Device apparatus cooperation via apparatus profile

• US 10,082,831 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Aliakseyeu, Dzmitry Viktorovich, Mason, Jonathan David, Meerbeek, Berent Willem, Chraibi, Sanae
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarma, Abhishek
• Application Number:
  US14/779,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Devices (1) cooperate with apparatuses (2) in cooperation modes such as docking modes and smart desk modes and comprise interfaces (11) for receiving first signals from the apparatuses (2) comprising indications linked with profiles of the apparatuses (2) for indicating the cooperation modes. Sensors (12) sense in the cooperation modes user signals generated by users via the apparatuses (2) and controllers (13) analyze sensing results from the sensors in view of the profiles of the apparatuses (2) and control operations of the devices (1) in response to analysis results. The profiles of the apparatuses (2) may be pre-stored in the devices (1) or may be provided by the apparatuses (2) or may be retrieved from servers. The operations of the devices (1) may be controlled in dependence of parameters defining states of the devices (1) or of the apparatuses (2) or of the environment. The user signals may be generated by the users through touching surfaces (22) of the apparatuses (2).

Claims

1. A device for cooperating with an apparatus in a cooperation mode, the device comprising:

an interface configured to receive a first signal from the apparatus, the first signal comprising an indication for indicating the cooperation mode, the indication being associated with a profile of the apparatus, the profile defining one or more user signals or characteristics of one or more user signals;

a sensor configured to detect, in the cooperation mode, an interaction between a user and the apparatus based on a desired operation of the device generated by the user via the apparatus, said sensor configured to generate a user signal based on said interaction, wherein the user signal or a characteristic of the user signal is defined by the user; and

a controller coupled with the interface and the sensor and configured to analyze said user signal or said characteristic of said user signal from the sensor based on the profile of the apparatus to generate an analysis result, and configured to control said device based on said analysis result.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile of the apparatus is provided by the apparatus via the first signal, or via a second signal, whereby the interface is arranged to receive the second signal from the apparatus.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a retriever configured to retrieve a third signal from a server via a computer network, wherein the third signal comprises data representing the profile of the apparatus.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to further control the operation of the device in dependence of a parameter defining one or more of a state of the device, a state of the apparatus, and a state of the environment.

5. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the user signal is generated by the user via a surface of the apparatus through touching said surface.

6. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile of the apparatus defines mechanical or surface properties of the apparatus.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a docking station, and the cooperation mode comprises a docking mode, the device further having at least one other mode different from the docking mode.

8. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a smart desk, and the cooperation mode comprises a smart desk mode, the device further having at least one other mode different from the smart desk mode.

9. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a microphone, a camera, a light detector, a proximity detector, and an accelerometer.

10. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the operation of the device comprises a control of an operation of the apparatus, the operation of the apparatus comprising one or more of an audio reproduction, an audio recording, a video reproduction, a video recording, a light and/or aroma production, and a light recording.

11. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the operation of the device comprises one or more of an audio reproduction, an audio recording, a video reproduction, a video recording, an audio call, a video call, an exchange of a message, and an internet visit.

12. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cooperation mode comprises at least one of an electrical cooperation and a mechanical cooperation.

14. The server for providing the profile of the apparatus to the device as defined in claim 3, wherein the server is configured to:

receive a request for the profile of the apparatus from the retriever of the device; and

in response to the request, provide the third signal including the data representing the profile of the apparatus to the retriever of the device.

15. A method for providing the profile of the apparatus to the device as defined in claim 3, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the profile of the apparatus from the retriever of the device; and

in response to the request, providing the third signal including the data representing the profile of the apparatus to the retriever of the device.

13. An apparatus for cooperating with a device in a cooperation mode, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to send a first signal to the device, the first signal comprising an indication for indicating the cooperation mode, the indication being associated with a profile of the apparatus, the profile defining one or more user signals or characteristics of one or more user signals; and

a surface configured to allow a user to generate a user input based on a desired operation of the device, said user input generated by an interaction between the user and the apparatus to be detected by a sensor of the device, independent of said interface in the cooperation mode, the sensor configured to generate a user signal based on said user input,

wherein the user signal or a characteristic of the user signal is defined by the user.