Hiding a device

• US 7,792,490 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makinen, Rauno, Karvinen, Sonja, Karlsberg, Jari, Annola, Johanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US10/138,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20020197956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,049 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/421, 455/574, 455/41.1, 455/565
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

In accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the invention there is at least a method, apparatus, and an executable computer program enabling a first communications device and a second communications device, possibly previously unknown to each other, to communicate with each other wirelessly using short-range radio frequency technology. A connection establishment process is executed to establish a connection between the first communications device and said second communications device. Further, in accordance with the embodiments, during the connection establishment process, or in response to successful completion of the connection establishment process, at least one of said first and second communications devices switches from said first mode into a second mode, in which second mode, the communications device that has switched into said second mode does not respond to messages arriving at it which have been sent to discover the address of the communications device that has switched into said second mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating wirelessly one or more messages between a first communications device and a second communications device to initiate a wireless connection between the first and said second communications device;

carrying out a connection establishment process to establish the wireless connection between the first and said second communications device; and

based upon a successful completion of said wireless connection establishment process between the first and said second communications device, switching an operational mode of at least one of the first and said second communications device from a first operational mode into a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between the first and said second communications device over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode the at least one of the first and said second communications device does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of the at least one of the first and said second communications device in order to establish a further connection after switching into said second operational mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection establishment process is initiated by the first communications device based on an address of said second communications device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second communications device switches into said second operational mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and said second communications devices switches into said second operational mode in response to a pairing that is part of the wireless connection establishment process.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and said second communications devices automatically switches into said second operational mode dependent upon a service capacity of the device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the at least one of the first and said second communications device that has switched into said second operational mode returning from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to at least one of a reset of one of the first and said second communication device, and an expiry of a definite time period.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the at least one of the first and said second communications device that has switched into said second operational mode returns from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to a reset of said communications device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the at least one of the first and said second communications device that has switched into said second operational mode returning to said first operational mode for a definite period and after said definite period has expired said communications device returning to said second operational mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one of the first and said second communications device that has switched into said second operational mode returns to said first operational mode for the definite period in response to a restart of said communications device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a short-range radio frequency connection is established between the first and said second communications device in response to the connection establishment process.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one communications device that has switched into said second operational mode returns from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to a disconnection of said short-range radio frequency connection.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communications device and said second communications device communicate using Bluetooth technology and, wherein the communicating comprises an inquiry message according to the Bluetooth technology and an inquiry response message according to the Bluetooth technology, and wherein said first operational mode is a discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology and said second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first communications device is a cellular mobile terminal and said second communications device is a Bluetooth headset.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the second operational mode until detecting the established wireless connection is disconnected.

15. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

communicate wirelessly one or more messages between the apparatus and another communications device to initiate a wireless connection between the apparatus and said another communications device;

carry out a connection establishment process to establish the wireless connection between said apparatus and said another communications device; and

based upon a successful completion of the wireless connection establishment process between said apparatus and said another communications device, switch an operational mode of said apparatus from a first operational mode into a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between said apparatus and said another communications device over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode said apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of said apparatus in order to establish a further wireless connection after switching into said second operational mode.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the wireless connection is initiated by said apparatus based on an address of said another communications device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising maintaining the second operational mode until detecting the established wireless connection is disconnected.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus returns from the second operational mode to the first operational mode for a definite period following an event.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the event includes a restarting of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the connection establishment process is initiated by the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said apparatus is configured to switch into said second operational mode in response to a pairing that is part of the connection establishment process.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to return from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to at least one of a reset of said apparatus, a reset of said another communications device, an expiry of a definite time period, and a disconnection of a short-range radio frequency connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said apparatus is configured to communicate with said another communications device using short-range radio frequency technology in response to the connection establishment process.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said communication between the apparatus and the another communications device comprises an inquiry message according to Bluetooth technology and an inquiry response message according to the Bluetooth technology, and wherein said first operational mode is a discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology and said second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wireless connection is initiated by said another communications device based on an address of said apparatus.

27. A system, comprising:

a first apparatus configured to send an inquiry message to a second apparatus in order to determine an address of said-second apparatus; and

said first apparatus configured to receive inquiry response message sent by said second apparatus to said first apparatus in response to the sent inquiry message, where said inquiry response message contains the address of said second apparatus;

said first apparatus configured to carry out a connection establishment process with said second apparatus to establish a wireless connection between said first and said second apparatus; and

based upon a successful completion of the wireless connection establishment process between said first and said second apparatus, at least one of said first and said second apparatus is configured to switch an operational mode from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between said first and said second apparatus over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode the at least one of said first and said second apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of the at least one of said first and said second apparatus in order to establish a further wireless connection after switching into said second operational mode.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein receiving a paging message sent by the second apparatus initiates the connection establishment process.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said at least one of the first and the second apparatus is configured to switch into said second operational mode in response to a pairing that is part of the connection establishment process.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one of the first and the second apparatus is configured to return from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to at least one of a reset of an apparatus, an expiry of a definite time period, and a disconnection of a short-range radio frequency connection.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said first apparatus is configured to communicate with said second apparatus using short-range radio frequency technology.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein said communication between the first apparatus and the second apparatus comprises an inquiry message according to Bluetooth technology and an inquiry response message according to the Bluetooth technology, and wherein said first operational mode is a discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology and said second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode according to the Bluetooth technology.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein at least one of said first apparatus and the second apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

34. A memory embodying a computer program, the computer program executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

communicating wirelessly one or more messages between an apparatus and another communications device to initiate a wireless connection between the apparatus and the another communications device;

carrying out a connection establishment process to establish the wireless connection between the apparatus and the another communications device; and

based upon a successful completion of the wireless connection establishment process between the apparatus and the another communications device, switching an operational mode of the apparatus from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between the apparatus and the another communications device over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode the apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of the apparatus in order to establish a further wireless connection after switching into said second operational mode.

35. The memory of claim 34, wherein the apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

36. The memory of claim 34, further comprising maintaining the second operational mode until detecting the established wireless connection is disconnected.

37. The memory of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

38. A memory embodying a computer program, the computer program executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

sending, by an apparatus, an inquiry message to another communications device in order to determine an address of said another communications device;

receiving, at the apparatus an inquiry response message from said another communications device, where said inquiry response message contains the address of said another communications device; and

carrying out, by said apparatus, a connection establishment process with said another communications device to establish a wireless connection between said apparatus and said another communications device, and

based upon a successful completion of the wireless connection establishment process with said another communications device, switching an operational mode of the apparatus from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between said apparatus and said another communications device over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode the apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of the apparatus in order to establish a further wireless connection, and where said second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode.

39. The memory of claim 38, wherein the apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

send an inquiry message from the apparatus to another communications device to determine an address of the another communications device;

receive at the apparatus an inquiry response message from the another communications device, where said inquiry response message includes the address of said another communications device;

carry out a connection establishment process for establishing a wireless connection with said another communications device; and

based upon a successful completion of said wireless connection establishment process with said another communications device, switch an operational mode of said apparatus from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between said apparatus and said another communications device over the established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode said apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover an address of said apparatus in order to establish a further wireless connection, and where the second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising maintaining the second operational mode until detecting the established wireless connection is disconnected.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said apparatus switches into said second operational mode in response to a pairing that is part of the wireless connection establishment process.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said apparatus returns from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to at least one of a reset of said another communications device, an expiry of a definite time period, and a disconnection of a short-range radio frequency connection.

45. A method, comprising:

receiving at an apparatus an inquiry message from another apparatus, an inquiry message which has been sent to determine an address of the apparatus;

generating and sending an inquiry response message including the address of the apparatus;

carrying out a connection establishment process for establishing a wireless connection between said apparatus and said another apparatus; and

based upon a successful completion of said wireless connection establishment process, switching an operational mode of said apparatus from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, where in the second operational mode information is communicated between said apparatus and said another apparatus over said established wireless connection, and where in the second operational mode the apparatus does not respond to any arriving messages to discover the address of the apparatus, where the second operational mode is a non-discoverable mode.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said apparatus is one of a Bluetooth headset, a cellular mobile station, and a Bluetooth chip.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the apparatus returns from the second operational mode to the first operational mode for a definite period following an event.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the event includes a restarting of the apparatus.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the apparatus initiates the connection establishment process.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein said apparatus switches into said second operational mode in response to a pairing that is part of the connection establishment process.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the apparatus returns from said second operational mode to said first operational mode in response to at least one of a reset of said apparatus, an expiry of a definite time period, and a disconnection of a short-range radio frequency connection.