Proximal Interactions

As a number of networked digital devices are ubiquitously used, control of inter-device communications becomes a complicated task. People can no longer keep track of all the devices’ addresses and name. Some devices (such as wireless headsets) have very limited information display capability, making it difficult to use normal GUI techniques (such as menu selection). This paper proposes a solution to these problems by introducing a nearfield communication channel based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) or infrared communication technologies. By using this nearfield communication channel in conjunction with a normal wireless network, people can establish wireless connections among nearby devices with intuitive actions such as directly pointing one device at another or putting two devices within close proximity of one another. Secure network communication is ensured by passing session key information over the nearfield channel. This paper presents the basic idea, network protocols, and several applications, including inter-device data transfer, universal remote commanders, and extensible mobile IPphones.