Patent ID: 7673330

Claim:
A method for ad-hoc creation of groups based on contextual information about devices provided within a time window to limit a duration of group creation comprising: providing, by a first device, contextual information about the first device and credentials of a user of the first device; providing, by each of at least one other device, contextual information about each of the at least one other device and credentials of each user of each of the at least one other device; comparing the similarity of contextual information about the first device to the contextual information about each of the at least one other device; accepting the user of the first device as a candidate for membership in a group if the comparison indicates similarity; and determining membership in the group of the candidate based on whether the first device provided the contextual information about the first device in the time window, wherein the time window applies concurrently to all users and its expiration closes membership in the group.