IP Library Granted Patent US 12,335,740
Granted Patent B2
US 12,335,740 · App. 17/304,327 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Resource connectivity for multiple devices

Inventors: Jesse Johnston (San Jose, CA); James Daniel Hawkins (Los Angeles, CA); Shiba Sheikh (San Francisco, CA); Jonathan Mann (Venice, CA); Claudius van der Merwe (Camden Wyoming, DE)
Assignee: Google LLC
H04W12/64G06F3/165H04L63/20H04M1/72454H04M1/72463
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,335,740
App. No.
17/304,327
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods for improving resource connectivity for users' various computing devices are disclosed. An example method may include establishing a local connection with a sending device, receiving device status information and task status information from the sending device using the local connection, the task status information identifying at least one media content, and generating a user interface that includes a graphical representation of the device status information and a first control that, when selected, executes the at least one media content in an application on the receiving device. Another example method may include detecting an interaction with a UI element that sets a network sharing status to an on state, identifying a locally stored network as shareable, generating an instance of a network data type for the locally stored network, and associating the instance with the user account so that the locally stored network is shared with the user's other devices.

Claims (56)

1. A computing device comprising:

at least a processor;

a display; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

generating a user interface element that controls a network sharing status for a user account of the computing device, the network sharing status being one of an off state and an on state; and

responsive to detecting an interaction with the user interface element that sets the network sharing status to the on state:

identifying a locally stored network as shareable,

generating an instance of a network data type for the locally stored network, the network data type including a timestamp for the locally stored network representing a connection time for the locally stored network,

associating the instance with the user account, and

modifying the network sharing status associated with the user account to the on state, wherein associating the instance of with the user account provides the instance to another device associated with the user account.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the locally stored network is a first network and determining that the locally stored network is shareable includes:

receiving network details of networks stored in memory of the computing device, the networks stored in the memory including the first network;

identifying the first network as secured; and

identifying the first network as not inherited from another user account.

3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein determining the locally stored network is shareable further includes:

identifying the first network as not a hidden network.

4. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein a network is inherited when the network is shared from another user account on the computing device or was added to the computing device by an enterprise policy.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instance is a first instance and the instructions further causing the computing device to perform operations including:

sending the first instance and the network sharing status to a server,

wherein the server compares the first instance with stored instances of the network data type for the user account and updates a second instance of the stored instances with the first instance responsive to determining that a network identifier of the first instance matches a network identifier of the second instance and the timestamp of the first instance is later than a timestamp for the second instance.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the network sharing status associated with the user account is stored on the computing device and not synchronized with user account information for the user account on a server.

7. A method comprising:

generating a user interface element that controls a network sharing status for a user account of a computing device, the network sharing status being one of an off state and an on state; and

responsive to detecting an interaction with the user interface element that sets the network sharing status to the on state: identifying a locally stored network as shareable,

generating an instance of a network data type for the locally stored network, the network data type including a timestamp for the locally stored network representing a connection time for the locally stored network,

associating the instance with the user account, and

modifying the network sharing status associated with the user account to the on state, wherein associating the instance of with the user account provides the instance to another device associated with the user account.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the locally stored network is a first network and determining that the locally stored network is shareable includes:

receiving network details of networks stored in memory of the computing device, the networks stored in the memory including the first network;

identifying the first network as secured; and

determining that the first network as not inherited from another user account.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the locally stored network is shareable further includes:

identifying the first network as not a hidden network.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a network is determined to be inherited when the network is shared from another user account on the computing device or was added to the computing device by an enterprise policy.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the instance is a first instance and the method further comprises:

sending the first instance and the network sharing status to a server,

wherein the server compares the first instance with stored instances of the network data type for the user account and updates a second instance of the stored instances with the first instance responsive to determining that a network identifier of the first instance matches a network identifier of the second instance and the timestamp of the first instance is later than a timestamp for the second instance.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the network sharing status associated with the user account is stored on the computing device and not synchronized with user account information for the user account on a server.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

generating a user interface element that controls a network sharing status for a user account of the computing device, the network sharing status being one of an off state and an on state; and

responsive to detecting an interaction with the user interface element that sets the network sharing status to the on state:

identifying a locally stored network as shareable,

generating an instance of a network data type for the locally stored network, the network data type including a timestamp for the locally stored network representing a connection time for the locally stored network,

associating the instance with the user account, and

modifying the network sharing status associated with the user account to the on state, wherein associating the instance of with the user account provides the instance to another device associated with the user account.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the locally stored network is a first network and determining that the locally stored network is shareable includes:

receiving network details of networks stored in memory of the computing device, the networks stored in the memory including the first network;

identifying the first network as secured; and

determining that the first network as not inherited from another user account.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the locally stored network is shareable further includes:

identifying the first network as not a hidden network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein a network is inherited in response to determining that the network is shared from another user account on the computing device or was added to the computing device by an enterprise policy.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instance is a first instance and the operations further comprise:

sending the first instance and the network sharing status to a server,

wherein the server compares the first instance with stored instances of the network data type for the user account and updates a second instance of the stored instances with the first instance responsive to determining that a network identifier of the first instance matches a network identifier of the second instance and the timestamp of the first instance is later than a timestamp for the second instance.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the network sharing status associated with the user account is stored on the computing device and not synchronized with user account information for the user account on a server.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2021
From: JOHNSTON, JESSE; HORIMOTO, KYLE KIYOSHI; LI, MAX SHAOLUN; XU, XITONG; HAWKINS, JAMES DANIEL; SHEIKH, SHIBA; MANN, JONATHAN; MERWE, CLAUDIUS VAN DER
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 056664/0278 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220408268A1 · Dec 22, 2022
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