Wireless networked peripheral devices

• US 6,678,750 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Meade, William K. II, Tagg, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORRELL, ERON J
• Application Number:
  US09/871,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1-3, 710/8, 710/10, 710/15, 710/7, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 710/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An apparatus for, and a method of, organizing and utilizing networked peripheral device include peripheral devices, which are aware of their respective geographical location and operational capabilities, and self-organization of the peripheral devices into a cluster of networked peripheral devices based on the operational capability of each respective peripheral device and the relative physical proximity with respect to each other. The host computer is also made aware of its geographical location. One or more peripheral device(s) that are optimally suited to fulfill the request is selected based on the physical proximity of the selected peripheral device(s) to the requesting user host computer and/or the capabilities of the selected peripheral device(s). The selection of the optimal peripheral device(s) is made by the networked peripheral devices without requiring the user of the host computer to know the topology of the network, e.g., the locations and capabilities of each of the networked peripherals. Device driver(s) for the selected peripheral device(s) may be dispensed to the host computer as required in order for the host computer to utilize the selected peripheral device(s). In an embodiment, the host computer may include its geographical location in a request for a peripheral device service. The service request including the geographical location information of the user host computer may enable an on-line service provider, e.g., a provider of an on-line printing service, to direct the service request to the closest service center that may be able to fulfill the request by the user.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices by a host computer over a network, comprising:

providing a geographical location determination capability to said host computer, said geographical location determination capability allowing said host computer to determine a current location of said host computer automatically without an intervention by a user of said host computer;

sending a peripheral device service request from said host computer to said network, said peripheral device service request including a location information indicating said current location of said host computer;

automatically selecting ones of said one or more peripheral devices being in closest proximity with said host computer based at least in part on said location information; and

substantially immediately fulfilling said peripheral service request by said automatically selected ones of said one or more peripheral devices.

2. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of providing said geographical location determination capability comprises:

providing a global positioning system device to said host computer.

3. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

notifying said user of said automatically selected ones of said one or more peripheral devices.

4. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

providing a wireless communication device to said host computer, said wireless communication device enabling a wireless communication between said host computer and said network.

5. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

said network comprises one or more on-line service provider servers to receive said peripheral device service request from said host computer.

6. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 5, wherein:

said one or more on-line service provider servers comprise one or more on-line printing service servers; and

wherein said one or more peripheral devices comprise one or more print centers.

7. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 6, wherein said step of notifying comprises:

providing information with respect to a location of said automatically selected ones of one or more print centers to said user to allow said user to conveniently find said automatically selected ones of one or more print centers.

8. A method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices by a host computer, comprising:

providing each of said one or more peripheral devices a geographical location determination capability, said geographical location determination capability providing a geographic location of an associated one of said one or more peripheral device;

detecting, by at least a first one of said one or more peripheral devices, presence of one or more peripheral devices within a predetermined distance from said at least first one of said one or more peripheral devices; and

organizing said detected ones of said one or more peripheral devices into a cluster of peripheral devices, said cluster being configured to fulfill a service request from said host computer collectively as one logical device.

9. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 8, wherein said step of organizing said detected ones of said one or more peripheral devices into said cluster further comprises:

setting up network services to enable communication among said detected ones of said one or more peripheral devices, and to enable communication between said detected ones of said one or more peripheral devices and said host computer; and

establishing a service capabilities database, said service capabilities database cataloging service capabilities of each of said detected ones of said one or more peripheral devices;

wherein said cluster being configured to fulfill said service request from said host computer based at least in part said service capabilities database.

10. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

providing each of said one or more peripheral devices a wireless communication capability, said wireless communication capability enabling wireless communications among said one or more peripheral devices and wireless communications between said one or more peripheral devices and said host computer.

11. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

providing said host computer at least one device driver for peripheral devices in said cluster.

12. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 11, wherein:

said at least one device driver comprises a consolidated universal driver providing lower level interface between said host computer and each of peripheral device in said cluster.

13. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

providing said host computer a wireless communication capability, said wireless communication capability enabling wireless communications between said one or more peripheral devices and said host computer;

discovering said cluster by said host computer; and

setting said discovered cluster as a default peripheral device for said host computer.

14. The method of utilizing one or more peripheral devices in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether one or more device drivers for said cluster is installed on said host computer; and

installing said one or more device drivers for said cluster if said one or more device drivers are not already installed on said host computer.

15. A networked peripheral devices system, comprising:

a communication network; and

a cluster of one or more peripheral devices, each of said one or more peripheral devices having a geographical location determination capability, said geographical location determination capability providing a geographic location of an associated one of said one or more peripheral device, said one or more peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance from each other, said cluster being configured to fulfill a service request from a host computer received over said communication network collectively as one logical device.

16. The networked peripheral devices system according to claim 15, wherein:

said cluster comprises a service capabilities database, said service capabilities database cataloging service capabilities of each of said one or more peripheral devices;

wherein said cluster being configured to fulfill said service request from said host computer based at least in part said service capabilities database.

17. The networked peripheral devices system according to claim 15, wherein:

each of said one or more peripheral devices has a wireless communication capability, said wireless communication capability enabling wireless communications among said one or more peripheral devices and wireless communications between said one or more peripheral devices and said host computer.

18. The networked peripheral devices system according to claim 15, wherein:

said cluster is configured to provide said host computer at least one device driver for peripheral devices in said cluster.

19. The networked peripheral devices system according to claim 18, wherein:

said at least one device driver comprises a consolidated universal driver providing lower level interface between said host computer and each of peripheral device in said cluster.

20. The networked peripheral devices system according to claim 19, wherein:

said host computer is configured to determine whether said at least one device driver is installed on said host computer; and

wherein said cluster is configured to provide installing said at least one device driver if said at least one device driver is not already installed on said host computer.