Establishing connectivity between user devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11637819-B2
Application number	US-202017104049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	Nov 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computer system is provided for establishing connectivity between user devices. The computer-implemented method includes: broadcasting a message to running processes on an operating system of the first user device to indicate that a requesting application is looking for a live connection channel to attempt discovery with a second user device to ascertain virtual proximity of the first user device with the second user device. The computer-implemented method further includes receiving a response from a live connection channel and attempting to verify pairing via the live connection channel to confirm a virtual proximity of the second user device with the first user device. The pairing provides information for establishing a subsequent connection between the first and second user devices via the requesting application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for establishing connectivity between user devices, comprising:
receiving a request, from a requesting application, to determine whether a first user device and a second user device are in virtual proximity with each other, where two devices are considered as being in virtual proximity based, at least in part on, determining one or more of: (i) a user of the second user device is a contact of user of the first user device, (ii) the user of the first user device is a contact of user of the second user device, (iii) the first and second user devices can be connected in communication with each other over a live connection channel, and (iv) the first and second user devices have communicated with each other by digital means;
broadcasting a message to running processes on an operating system of a first user device to indicate that the requesting application is looking for a live connection channel to attempt discovery with a second user device as a part of ascertaining virtual proximity of the first user device with the second user device;
receiving a response from a live connection channel; and
verifying a pairing, between the first and second user device, via the responding live connection channel to confirm a virtual proximity of the second user device with the first user device, wherein the pairing includes broadcasting one or more pairing codes and communicating information for establishing a subsequent connection between the first and second user devices via future requests from the requesting application.

2. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the information for establishing the subsequent connection comprises secured information using cryptographic operations.

3. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pairing uses the one or more pairing codes registered for a payload at a pairing service for a limited amount of time and includes sending a cryptographically signed and/or encrypted payload via the live connection channel.

4. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to identify virtual contacts from the requesting application and receiving information from the requesting application for use in establishing the subsequent connection between the first and second user devices via the requesting application.

5. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the information for establishing a subsequent connection includes information identifying the requesting application and identifying a user.

6. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the live connection channel is selected from the group consisting of: a channel that has a live real-time communication, a messaging channel that has sent or received a message within a predefined time period, and channel sharing a document for collaboration.

7. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
broadcasting a first message to running processes to indicate that the requesting application is attempting to discover and receiving a response to the first message by indicating availability to receive paring codes via the live connection channel.

8. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
broadcasting a second message to running processes to indicate that the requesting application is attempting to share the one or more pairing codes and receiving a response to the second message by indicating availability to deliver the paring codes via the live connection channel.

9. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
using the subsequent connection for transactions between the requesting application and a corresponding application on the second user device.

10. A computer system for establishing connectivity between user devices, comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media; and
computer program instructions, the computer program instructions being stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by the one or more computer processors, and the computer program instructions including instructions to:
broadcast a message to running processes on an operating system of a first user device to indicate that a requesting application is looking for a live connection channel to attempt discovery with a second user device as a part of ascertaining virtual proximity of the first user device with the second user device;
receive a response from a live connection channel; and
verifying a pairing, between the first and second user device, via the responding live connection channel to confirm a virtual proximity of the second user device with the first user device, wherein the pairing includes broadcasting one or more pairing codes and communicating information for establishing a subsequent connection between the first and second user devices via future requests from the requesting application.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the information for establishing the subsequent connection comprises secured information using cryptographic operations.

12. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the pairing uses the one or more pairing codes registered for a payload at a pairing service for a limited amount of time and includes sending a cryptographically signed and/or encrypted payload via the live connection channel.

13. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising program instructions to:
receive a request to identify virtual contacts from the requesting application and an information receiving component for receiving information for use in establishing the subsequent connection between the first and second user devices via the requesting application.

14. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the information for establishing a subsequent connection includes information identifying the requesting application and identifying a user.

15. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the live connection channel is selected from the group consisting of: a channel that has a live real-time communication, a messaging channel that has sent or received a message within a predefined time period, and channel sharing a document for collaboration.

16. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising program instructions to:
broadcast a first message to running processes to indicate that the requesting application is attempting to discover and receiving a response to the first message by indicating availability to receive the paring codes via the live connection channel.

17. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising program instructions to:
broadcast a second message to running processes to indicate that the requesting application is attempting to share the one or more pairing codes and receiving a response to the second message by indicating availability to deliver the paring codes via the live connection channel.

18. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising program instructions to:
discover physically proximate user devices using near field communication protocols.

19. The computer system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising program instructions to:
use the subsequent connection for transactions between the requesting application and a corresponding application on the second user device.

2

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Waterton Thomas James
• Hewitt James
• Thomas Caroline J
• Jacks Richard

Classifications

• G06Q20/102

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title

• H04L67/146

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• H04L63/18

  using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215) · CPC title

• H04W12/61

  Time-dependent · CPC title

• G06Q20/3267

  In-app payments · CPC title