Systems and methods for coupling wireless devices

• US 10,595,347 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Debates, Scott P., Forest, Francis W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US16/445,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20190306902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413, 455410, 455411, 340 51, 340 52, 340 521, 340 561
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for coupling wireless devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a server, an image captured by a first electronic device; obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a server including one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

receiving an image captured by a first electronic device;

obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the connection information includes:

comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server;

determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and

selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device;

comparing the one or more received device identifiers to a device identifier of the second electronic device; and

wherein obtaining the connection information is in accordance with a determination, based on the comparing, that one of the one or more received device identifiers matches the device identifier of the second electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device;

receiving one or more signal strength values corresponding to the received one or more device identifiers, each signal strength value corresponding to a respective device identifier;

selecting a device identifier of the received one or more device identifiers corresponding to the highest signal strength value of the received signal strength values;

wherein obtaining the connection information includes obtaining connection information of an electronic device associated with the selected device identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, after facilitating the wireless connection, a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection; and

increasing or decreasing a correlation score of the received image with respect to the selected device identifier in accordance with the notification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after facilitating the wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, receiving a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection is implemented over a local area network, a personal access network, or a wide area network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection comprises a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection.

9. A server comprising one or more processors and memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving an image captured by a first electronic device;

obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the instructions for obtaining the connection information include instructions for:

comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server;

determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and

selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

11. The server of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device;

receiving one or more signal strength values corresponding to the received one or more device identifiers, each signal strength value corresponding to a respective device identifier;

selecting a device identifier of the received one or more device identifiers corresponding to the highest signal strength value of the received signal strength values;

wherein obtaining the connection information includes obtaining connection information of an electronic device associated with the selected device identifier.

12. The server of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

receiving, after facilitating the wireless connection, a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection; and

increasing or decreasing a correlation score of the received image with respect to the selected device identifier in accordance with the notification.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for face-lifting a connection implemented over a local area network, a personal access network, or a wide area network.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for facilitating a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection.

15. A memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by a server, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving an image captured by a first electronic device;

obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions for obtaining the connection information include instructions for:

comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server;

determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and

selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

17. The memory of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device;

comparing the one or more received device identifiers to a device identifier of the second electronic device; and

wherein obtaining the connection information is in accordance with a determination, based on the comparing, that one of the one or more received device identifiers matches the device identifier of the second electronic device.

18. The memory of claim 15, further comprising instructions for, after facilitating the wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, receiving a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for facilitating a connection implemented over a local area network, a personal access network, or a wide area network.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for facilitating a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection.