System and method for device co-location discrimination

• US 20060018285A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodman, Jeffrey, Pearson, Gil
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30

Abstract

A system and method for determining if a first and second device are co-located includes first and second sensors for receiving a sample signal. Each sensor is coupled to the first and second devices. The first and second devices each responsively generate a first and second signal representing the sampled signal. Also included is a transmission device located at the first device for transmitting the first signal to the second device and a receiving device located at the second device for receiving the first signal from the first device. Finally, a signal analysis device determines if the first and second devices are co-located.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A first device for wireless communication capable of determining whether a second device is co-located with the first device within a room, wherein a sample signal exists in the room, the first device comprising:

a sampler operable to generate a first representative signal for the sample signal wherein the sample signal is confined within the room;

a receiver operable to receive a second representative signal from the second device; and

a processor module coupled to the sampler and the receiver,

wherein the processor module is operable,

to analyze the first representative signal and the second representative signal,

to determine that the second device is co-located within the room if the first representative signal and the second representative signal are substantially the same, and

to determine that the second device is not co-located within the room if the first representative signal and the second representative signal are not substantially the same.