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EP-4740420-A1 - A METHOD AND DEVICES FOR EXTENDING CAPABILITY AVAILABILITY OF AN INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE

EP4740420A1EP 4740420 A1EP4740420 A1EP 4740420A1EP-4740420-A1

Abstract

A method of an IODH, managing a first set of IODs, comprising at least one first IOD, providing an ongoing session between a User Tag (UT), and a server is suggested where the method comprise: receiving, from a second IODH, managing a second IOD of a second set of IODs, information on a beacon signal received by the second IOD, wherein the information comprises IOD specific information on the second IOD and session specific information on the ongoing session; initiating, based at least partly on the received information, a determination on whether at least part of an IOD managed by the second IODH is allowed to or prohibited from taking part in the ongoing session, and managing, at least parts of the second IOD to take part in the ongoing session, in response to having become aware of that the at least parts of the second IOD is allowed to take part in the ongoing session and based, at least partly on information on the beacon signal, received from the second IODH.

Inventors

  • LINDSKOG, Niklas
  • SALMELA, PATRIK
  • ARNGREN, TOMMY
  • ÖKVIST, Peter

Assignees

  • Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230703

Claims (20)

  1. LA method at an Input/Output Device, IOD, for forwarding a session between a server and a legacy IOD, LIOD, the method comprising: -transmitting (5:20), to an Input/Output Handler, I0DH, a notification, announcing at least one capability, available at a LIOD, upon having established (5:10) a connection between the IOD and the LIOD; -transmitting (5:40), to the I0DH, information on a beacon signal received by the IOD from a user tag, UT, wherein the beacon signal is associated with a session, to which the UT require access, and -forwarding (4:90) at least one stream, associated with the session and the at least one capability, available at the LIOD, to and/or from the LIOD, in response to having received an indication from the I0DH that the at least one capability of the LIOD is to be added to the session.
  2. 2. The method according claim 1, wherein the connection with the LIOD is established (4: 10) upon having determined, by the IOD, that the IOD and LIOD are in close proximity to each other.
  3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification of the at least one capability available at the LIOD further comprises at least one of: -an identity of the LIOD; -at least one identity of at least one capability, available at the LIOD; -an indication, indicating that the at least one capabilities of the LIOD is/are available on a temporary basis, and - at least one communication parameter, indicative of the connection established between the IOD and the LIOD.
  4. 4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising transmitting to the I0DH -at least one policy, decisive for the usage of the at least one capability of the LIOD.
  5. 5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the forwarding (4:90) is preceded by the IOD being authenticated (5:80) towards the server.
  6. 6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the forwarding (4:90) comprises translating the session from an incoming to an outgoing communication protocol.
  7. 7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the forwarding (4:90) is initiated in response to having received (4:50), from the LIOD, an acceptance of usage of the at least one capability of the LIOD.
  8. 8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the session is associated with a plurality of streams, each steam being dedicated to and set up for one of the LIOD or the IOD.
  9. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the streams is being dedicated to a specific capability of the LIOD.
  10. 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising time synchronizing the streams of the session.
  11. 11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: -transmitting (6:20a), to the I0DH, an announcement, notifying the I0DH that at least one of the at least one capability is/are no longer available from the LIOD, in response to having determined (6: 10a) that the connection between the IOD and the LIOD has been disconnected.
  12. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining (6:10a) comprises determining that all of the at least one capability of the LIOD has been disconnected from the IOD.
  13. 13. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: -terminating at least one of the streams, in response to receiving (6:30a, 6: 10b) an instruction from the I0DH, notifying the IOD that the at least one stream is to be terminated.
  14. 14. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising providing, to the I0DH or the server, communication parameters, indicative of the connection between the LIOD to an IOD.
  15. 15. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising participating in authenticating at least one of an UT, comprised at the LIOD, and the IOD, on behalf of the LIOD towards the server.
  16. 16. A method at an Input/Output device handler, I0DH, for providing a session, provided from a server, access to at least one capability, available at a Legacy Input/Output Device, LIOD, the method comprising: -receiving (7: 10), from an input/ output device, IOD, an announcement, indicating at least one capability, available at a LIOD, connected to the IOD; -receiving (7:30), from the IOD, information on a beacon signal, received by the IOD, from a user tag, UT, wherein the beacon signal is associated with a session, requested by the UT, and -transmitting (7:50), to the IOD, instructions, instructing the IOD to add at least one of the at least one capability to the session, in response to having determined (7:40), based on the at least one capability, available at the LIOD, that at least one of the at least one capability is to be added to the session.
  17. 17. The method according to claims 16, wherein the announcement about at least one capability, available at the LIOD, is construed, by the I0DH, as an extension of the capabilities available at the IOD.
  18. 18. The method according to any of claims 16 or 17, wherein the announcement further comprises at least one of: -an identity of the LIOD; -a respective identity of at least one capability, available at the LIOD; -an indication that the capabilities of the LIOD are available via the IOD on a temporary basis, and - at least one communication parameter, indicative of the connection established between the IOD and the LIOD.
  19. 19. The method according to any of claims 16-18, wherein the transmitting (7:50) of the instructions, further comprise determining (7:40) and instructing (7:50) the IOD that the addition is to be executed via at least one stream, dedicated for the at least one capability of the LIOD.
  20. 20. The method according to any of claims 16-19, further comprising determining (7:40) and instructing (7:50) that the session shall be associated with a plurality of streams.

Description

A METHOD AND DEVICES FOR EXTENDING CAPABILITY AVAILABILITY OF AN INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD [001] Disclosed are embodiments related to methods and devices for allowing a device not configured to operate as an Input/Output Device (I0D) to provide such functionality. BACKGROUND [002] Many users of today interact with 5-10 connected devices, ranging from very capable to single purpose devices, every day. One approach to meet an ever raising demand for connected devices to meet a broader spectrum of different tasks is to develop more advanced and diverse devices, comprising a broader range of various capabilities. A disadvantage with such an approach is that these devices become more expensive. [003] There are different solutions available in the market that enable wireless access, sharing and use of hardware resources available in a certain context, room or network, etc., like Apple-TV, Sun stateless terminals or video conferencing systems. However, all these solutions have in common that the users, in some way, are logged onto a corresponding communication system and what devices the communication system at hand holds are defined by the system itself. [004] A flexible concept, referred to as the cloudphone concept, disclosed in US11212130 B2, describes a solution where an identified user is provided access to communication resources and a service available in her surroundings via devices specifically adapted therefore, referred to as I/O user devices. The concept and the existing proof-of-concept solution thereby enables person-to-person or person-to-device communication, utilizing various communication resources, as long as these resources are located in proximity of the user associated to a service, such as e.g. a personal cloud based service. In one aspect of this disaggregated solution, communication resources in user-proximity may be associated, and allocated to a user based on requirements related to a specific communication service, requested by the user. Depending on the requirements of the user, the available resources and their different input and output capabilities, matching resources can then be combined and allocated in order to, in the best possible way, match the request of the user. [005] However, communication resources need to be preconfigured in order for them to be connectable and usable in the mentioned cloudphone concept. It is therefore a desire to make it easier to make use of communication resources and their capabilities in systems, such as the mentioned cloudphone system. SUMMARY [006] In order to further improve the solution mentioned above, a mechanism for enabling a LIOD to provide IOD capabilities to a communication system is suggested. [007] According to one aspect, a method at an Input/Output Device, IOD, for forwarding a session between a server and a legacy IOD, LIOD, is suggested where the method comprise transmitting of a notification to an Input/Output Handler, IODH, announcing at least one capability, available at a LIOD, upon having established a connection between the IOD and the LIOD; transmitting information on a beacon signal received by the IOD from a user tag, UT, to the IODH, wherein the beacon signal is associated with a session, to which the UT require access, and forwarding at least one stream, associated with the session and the at least one capability, available at the LIOD, to and/or from the LIOD, in response to having received an indication from the IODH that the at least one capability of the LIOD is to be added to the session. [008] According to another aspect, a method at an Input/Output device handler, IODH, for providing a session, provided from a server, access to at least one capability, available at a Legacy Input/Output Device, LIOD, is suggested, where the method comprise: receiving an announcement from an IOD, indicating at least one capability, available at a LIOD, which is connected to the IOD; receiving information on a beacon signal, received by the IOD, from the IOD, when the beacon signal has been transmitted from a user tag, UT, wherein the beacon signal is associated with a session, requested by the UT, and transmitting instructions to an IOD, instructing the IOD to add at least one of the at least one capability to the session, in response to having determined that at least one of the at least one capability is to be added to the session, based on the at least one capability available at the LIOD. [009] According to yet another aspect an IOD for forwarding a session between a server and LIOD is suggested, wherein the IOD is configured to: transmit a notification to an IODH, announcing at least one capability, available at a LIOD, upon having established a connection between the IOD and the LIOD; transmit information on a beacon signal received by the IOD from a user tag, UT TO, to the I0DH, wherein the beacon signal is associated with a session, to which the UT require access, and forward at least one stream, associated w