System and method for simplified resource sharing

• US 8,850,052 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rosenblatt, Michael, Lin, Gloria, Mayo, Sean Anthony, Nakajima, Taido Lantz
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/286,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-207, 709217-238, 709/244, 709/212, 709/216
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for simplified resource-sharing with electronic devices are provided. For example, a method for using at least one resource of a variety of electronic devices from another electronic device may include receiving resource-sharing information associated with a resource-sharing electronic device via near field communication, determining a resource-sharing scheme for using the resources of the resource-sharing electronic device based on the resource-sharing information, and sharing at least one resource of the resource-sharing electronic device using the determined resource-sharing scheme. The resource-sharing information may be received from a near field communication interface of the resource-sharing electronic device or from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the resource-sharing electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a handheld device, communication with a computing device via a first communication channel;

receiving, by the handheld device, through the first communication channel, resource-sharing information that includes information identifying the computing device and information identifying a particular hardware device of the computing device;

prompting, by the handheld device, a user to use the particular hardware device of the computing device with the handheld device, wherein the resource-sharing information further includes information sufficient to enable the handheld device to use the particular hardware device;

receiving, by the handheld device, an approval from the computing device to use the particular hardware device of the computing device, in response to the computing device determining that the particular hardware device is available;

obtaining, by the handheld device, a resource-sharing software plug-in described in the resource-sharing information, wherein the resource-sharing software plug-in enables the particular hardware device to use a resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device;

locating, by the handheld device, the computing device using a network address specified in the resource-sharing information;

establishing, by the handheld device, a connection with the computing device via a second communication channel in response to locating the computing device; and

using, by the handheld device, the particular hardware device of the computing device with the resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device based on the resource-sharing software plug-in.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource-sharing information is received in a near field communication interface of handheld device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource-sharing information is received from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the computing device includes a serial number of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is a near-field (NFC) communication channel, and the second communication channel is an Internet Protocol (IP) communication channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the computing device includes searching a communication network for the network address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the computing device includes contacting a web service to obtain the network address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the resource-sharing software plug-in includes receiving the plug-in from the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the resource-sharing software plug-in includes receiving the plug-in from a web service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel comprises a local area network connection, a personal area network connection, a wide area network connection, a wired input/output connection, an infrared connection, an Internet connection, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein using the particular hardware device of the computing device comprises sharing at least one hardware resource of a media player, a computer, a digital video recorder, an optical disc player, a cable or satellite television receiver, a video game system, a digital television, a home theater receiver, a digital projector, a handheld computer, a printer, a portable phone, a digital camera, or a keyboard, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein using the particular hardware device comprises using a display associated with the computing device, a microphone associated with the computing device, an optical disc player associated with the computing device, a television receiver associated with the computing device, speakers associated with the computing device, a radio receiver associated with the electronic computing device, a storage device associated with the computing device, an input/output port associated with the computing device, a camera associated with the computing device, a keyboard associated with the computing device, a mouse associated with the computing device, a printer associated with the computing device, a scanner associated with the computing device, or a digital projector output associated with the computing device, or any combination thereof.

13. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to;

establish communication with a computing device via a first communication channel;

receive, through the first communication channel, resource-sharing information that includes information identifying the computing device and information identifying a particular hardware device of the computing device;

prompt a user to use the particular hardware device of the computing device with the handheld device, wherein the resource-sharing information further includes information sufficient to enable the handheld device to use the particular hardware device;

receive an approval from the computing device to use the particular hardware device of the computing device, in response to the computing device determining that the particular hardware device is available;

obtain a resource-sharing software plug-in described in the resource-sharing information, wherein the resource-sharing software plug-in enables the particular hardware device to use a resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device;

locate the computing device using a network address specified in the resource-sharing information;

establish a connection with the computing device via a second communication channel in response to locating the computing device; and

use the particular hardware device of the computing device with the resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device based on the resource-sharing software plug-in.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the resource-sharing information is received in a near field communication interface of the handheld electronic device.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the resource-sharing information is received from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the computing device.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a computer system, the non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions executable by a processor, the series of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the processor to establish communication with a computing device via a first communication channel;

instructions that cause the processor to receive, through the first communication channel, resource-sharing information that includes information identifying the computing device and information identifying a particular hardware device of the computing device;

instructions that cause the processor to prompt a user to use the particular hardware device of the computing device with the handheld device, wherein the resource-sharing information further includes information sufficient to enable the handheld device to use the particular hardware device;

instructions that cause the processor to receive an approval from the computing device to use the particular hardware device of the computing device, in response to the computing device determining that the particular hardware device is available;

instructions that cause the processor to obtain a resource-sharing software plug-in described in the resource-sharing information, wherein the resource-sharing software plug-in enables the particular hardware device to use a resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device;

instructions that cause the processor to locate the computing device using a network address specified in the resource-sharing information;

instructions that cause the processor to establish a connection with the computing device via a second communication channel in response to locating the computing device; and

instructions that cause the processor to use the particular hardware device of the computing device with the resource-sharing stream of data between the handheld device and the computing device based on the resource-sharing software plug-in.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first communication channel is a near-field (NFC) communication channel, and the second communication channel is an Internet Protocol (IP) communication channel.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to locate the computing device include instructions that cause the processor to search a communication network for the network address.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to obtain the resource-sharing software plug-in include instructions that cause the processor to receive the plug-in from the computing device.