Vicinity-based undocking for a wireless docking application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634757-B2
Application number	US-201414206953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure describes wireless communication techniques, protocols, methods, and devices applicable to a docking system environment in which aspects of wireless docking may function using vicinity-based undocking techniques. In some examples, the techniques of this disclosure enable a wireless docking center to undock a wireless dockee in a situation where a wireless dockee moves out of the vicinity of a wireless docking center so as to prevent malicious users from using peripheral devices available through the wireless docking center to interact with the wireless dockee without the wireless dockee user's knowledge. In other examples, the wireless dockee may undock itself from a wireless docking center when the wireless dockee moves out of the vicinity of a wireless docking center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for vicinity-based undocking in a wireless docking environment, the method comprising:
measuring a signal strength of a communication between a wireless dockee and a wireless docking center;
starting a timer if the measured signal strength is below a lower threshold, wherein the lower threshold represents a first signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is out of range of the wireless docking center;
continuing measuring the signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center while the timer is running;
stopping the timer in the case that the measured signal strength is above a higher threshold, wherein the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center remain docked, wherein the higher threshold represents a second signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is in range of the wireless docking center, and wherein the higher threshold has a higher value than the lower threshold; and
undocking the wireless dockee from the wireless docking center in the case that the timer expires.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured signal strength is a normalized received signal strength indication (NRSSI).

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a message from the wireless docking center to the wireless dockee indicating that undocking is pending.

4. The method of any of claim 1 , 2 or 3 , wherein the method is performed by the wireless docking center.

5. The method of any of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the method is performed by the wireless dockee.

6. A wireless dockee configured to perform vicinity-based undocking in a wireless docking environment, the wireless dockee comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless docking center; and
one or more processors configured to:
measure a signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center;
start a timer if the measured signal strength is below a lower threshold, wherein the lower threshold represents a first signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is out of range of the wireless docking center;
continue measuring the signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center while the timer is running;
stop the timer in the case that the measured signal strength is above a higher threshold, wherein the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center remain docked, wherein the higher threshold represents a second signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is in range of the wireless docking center, and wherein the higher threshold has a higher value than the lower threshold; and
undock the wireless dockee from the wireless docking center in the case that the timer expires.

7. The wireless dockee of claim 6 , wherein the measured signal strength is a normalized received signal strength indication (NRSSI).

8. A wireless docking center configured to perform vicinity-based undocking in a wireless docking environment, the wireless docking center comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless dockee; and
one or more processors configured to:
measure a signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center;
start a timer if the measured signal strength is below a lower threshold, wherein the lower threshold represents a first signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is out of range of the wireless docking center;
continue measuring the signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center while the timer is running;
stop the timer in the case that the measured signal strength is above a higher threshold, wherein the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center remain docked, wherein the higher threshold represents a second signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is in range of the wireless docking center, and wherein the higher threshold has a higher value than the lower threshold; and
undock the wireless dockee from the wireless docking center in the case that the timer expires.

9. The wireless docking center of claim 8 , wherein the measured signal strength is a normalized received signal strength indication (NRSSI).

10. The wireless docking center of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
send a message to the wireless dockee indicating that undocking is pending.

11. An apparatus configured to perform vicinity-based undocking in a wireless docking environment, the apparatus comprising:
means for measuring a signal strength of a communication between a wireless dockee and a wireless docking center;
means for starting a timer if the measured signal strength is below a lower threshold, wherein the lower threshold represents a first signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is out of range of the wireless docking center;
means for continuing measuring the signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center while the timer is running;
means for stopping the timer in the case that the measured signal strength is above a higher threshold, wherein the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center remain docked, wherein the higher threshold represents a second signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is in range of the wireless docking center, and wherein the higher threshold has a higher value than the lower threshold; and
means for undocking the wireless dockee from the wireless docking center in the case that the timer expires.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the measured signal strength is a normalized received signal strength indication (NRSSI).

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
means for sending a message from the wireless docking center to the wireless dockee indicating that undocking is pending.

14. The apparatus of any of claim 11 , 12 , or 13 , wherein the apparatus is the wireless docking center.

15. The apparatus of any of claim 11 or 12 , wherein the apparatus is the wireless dockee.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a device configured to perform vicinity-based undocking to:
measure a signal strength of a communication between a wireless dockee and a wireless docking center;
start a timer if the measured signal strength is below a lower threshold, wherein the lower threshold represents a first signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is out of range of the wireless docking center;
continue measuring the signal strength of the communication between the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center while the timer is running;
stop the timer in the case that the measured signal strength is above a higher threshold, wherein the wireless dockee and the wireless docking center remain docked, wherein the higher threshold represents a second signal strength value indicating the wireless dockee is in range of the wireless docking center, and wherein the higher threshold has a higher value than the lower threshold; and
undock the wireless dockee from the wireless docking center in the case that the timer expires.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the measured signal strength is a normalized received signal strength indication (NRSSI).

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Huang Xiaolong
• Wang Xiaodong

Classifications

• H04M1/7253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• H04B7/26 Primary

  at least one of which is mobile · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title