Inviting devices to join a mesh network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288612-B2
Application number	US-201313913162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and program product are disclosed for inviting devices to join a mesh network. A network interface is accessible by a processor and a memory stores machine readable code executable by the processor. The machine readable code includes a network module configured to establish a mesh network via the network interface. The mesh network includes one or more electronic devices. The machine readable code includes a proximity module configured to detect a first electronic device within close proximity to a second electronic device. The first electronic device is not connected to the mesh network and the second electronic device is connected to the mesh network. The machine readable code includes an invitation module configured to send mesh network connection information to the first electronic device from the second electronic device in response to determining the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a network interface accessible by the processor;
a memory storing machine readable code executable by the processor, the machine readable code comprising:
a network module configured to establish a mesh network via the network interface, the mesh network comprising one or more electronic devices;
a proximity detection module configured to detect a first electronic device within close proximity to a second electronic device, the first electronic device not connected to the mesh network and the second electronic device connected to the mesh network, wherein it is determined that the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device in response to determining that the first and second electronic devices are within a predetermined distance of each other and determining that the first and second electronic devices vibrated at the same time; and
an invitation module configured to send mesh network connection information to the first electronic device from the second electronic device in response to determining the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the proximity detection module further comprises a touch detection module configured to detect the first and second electronic devices physically touched in order to verify the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the touch detection module establishes a near field communication (NFC) connection between the first and second electronic devices to verify the first and second electronic devices physically touched.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the invitation module sends mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device over an NFC connection in response to the first and second electronic devices establishing an NFC connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch detection module determines whether a force of the vibration is within a predetermined threshold to verify the first and second electronic devices physically touched.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the invitation module sends mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device using a wireless communication standard in response to the first and second electronic devices physically touching, the wireless communication standard selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, and infrared.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the invitation module selects a wireless communication standard to send mesh network connection information between the first and second electronic devices, the wireless communication standard being selected based on the wireless communication capabilities of the first and second electronic devices, the first and second electronic devices having at least one compatible wireless communication standard.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mesh network comprises a wireless communication standard different than the wireless communication standard used to send mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a handshaking module configured to establish the wireless communication parameters between the first and second electronic devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user confirmation module configured to prompt a user to confirm a mesh network invitation sent by the invitation module wherein mesh network connection information is transferred from the second electronic device to the first electronic device in response to a positive user confirmation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an encryption module configured to encrypt data sent between the one or more electronic devices connected to the mesh network.

12. A method comprising:
establishing a mesh network, the mesh network comprising one or more electronic devices;
detecting a first electronic device within close proximity to a second electronic device, the first electronic device not connected to the mesh network and the second electronic device connected to the mesh network, wherein it is determined that the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device in response to determining that the first and second electronic devices are within a predetermined distance of each other and determining that the first and second electronic devices vibrated at the same time; and
sending mesh network connection information to the first electronic device from the second electronic device in response to determining the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting the first and second electronic devices physically touched in order to verify the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising establishing a near field communication (NFC) connection between the first and second electronic devices to verify the first and second electronic devices physically touched.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising sending mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device over an NFC connection in response to the first and second electronic devices establishing an NFC connection.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sending mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device using a wireless communication standard in response to the first and second electronic devices physically touching, the wireless communication standard selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, and infrared.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mesh network comprises a wireless communication standard different than the wireless communication standard used to send mesh network connection information from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

18. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing machine readable code executable by a processor to:
establish a mesh network, the mesh network comprising one or more electronic devices;
detect a first electronic device within close proximity to a second electronic device, the first electronic device not connected to the mesh network and the second electronic device connected to the mesh network, wherein it is determined that the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device in response to determining that the first and second electronic devices are within a predetermined distance of each other and determining that the first and second electronic devices vibrated at the same time; and
send mesh network connection information to the first electronic device from the second electronic device in response to determining the first electronic device is within close proximity to the second electronic device.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Locker Howard
• Williams Ii James Wesley

Classifications

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/008 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title