Patent ID: 7630323
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for forming a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) from a plurality of Personal Area Network (PAN) devices, comprising: a location determinator configured to address a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag function of each of said plurality of PAN devices, and to determine a location for each of said plurality of PAN devices using an RFID location technique; a comparator coupled to the determinator and configured to compare said location for each of said plurality of PAN devices with a WPAN association criteria in order to determine an identification of each of said plurality of PAN devices that at least partially satisfy said WPAN criteria, wherein said WPAN association criteria include one or more criteria selected from a group of criteria consisting of a PAN device of said plurality of PAN devices being located within a first spatial boundary of a predetermined size, the PAN device being located within a second spatial boundary of a predetermined shape, the PAN device being located within a third spatial boundary for a first predetermined time, the PAN device moving together with at least one other PAN device of the plurality of PAN devices substantially as a group for a second predetermined time, and the PAN device being located within a predetermined distance of a wireless element; and a communication link coupled to the comparator configured to transmit, to said plurality of PAN devices that at least partially satisfy said WPAN criteria, said identification of each of said plurality of PAN devices that at least partially satisfy said WPAN criteria in order to form a WPAN in which said plurality of PAN devices that at least partially satisfy said WPAN criteria mutually and directly intercommunicate with each other over wireless links.