WO2009107039A2 - Système et procédé pour un réseau sans fil - Google Patents

Système et procédé pour un réseau sans fil Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009107039A2
WO2009107039A2 PCT/IB2009/050673 IB2009050673W WO2009107039A2 WO 2009107039 A2 WO2009107039 A2 WO 2009107039A2 IB 2009050673 W IB2009050673 W IB 2009050673W WO 2009107039 A2 WO2009107039 A2 WO 2009107039A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
devices
server
module
network
mingling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2009/050673
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English (en)
Other versions
WO2009107039A3 (fr
Inventor
Yoni Kahana
Original Assignee
Yoni Kahana
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Yoni Kahana filed Critical Yoni Kahana
Publication of WO2009107039A2 publication Critical patent/WO2009107039A2/fr
Publication of WO2009107039A3 publication Critical patent/WO2009107039A3/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W8/00—Network data management
    • H04W8/005—Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/18—Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Definitions

  • the invention is in the fields of social networks, cellular communications and short- range communications. More particularly, it involves networking over short range wireless communication using Bluetooth standard, whereas the network participants are located, mostly in a temporary manner, in a short wireless range.
  • Short-range wireless communications provides a variety of communication channels between products that previously had to be connected by cables.
  • Bluetooth is a wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks. Bluetooth can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronization. It provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, telephones, laptops, personal computers, printers, video game consoles, and global positioning system receivers.
  • the Bluetooth protocol operates in the license-free ISM band at 2.4- 2.4835 GHz. To avoid interfering with other protocols that use that band, the Bluetooth protocol divides the band into 79 channels, each 1 MHz wide, and changes channels up to 1600 times per second, achieving a data rate of 1 Mb/s.
  • the Bluetooth specifications are developed and licensed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
  • Exemplary applications of Bluetooth are wireless communication between a mobile phone and a hands-free headset, wireless networking between personal computers (PC) in a confined space, and wireless communication of a PC with input and output devices, mouse, printer and keyboard, for example.
  • PC personal computers
  • Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices, whereas Bluetooth device may advertise all of the services it provides.
  • a personal computer needs a Bluetooth adapter in order to communicate with other Bluetooth devices.
  • a PC may communicate with up to seven devices in a wireless network of up to eight devices, a piconet Up to
  • 255 further devices can be inactive, or parked, and the master device can bring them into active status at any time. At any given time, data may be transferred between the master and one other device.
  • the devices may switch roles, the slave becomes the master.
  • the master switches rapidly from one device to another in a round-robin mode.
  • the Bluetooth specification allows connecting two or more piconets together to form a scattemet, with some devices acting as a bridge by simultaneously playing the master role in one piconet and the slave role in another.
  • Any Bluetooth device transmits the following information on demand, device name, device class, list of services, and technical information which may include device features, manufacturer, Bluetooth specification used, and clock offset.
  • a device may perform an inquiry to find other devices in the vicinity to connect to, and any device can be configured to respond to such inquiries. Nevertheless, if the device which tries to connect knows the address of the device, it always responds to direct connection requests, transmitting the information shown in the list above.
  • Use of a device services may require pairing or acceptance by its owner, but the connection itself can be initiated by any device and held until it goes out of range.
  • Some devices can be connected to only one device at a time, and connecting to them prevents them from connecting to other devices and appearing in inquiries until they are disconnected from the other device. Every device has a unique 48-bit address. However these addresses are generally not shown in inquiries. Instead, friendly Bluetooth names are used as set by the user. This name appears when another user scans for devices and in lists of paired devices. Most phones have the Bluetooth names set to the manufacturer and model of the phone by default. This can be confusing as, for example, there could be several phones in the short range named the same.
  • a social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.
  • Social networking has created new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and social networking may be an enduring part of everyday life. Recently social network services have been founded. A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.
  • the main types of social networking services are that which contain directories of some categories, former classmates for example, means to connect with friends, and self-description pages.
  • My Space and Facebook are the most widely used social network services in North America.
  • a disadvantage of a social network based on a social network service is its dependency on the availability of operating PCs or other devices having internet access. Part of the time a person has no available PC, but yet would like to have an access to a social network managed over the internet. Moreover, the need or desire to be connected to a social network is especially high while being in a social event like a meeting, conference, pub, whereas sitting aside and working on a laptop is not practical. On the same time, a cellular phone is an item accompanying many persons almost permanently.
  • an objective of the disclosed invention is to provide an infrastructure for providing network and social network services to persons having cellular phones or other small personal devices having short range wireless transceiver. Another objective is to enable submission of mail from a customer relationship management (CRM) server to cellular phones. Additional objective might be free submission of advertisements to users of cellular phone.
  • CRM customer relationship management
  • the server and the devices have each a short range wireless transceiver of the same standard.
  • the devices are located within appropriate wireless range of the server.
  • the system includes a network management (NM) module installed in a server, and mingling modules installed in a plurality of devices.
  • NM network management
  • the NM module includes a scanner operative to connect the server with the devices, a mingling module installer operative to install mingling modules in the connected devices, and a router operative to transfer destined data items from a source to one of the connected devices.
  • Each device is operative to be installed with the mingling module, and let the installed mingling module submit a destined data item to the server.
  • the short range wireless standard is Bluetooth standard.
  • the server is a personal computer and the devices are mobile cellular phones.
  • the plurality of devices includes at least eight devices.
  • the source of the destined data item is either a site associated with the server through a network or one of the devices.
  • the server is connected to a wide area network and/or a local area network.
  • the installed mingling module is configured to initiate a connection with the server.
  • the installed mingling module is configured to send a profile to the server.
  • a program to operate the networking system may be stored in a storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer.
  • the server and the devices have each a short range wireless transceiver of the same standard, and the devices are located within appropriate wireless range of the server.
  • the NM module includes a scanner, a mingling module installer and a router.
  • the scanner is operative to connect the server with the plurality of devices.
  • the mingling module installer is operative to install a mingling module in the connected devices.
  • the router is operative to transfer a destined data item from a source to one of the devices.
  • the network is supported by a certain networking capability of the short range wireless standard. However, that capability limits the network to a certain number of participants.
  • the NM module is configured to support a number of participants of the network which is larger than that certain number of participants.
  • the short range wireless standard is supporting a first communication multiplexing method
  • the NM module is supporting a second communication multiplexing method operable over the first communication multiplexing method.
  • the NM module also includes a device database operative for storing data associated with the devices.
  • the NM module also includes social network interface operative for connecting the connected devices with a social network.
  • the NM module further includes an advertisement distributer operative for distributing advertisements to the devices,
  • the NM module further includes an advertisement server interface operative for receiving advertisements from a source external to the server for distribution over the network of the system.
  • the NM module may be included in a program stored in a storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying the NM module executable by the computer.
  • the method includes scanning for connectable devices and connecting them to the server, installing a mingling module on the connected devices, transferring destined data items between connected devices, and enabling a connectable device to initiate a connection with the server.
  • the method also includes the step of installing a network management module in a server. In some embodiments, the method also includes the step of monitoring an installation status of a mingling module in a connected device.
  • the method also includes the step of installing a mingling module in a connected device.
  • the method also includes the step of distributing advertisements to the connected devices.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a network of short range wireless devices around an internet connected server.
  • Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a network management module connected to an exemplary device.
  • Fig. 3 is a flow chart of a method for a network based on short range wireless communication.
  • each of the verbs "comprise”, “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, are used to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are not necessarily a complete listing of members, components, elements or parts of the subject or subjects of the verb.
  • a system 5 for a network 8 which includes a server 10 and a plurality of devices 15a, ISb 5 15c, 15d, 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d and 18 is illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • each of devices 15 and devices 16, respectively stands for devices 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, and devices 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d.
  • the server 10 and the devices 15-18 have each a short range wireless transceiver 19 or 19 * of the same standard.
  • the operating standard of two transceivers is considered to be the same whenever communication is possible between the two devices even though the version may be somewhat different.
  • the server 10 may be a personal computer (PC), a laptop, or a computerized platform constructed especially for the task of being a server 10 for a short wireless network 8.
  • the devices 15-18 may be mobile cellular phones, personal assistant devices, mobile media players, etc.
  • the server 10 is connected to an external network 20, which is either a local area network or a wide area network.
  • the external network 20 may have an advertisement server 25 as a participant.
  • the external network 20 may have social networks 21, 22, 23, each including a sub-set of its users.
  • the external network may be the internet and the social network services 21, 22, 23 may be respectively FACEBOOK 5 MySpace, and a social network service especially constructed to be associated with the wireless network 8.
  • the participants of the network 8 may transfer a variety of destined data items between them, with the server 10 serving as a mediator.
  • Exemplary data items may be those items facilitating the transfer of a vocal conversation, a short message service (SMS) message, a picture, etc.
  • SMS short message service
  • the source of a destined data item transferred to a participant may be a site associated with the server through the external network 20.
  • the destined data item may be an advertisement with advertisement server 25 as a source.
  • a network management module 30, depicted in the block diagram of Fig. 2, is installed in server 10.
  • the module 30 includes several elements.
  • the first element is a scanner 40 which identifies connectable devices 15, 16, 18, finding out which device is ready to be connected, and connect devices 15 and 16, for example, with the server 10. It also monitors the devices 15 and 16 for the status of installation of a mingling module 44. For example, it may find that devices 15 are already equipped with the mingling module 44, while devices 16 are not equipped with the mingling module 44. Two hours later, for example only, the scanner monitors the operative status of connected devices 15 and 16 which now already have a mingling module 44 to see if they are active or not active, namely, whether they are presently participate in the network 8 or not.
  • the second element is a mingling module installer 43 which installs the mingling module 44 in the connected devices, devices 16 for example.
  • Devices 16 may each submit a profile of the device and the user to the server, and the profiles may be stored in a third element of the network managing module, the device database 45.
  • the installer 43 may tailor parameters of a mingling module 44 to fit the profile of the device to be installed in. For example, some devices support dynamical registry of installed programs. The dynamical registry enables a scan by other device for presence of certain installed program. However, some devices do not support dynamical registry. Thus, the mingling module 44 installed in the device is tailored in the later case such that the scan by a server is made possible even though dynamical registry is not supported. Similarly, the mingling module 44 installation fits an installation protocol as dictated by the maker/model, Nokia paring or OBEX (object exchange), for example.
  • the profile transferred from a device to the device database 45 may contain personal details of the user in correspondence with the specific network. For example, a user may be present in during an evening in a pub, participating in a pub network whereas the personal details transferred are age, gender and height. In the following day, the user may attend a professional meeting, participating in a professional network whereas the personal details transferred are position, company name, title, etc.
  • the device one of devices 15 and 16, may submit destined data item to other devices, to members of a social network, etc.
  • the device may also send a multicast rather than a unicast message. To that aim, the device may indicate the message as a multicast message. In some embodiments, the default in no destination case is that the message is a multicast message to be transferred to all network 8 participants.
  • the installed mingling module 44 may initiate a connection with the server 10. That initiation may be motivated by the will of the device owner to send a destined message or data item to a network participant. Also, once some time has elapsed since last connection, the user may want to get connected again and socialize with other participants, much alike entering a social network over the internet.
  • a fourth element of the network management module is a router 55 which transfers destined data items from a source to one of the connected devices 15 and 16. To that aim, the router 55 checks if the destined device is connected and active, and which side is responsible for the connection and activeness. In some embodiments, the responsibility to initiate connection rests initially on the server side which may indicate the device that a connection is desirable, but later most of the time the devices initiate a connection. The server and the device may signal to each other that a connection is desirable using codes allocated for notifying the services they provide. Namely, the usual scanning operation for nearby Bluetooth devices involves submission of a list of services using several code bytes. Those code bytes may be used to indicate that a connection is desirable.
  • the mingling module 44 is responsible to comply with a request for connection initiated by the server and to save the server address. The mingling module 44 is also responsible to acknowledge the server that it is the responsibility of the mingling module 44 to initiate a connection. The reconnection is being executed according to an appropriate protocol.
  • the device database includes data on last connection time and that data, as well as the other data on the device profiles, may be available to other devices. Also, a device may be indicated as an "old” connection once it has not been connected to the network for certain time duration. For example, device 18 may be indicated “old” since it has not been connected to the server for 10-20 minutes.
  • a fifth element of the network management module is a social network interface 60 which connects the connected devices 15 and 16 with social network 21, 22 and 23.
  • a sixth element is an advertisement server interface 70 which receives advertisements from a source external to the server. It may store locally the received advertisement together with a set of criteria to for selection of targeted network participants.
  • a seventh element is an advertisement distributer 80 which may store the advertisements (ads) from external sources, as well as advertisement fed directly to server 10 and distribute the ads to connected devices. The distribution may be controlled by criteria in order to launch the advertisements to appropriate device owners.
  • advertisements may be attached to messages sent to the network participants. Namely, the server may receive a destined message from a device and transfer it to destination after adding a small advertisement, according to some criteria, An exemplary criterion may be that an attached advertisement should be smaller than the destined message.
  • a coupon may be submitted to the device in accordance with user parameters, place, time, etc.
  • the network 8 may be supported by a certain networking capability of the short range wireless standard. However, that capability may limit the network to a certain number of participants.
  • Bluetooth standard defines a small network piconet of seven non-primary devices and a primary master which manages the network, while a desired number of network participants may be several tens or hundreds.
  • the disclosed network 8 supports a larger number of participants, by connecting and disconnecting dynamically of the active devices from a piconet, as detailed below. However, having control of the process, the server still reserves all the connections in terms of network 8, despite a momentarily disconnection from the piconet.
  • the short range wireless standard may support a first communication multiplexing method
  • the disclosed network management module may support a second communication multiplexing method operable over the first communication multiplexing method.
  • Bluetooth standard supports frequency hopping spread spectrum as a communication multiplexing method
  • the disclosed module may use time division multiple access (TDMA) over frequency hopping spread spectrum.
  • TDMA time division multiple access
  • an additional communication layer is used over the Bluetooth layer, whereas the additional layer is using the following protocol, or set of rules:
  • the server divides the available seven piconet channels to three groups. Typically, the first group has only one channel, devoted to installing the mingling module 44 in new devices of network 8. Typically, the second group has only one channel, devoted to scanning the short range wirelessly for new comers.
  • the left channels five in the above typical case, are used for transferring data item from and to the devices in network 8.
  • the splitting may be dynamic and thus two channels may be devoted for installing the mingling module 44 at the initial time of adding participants to network 8. Similarly, at some times a lot of users are gradually gathering into a meeting place, and thus two channels may be devoted to scanning and connecting them to network 8.
  • participant are piconet disconnected after a first predetermined time duration of piconet connection in accordance with the time duration passed since they became piconet connected, releasing a piconet channel for other participant, even though they still got data items to transfer/receive.
  • the first predetermined time duration is preferably in the range of 100-2000msec.
  • a participant who failed to piconet connect should wait a second predetermined time duration before a new trial, so that there is no overwhelming pressure on the server attention.
  • the need to piconet reconnection stems from a will to send a data item to the server or to get new data items after a long disconnection to network 8.
  • the server may send an indication to a participating device that the device should initiate a reconnection without the server executing a full reconnection.
  • the second predetermined time duration is preferably in the range of 10-30 sec.
  • the described protocol ensures time division of the limited piconet resources in accordance with the communication needs of network 8.
  • a method 100 for networking a server and a plurality of devices is described in the flow chart of Fig. 3, The method 100 may include the following nine steps, which may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless it is clear from the context that one step depends on another being performed first.
  • a typical example of the method application follows, as an example only.
  • the method 100 may be used in a variety of environments, a pub, business conference, scientific conference, reunion meeting, for example.
  • the first step which may be conducted prior to operation of the network 8 is installing 110 a network management module in a server 10, a laptop for example.
  • the next steps, which may be conducted in the planned place are scanning 115 for connectable devices 15 and 16, and connecting 120 the connectable devices to the server 10.
  • the fourth step is monitoring 130 the connected devices 15 and 16 for status of mingling module installation. For example, it may be found that the mingling module has been already been installed in devices ISa, 15b, 15c and 15d, but not yet installed in devices 16a,16b,16c and 16d.
  • the fifth step is executed, installing 140 the mingling module in devices 16. Two hours later, for example only, the sixth step is conducted, monitoring 150 the operative status of connected devices to see if they are ready to participate in the network.
  • the method includes a seventh step, enabling 160 a device to initiate a connection with the server 10.
  • the target of having a network 8 is to have the eighth step of transferring 170 a destined data items between connected devices.
  • the ninth step may be of great commercial importance, distributing 180 advertisements to the connected devices.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système permettant la mise en réseau d'un serveur et d'une pluralité de dispositifs. Le serveur et les dispositifs comportent chacun un émetteur-récepteur sans fil de courte portée de même norme, par exemple Bluetooth. Les dispositifs sont situés à une distance appropriée pour la communication sans fil par rapport au serveur. Le système comporte un serveur, un ordinateur personnel par exemple, comprenant un module de gestion de réseau, et une pluralité de dispositifs, par exemple des téléphones cellulaires. Le module de gestion de réseau comporte un explorateur servant à la connexion du serveur avec les dispositifs, un programme d'installation de module mélangeur pour installer un module de gestion de réseau mélangeur dans les dispositifs connectés, et un routeur servant au transfert des éléments de données de destination depuis une source vers l'un des dispositifs connectés. Chaque dispositif est apte à être installé avec le module mélangeur, et à permettre au module mélangeur installé de soumettre un élément de donnée de destination au serveur. La pluralité de dispositifs peut inclure au moins huit dispositifs. La source de l'élément de donnée de destination peut être un site Internet associé au serveur via un réseau. Le dispositif est apte à permettre au module mélangeur installé de transmettre un profil au serveur, et de permettre au module mélangeur installé de lancer une connexion avec le serveur.
PCT/IB2009/050673 2008-02-27 2009-02-19 Système et procédé pour un réseau sans fil WO2009107039A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US3190708P 2008-02-27 2008-02-27
US61/031,907 2008-02-27

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WO2009107039A2 true WO2009107039A2 (fr) 2009-09-03
WO2009107039A3 WO2009107039A3 (fr) 2009-12-23

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030172138A1 (en) * 2002-03-11 2003-09-11 Mccormack Jonathan I. System and method for managing two or more electronic devices
US20070124439A1 (en) * 2005-08-08 2007-05-31 Shah Keyur C Device interface architecture and protocol
US20070255785A1 (en) * 2006-04-28 2007-11-01 Yahoo! Inc. Multimedia sharing in social networks for mobile devices
US20070266130A1 (en) * 2006-05-12 2007-11-15 Simpera Inc. A System and Method for Presenting Offers for Purchase to a Mobile Wireless Device

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030172138A1 (en) * 2002-03-11 2003-09-11 Mccormack Jonathan I. System and method for managing two or more electronic devices
US20070124439A1 (en) * 2005-08-08 2007-05-31 Shah Keyur C Device interface architecture and protocol
US20070255785A1 (en) * 2006-04-28 2007-11-01 Yahoo! Inc. Multimedia sharing in social networks for mobile devices
US20070266130A1 (en) * 2006-05-12 2007-11-15 Simpera Inc. A System and Method for Presenting Offers for Purchase to a Mobile Wireless Device

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