U.S. patent application number 15/135633 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-11 for wireless communication link establishment.
This patent application is currently assigned to Nokia Technologies Oy. The applicant listed for this patent is Nokia Technologies Oy. Invention is credited to Andrea Bacioccola, James Steele, Jan Suumaki.
Application Number | 20160234632 15/135633 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45873487 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160234632 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Suumaki; Jan ; et
al. |
August 11, 2016 |
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION LINK ESTABLISHMENT
Abstract
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present
invention, an apparatus, a computer program product and a method is
provided for establishment of a wireless communication link through
machine reading. The example embodiment comprises receiving at
least information identifying a wireless communication device
through machine reading a machine-readable object, and initiating a
wireless communication link establishment with the wireless
communication device using the received information, wherein the
wireless communication link establishment is incorporated with an
indication that a machine-readable object associated with the
wireless communication device was read.
Inventors: |
Suumaki; Jan; (Lempaala,
FI) ; Bacioccola; Andrea; (Helsinki, FI) ;
Steele; James; (Cambridge, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nokia Technologies Oy |
Espoo |
|
FI |
|
|
Assignee: |
Nokia Technologies Oy
Espoo
FI
|
Family ID: |
45873487 |
Appl. No.: |
15/135633 |
Filed: |
April 22, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13822399 |
May 28, 2013 |
9351322 |
|
|
PCT/FI2010/050738 |
Sep 24, 2010 |
|
|
|
15135633 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 19/06028 20130101;
H04W 76/11 20180201; G06K 7/10138 20130101; H04W 76/10 20180201;
H04W 4/80 20180201; H04M 1/7253 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/00 20060101
H04W004/00; G06K 7/10 20060101 G06K007/10; G06K 19/06 20060101
G06K019/06; H04W 76/02 20060101 H04W076/02 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving, at an apparatus, through machine
reading a machine-readable object, at least information relating to
an associated wireless communication device comprising at least
pairing parameters that can be used when establishing a secure
wireless short-range communication connection with the associated
wireless communication device, wherein the machine-readable object
is an image that contains the information encoded; and initiating,
by the apparatus, wireless short-range communication link
establishment with the associated wireless communication device,
wherein the wireless short-range communication link establishment
is incorporated with an indication that the machine-readable object
has been read, the indication comprising use of the pairing
parameters for establishing a secure wireless short-range
communication connection with the wireless communication
device.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the secure wireless
short-range communication connection is established over one of a
Bluetooth and a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image comprises a
barcode.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the barcode comprises at
least one of a one-dimensional barcode and a two-dimensional
barcode.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication enables
the apparatus to establish a secure wireless short-range
communication connection with the associated wireless communication
device on a prioritized basis.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication enables
the apparatus to establish a secure wireless short-range
communication connection with the associated wireless communication
device using a reduced set of security measures.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication causes the
associated wireless communication device to perform at least one
action different from actions performed when the associated
wireless communication device receives wireless short-range
communication link establishment initiations that do not have
incorporated therein an indication that the machine-readable object
has been read.
8. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least
one memory including executable instructions, the at least one
memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in
cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
perform at least the following: receive through machine reading a
machine-readable object, at least information relating to an
associated wireless communication device comprising at least
pairing parameters that can be used when establishing a secure
wireless short-range communication connection with the associated
wireless communication device, wherein the machine-readable object
is an image that contains the information encoded; and initiate
wireless short-range communication link establishment with the
associated wireless communication device, wherein the wireless
short-range communication link establishment is incorporated with
an indication that the machine-readable object has been read, the
indication comprising use of the pairing parameters for
establishing a secure wireless short-range communication connection
with the wireless communication device.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the secure wireless
short-range communication connection is established over one of a
Bluetooth and a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image comprises
a barcode.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the barcode
comprises at least one of a one-dimensional barcode and a
two-dimensional barcode.
12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the indication
enables the apparatus to establish a secure wireless short-range
communication connection with the associated wireless communication
device on a prioritized basis.
13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the indication
enables the apparatus to establish a secure wireless short-range
communication connection with the associated wireless communication
device using a reduced set of security measures.
14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the indication
causes the associated wireless communication device to perform at
least one action different from actions performed when the
associated wireless communication device receives wireless
short-range communication link establishment initiations that do
not have incorporated therein an indication that the
machine-readable object has been read.
15. A computer program product comprising computer executable
program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage
medium, the computer executable program code comprising: code for
receiving, at an apparatus, through machine reading a
machine-readable object, at least information relating to an
associated wireless communication device comprising at least
pairing parameters that can be used when establishing a secure
wireless short-range communication connection with the associated
wireless communication device, wherein the machine-readable object
is an image that contains the information encoded; and code for
initiating, by the apparatus, wireless short-range communication
link establishment with the associated wireless communication
device, wherein the wireless short-range communication link
establishment is incorporated with an indication that the
machine-readable object has been read, the indication comprising
use of the pairing parameters for establishing a secure wireless
short-range communication connection with the wireless
communication device.
16. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the
secure wireless short-range communication connection is established
over one of a Bluetooth and a Bluetooth Low Energy communication
protocol.
17. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the
image comprises at least one of a one-dimensional barcode and a
two-dimensional barcode.
18. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the
indication enables the apparatus to establish a secure wireless
short-range communication connection with the associated wireless
communication device on a prioritized basis.
19. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the
indication enables the apparatus to establish a secure wireless
short-range communication connection with the associated wireless
communication device using a reduced set of security measures.
20. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the
indication causes the associated wireless communication device to
perform at least one action different from actions performed when
the associated wireless communication device receives wireless
short-range communication link establishment initiations that do
not have incorporated therein an indication that the
machine-readable object has been read.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless
communication and establishment of a wireless communication link
through machine reading.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Modern society has adopted, and is becoming reliant upon,
wireless communication devices for various purposes, such as,
connecting users of the wireless communication devices with other
users. Wireless communication devices can vary from battery powered
handheld devices to stationary household and/or commercial devices
utilizing an electrical network as a power source. Due to rapid
development of the wireless communication devices a number of areas
capable of enabling entirely new types of communication
applications have emerged.
[0003] A wireless communication device, upon establishment of a
wireless communication connection for example to gain access to a
wireless communication network or to establish direct communication
connection with another device, needs to get identification
information of the other device to establish wireless communication
link with it. The identification information may be received from
the other device for example by receiving a wireless advertisement
message that may be transmitted by the other device every now and
then to announce its presence. Alternatively, the identification
information about the other device may be acquired for example by
way of machine-reading an object holding the identification
information. Irrespective of the way the identification information
about the other device has been acquired, the identification
information is used when establishing a communication link with the
other device.
SUMMARY
[0004] Various aspects of examples of the invention are set out in
the claims.
[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a
method is provided comprising receiving, through machine reading a
machine-readable object, at least information identifying a
wireless communication device, and initiating wireless
communication link establishment with the wireless communication
device using the received information, wherein the wireless
communication link establishment is incorporated with an indication
that machine-readable object associated with the wireless
communication device was read.
[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a
computer program product is disclosed, adapted to cause
performation of the method according to the first aspect when said
program is run on a computer.
[0007] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an
apparatus is disclosed, comprising means for receiving, through
machine reading a machine-readable object, at least information
identifying a wireless communication device, and means for
initiating wireless communication link establishment with the
wireless communication device using the received information,
wherein the wireless communication link establishment is
incorporated with an indication that machine-readable object
associated with the wireless communication device was read.
[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a
method is provided comprising receiving a connection establishment
initiation from a wireless communication device, determining
whether the connection establishment initiation includes an
indication that an associated machine-readable object was read by
the wireless communication device, and participating in the
wireless connection establishment and performing an associated
action in response to determination that an associated
machine-readable object was read by the wireless communication
device initiating the connection establishment request.
[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a
computer program product is disclosed, adapted to cause
performation of the method according to the fourth aspect when said
program is run on a computer.
[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an
apparatus is disclosed, comprising means for receiving a connection
establishment initiation from a wireless communication device,
means for determining whether the connection establishment
initiation includes an indication that an associated
machine-readable object was read by the wireless communication
device, and means for participating in the wireless connection
establishment and performing an associated action in response to
determination that an associated machine-readable object was read
by the wireless communication device initiating the connection
establishment request.
[0011] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, an
apparatus is disclosed, comprising at least one processor and at
least one memory including executable instructions, the at least
one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in
cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
perform at least the following: receive, through machine reading a
machine-readable object, at least information identifying a
wireless communication device, and initiate wireless communication
link establishment with the wireless communication device using the
received information, wherein the wireless communication link
establishment is incorporated with an indication that
machine-readable object associated with the wireless communication
device was read.
[0012] According to an eight aspect of the present invention, an
apparatus is disclosed, comprising at least one processor and at
least one memory including executable instructions, the at least
one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in
cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
perform at least the following: receive a connection establishment
initiation from a wireless communication device, determine whether
the connection establishment initiation includes an indication that
an associated machine-readable object was read by the wireless
communication device, and participate in the wireless connection
establishment and perform an associated action in response to
determination that an associated machine-readable object was read
by the wireless communication device initiating the connection
establishment request.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] For a more complete understanding of example embodiments of
the present invention, reference is now made to the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 discloses an example of operational environment in
which apparatuses according to an example embodiment of the
invention may be used;
[0015] FIG. 2 discloses a modular layout for an example apparatus
according to an example embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3A discloses a modular layout for another example
apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 3B discloses a modular layout for the other example
apparatus according to another example embodiment of the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 discloses a modular layout for the other example
apparatus according to yet another example embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram showing operations for
initiating establishment of a wireless communication link according
to an example embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 6A illustrates an example data record received from a
machine-readable object according to an example embodiment of the
present invention.
[0021] FIG. 6B illustrates an example data record received from a
machine-readable object according to an example embodiment of the
present invention.
[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram showing operations for
participating in establishment of a wireless communication link
according to an example embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0023] FIG. 8 discloses an apparatus comprising example hardware
for implementing computer software instructions stored in the
apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] An example embodiment of the present invention and its
potential effects are understood by referring to FIGS. 1 through 7
of the drawings.
[0025] FIG. 1 discloses an example of operational environment 100
in which various apparatuses according to an example embodiment of
the invention may be used. An apparatus 200, for example a personal
computer, an engineering workstation, a personal digital assistant,
a portable computer, a computerized watch, a wired or wireless
terminal, phone, node, and/or the like, a set-top box, a personal
video recorder (PVR), an automatic teller machine (ATM), a game
console, or the like is shown having communication means, such as a
short-range communications interface 230, configured to communicate
wirelessly with other devices, such as device 300 and device 400
via respective short-range communication links 180 and 190.
Short-range communication connections may be used for the exchange
of information over a local area varying for example from a couple
of meters to some hundred of meters. Non-limiting examples of
wireless short-range communication technologies comprise
Bluetooth.TM. and Bluetooth.TM. Low Energy technologies, various
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies, Wireless Universal
Serial Bus (WUSB), ultra-wideband (UWB) and ZigBee (802.15.4,
802.15.4a) technologies.
[0026] Apparatus 200 may further be embodied as a portable wireless
communications device equipped with wide-area communication means,
such as long-range communications interface 240 to connect with
network 110 via a wireless communication link 120 to communicate
for example with wireless communication device 400 as illustrated
in the example of FIG. 1. Depending on the embodiment, the wireless
communication link 120 may be provided over a wide-area
communication connection. Non-limiting examples of wireless
wide-area communication technologies comprise 2.sup.nd generation
(2G) digital cellular networks, for example Global System for
Mobile Communications (GSM) that may communicate in the 900 MHz/1.8
GHz bands in Europe and in the 850 MHz and 1.9 GHz bands in the
United States. Wide-area communication technologies may further
comprise general packet radio service (GPRS) technology, universal
mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) technology, code division
multiple access (CDMA) technologies, and/or the like.
[0027] According to an alternative example embodiment, link 120 may
be provided with a wired connection. Non-limiting examples of wired
communication technologies include Ethernet, IEEE 1394, universal
serial bus (USB) protocol, any other serial or parallel wired
connection, and/or the like. Depending on embodiment, network 110
may be either a wireless network, or a wired network. Network 110
may further be connected to other networks. According to a further
example embodiment, apparatus 200 may be a stationary device having
a wireless and/or a wired interface for communicating with network
110.
[0028] As further shown in FIG. 1 various other devices, such as
mobile device 160 and server 170 may be connected to the network
110 via respective links 140 and 150, so that apparatus 200 may
communicate with any other connected device via the network
110.
[0029] According to one example embodiment of the present
invention, the apparatus 200, such as a wireless communication
device, may initiate communication with one or more wireless
communication devices, such as device 300 or device 400 by
machine-reading an associated machine-readable object. The
associated machine-readable object, such as machine readable tags
350 and 450 of the example shown in FIG. 1 may be read using
suitable means for machine-reading the object, such as a near-field
communication interface 250. As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the
machine-readable object that is associated with an apparatus may be
physically located within the associated apparatus, such as
machine-readable 350 located within apparatus 300. Alternatively,
the machine-readable object may be physically located outside
and/or remote from the associated apparatus, such as
machine-readable tag 450 outside apparatus 400. In order to read
the machine-readable object, the object and reading apparatus needs
to be physically close to each other as coverage of a near-field
communication is typically from a couple of centimeters to one or
two meters depending on the embodiment. The coverage is however
very much dependent on used transmission power and dimensions of
the entities involved in communication, so coverage up to hundred
of meters is achievable.
[0030] Example technologies for machine-reading comprise optical
reading-, magnetic coupling-, and radio frequency (RF)
technologies. In optical reading, a reader or scanner device
captures a visual image of an object and translates information
encoded on the image into a format that is processed by an
associated computer. Example technologies for optical reading
comprise barcode technologies that are widely used from marking
commercial products in pre-sail manufacturing, logistics and in
retail to patient identification in hospitals, etc. Barcode
technologies comprise 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes and 2D (2
dimensional) matrix codes and symbologies.
[0031] In magnetic coupling, when two conductors are configured
such that a change in current flow through one wire induces a
voltage across the ends of the other wire through electromagnetic
induction they are referred to as mutual-inductively coupled or
magnetically coupled. Example uses of magnetic coupling comprise
electronic article surveillance technologies, inductive cooking and
heating, and also magnetic coupling based object identification
concepts.
[0032] Example radio frequency (RF) based machine-reading
technologies comprise radio-frequency identification (RFID)
including a wide variety of standardized and proprietary RF
transmission systems for a large number of different purposes, such
as product tagging for inventory handling and logistics, theft
prevention purposes at the point of sales and product recycling at
the end of the life-cycle of the tagged product. In addition, RFID
systems have been introduced for various payment and ticketing
concepts comprising public transportation ticketing and payment. As
an example, in several European countries and also in Canada and
Mexico, there are several public transportation systems based on
Calypso, the international electronic ticketing standard for
microprocessor contactless smartcards, originally designed by a
group of European transit operators. Further, for example in Japan,
Hong Kong and Korea, there are Felicity Card (FeliCa) technology
based mass transit systems where a rechargeable contactless stored
value smart card is used to transfer electronic payments in online
or offline systems.
[0033] As a subset of RFID technologies, Near Field Communication
(NFC) technology has evolved from a combination of existing
contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC is
both a "read" and "write" technology. Communication between two
NFC-compatible devices occurs when they are brought within close
proximity of each other: a simple wave or touch can establish NFC
connection, which is then capable of enabling other known wireless
technologies, such as Bluetooth.TM. or wireless local area network
(WLAN). NFC can be used with a variety of devices, from mobile
phones that enable payment or transfer information to digital
cameras that send their photos to a TV set with just a touch to
name a few examples.
[0034] As the RFID technologies are becoming more prevalent, there
already exists a large amount of RFID based applications, for
example transportation tickets, animal and/or human implantations
for tracking and other purposes, and the like. Radio-Frequency
Identification (RFID) technologies provide wireless systems for
automatic identification, tracking and managing of objects via a
wireless connection between a tag attached to the object and a
reader device, such as apparatus 200. The tag, such as machine
readable tag 350 or 450 tag of FIG. 1, may include a transponder
that may be active or passive. In the presence of an
electromagnetic field created by the reader device, the transponder
may transmit at least an object identity signal. According to an
example embodiment relating to passive transponder, such as a NFC
tag, the tag obtains RF energy from the electromagnetic field
created by reader device for obtaining power for operation.
Further, the tag may manipulate the electromagnetic field for
example by way backscattering to provide a response signal back to
the reader device. Irrespective of the way the transponder provides
the response signal back to the reader device, the reader device
may sense and decode the response signal. So, information from the
tag may be received by the reader device via a connectionless
communication. In other words, the signal may be received without a
logical connection between the reader device and the tag.
[0035] Upon machine-reading the machine-readable object associated
with another apparatus, such as machine-readable tag 350 associated
with apparatus 300 in the example embodiment described in
connection with FIG. 1, apparatus 200 may receive information for
establishment of a wireless communication link with the other
apparatus. According to one embodiment of the present invention,
apparatus 200 may then include in the wireless communication link
establishment an indication that a machine-readable object
associated with the apparatus was read. The other apparatus, such
as apparatus 300 or apparatus 400 of FIG. 1 associated with the
machine readable tag may then use this indication to perform an
action associated with the machine-reading of associated
machine-readable object. The action may relate to actual connection
establishment for example by way of prioritizing connection
establishment attempts including the machine-reading indication, or
simplifying certain steps related to the actual connection
establishment. Alternatively, the action may be some other action
that is not related to the actual connection establishment but is
associated with the concept that a device initiating connection
establishment has been placed very close to the associated tag.
[0036] FIG. 2 discloses a modular layout for an example apparatus
according to an example embodiment of the present invention. In
FIG. 2, apparatus 200 is broken down into modules configured to
cause the apparatus to perform various functionalities. The
functionalities may be provided by various combinations of the
software and/or hardware components discussed below according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] Control module 210 is configured to regulate operation of
the apparatus 200. The control module may be embodied as a
controlling means, for example as a controlling circuitry or a
processor. Inputs for the control module 210 may be received from
various other modules comprised within apparatus 200. For example,
user interface 260 may provide input to the control module 210 in
response to receiving input from a user via user input 262. So,
user input received via the user interface 260 may be used as an
input in the control module 210 for controlling the operation of
the apparatus 200. Control module 210 may interpret and/or process
the input data and, in response, may issue one or more control
commands to at least one of the other modules within apparatus
200.
[0038] In accordance with an example embodiment, apparatus 200,
embodied for example as a wireless communication device, comprises
communications interfaces 220. Communications interfaces 220 may
incorporate one or more communication modules of the apparatus 200.
In an example embodiment, the communications interfaces 220 may
comprise means for wired and/or wireless communication. As shown in
the example of FIG. 2, communications interfaces 220 may comprise a
short-range communications module 230 and a long-range
communications module 240. It would be understood that although
FIG. 2 illustrates only one short-range communication module 230
and one long-range communication module 240 for the sake of
clarity, apparatus 200 may comprise any number of further
communications modules. For example, two or more additional wired
and/or wireless communication modules may be included in the
apparatus 200. Apparatus 200 may utilize one or more of these
modules to receive information from both local and long distance
sources, and to transmit data to recipient devices from the
apparatus 200. Communications interfaces 220 may be activated by
control module 210, or by control resources local to the
sub-modules responding to received messages, environmental
influences and/or other devices in communication with the apparatus
200.
[0039] Short-range wireless networks provide communication
solutions that avoid some of the problems seen in large cellular
networks. Bluetooth.TM. is an example of a short-range wireless
technology quickly gaining acceptance in the marketplace.
Bluetooth.TM. enabled wireless communication device may transmit
and receive data rates from 720 Kbps up to 2-3 Mbps within a range
of 10 meters, and may transmit up to 100 meters with additional
power boosting. A user does not actively instigate a Bluetooth.TM.
network. Instead, a plurality of devices within operating range of
each other will automatically form a network group called a
"piconet". Any device may promote itself to the master of the
piconet, allowing it to control data exchanges with up to seven
"active" slaves and 255 "parked" slaves. Active slaves exchange
data based on the clock timing of the master. Parked slaves monitor
a beacon signal in order to stay synchronized with the master, and
wait for an active slot to become available. These devices
continually switch between various active communication and power
saving modes in order to transmit data to other piconet members. In
addition to Bluetooth.TM. and Bluetooth.TM. Low Energy, other
popular short-range wireless networks include WLAN (of which
"Wi-Fi" local access points communicating in accordance with the
IEEE 802.11 standard, is an example), Wireless Universal Serial Bus
(WUSB), ultra-wideband (UWB) and ZigBee (802.15.4, 802.15.4a)
technologies. All of these wireless mediums have features and
advantages that make them appropriate for various applications.
[0040] Long-range communication module 240 may comprise a
long-range communications interface configured to communicate and
exchange information over a long distance in a large geographic
area using any of the wide-area communication technologies
described earlier in connection with FIG. 1. As a subset of
long-range communications module 240, or alternatively operating as
an independent module separately coupled to processor 210, the
apparatus 200 may comprise a broadcast receiver. The broadcast
receiver may be a digital audio- or video receiver, for example a
digital audio broadcasting (DAB) or a digital video broadcasting
(DVB) receiver, and/or the like. According to an example
embodiment, the broadcast receiver comprises a Digital Video
Broadcast for Handheld Apparatuses (DVB-H) receiver. The
broadcasting transmissions may be encoded so that only certain
apparatuses may access the transmitted content. The broadcast
transmission may comprise text, audio and/or video information, and
data. In an example embodiment, apparatus 200 may receive
broadcasts and/or information within the broadcast signal to
determine if the apparatus is permitted to view the received
content.
[0041] In addition to short-range communication module 230 and
long-range communication module 240, communications interfaces may
comprise a near-field communication module 250 embodied for example
as a reader and/or an interrogator for exchanging information via
RF transmission over short distances. According to one embodiment
of the present invention, the reader and/or interrogator
communicates with nearby machine-readable objects, such as tags 350
and 450 of FIG. 1 by sending out an RF signal, which may "wake up"
and/or energize any RF transponder and/or a tag within coverage. In
response to the RF signal, the reader and/or interrogator may
receive a response signal provided by the RF transponder and/or tag
located within coverage area of the near-field communication module
250. The information may be received by the near-field
communication module 250 over connectionless communication that is
a connection without a logical connection between the near-field
communication module 250 and the machine-readable object, such as
either of tags 350 or 450 of FIG. 1.
[0042] Example near-field communication module 250 comprises
radio-frequency identification (RFID) module embodied as RFID
reader/writer. Alternatively, or in addition, the near-field
communication module may 250 comprise a Near Field Communication
(NFC) module, or any other communication module capable of
machine-reading objects substantially wirelessly over short
distances using for example RF signal or electromagnetic coupling
and/or induction, or like.
[0043] According to one example embodiment any of the communication
interfaces 220 comprising the short-range communications module
230, the long-range communications module 240, and the near-field
communications module 250 may be equipped with a wired interface
that may be used for communicating with another device using a
wired communication protocol via an interface such as Ethernet, an
IEEE 1394 communication interface, a universal serial bus (USB)
interface, and/or the like.
[0044] User interface 260 may include visual, audible and/or
tactile elements which allow a user to receive data from, and enter
data into, the apparatus. Data entered by a user is received via
user input module 262 and may be interpreted by control module 210,
for example to affect the behavior of apparatus 200. User-inputted
data may also be transmitted via any of the communication modules
of the communications interfaces 220 to another device. Information
may also be received by other devices at the apparatus 200 via
communications interfaces 220. Control module 210 may cause this
information to be transferred to user interface 260 for
presentation to the user via user output module 264. User interface
260 may comprise one or more user input and output modules, and
there may also be a module operating both as a user input module
262 and user output module 264, for example a touch screen display
operating as a tactile user interface.
[0045] Apparatus 200 may further comprise a memory and/or storage
270. Memory/storage 270 may be connected to controller 210.
Memory/storage 270 may include at least one database 280.
Memory/storage 270 may further store executable instructions that
are configured to cause the apparatus 200 to perform various
actions in co-operation with the control module 210.
[0046] FIG. 3A illustrates a modular layout for another example
apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present
invention. In FIG. 3A, example apparatus 300 of FIG. 1 is broken
down into modules configured to cause the apparatus to perform
various functionalities. The functionalities may be provided by
various combinations of the software and/or hardware components
discussed below according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0047] Control module 310, similarly to control module 210 of
apparatus 200 is configured to regulate operation of the apparatus
300. The control module may be embodied as a controlling means, for
example as a controlling circuitry or a processor. Inputs for the
control module 310 may be received from various other modules
comprised within apparatus 300. For example, user interface 360 may
provide input to the control module 310 in response to receiving
input from a user via user input 362. So, user input received via
the user interface 360 may be used as an input in the control
module 310 for controlling the operation of the apparatus 300.
Control module 310 may interpret and/or process the input data and,
in response, may issue one or more control commands to at least one
of the other modules within apparatus 300.
[0048] Similarly to apparatus 200, in accordance with an example
apparatus 300, embodied for example as a wireless communication
device, comprises communications interfaces 320. Communications
interfaces 320 may incorporate one or more communication modules of
the apparatus 300. In an example embodiment, the communications
interfaces 320 may comprise means for wired and/or wireless
communication. As shown in the example of FIG. 3A, communications
interfaces 320 may comprise a short-range communications module 330
and a long-range communications module 340. Similarly to apparatus
200, apparatus 300 may comprise any number of further
communications modules. Apparatus 300 may utilize one or more of
these modules to receive information from both local and long
distance sources, and to transmit data to recipient devices from
the apparatus 300. Communications interfaces 320 may be activated
by control module 310, or by control resources local to the
sub-modules responding to received messages, environmental
influences and/or other devices in communication with the apparatus
300.
[0049] In addition to short-range communication module 330 and
long-range communication module 340, apparatus 300 may be contacted
by way of transmitting RF interrogation signal that is received by
machine-readable tag 350. The machine-readable tag 350 is equipped
with means, such as an antenna coil, for separating RF energy from
the received signal. The received signal may then be analyzed by a
microchip and a response signal may be transmitted including, at
least identification information identifying associated apparatus
300. The transmitted identification information may include
information suitable for initiating establishment of a wireless
communication connection with apparatus 300. Depending on the
embodiment, the transmitted identification information may comprise
identification information relating to either of the short-range
communication module 330, or the long-range communication module
340. According to one embodiment, the identification information
comprises at least a Bluetooth address of apparatus 300.According
to an alternative embodiment, the response signal may include
information identifying a wireless short-range communication
network to which the associated apparatus 300 belongs to.
[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention,
machine-readable tag 350 is a passive RF transponder and/or tag
that require external energy for operation, which can be harvested
from received RF signal. Machine-readable tag 350 may further be
integrated within apparatus 300, or be detachable so that it can be
removed from apparatus if preferred. According to an alternative
embodiment of the present invention, machine-readable tag 350 is a
semi-passive RF transponder and/or tag that can receive power from
the apparatus 300, but requires external energy for communication.
Irrespectively, in this example embodiment the machine-readable tag
350 has no means for providing output to control module 310 of
apparatus 300 whether it has been subjected to external excitation
signal and transmitted the identification information associated
with apparatus 300.
[0051] User interface 360, similarly to user interface 260 of
apparatus 200, may include visual, audible and/or tactile elements
which allow a user to receive data from, and enter data into, the
apparatus. Data entered by a user is received via user input module
362 and may be interpreted by control module 310, for example to
affect the behavior of apparatus 300. User-inputted data may also
be transmitted via any of the communication modules of the
communications interfaces 320 to another device. Information may
also be received from other devices at the apparatus 300 via
communications interfaces 320. Control module 310 may cause this
information to be transferred to user interface 360 for
presentation to the user via user output module 364. User interface
360 may comprise one or more user input and output modules, and
there may also be a module operating both as a user input module
362 and user output module 364, for example a touch screen display
operating as a tactile user interface.
[0052] Apparatus 300 may further comprise a memory and/or storage
370. Memory/storage 370 may be connected to controller 310.
Memory/storage 370 may include at least one database 380.
Memory/storage 370 may further store executable instructions that
are configured to cause the apparatus 300 to perform various
actions in co-operation with the control module 310.
[0053] FIG. 3B discloses a modular layout for the other example
apparatus according to another example embodiment of the present
invention. In FIG. 3B, example apparatus 300' is broken down into
modules configured to cause the apparatus to perform various
functionalities similar to apparatus 300 of FIG. 3A. The
functionalities may be provided by various combinations of the
software and/or hardware components as in apparatus 300. Example
apparatus 300' is basically similar to apparatus 300 of FIG. 3A
except that machine-readable tag 350' is connected to control
module 310. This connection allows the control module 310' to
update contents of the machine-readable tag 350' in response to
changing system parameters at apparatus 300'. For example, control
module 310' may receive in input from short-range communication
module 330', such as Wi-Fi radio modem, that there is a change in
connectivity information associated with the apparatus 300', such
as changing Internet Protocol (IP) address. This information may
then be updated to machine-readable tag 350' according to one
embodiment of the present invention. Further, machine-readable tag
350' may be provided with means to provide output to control module
310' of apparatus 300' whether it has been subjected to external
excitation signal and transmitted the identification information
associated with apparatus 300'. However, there are no means for the
machine-readable tag 350' to inform the identity of the apparatus
that provided the excitation signal and to which the identification
information associated with apparatus 300' was transmitted.
[0054] FIG. 4 discloses a modular layout for the other example
apparatus according to yet another example embodiment of the
present invention. In FIG. 4, example apparatus 400 of FIG. 1 is
broken down into modules configured to cause the apparatus to
perform various functionalities. The functionalities may be
provided by various combinations of the software and/or hardware
components discussed below according to an embodiment of the
present invention. Apparatus 400 is basically similar to apparatus
300 except that the machine-readable tag 450 is a separate entity
that is not integrated within apparatus 400. However, apparatus 400
and machine-readable tag 450 are associated with each other so that
the machine-readable 450, upon receiving an excitation signal, is
configured to transmit information at least identifying associated
apparatus 400.
[0055] According to one embodiment, machine-readable tag 450 is a
passive RF transponder and/or tag that require external energy for
operation. Machine-readable tag 450 is provided with means, such as
an antenna coil, for separating RF energy from received signal. The
received signal may then be analyzed by a microchip and a response
signal may be transmitted including, at least identification
information identifying associated apparatus 400. The transmitted
identification information may include information suitable for
initiating establishment of a wireless communication connection
with apparatus 400. Depending on the embodiment, the transmitted
identification information may comprise identification information
relating to either of short-range communication module 430, or
long-range communication module 440 of apparatus 400. According to
one embodiment, the identification information comprises at least a
Bluetooth address of apparatus 400.
[0056] As the machine-readable tag 450 is physically separated from
apparatus 400, it may take any physical form, such as a small
detachable sticker that can be attached to some other physical
object such as inside or outside furniture, wall or any kind of
poster and/or leaflet made from basically any type of material, or
like. Alternatively, the machine-readable tag 450 may be integrated
into some other object, such as in-house or outside furniture, or
wall of a building, or like depending on the embodiment.
[0057] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method 500 as a flow diagram
showing operations for initiating establishment of a wireless
communication link according to an example embodiment of the
present invention. Method 500 starts with block 510, where an
apparatus, such as apparatus 200, machine-reads a machine-readable
object, such as machine readable tag 350 or 450. Machine-reading
comprises according to one embodiment transmission of one or more
interrogation signals to power up the machine-readable object and
receiving of information from the powered machine-readable object.
Then, on block 520 the received information is processed and
analyzed for example by control module 210 of apparatus 200 to
determine whether the received information includes at least
information identifying an apparatus associated with the read
machine-readable object. According to one embodiment, the
information received from the machine-readable object may further
include a dedicated indication, such as a "machine-readable tag
read" flag or parameter.
[0058] According to one embodiment, the information identifying the
apparatus associated with the machine-readable object comprises
devices address, such as Bluetooth address usable in connection
with Bluetooth.TM. communication protocol or similar Media Access
Control (MAC) address usable for example in connection with Wi-Fi
communication protocols, or like. Upon receiving at least the
device address in block 520, apparatus, such as apparatus 200 of
FIG. 1, may process the received information including the device
address and identify communication protocol with which to initiate
connection establishment with the device associated with the
machine-readable object, such as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG.
1.
[0059] Example data records received from a machine-readable
object, such as a NFC tag according to an example embodiment,
including Bluetooth.TM. carrier configuration is shown on FIGS. 6A
and 6B. As shown on the example data record of FIG. 6A, the data
record 610 received from a machine-readable object may include an
alternative carrier indication 625 included in the NFC
communication record 620 portion of the data record 610.
Bluetooth.TM. configuration record 630 portion of the data record
610 may comprise device address (BD_ADDR) 632 of the associated
device, such as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG. 1, which is used when
establishing a connection with the of the associated device.
Additional information included in the Bluetooth.TM. configuration
record 630 may include a class of device indication 634, which
informs the device type of the associated device, Bluetooth.TM.
local name 636 and Pairing parameters 638 that can be used when
establishing a secure connection with the associated device, such
as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG. 1. According to an example
embodiment of the present invention, similar data record can be
used for the purposes of setting up a Wi-Fi connection, wherein the
Bluetooth.TM. configuration record 630 may be replaced with Wi-Fi
carrier configuration record including information, such as a
Service Set Identifier (SSID) that identifies the network through
which to connect with the associated device, and other related
information, such as authentication and/or encryption type
information, or like.
[0060] According to one embodiment, the information received from
the machine-readable object may include identification information
relating to several communication protocols, such as both the
Bluetooth.TM. configuration record and the Wi-Fi carrier
configuration record described above, so that the receiving
apparatus may select one of the communication protocols for
connecting with the wireless communication device associated with
machine-readable object based on its preferences and/or needs
relating to the connection establishment.
[0061] Referring back to method 500, in case it is determined in
block 520 that the received information includes at least
identification information of a wireless communication device
associated with the machine-readable tag, such as device 300 or 400
of FIG. 1, connection establishment with the wireless communication
device is initiated with an indication that associated
machine-readable object has been read as shown in block 530. The
received information may include, in addition to the information
identifying the apparatus associated with the read machine-readable
object, a code or similar indication that may be included in the
connection establishment initiation to provide an additional
parameter indicating that an associated machine-readable object has
been read. According to one embodiment of the present invention,
the code or similar indication may include further information,
such as a serial number and/or a character string, which may more
or less unique for the machine-readable object that can be
considered as some sort of a guarantee that the specific
machine-readable tag was really read by the apparatus. The
apparatus receiving the additional information through
machine-reading may then use this additional information as an
additional "proof" during connection establishment with wireless
communication device associated with the machine-readable object.
By providing such information to indicate that the apparatus, such
as apparatus 200 of FIG. 1, has read associated machine-readable
tag, wireless communication device, such as device 300 or 400 of
FIG. 1, can be sure that the apparatus initiating connection
establishment is not just faking that it has read associated
machine-readable object, such as machine-readable tag 350 or 450 of
FIG. 1, as the serial number and/or character string can be
obtained only by reading the associated machine-readable object.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there may be
a plurality of machine-readable objects associated with a single
wireless communication device each having different codes
distinguishing the machine-readable object from other
machine-readable objects.
[0062] FIG. 6B illustrates an example data record 650 according to
an example embodiment of the present invention, having NFC
communication record 660 portion and Bluetooth.TM. configuration
record 670 similarly as the data record 610 of FIG. 6A. However,
there is an additional identification (ID), PIN or password
indication 680 included in the Bluetooth.TM. configuration record
670 portion of the data record 650, which can be used by the
reading device during connection set up with an apparatus
associated with the NFC tag, such as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG.
1, as additional evidence for guaranteeing that the specific
machine-readable tag was really read by the apparatus initiating
connection establishment. Alternatively, the additional
identification (ID), PIN or password indication 680 may be included
in the NFC communication record 660 portion of the data record 650.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention,
similar data record can be used for the purposes of setting up a
Wi-Fi connection, wherein the Bluetooth.TM. configuration record
630 may be replaced with Wi-Fi carrier configuration record
including information, such as a Service Set Identifier (SSID) that
identifies the network through which to connect with the associated
device, and other related information, such as authentication
and/or encryption type information, or like. In any case, according
to this embodiment of the present invention, the Wi-Fi carrier
configuration record comprises also the additional identification
(ID), PIN or password indication that can be used by the reading
device during connection set up with an apparatus associated with
the NFC tag, such as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG. 1, as additional
evidence for guaranteeing that the specific machine-readable tag
was really read by the apparatus initiating connection
establishment. Alternatively, the additional identification (ID),
PIN or password indication may be included in the NFC communication
record portion of the data record similarly as in the Bluetooth.TM.
example described above.
[0063] In case it is determined that no identification information
of an apparatus associated with the machine-readable object is
included in the received information, connection establishment with
the wireless communication device is initiated in a conventional
manner with no indication as shown in block 540.
[0064] According to one embodiment, the indication that associated
machine-readable object has been read may be included in service
level connection, such as in Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) in
connection with Bluetooth.TM. communication protocol so that
apparatuses can exchange information about initiation of connection
establishment in response to reading of the machine-readable object
during the connection establishment procedure. This type of
"announcement service" indication included in SDP does not require
any changes in the actual Bluetooth.TM. communication protocol.
Alternatively, the indication that associated machine-readable
object has been read may be included in device level connection,
such as by specifying such an indication to be included in one or
more Bluetooth.TM. communication protocol lower layer messages. In
connection with Wi-Fi, the indication may be included in one or
more vendor specific information elements that may be included for
example in IEEE 802.11 association frames, which are used when
initiating connection establishment with a Wi-Fi network.
Alternatively, new Media Access Control parameters and/or
attributes may be defined to IEEE 802.11 standard specifications
for some connection setup frames to provide similar indication.
Further, the indication may be also carried on higher layers, such
as for example on Internet Protocol (IP), ZeroConf, UPnP, or SSDP
messaging depending on the embodiment.
[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates an example method 700 as a flow diagram
showing operations for participating in establishment of a wireless
communication link according to an example embodiment of the
present invention. Method 700 starts with block 710, where an
apparatus, such as apparatus 300 or 400 of FIG. 1, receives a
wireless communication connection establishment initiation from an
external device. In block 720, received connection establishment
initiation is processed and analyzed for determining whether an
indication that associated machine-readable object has been read is
included in the connection establishment initiation. In case the
determination of block 720 shows that the received connection
establishment initiation includes the indication that associated
machine-readable object has been read, method continues with block
730 where apparatus participates in the connection establishment
and performs an associated action. According to one embodiment,
when a wireless communication device, such as apparatus 300 or 400
of FIG. 1, receives an indication that the connection establishment
initiation comes from an apparatus that has read the associated
machine-readable object, it may allow connection establishment
without the need of any additional security mechanism or
verification. According to another embodiment, when a wireless
communication device receives an indication that the connection
request comes from an apparatus that has read the associated
machine-readable object, an appropriate server application can be
started and enabled only for those network interfaces which were
advertised in the machine-readable object.
[0066] According to one embodiment, the received connection
establishment initiation includes, instead or in addition to the
indication that associated machine-readable has been read, a code
or similar indication associated with a machine-readable object
that has been read. This information may be used as an additional
guarantee/proof parameter indicating that the associated
machine-readable object has been read. This code and/or indication
may be used in order to create additional "trust" with the
apparatus initiating connection establishment as the code and/or
indication is more of less unique for the associated
machine-readable object. So, an apparatus initiating connection
establishment including such information has read the associated
machine-readable code and therefore for example the connection
establishment initiation may be prioritized over other connection
establishment initiations. Further, such connection establishment
initiations may be accepted with a reduced set of security
verifications as an implementation of the additional trust between
the devices. Alternatively, or in addition, the wireless
communication device may initiate an application or service to
communicate using only the network interface from which the
connection establishment initiation was received.
[0067] According to one embodiment the code and/or indication may
be used in connection with determination of which associated action
to perform in block 730. According to one embodiment of the present
invention, there may be a plurality of machine-readable objects
associated with a single wireless communication device each having
different codes distinguishing the machine-readable object from
other machine-readable objects. So, there may be different actions
associated with reading of different machine-readable objects upon
initiation of a wireless connection establishment. As an example,
one machine-readable object may be associated with the action of
connecting to a closeby printer and printing a brochure of car
model that is currently being presented on a car exhibition. This
machine-readable object may be attached e.g. next to the car model
being presented. On the other hand, the printer may be provided
with an integrated machine-readable object that allows devices to
connect with the printer and print the information currently shown
on the device screen so that potential buyers can for example take
a picture of the car being presented and print it out. In addition,
there may also be another machine-readable object integrated on the
back of the printer to connect with the printer and get online
service via network in case the printer does not function properly,
to name a few non-limiting examples.
[0068] Referring back to method 700, in case the determination of
block 720 shows that the received connection establishment
initiation does not include the indication that associated
machine-readable object has been read, the method continues with
block 740 where apparatus participates in the connection
establishment in a conventional manner without performing any
additional and/or associated actions. Alternatively, apparatus may
bypass the connection establishment initiation and prioritize some
other connection establishment initiation including the indication
that associated machine-readable object has been read over this
connection establishment.
[0069] Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or
application of the claims appearing below, a technical effect of
one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein may be
receiving identification information associated with a wireless
communication device by machine-reading a machine-readable object
associated with the wireless communication to initiate
establishment of a wireless communication connection with the
wireless communication using the received information, wherein the
establishment of a communication connection is included with an
indication that a machine-readable object associated with the
wireless communication device was read. Another technical effect
may be receiving a connection establishment initiation including an
indication that an associated machine-readable object was read, and
participating in connection establishment and performing an action
configured to be performed when receiving such an indication.
[0070] Various operations and or the like described herein may be
executed by and/or with the help of computers. Further, for
example, devices described herein may be and/or may incorporate
computers. The phrases "computer", "general purpose computer", and
the like, as used herein, refer but are not limited to a media
device, a personal computer, an engineering workstation, a personal
digital assistant, a portable computer, a computerized watch, a
wired or wireless terminal, phone, node, and/or the like, a set-top
box, a personal video recorder (PVR), an automatic teller machine
(ATM), a game console, and/or the like.
[0071] Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in
software, hardware, application logic or a combination of software,
hardware and application logic. The software, application logic
and/or hardware may reside on a memory of any of the apparatuses
200 and 300 of FIG. 1. In an example embodiment, software or an
instruction set is maintained on any one of various conventional
computer-readable media. In the context of this document, a
"computer-readable medium" may be any media or means that can
contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the
instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer, with
one example of a computer described and depicted in FIG. 8. A
computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage
medium that may be any media or means that may contain or store the
instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.
[0072] The phrases "general purpose computer", "computer", and the
like may also refer to one or more processors operatively connected
to one or more memory or storage units, wherein the memory or
storage may contain data, algorithms, and/or program code, and the
processor or processors may execute the program code and/or
manipulate the program code, data, and/or algorithms. Accordingly,
example computer 800 as shown in FIG. 8 that may be considered as
one embodiment of any of the apparatuses 200, 300 or 400 of FIG. 1,
and may include various hardware modules for causing the computer
to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention.
According to one example, the computer 800 include a system bus 810
which may operatively connect processor 820, random access memory
830, read-only memory 840 that may store for example a computer
code for the computer 800 in a non-transitory manner to perform the
example methods illustrated on FIGS. 5 and 7. The system bus 810
may further operatively connect input output (I/O) interface 850,
storage interface 860, user interface 880 and computer readable
medium interface 890. Storage interface 860 may comprise or be
connected to mass storage 870.
[0073] Mass storage 870 may be a hard drive, optical drive, or the
like. Processor 820 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU), a
digital signal processor (DSP), or any other kind of processor.
Computer 800 as shown in this example also comprises a touch screen
and keys operating in connection with the user interface 880. In
various example embodiments, a mouse, and/or a keypad may
alternately or additionally be employed. Computer 800 may
additionally include the computer readable medium interface 880,
which may be embodied by a card reader, a DVD drive, a floppy disk
drive, and/or the like. Thus, media containing program code, for
example for performing method 500 of FIG. 5, may be inserted for
the purpose of loading the code onto the computer.
[0074] Computer 800 may run one or more software modules designed
to perform one or more of the above-described operations.
Corresponding program code may be stored on a non-transitory
physical media 900 such as, for example, DVD, CD-ROM, and/or floppy
disk. It is noted that any described division of operations among
particular software modules is for purposes of illustration, and
that alternate divisions of operation may be employed. Accordingly,
any operations discussed as being performed by a software module
may instead be performed by a plurality of software modules.
Similarly, any operations discussed as being performed by a
plurality of modules may instead be performed by a single module.
It is noted that operations disclosed as being performed by a
particular computer may instead be performed by a plurality of
computers.
[0075] According to an example embodiment, a computer program
product is provided, the computer program product comprising
computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program
code comprising a code for causing receipt of at least information
identifying a wireless communication device through machine reading
a machine-readable object; and a code for causing initiation of
wireless communication link establishment with the wireless
communication device using the received information, wherein the
wireless communication link establishment is incorporated with an
indication that machine-readable object associated with the
wireless communication device was read.
[0076] According to another example embodiment, a computer program
product is provided, the computer program product comprising
computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program
code comprising a code for causing receipt of a connection
establishment initiation from a wireless communication device, a
code for causing determination whether the connection establishment
initiation includes an indication that an associated
machine-readable object was read by the wireless communication
device; and a code for causing participation in the wireless
connection establishment and performation of an associated action
in response to determination that an associated machine-readable
object was read by the wireless communication device initiating the
connection establishment request.
[0077] If desired, the different functions discussed herein may be
performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other.
Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the above-described
functions may be optional or may be combined.
[0078] Although various aspects of the invention arc set out in the
independent claims, other aspects of the invention comprise other
combinations of features from the described embodiments and/or the
dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and
not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the claims.
[0079] It is also noted herein that while the above describes
example embodiments of the invention, these descriptions should not
be viewed in a limiting sense. Rather, there are several variations
and modifications which may be made without departing from the
scope of the present invention as defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *