Adjacency-bound service discovery

An apparatus enabled for using a service offered by a service-providing device being within the same wireless local network, said apparatus comprising a network interface for wireless communication with said service-providing device, and a service discovery module which maintains a record with information services and associated identifiers, and a list of identifiers about service-providing devices, whereby said service discovery module enables said apparatus to distinguish a service offered by a service-providing device in adjacency of said apparatus from a service offered by a service-providing device not being in adjacency of said apparatus.

A method for distinguishing services offered by a service-providing device in adjacency of a first device from services offered by a service-providing device not being in said first device's adjacency, wherein said devices are part of a wireless local network and said service-providing device offers a composite service making use of a service offered by another device, and wherein said first device maintains a record with information about services and associated identifiers, and a list of identifiers about service-providing devices, by comparing said associated identifiers and said list of identifiers

• to determine an associated service as being in adjacency of said first device if it is rendered by a service-providing device being listed in said list of identifiers,
• to determine an associated service as not being in adjacency of said first device if it is rendered by a service-providing device not being listed in said list of identifiers.

A computer program product for sharing services amongst devices in adjacency on a wireless local network, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:

• computer program code means for maintaining a record with information about services and associated identifiers and maintaining a list of identifiers about service-providing devices, an associated service rendered by a service-providing device listed in said list of identifiers being in adjacency, an associated service rendered by a service-providing device not listed in said list of identifiers being not in adjacency;
• and
• computer program code means for distinguishing services offered by a service-providing device in adjacency from services offered by a service-providing device not being in adjacency.