Wireless shared resource computing

• US 9,621,687 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Koenig, Michael F., Fishman, Neil S., Snyder, Ira L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, MARIEGEORGES A
• Application Number:
  US14/841,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 709227, 709239, 370359
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The formation of a wireless device group for use in a computing environment involves establishing a wireless communication connection between a host wireless interface device and each of one or more dependent wireless interface devices, in which each dependent wireless interface device is configured to not directly communicate with a computing device. Another wireless communication connection is established between the host wireless interface device and the computing device when the host wireless interface device is within a host connection distance of the computing device. A further wireless communication connection can be established between the host wireless interface device and a second, different computing device.

Claims

1. A host wireless interface device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more wireless transceivers coupled to the one or more processors;

memory that includes a plurality of computer-executable components, the plurality of computer-executable components comprising;

a detection component configured to detect that the host wireless interface device is within a device proximity range of a dependent wireless interface device that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the host wireless interface device and to be incapable of establishing direct communication with a computing device, the dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the computing device through an indirect communication connection established through the host wireless interface device;

a device connection component that is configured to establish a first wireless communication connection via the one or more wireless transceivers between the dependent wireless interface device and the host wireless interface device;

a host connection component that is configured to;

establish a second wireless communication connection between the host wireless interface device and the computing device via the one or more wireless transceivers when the host wireless interface device is within a host connection distance of the computing device,

negotiate a communication relationship with the dependent wireless interface device when the dependent wireless interface device is another host wireless interface device by causing the host wireless interface device to act as another dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the other host wireless interface device when the other host wireless interface device is higher on a device hierarchy list than the host wireless interface device, and

establish a third wireless communication connection with the other host wireless interface device based on the negotiated communication relationship when the dependent wireless interface device is the other host wireless interface device; and

a user interface component that enables a user to exchange data with the computing device via the second wireless communication connection established between the host wireless interface device and the computing device.

2. The host wireless interface device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the host connection component is further configured to:

detect that a new computing device is closer in proximity to the host wireless interface device than the computing device;

provide, via the user interface, a prompt to establish a fourth wireless communication connection via the one or more wireless transceivers with the new computing device;

receive a user input directing establishment of the fourth wireless communication connection; and

establish, in response to the received user input, the fourth wireless communication connection.

3. The host wireless interface device of claim 1, wherein the device connection component is further configured to terminate the first wireless communication connection with the dependent wireless interface device when:

the dependent wireless interface device is no longer within a device operation range of the host wireless interface device, the device operation range being less than or equal to the device proximity range;

or

a user request to disconnect the dependent wireless device from the host wireless device is received at the host wireless interface device or the dependent wireless interface device.

4. The host wireless interface device of claim 1, further comprising an authentication component that is configured to authenticate the dependent wireless interface device to the host device during establishment of the first wireless communication connection.

5. A host wireless interface device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more wireless transceivers coupled to the one or more processors and configured to selectively communicate with a first computing device or a second computing device;

a user interface configured to receive user input(s) regarding connection(s) to computing device(s);

a computer readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

detecting a wireless device within a device proximity range;

establishing a first wireless communication connection with the wireless device when the wireless device is a dependent wireless interface device that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the host wireless interface device while being incapable of establishing direct communication with the first computing device or the second computing device;

establishing, when the wireless device is the dependent wireless interface device, a second wireless communication connection with a selected one of the first computing device and the second computing device based at least in part on at least some of the user input(s) from the user interface, wherein the second wireless communication connection enables the dependent wireless interface device to exchange data with the selected computing device via the first wireless communication connection and the second wireless communication connection;

negotiating a communication relationship with the wireless device when the wireless device is another host wireless interface device by causing the host wireless interface device to act as another dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the other host wireless interface device when the other host wireless interface device is higher on a device hierarchy list than the host wireless interface device; and

establishing a third wireless communication connection with the other host wireless interface device based on the negotiated communication relationship when the wireless device is the other host wireless interface device.

6. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, the computer readable memory further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform an act of terminating the second wireless communication connection when the host wireless interface device moves beyond a host operation range of the selected computing device.

7. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, the computer readable memory further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform a further act of terminating the second wireless communication connection and establishing a fourth wireless communication connection to the non-selected one of the first computing device and the second computing device in response to at least some of the user input(s) from the user interface.

8. The host wireless interface device of claim 7, the computer readable memory further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts that further comprise:

detecting that the second computing device is closer in proximity to the host wireless interface device than the first computing device; and

outputting a prompt via the user interface to establish the fourth wireless communication connection with the second computing device.

9. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein the host wireless device was previously dependent on the other host wireless interface device for exchanging data with the selected computing device.

10. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein the negotiating the communication relationship includes causing the host wireless interface device to act as another dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the other host wireless interface device when the host wireless interface device completes a user interface set that includes the other host wireless interface device.

11. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein the other host wireless interface device has at least one of more advanced software or more advanced hardware components than the host wireless interface device.

12. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein the negotiating the communication relationship includes causing the host wireless interface device to act as another dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the other host wireless interface device in response to a user input via the user interface.

13. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein both the host wireless interface device and the other host wireless interface device randomly designate the host wireless interface device as a dependent wireless interface device.

14. The host wireless interface device of claim 5, wherein the other host wireless interface device has established a wireless communication connection with the selected computing device prior to the host wireless interface establishing a different wireless communication connection with the selected computing device.

15. A computer implemented method, comprising:

forming, by a host wireless interface device, a wireless device group by establishing a wireless communication connection between the host wireless interface device and each of one or more dependent wireless interface devices, the dependent wireless interface devices being configured to not directly communicate with a computing device;

determining whether the wireless device group that includes the host wireless device and the one or more dependent wireless interface devices was previously communicatively connected with the computing device;

establishing a first wireless communication connection between the host wireless interface device and the computing device in response to determining that the host wireless interface device is within a host connection distance of the computing device and the wireless device group was previously communicatively connected with the computing device;

negotiating a communication relationship between the host wireless interface device and a selected dependent wireless interface device of the one or more dependent wireless interface devices when the selected dependent wireless interface device is another host wireless interface device by causing the host wireless interface device to act as another dependent wireless interface device configured to communicate with the other host wireless interface device when the other host wireless interface device is higher on a device hierarchy list than the host wireless interface device; and

establishing a second wireless communication connection with the other host wireless interface device based on the negotiated communication relationship when the selected dependent wireless device is the other host wireless interface device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising associating the wireless device group with an active desktop session implemented on the computing device to enable interaction with the active desktop session.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising authenticating each dependent wireless interface device to the host wireless interface device during establishment of a corresponding wireless communication connection.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

terminating the wireless communication connection between the host wireless interface device and the computing device; and

establishing a second wireless communication connection with a second, different computing device.