Method and apparatus for inter-application communication in wireless networks

• US 6,816,881 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mohindra, Ajay, Purakayastha, Apratim
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US09/523,894
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/245, 709/200, 709/201, 455/414
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for providing inter-application communication between a sending device and one or more receiving devices in a wireless network comprises the steps of: (i) at the sending device, tagging a data item with an identifier unique to an intended communication between the sending device and the one or more receiving devices; (ii) at the sending device, broadcasting the tagged data item in the wireless network; (iii) at a receiving device, receiving the broadcast data item when the receiving device is within a radio-range of the sending device; and (iv) at a receiving device, accepting the data item for processing when the identifier substantially matches an identifier expected by an application associated with the receiving device; wherein the sending device and the receiving device need not be aware of each other'"'"'s presence.

Claims

1. A method for use in a sending device of providing inter-application communication between an application associated with the sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

tagging a data item with an identifier unique to an intended communication between the application associated with the sending device and the one or more applications associated with the one or more other devices; and

broadcasting the tagged data item in the wireless network for receipt by one or more applications associated with the one or more other devices in the wireless network located within a radio-range associated with the sending device, without specifying the identity of the one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is generated using at least one of a current date and time, a current clock sequence, an incremented counter value, and a device identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagging and broadcasting operations are performed by an application associated with the sending device in accordance with an application programming interface.

4. A method for use in a receiving device of providing inter-application communication between an application associated with the receiving device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast data item when the receiving device is within a radio-range of a device that sent the data item, without specifying the identity of the sending device, the data item being tagged with an identifier not specifying the identity of the receiving device, but unique to an intended communication between an application associated with the sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in the wireless network; and

accepting the data item for processing when the identifier substantially matches an identifier expected by the application associated with the receiving device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier is generated using at least one of a current date and time, a current clock sequence, an incremented counter value, and a device identifier.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving and accepting operations are performed by the application in accordance with an application programming interface.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of, prior to receiving a broadcast data item, registering one or more identifiers for which the receiving device desires to receive one or more data items.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accepting operation comprises matching the identifier of the received data item with the one or more registered identifiers to determine if the data item is one which the receiving device desires to receive.

9. A method for providing inter-application communication between an application associated with a sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more receiving devices in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

at the sending device, tagging a data item with an identifier unique to an intended communication between the application associated with the sending device and the one or more applications associated with the one or more receiving devices;

at the sending device, broadcasting the tagged data item in the wireless network;

at a receiving device, receiving the broadcast data item when the receiving device is within a radio-range of the sending device; and

at a receiving device, accepting the data item for processing when the identifier substantially matches an identifier expected by an application associated with the receiving device;

wherein the identity of the sending device and the receiving device are not specified by the data item.

10. Apparatus for providing inter-application communication between applications associated with one or more devices in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a sending device operative to;

(i) tag a data item with an identifier unique to an intended communication between an application associated with the sending device and the one or more applications associated with one or more other devices; and

(ii) broadcast the tagged data item in the wireless network for receipt by one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in the wireless network located within a radio-range associated with the sending device, without specifying the identity of the one or more devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the identifier is generated using at least one of a current date and time, a current clock sequence, an incremented counter value, and a device identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tagging and broadcasting operations are performed by an application associated with the sending device in accordance with an application programming interface.

13. Apparatus for providing inter-application communication between applications associated with one or more devices in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving device operative to;

(i) receive a broadcast data item when the receiving device is within a radio-range of a device that sent the data item, without specifying the identity of the sending device, the data item being tagged with an identifier not specifying the identity of the receiving device, but unique to an intended communication between an application associated with the sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in the wireless network; and

(ii) accept the data item for processing when the identifier substantially matches an identifier expected by an application associated with the receiving device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the identifier is generated using at least one of a current date and time, a current clock sequence, an incremented counter value, and a device identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receiving and accepting operations are performed by the application in accordance with an application programming interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the operation of, prior to receiving a broadcast data item, registering one or more identifiers for which the receiving device desires to receive one or more data items.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the accepting operation comprises matching the identifier of the received data item with the one or more registered identifiers to determine if the data item is one which the receiving device desires to receive.

18. An article of manufacture for use in a sending device for providing inter-application communication between an application associated with the sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in a wireless network, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

tagging a data item with an identifier unique to an intended communication between the application associated with the sending device and the one or more applications associated with the one or more other devices; and

broadcasting the tagged data item in the wireless network for receipt by one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in the wireless network located within a radio-range associated with the sending device, without specifying the identity of the one or more devices.

19. An article of manufacture for use in a receiving device for providing inter-application communication between an application associated with the receiving device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in a wireless network, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

receiving a broadcast data item when the receiving device is within a radio-range of a device that sent the data item, without specifying the identity of the sending device, the data item being tagged with an identifier not specifying the identity of the receiving device, but unique to an intended communication between an application associated with the sending device and one or more applications associated with one or more other devices in the wireless network; and

accepting the data item for processing when the identifier substantially matches an identifier expected by the application associated with the receiving device.