, a digital projector, a handheld computer, a printer, a portable phone, a digital camera, or any combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein providing the resource-sharing software comprises providing software to enable the resource-using electronic device to use a resource of a resource-sharing device, wherein the resource-using electronic device comprises a portable phone, a handheld computer, or any combination thereof.

35. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to run a resource-sharing application;

a memory device configured to store a resource-sharing scheme associated with using a resource of a resource-sharing electronic device via the resource-sharing application;

an electronic display configured to display a representation of the resource-sharing scheme;

a camera configured to receive resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device, wherein at least a portion of the resource-sharing information indicates the resource-sharing scheme may be obtained from a web location or from the resource-sharing electronic device; and

a network interface configured to obtain the resource-sharing scheme based on the resource-sharing information and to communicate resource-sharing data to the resource-sharing electronic device to use a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the camera is configured to receive the resource-sharing information by scanning a barcode or matrix barcode associated with the resource-sharing electronic device, wherein the barcode or matrix barcode encodes the resource-sharing information.

37. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to run a resource-sharing application;

a memory device configured to store a resource-sharing scheme associated with sharing a resource of a resource-sharing electronic device via the resource-sharing application;

an electronic display configured to display a representation of the resource-sharing scheme; and

a network interface configured to discover the resource-sharing electronic device, to receive resource-sharing information from the resource-sharing electronic device, to obtain the resource-sharing scheme based on the resource-sharing information received from the resource-sharing electronic device, and to communicate resource-sharing data to the resource-sharing electronic device to use a resource of the resource-sharing electronic device.