Patent ID: 7796572

Claim:
A system including a plurality of stationary and/or portable electronic devices, comprising: a first Open Device with an inner structure and a first Personal Area Network interface; at least one Primitive Device arranged to communicate with and to act as a pure slave to other devices; at least one Closed Device with a closed inner structure and a second Personal Area Network interface; said first Open Device and said at least one Closed Device being connected in a Personal Area Network; said first Open Device being arranged to discover and register any of said other devices present in said Personal Area Network, a Personal Area Network middleware installed in said first Open Device, and arranged to act as a Personal Area Network controller to store and maintain a device profile including device information on at least identity, type, capabilities and services offered by any Open Devices, Closed Devices or Primitive Devices available to said Personal Area Network, to redirect an output stream from one device to an input port on another device, to redirect an application to a specific device present in said Personal Area Network, to store and maintain a user profile including user information on at least which Open Devices, Closed Devices or Primitive Devices are members of said Personal Area Network, which Open Devices, Closed Devices or Primitive Devices are available for said Personal Area Network, redirection, which Open Devices, Closed Devices or Primitive Devices should be visible on an external network, distribution of services among Open Devices or Closed Devices present in said Personal Area Network, and distribution of resources among Open Devices or Closed Devices present in said Personal Area Network, to include a user interface enabling a user to control said Personal Area Network middleware, and to include an Application Programming Interface allowing applications access to capabilities and functions in said Personal Area Network middleware.