System for communicating between a dynamic group of apparatuses

Abstract

The system allows an apparatus, such as a computer or a PDA, to establish communication between a local application and applications in at least one other apparatus. The communication is established when a user of an apparatus triggers execution of a seection application. An active activation unit invites applications in the other apparatuses to join by using a message sending unit to transmit a broadcast frame to all apparatuses, requesting activation of the selected application. The broadcast frame specifies which application is being activated. The active activation unit then determines a communication channel which corresponds to the application and the selected application, stored in storage, is executed by an execution unit. The broadcast frame is received by a message receiving unit in other apparatuses. A passive activation unit verifies whether the receiving apparatus has an application, which corresponds to the specified application and whether such an application needs to be activated. If so, the passive activation unit determines which communication channel corresponds to the application (the same communication channel as determined by apparatus) and uses an execution unit to execute the corresponding application, which is stored in storage. The group of applications, which in this way has been formed, communicates by using group frames. The group frames include a channel field which identifies a communication channel. The formed group of applications uses the communication channel which corresponds to the selected application in the apparatus.