PERSONAL AREA NETWORK APPARATUS

• US 20130268698A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tri-County Excelsior Foundation (Oso IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Donaghey, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/38 Information transfer, e.g. on bus G06F13/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A peripheral device comprises a first entity and a second entity. In operation, the first/second entities are configured to respectively: receive a first/second entity-related message from at least one other device to indicate the availability of the at least one other device for attachment, send, to the at least one other device, a first/second entity-related message indicating the availability for communication with the at least one other device, receive, from the at least one other device, a first/second entity-related signal including a first/second entity-related peripheral device identifier, send a first/second entity-related response to the at least one other device, receive, from the at least one other device, a first/second entity-related device response, and send, to the at least one other device, a first/second entity-related second peripheral response including the first/second entity-related peripheral device identifier.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A device, comprising:

circuitry; and

a transceiver in communication with the circuitry, the device configured to cause the transceiver to;

periodically send a broadcast message to indicate the availability of the device for attachment to another device, the broadcast message including a unique device identifier of the device;

receive, from the another device, a pre-attachment message that is sent utilizing first information sent by the device, the pre-attachment message including a first one of a plurality of identifiers for unique identification in association with the another device;

send, to the another device, a response that is sent in response to the pre-attachment message, the response including the first one of the identifiers for unique identification in association with the another device; and

communicate, with the another device, a data signal utilizing a second one of the identifiers for identification in association with the another device, for data transfer in connection with a group controlled by the device and including at least the device and the another device, that is the subject of the attachment as result of the pre-attachment message.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers is included in a header of related communications.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the second one of the identifiers is included in a header of related communications.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers is included in its entirety in a header of related communications.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the second one of the identifiers is included in its entirety in a header of related communications.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers is included in a header for designating the another device as a receiver thereof.

37. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the second one of the identifiers is included in a header for designating the another device as a receiver thereof.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications.

39. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

40. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

41. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

42. The device of claim 31, wherein the device is operable such that at one of the identifiers is dictated by the another device.

43. A device, comprising:

circuitry; and

a transceiver in communication with the circuitry, the device configured to cause the transceiver to;

send a broadcast message to indicate the availability of the device for attachment to another device;

receive, from the another device, an attachment-related message that is sent utilizing first information sent by the device, the attachment-related message including a first one of a plurality of identifiers for identification in association with the another device;

send, to the another device, a first message that is sent after the first attachment-related message, the first message including the first one of the identifiers for identification in association with the another device; and

communicate, with the another device, a data message utilizing a second one of the identifiers for identification in association with the another device, for data transfer in connection with a group controlled by the device and including at least the device and the another device, that is a result of the attachment-related message.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

46. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

47. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the another device on a shared wireless communication medium.

48. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is operable such that at one of the identifiers is dictated by the another device.

49. A device, comprising:

circuitry; and

a transceiver in communication with the circuitry, the device configured to cause the transceiver to;

receive a particular message from another device to indicate the availability of the another device for attachment;

send, to the another device, a pre-attachment message utilizing first information sent by the another device, the pre-attachment message including a first one of a plurality of identifiers for unique identification in association with the device;

receive, from the another device, a first message that is sent after the first pre-attachment message, the first message including the first one of the identifiers for unique identification in association with the device; and

send, to the another device, a data signal utilizing a second one of the identifiers for identification in association with the device, for data transfer in connection with a group controlled by the another device and including at least the device and the another device, that is the subject of the attachment as result of the pre-attachment message.

50. The device of claim 49, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications.

51. The device of claim 49, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

52. The device of claim 49, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

53. The device of claim 49, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

54. The device of claim 49, wherein the device is operable such that at one of the identifiers is dictated by the device.

55. A device for use on a network, comprising:

circuitry; and

a transceiver in communication with the circuitry, the device configured to cause the transceiver to;

receive a first signal from another device to indicate the availability of the another device for attachment, the first signal including a unique device identifier of the another device;

send, to the another device, a second signal utilizing first information, the second signal including a first one of a plurality of identifiers for unique identification in association with the device;

receive, from the another device, a third signal that is sent in response to the second signal, the third signal including the first one of the identifiers for unique identification in association with the device; and

receive, from the another device, data utilizing a second one of the identifiers for identification in association with the device, for data transfer in connection with a group owned by the another device and including at least the device and the another device.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications.

57. The device of claim 55, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

58. The device of claim 55, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

59. The device of claim 55, wherein the device is operable such that the first one of the identifiers and the second one of the identifiers are device identifiers of different classes which are included, in their entirety, in a header of respective communications, wherein the device is further operable such that at least the first one of the identifiers includes a unique device identifier that existed during an initial communication between the device and the another device in connection with the initial attachment, and uniquely identifies the device on a shared wireless communication medium.

60. The device of claim 55, wherein the device is operable such that at one of the identifiers is dictated by the device.