Ad-hoc connection between electronic devices

• US 8,639,819 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pohja, Seppo, Hietasarka, Juha, Hussmann, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/773,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,645 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/204, 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237, 709/245, 715/724, 715/751, 715/769, 715/770, 715/864, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/512, 455/513, 455/522, 340/3.5, 340/3.6, 340 101- 1052, 370327-329, 370/332, 370/333, 370/338
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of creating an ad-hoc connection between two electronic devices. In order to enable a particularly user-friendly creation of such a connection, it is proposed that a first device detects a hugging state between the first device and a second device, in which the first device and the second device are in close vicinity and a piece of information is received at the first device directly from the second device. In case a hugging state is detected, a handle is obtained proceeding from the received piece of information. The handle comprises an address of some device other than the first device. Finally, a communication channel is established between the first device and the other device using the address included in the handle. The invention relates equally to a corresponding device, to an expandable framework for such a device, and to a corresponding software program product.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by an apparatus, that a mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device, while a particular application of the mobile device is a foreground application that is currently selected to receive user input and that receives a user input for selecting a file on the mobile device;

causing, by the apparatus, the establishment of a communication channel between the mobile device and the other mobile device in response to the detection that the mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device for enabling a transfer of the file from the mobile device to the other mobile device; and

notifying, by the apparatus, the foreground application about the established communication channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device comprises detecting a short distance between the mobile device and the other mobile device using radio frequency identification signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel is set up according to one of predefined user preferences and a user input.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a security operation for determining at least one of whether the communication channel is allowed to be established between the mobile device and the other mobile device and whether the communication channel is allowed to be used for a specific data transmission.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising invoking at least one function of the foreground application in the mobile device in response to a user input to the mobile device once the communication channel has been established, in order to enable the at least one invoked function to make use of the established communication channel.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the communication channel is followed by an automatic context dependent interaction via the communication channel with the other mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a copy-and-paste functionality, a cut-and-paste functionality and a drag-and-drop functionality in the mobile device makes use of the established communication channel for interacting with the other mobile device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising causing a transfer of the file via the established communication channel in response to a user input to the mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising

monitoring conditions on said established communication channel;

and updating said communication channel in case said conditions are detected to be worse than predetermined conditions.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link between said mobile device and said other mobile device, and wherein updating said communication channel comprises replacing said direct link by an indirect link between said mobile device and said other mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting that the mobile device is in close proximity to the other mobile device makes use of a direct link of a first type between the mobile device and the other mobile device, and wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link of a second type between the mobile device and the other mobile device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said direct link of a first type is a radio frequency identification based link and wherein said direct link of a second type is a Bluetooth based link.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said file is transferred automatically.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transferring data via the communication channel to the other mobile device, the transfer invoking at least one application in the other mobile device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the foreground application is a game, and wherein the data comprises data for invoking the same game at the other device.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transfer of data is configured to cause the other device to download an application.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foreground application is a multiplayer game.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device when the distance between the mobile device and the other mobile device is a few centimeters at the most.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a touch detection portion, the touch detection portion being configured to detect that the apparatus is in close proximity to a mobile device, while a particular application of the apparatus is a foreground application that is currently selected to receive user input and that receives a user input for selecting a file on the apparatus; and

a link creation portion configured to cause the establishment of a communication channel between the apparatus and the mobile device in response to the detection that the apparatus is in close proximity to a mobile device for enabling a transfer of the file from the apparatus to the mobile device, and configured to notify the foreground application in the apparatus about the established communication channel.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the link creation portion is configured to set up the communication channel according to one of predefined user preferences and a user input.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform a security operation for determining at least one of whether the communication channel is allowed to be established between the apparatus and the mobile device and whether the communication channel is allowed to be used for a specific data transmission.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to invoke at least one function of the foreground application in the apparatus in response to a user input to the apparatus once the communication channel has been established, in order to enable the at least one invoked function to make use of the established communication channel.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable an automatic context dependent interaction with the mobile device via the established communication channel.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable at least one of a copy-and-paste functionality, a cut-and-paste functionality and a drag-and-drop functionality to make use of the established communication channel for interacting with the mobile device.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a user interface, wherein the link creation portion is further configured to cause a transfer of the file via the established communication channel in response to a user input via the user interface.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone.

28. The apparatus according to claim 19, said link creation portion further configured to monitor conditions on said established communication channel;

and to update said communication channel in case said conditions are detected to be worse than predetermined conditions.

29. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said touch detection portion is configured to detect that the apparatus is in close proximity to the mobile device making use of a direct link of a first type between the apparatus and the mobile device, and wherein said link creation portion is configured to establish said communication channel using a direct link of a second type between the apparatus and the mobile device.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said direct link of a first type is a radio frequency identification based link and wherein said direct link of a second type is a Bluetooth based link.

31. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said file is transferred automatically.

32. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the link creation portion is further configured to transfer data via the communication channel to the mobile device for invoking at least one application in the mobile device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the foreground application is a game and wherein the data comprises data for invoking the same game at the mobile device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the transfer of data is configured to cause the mobile device to download an application.

35. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the foreground application is a multiplayer game.

36. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the touch detection portion is configured to detect that the apparatus is in close proximity to a mobile device by detecting a short distance between the apparatus and the mobile device using radio frequency identification signals.

37. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the touch detection portion is configured to detect that the apparatus is in close proximity to a mobile device when the distance between the apparatus and the mobile device is a few centimeters at the most.

38. A system comprising:

a touch detection portion, the touch detection portion being configured to detect that a mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device, while a particular application of the mobile device is a foreground application that is currently selected to receive user input and that receives a user input for selecting a file on the mobile device; and

a link creation portion configured to cause the establishment of a communication channel between the mobile device and the other mobile device in response to the detection that the mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device for enabling a transfer of the file from the mobile device to the other mobile device, and configured to notify the foreground application in the mobile device about the established communication channel.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the link creation portion is configured to set up the communication channel according to one of predefined user preferences and a user input.

40. The system according to claim 38, further comprising a security portion configured to perform a security operation for determining at least one of whether the communication channel is allowed to be established between the mobile device and the other mobile device and whether the communication channel is allowed to be used for a specific data transmission.

41. The system according to claim 38 comprising at least one of the mobile device and the other mobile device.

42. The system according to claim 38 comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to invoke at least one function of the foreground application in the mobile device in response to a user input to the mobile device once the communication channel has been established, in order to enable the at least one invoked function to make use of the established communication channel.

43. The system according to claim 38 comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable an automatic context dependent interaction with the other mobile device via the established communication channel.

44. The system according to claim 38 comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable at least one of a copy-and-paste functionality, a cut-and-paste functionality and a drag-and-drop functionality to make use of the established communication channel for interacting with the other mobile device.

45. The system according to claim 38 comprising the mobile device, the mobile device further comprising a user interface, wherein the link creation portion is further configured to cause a transfer of the file via the established communication channel in response to a user input via the user interface.

46. The system according to claim 38 comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

47. The system according to claim 38, said link creation portion further configured to monitor conditions on said established communication channel;

and to update said communication channel in case said conditions are detected to be worse than predetermined conditions.

48. The system according to claim 47, wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link between said mobile device and said other mobile device, and wherein updating said communication channel comprises replacing said direct link by an indirect link between said mobile device and said other mobile device.

49. The system according to claim 38, wherein said touch detection portion is configured to detect that the mobile device is in close proximity to the other mobile device making use of a direct link of a first type between the mobile device and the other mobile device, and wherein said link creation portion is configured to establish said communication channel using a direct link of a second type between the mobile device and the other mobile device.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein said direct link of a first type is a radio frequency identification based link and wherein said direct link of a second type is a Bluetooth based link.

51. A non-transitory computer program product in which a software code is stored, the software code, when executed, causing an electronic device to perform the following:

detecting that a mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device, while a particular application of the mobile device is a foreground application that is currently selected to receive user input and that receives a user input for selecting a file on the mobile device;

causing the establishment of a communication channel between the mobile device and the other mobile device in response to the detection that the mobile device is in close proximity to another mobile device for enabling a transfer of the file from the mobile device to the other mobile device; and

notifying the foreground application about the established communication channel.

52. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link between said mobile device and said other mobile device, and wherein updating said communication channel comprises replacing said direct link by an indirect link between said mobile device and said other mobile device.

53. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link between said mobile device and said other mobile device, and wherein updating said communication channel comprises replacing said direct link by an indirect link between said mobile device and said other mobile device.

54. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, the software code, when executed, further causing an electronic device to perform the following:

monitoring conditions on said established communication channel; and

updating said communication channel in case said conditions are detected to be worse than predetermined conditions.

55. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, wherein said detecting that the mobile device is in close proximity to the other mobile device makes use of a direct link of a first type between the mobile device and the other mobile device, and wherein said established communication channel uses a direct link of a second type between the mobile device and the other mobile device.

56. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 55, wherein said direct link of a first type is a radio frequency identification based link and wherein said direct link of a second type is a Bluetooth based link.

57. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, the software code, when executed, causing the electronic device to transfer said file data automatically.

58. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, the software code, when executed, causing the electronic device to transfer data via the communication channel to the other mobile device, the transfer invoking at least one application in the other mobile device.

59. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 58, wherein the foreground application is a game, and wherein the data comprises data for invoking the same game at the other device.

60. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 58, wherein the transfer of data is configured to cause the other device to download an application.

61. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 51, wherein the foreground application is a multiplayer game.