Patent ID: 8775533

Claim:
A method of operating a wireless computing device, the method comprising: responsive to a trigger event detected by the wireless computing device, identifying, from pairing information stored on the wireless computing device, a plurality of wireless auto-connect devices that are candidates for auto-connecting with the wireless computing device, the pairing information indicating that the wireless auto-connect devices have been previously paired with the wireless computing device; obtaining information about the wireless auto-connect devices, the information indicating device types of the auto-connect devices; based on the information indicating the device types of the wireless auto-connect devices, determining a priority order for scanning for the wireless auto-connect devices; prioritizing scanning for the wireless auto-connect devices by transmitting, in an order corresponding to the determined priority order, messages to the wireless auto-connect devices, respectively, the messages formatted in accordance with a peer-to-peer protocol to elicit, as part of an auto-connect procedure of the protocol, responses from the wireless auto-connect devices, respectively, in accordance with the protocol, wherein the transmitting is in accordance with a pattern in which times between transmissions of messages increases as time passes until an auto-connect device responds or an event is detected; and for each response received from the wireless auto-connect devices, forming a direct wireless connection with a corresponding one of the wireless computing devices.