Systems and methods for tethering devices

• US 10,025,864 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Chalouhi, Olivier, Gill, Daren, Ardhanari, Sankar, Davis, Jordan Leonard, Thun, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US14/696,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for controlling mobile devices with user equipment devices. A user equipment device may detect a mobile device is within a predetermined proximity to the user equipment device by establishing a bi-directional communication. The user equipment device may determine an input/output option of the mobile device. The input/output option may be a microphone, a cellular Internet connection, a camera, or any other sensor and/or actuator of the mobile device. The user equipment device may generate for display an icon corresponding to the input/output option of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling mobile devices with user equipment devices, the method comprising:

detecting, using a user equipment device, a mobile device is within a predetermined proximity to the user equipment device;

in response to detecting the mobile device, determining, using the user equipment device, an input/output (I/O) option of the mobile device, wherein the I/O option corresponds to a voice processing functionality of the mobile device, and wherein determining the I/O option of the mobile device further comprises extracting a device profile, associated with the mobile device, that indicates a plurality of I/O options offered by the mobile device;

generating for display an icon corresponding to the I/O option, wherein the icon is selectable to extend a functionality of the user equipment device with the I/O option to enable the user equipment device to perform voice processing;

in response to receiving a user selection of the icon with the user equipment device, causing the mobile device to perform a voice processing function corresponding to the I/O option;

receiving, from the mobile device, with the user equipment device a result of performing the voice processing function after receiving the user selection of the icon corresponding to the I/O option of the mobile device; and

performing, using the user equipment device, a media guidance application operation using the result received from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the user selection of the icon with the user equipment device, automatically communicating data with the I/O option of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining an accessibility of the I/O option of the mobile device based on the established bi-directional communication; and

generating for display the icon to indicate the accessibility of the I/O option.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating further comprises controlling, with the user equipment device, the I/O option of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mobile device further comprises establishing bi-directional communication with the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the I/O option of the mobile device further comprises requesting information associated with a type of the I/O option from a user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the icon generated for display indicates the type of the I/O option.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user equipment device and the mobile device operate in a master-slave architecture.

9. A system for controlling mobile devices with user equipment devices, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

detect a mobile device is within a predetermined proximity to a user equipment device;

determine an input/output (I/O) option of the mobile device in response to detecting the mobile device, wherein the I/O option corresponds to a voice processing functionality of the mobile device, and wherein determining the I/O option of the mobile device further comprises extracting a device profile, associated with the mobile device, that indicates a plurality of I/O options offered by the mobile device;

generate for display an icon corresponding to the I/O option of the mobile device, wherein the icon is selectable to extend a functionality of the user equipment device with the I/O option to enable the user equipment device to perform voice processing;

in response to receiving a user selection of the icon with the user equipment device, cause the mobile device to perform a voice processing function corresponding to the I/O option;

receive from the mobile device with the user equipment device a result of performing the voice processing function after receiving the user selection of the icon corresponding to the I/O option of the mobile device; and

perform, using the user equipment device, a media guidance application operation using the result received from the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to receiving the user selection of the icon with the user equipment device, automatically communicate data with the I/O option of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an accessibility of the I/O option of the mobile device based on the established bi-directional communication; and

generate for display the icon to indicate the accessibility of the I/O option.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate the data by controlling the I/O option of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to detect the mobile device by establishing bi-directional communication with the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the I/O option of the mobile device by requesting information associated with a type of the I/O option from a user of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the icon generated for display indicates the type of the I/O option.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user equipment device and the mobile device operate in a master-slave architecture.