Functionality and policies based on wireless device dynamic associations

A method of operating wireless devices, comprising:

• providing a plurality of wireless devices;
• within at least one of the wireless devices, recording when an effective signal strength of a wireless access mechanism is sufficient to enable information exchange between the at least one wireless device and at least one other of the wireless devices and recording when the effective signal strength is insufficient to enable the information exchange;
• exchanging identification information between at least some of the wireless devices, the wireless devices exchanging identification information forming a collaborative-collection, each wireless device exchanging identification information being a member of the collaborative-collection;
• at least a first member monitoring for exchanges of authentication-state with a second member;
• making a dynamically modifiable association-based function resident on the first member available as a resource to code executing on the first member, based at least partially on the acts of recording;
• when authentication-state is not exchanged between the first member and the second member, the association-based function providing a first set of behaviors;
• when authentication-state is exchanged between the first member and the second member, the association-based function providing a second set of behaviors;
• and
• based at least in part on the association-based function, at least the first member imposing at least some restrictions on locally initiated access to at least one protected local resource.

An enhanced wireless device for selective operation in a group of wireless devices, the enhanced wireless device comprising:

• a wireless access mechanism;
• storage enabled to hold data and code,
• the data comprising state information for the enhanced wireless device, the state information comprising at least some in-contact history and some not in-contact history of the enhanced wireless device with respect to the group, the in-contact history comprising a record of when an effective signal strength of the wireless access mechanism is sufficient to enable information exchange between the enhanced wireless device and at least one member of the group and the not in-contact history comprising a record of when the effective signal strength is insufficient to enable the information exchange,
• the code comprising routines to implement a wireless access communications protocol stack, update the state information, and support dynamic modification of at least one association-based function;
• a processor enabled to execute the routines, the processor coupled to the wireless access mechanism and the storage;
• wherein the dynamic modification is based at least partially on the in-contact history and the not in-contact history;
• and
• wherein based at least partially on the association-based function, locally initiated access to at least one protected local resource is at least selectively restricted.

An enhanced wireless device for selective operation in a group of wireless devices, the enhanced wireless device comprising:

• a wireless access mechanism;
• storage enabled to hold data and code,
• the data comprising state information for the enhanced wireless device, the state information comprising at least some in-contact history and some not in-contact history of the enhanced wireless device with respect to the group, the in-contact history comprising a record of when an effective signal strength of the wireless access mechanism is sufficient to enable information exchange between the enhanced wireless device and at least one member of the group and the not in-contact history comprising a record of when the effective signal strength is insufficient to enable the information exchange,
• the code comprising routines to implement a wireless access communications protocol stack, update the state information, and support dynamic selective availability of at least a first function;
• a processor enabled to execute the routines, the processor coupled to the wireless access mechanism and the storage;
• and
• wherein the selective availability of the first function is based at least partially on the in-contact history and the not in-contact history, and when available the first function is a resource available to applications executing on the processor;
• and wherein based at least partially on the first function, locally initiated access to at least one protected local resource is at least selectively restricted.

A method of operating wireless devices, comprising:

• providing a plurality of wireless devices;
• exchanging identification information between at least some of the wireless devices, the wireless devices exchanging identification information forming a collaborative-collection, each wireless device exchanging identification information being a member of the collaborative-collection;
• at least a first member maintaining state information comprising at least some in-contact history and some not in-contact history of the first member with respect to the plurality of wireless devices, the in-contact history comprising a record of when an effective signal strength of a wireless access mechanism is sufficient to enable information exchange between the first member and at least one other of the plurality of wireless devices and the not in-contact history comprising a record of when the effective signal strength is insufficient to enable the information exchange;
• at least the first member making an association-based function with dynamic behavior available to applications executing on the first member, the association-based function providing a first set of behaviors when a predetermined condition is met and providing a second set of behaviors when the predetermined condition is not met;
• based at least in part on the association-based function, at least the first member imposing at least some restrictions on locally initiated access to at least one protected local resource;
• and
• basing the predetermined condition at least in part on the in-contact history and the not in-contact history.

An enhanced wireless device for selective operation in a group of wireless devices, the enhanced wireless device comprising:

• a wireless access mechanism;
• storage for holding data and code,
• the data comprising state information for the enhanced wireless device, the state information comprising a log representing at least some in-contact history and some not in-contact history of the enhanced wireless device with respect to the group, the state information further comprising mutually exclusive exchanged and non-exchanged authentication-states with respect to at least one other wireless device of the group,
• the code comprising routines to implement a wireless access communications protocol stack, selectively update the state information, and support dynamic modification of at least a first function;
• a processor for selectively executing the routines, the processor coupled to the wireless access mechanism and the storage;
• and
• wherein the dynamic modification is based at least partially on the in-contact history and the not in-contact history in the log in combination with the exchanged authentication-state;
• and wherein based at least partially on the first function, locally initiated access to at least one protected local resource is at least selectively restricted.