WO2008120997A1

WO2008120997A1 - Browser in a local area network

Info

Publication number: WO2008120997A1
Application number: PCT/NO2008/000114
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tore Urnes; Sigrid Steinholt Bygdaas; Andrè Fossen MLONYENI
Original assignee: Ground Control Labs As
Priority date: 2007-03-30
Filing date: 2008-03-27
Publication date: 2008-10-09
Also published as: NO327690B1; NO20071687L

Abstract

Terminal arranged to establish connection with second terminals over a dynamic local area network, comprising an updated list of second terminals it is connected with, and an updated list of available data elements in the second terminals, upon reception of metadata regarding these available data elements from these second terminals. The terminal is arranged to set up hyper links to a plurality of these data elements, and to present such hyperlinks on a display. Further the terminal is arranged to download, to the terminal, a data element whose associated hyperlink is chosen by the User of the terminal, from the second terminal where the data element is stored.

Description

Browser in a local area network

The present invention relates generally to distribution of information and data elements in local area networks. In particular the invention relates to a method and a terminal set up to browse data elements in a dynamic local area network.

Background

Mobile terminals, such as mobile phones and so called PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant), are constantly increasing in capacity. This is the case for functionality like storage capacity, size and resolution of display, and possibilities for connecting to a local area network or other terminals in the neighbourhood. It has become possible to establish connections between such terminals with radio links which are adapted for shorter distances than for example the mobile network itself, which a terminal may be connected to. With such a radio link, connection may be established between terminals which are less than for example 100 m from each other.

Over such a radio link it is possible to transmit data between the terminals. As mentioned the storage capacity of such terminals constantly grows, and it is common that they store multimedia elements, such as music, video and pictures.

There .is consequently a possibility for exchange of information or data elements between terminals over said radio link, as long as the conditions for maintenance of the radio link are present. Consequently there may be established a local area network between such terminals, which will be dynamic since the required conditions for maintenance of a radio link between the terminals are changing constantly. When terminals arrive and leave an area where a link between two terminals may be provided, the terminals will be connected and disconnected from the network.

There are previously known solutions for presenting data elements from second terminals which are connected to a first terminal, at this first terminal. Due to the great amount of data elements which may be present at radio link connected terminals, earlier solutions use for presentation filtering functions with the result that only data elements of a preselected category are presented at a first terminal. One example of such filtering is described in the paper "Geonotes: Social and Navigational Aspects of Location-Based Information Systems", (Espinoza, et al, 2001).

If a data element of a preselected category becomes available from a terminal which has been connected, typically a message about this will be generated for the user. The user can thus not see what else is available, and such a filtering constitutes a limitation for the exchange of data elements between the terminals. The biggest disadvantage with filtering is however that the contents must_, be categorized. Experience shows that very few users bother with doing this, and consequently it fits very badly in a user controlled information environment.

It is therefore desirable to be able to present such data elements in a form where the user of the terminal can browse such data elements in the same way as one browses the Internet with the help of hyperlinks. By using an Internet connected browser, of course all the information available through the Internet will not be displayed. On the other side there are rather no limitations on what kind of information one chooses, as is the case with the earlier solution mentioned above, where categories of information are filtered away.

By providing such browser functionality at a mobile terminal, it is a problem that the amount and content of available information constantly change, since other terminals come to and leave the local area network. Unlike the Internet, where hyperlinks are relatively stable and have the same addresses during a long time, browsing in a local area network, like the one described herein, will require constant generation of new pointers to data elements in other connected terminals. The hyperlinks which are used on the Internet are often specified manually. In a dynamic information environment, or network, as with the present invention, this is not possible.

The publication "Bubbles: Navigating Multimedia Content in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks" (Bach, et al. 2003) illustrates browsing in local, dynamic networks, with presentation of hyperlinks on a display at a first mobile terminal. The hyperlinks represent links to music elements in other terminals which are connected to the first terminal via radiolink.

Object

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for and a terminal which is arranged for generation and presentation of hyperlinks for data elements in connected terminals, on the display of the mobile terminal, in such a way that the user of the terminal can browse these data elements. In particular it is an object of the invention that this terminal shall present an arbitrary selection of available data elements.

The invention The object of the invention is achieved by a terminal and a method as denoted in the characterizing part of claims 1 and 9. Further details and advantageous embodiments of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

According to the invention a real time database in each terminal is kept of which elements are available at any time. This means that there is kept a list of second available terminals and available contents in these. Further according to the invention in a first terminal hyperlinks will be generated which refer to data elements which are stored in second terminals which are connected with the first terminal through a dynamic local area network. The hyperlinks are presented for a user of the first terminal, to give the possibility for browsing the data elements in second connected terminals. Herein hyperlink means a graphic indication, which is enabled for marking, on a screen, in the form of text, logo, picture or similar, and upon activation or marking by a user, it represents a link to an information content, like a data element.

Herein a dynamic network means a network with a character that makes the number of terminals not decided and often changing. The terminals that make the network will further typically be different or "unknown" terminals, as the network changes. Herein a dynamic local area network means a dynamic network which is characterized by the fact that the connection between the terminals of the network is limited at least by distance between the terminals.

In known solutions with filtering of the contents, a terminal may send a request to another terminal, asking whether it has contents of interest, ie. whether is has specified types of contents. Eventually the terminal will ask another terminal about a list of all available contents, and thereafter filter out contents of a desired type. According to the invention the terminal receives information about all available contents, however there is not performed any filtering out of certain types of content.

Example

An embodiment of the invention is described in the following, referring to the Figures, where

Fig. 1 shows a principle sketch of terminals in a local area network Figs 2a -.2l<.rshow principle sketches of system parts of a terminal according to the invention; and

Fig. 3 shows an example of presentation of hyperlinks in the display of a terminal.

Fig. 1 shows a principle sketch of terminals in a local area network. A first terminal 1 , for example a mobile phone, is sufficiently close to three second terminals 3, so that a radio link is established between the first terminal 1 and the three second terminals 3.

The circle indicates an area 5 surrounding the first terminal 1 where the conditions for establishment of a radio link with the first terminal are present. When the mobile phone or terminal 1 is moved around, the area 5 will mainly move accordingly. The extension and form of the area 5 will indeed depend on obstacles such as for example buildings.

In the example shown in Fig. 1 , we assume an additional terminal 3' which moves into the area 5 from outside. Thus a new radio link is established between the first terminal 1 and the new second terminal 3\ For the sake of simplicity the example only shows a few terminals. However in practise the first terminal 1 may have connections with a much larger number of second terminals 3. This will for example be the case when the terminal 1 (mobile phone) is in the middle of a crowd of people, like at a concert, a sport event or in a crowded street.

Since the number of terminals that the first terminal 1 is connected with constantly changes, the first terminal 1 must have functionality for maintaining an updated list of second available terminals 3. Further functionality is needed for providing an updated list of available contents in these second terminals 3. Since the first terminal 1 also will act as another second terminal 3, as seen from another terminal, the first terminal 1 will also have functionality which provides similar access from other terminals. However in this example we look at the functionality of the first terminal 1 vis-a-vis the second terminals 3, to whose data elements the first terminal 1 is granted access.

The second terminals may be mobile terminals, like mobile phones, but may also be fixed localised terminals. Examples of this may be second terminals arranged in a shop to inform customers about goods, proposed food recipes, special offers etc. Another example may be other terminals arranged in museums, zoological gardens and the like, to inform visitors.

The Figures 2a - 2c show a principle sketch of three process steps for providing the above mentioned updated list of connected second terminals and list of available contents in these. Each of Figures 2a - 2c illustrates the same three process steps 100, 200 and 300, but at three consecutive points in time. The terminal 1 repeats continuously each of the three process steps, for example every five seconds.

The process step 100 is executed to provide an updated list of available second terminals 3. The second terminals 3 send at regular intervals heartbeat (HB) signals with the intention to signal the presence, respectively the availability of these terminals. The first terminal 1 sends similar HBs to second terminals 3. As illustrated in Figure 2a, the terminal 1 receives three HBs 101. Thus the terminal has received information that there are three second terminals 3 that it has connection with. As shown in Figure 2b, the terminal 1 receives an additional HB 101. This happens because the second terminal 3', as mentioned while referring Fig. 1 , now has arrived in the area 5, so that it may establish connection with the first terminal 1.

If the first terminal 1 does not receive any HB from a second terminal 3 for a while (for example some seconds), the connection with the second terminal 3 is regarded as lost.

As mentioned the first terminal 1 must maintain an updated list of available contents in the available second terminals 3. In this example this is provided in the process steps 200 and 300. When a second terminal 3 had its contents changed, it sends out an announcement message 301 about this to all available terminals. This may for example happen if the second terminal 3 has deleted a file, or has downloaded a new file which is made available for other terminals. In Fig. 2a it is illustrated that such an announcement message 301 is received by the first terminal 1 in the process step 300. In Fig. 2b it is shown that the received announcement message 301 is processed by the first terminal 1 in the process step 200. In the process step 200 it is decided that the first terminal 1 wishes to know about the change that the second terminal 3 announced with the message 301. Therefore the first terminal 1 sends out a request message 201 to the actual second terminal 3, where it asks the second terminal 3 to send a response message with information about what is changed in its available contents. In Fig 2c it is shown that this response message 202 is received by the first terminal 1.The first terminal 1 uses the information in this response message 202 to update the list of available contents in the available second terminals 3. The information in this list may preferably be meta data like the name of the files, their size and type, and for example information like artist name if the file is a melody/song.

Fig. 2b shows as described that the first .terminal has received one additional HB 101 from a second terminal 3' which has entered the area 5. To update the list of available contents from second terminals 3, the first terminal 1 sends out a request message 201 to the new second terminal 3'. In an equivalent way as described above, the first terminal 1 will receive a response message 202 from the new second terminal 3\ and use the information in this to update the list of available contents.

The operation for updating the list of available contents may also be performed in alternative ways. However the above described way has an advantage in that it enables different types of optimizations, such as a reduction of the time the radio links between the terminals are used.

Above it is described how continuously updated lists of available second terminals 3 and lists of their available contents are provided in the first terminal 1. For the user of the first terminal 1 to be able to browse through the contents in the second terminals 3, there are according to the invention established so called hyper links which are presented for the user on a display 2 of the first terminal .1 ,,for example as shown in Fig. 3.

In an equivalent way to that in which hyperlinks are used when browsing the Internet, the user will download the data element, or file, to which a hyperlink 4 is referring, by activating the hyperlink 4. The data element is downloaded to the first terminal 1. Such a download may be in the form of transmission of the whole data element from a second terminal 3 to the first terminal 1. Further the download may be in the form of so called streaming, where the data element is shown or presented at the first terminal 1 at the same time as the element is transferred from a second terminal 3. In such a case the download may be terminated, for example if the user does not wish to have the rest of the element presented on his/hers terminal.

Often there may be more available data elements than there is capacity for presenting at the display 2. Consequently it is necessary to provide a selection function to choose only some of the data elements for presentation of their appurtenant hyper links. This may be performed in several ways.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, only one hyperlink referring one data element from each of a plurality of second terminals 3 is presented. In this way it is assured that data elements are presented from as many different second terminals 3 as possible. Using a random functionaiity the first terminal 1 chooses a random data element from available second terminals 3, and accordingly only one from each second terminal 3. If the first terminal 1 only has contact with a few second terminals 3, the selection function will go through the list of available elements once more, and choose more elements, to fill the display 2 with hyper links 4.

Another selection function could choose random data elements from the whole amount of available data elements, without consideration of which of the plurality of second terminals 3 they are available frorη,

A third selection function could prioritize presentation of the data elements that become available latest. The function would then rank the second terminals 3 in the order corresponding to how long they have been in the data base, or list, of available second terminals 3. Alternatively if the first terminal 1 receives information that a second terminal 3 has got a new data element, as described above, this data element may be prioritized.

Claims

1. A first terminal (1) arranged for establishment of connection with second terminals (3) over a dynamic local area network, to keep an updated list of second terminals (3) it has connection with, and to keep an updated list of available data elements in the second terminals by receiving meta data regarding these available data elements from these second terminals (3), characterized in that

- the first terminal (1) is arranged to set up hyperlinks (4) to a plurality of these data elements; - the first terminal (1) is arranged to present such hyperlinks (4) on a display (2);

- the first terminal (1) is arranged to download, to the terminal (1), a data element which associated hyperlink (4) is chosen by the user of the first terminal (1), from the second terminal (3) where the data element is stored.

2. A first terminal according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is a mobile terminal.

3. A first terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a fixed terminal.

4. A first terminal according to claim 1 ,.2 or 3, charapterized in that it is arranged to keep a list of available data elements of allotypes, in connected second terminals (3).

5. A first terminal according to any of the claims 1 - 4, characterized in that it is arranged to generate hyperlinks (4) to the data elements which are chosen according to a selection function.

6. A first terminal according to claim 5,_, characterized in that the selection function is arranged to choose one data element from each of a plurality of second terminals (3), for generation of a hyperlink (4) associated with the data element.

7. A first terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that the selection function is arranged to prioritize generation of hyperlinks (4) associated with data elements which have been the shortest time in the list of available data elements.

8. A first terminal according to any qf claim 1 - 7, characterized in that it is arranged to perform the download in the form of streaming.

9. Method to enable browsing with a first terminal, of data elements stored in second terminals which are connected to the first terminal through a dynamic local area network, comprising maintaining an updated list of second terminals which are connected to the first terminal through said local area network and maintaining an updated list of available data elements in these second terminals, characterized in

- generating hyperlinks in the first terminal, associated with a plurality of these data elements;

■ - presenting a plurality of the hyperlinks^' on a display at the first terminal; and

- downloading a data element to the first terminal, by a users choice of the hyperlink associated with the data element.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the first terminal is a mobile terminal.

11. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the first terminal is a fixed terminal.

12. Method according to any of the claims 9, 10 or 11 , characterized in maintaining a list of available data elements of all types.

13. Method according to any of the claims 9 to 12, characterized in generation of hyperlinks associated with the data elements which are chosen according to a selection function.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in choosing one data element from each of a plurality of second terminals, for generation of a hyperlink associated with the data element.

15. Method according to claim 13, characterized in prioritizing generation of hyperlinks associated with data elements which has been the shortest time in the list of available data elements.

16. Method according to the claims 9 to 15, characterized in performing the download in the form of streaming.