Facilitating use of a device based on short-range wireless technology

• US 20080233971A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Panabaker, Ruston, DeMaio, Pasquale
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller

Abstract

Various devices may include a short-range wireless transmitter and/or one or more short-range wireless readers. When a first device including the transmitter is placed near a second device including the one or more readers, a relative location of the first device may be determined. Information regarding the relative location of the first device, may be used to facilitate use of the first device with a processing device. In one embodiment, the processing device may automatically configure itself, such that the first device may be used with the processing device. In another embodiment, the processing device may provide feedback, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions to facilitate setup and use of the first device with the processing device. In some embodiments, an application program interface may provide information about the device to an application executing on the processing device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating use of a first device with a second device, the method comprising:

detecting the first device based on a received short-range wireless protocol signal from the first device;

determining, based on the received short-range wireless protocol signal, a relative location of the first device with respect to the second device;

using information related to the relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device and the second device with a processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless protocol signal includes at least one of a Near Field Communication protocol signal or a Radio Frequency Identification protocol signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the information related to the relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device and the second device with the processing device, further comprises:

automatically configuring the processing device for use with the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device includes a first monitor,

the second device includes a second monitor, and

the using of the information related to the relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device and the second device with the processing device, further comprises;

automatically configuring at least one processing device such that the first monitor and the second monitor are usable together.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the information related to the relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device and the second device with the processing device, further comprises:

providing feedback to facilitate setup and use of the detected first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second device includes a plurality of reader devices for reading a signal from a contactless smartcard transceiver included in the first device, and

the determining, based on the received short-range wireless protocol signal, of the relative location of the first device with respect to the second device, further comprises;

using a triangulation technique, based on the signal read by the plurality of reader devices, to determine the relative location of the first device with respect to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an application program interface for passing information regarding the relative location of the first device with respect to the second device to an application.

8. A processing device comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory including instructions for the at least one processor; and

a bus to provide communications between the at least one processor and the memory, the memory further comprising;

instructions for determining a relative location of a first device based, at least in part, on a strength of a short-range wireless signal received through a plurality of reader devices associated with the processing device;

instructions for identifying a type of the first device based on information included in the received short-range wireless signal; and

instructions for using the identified type of the first device and the determined relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device.

9. The processing device of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for authenticating a user based on the information included in the received short-range wireless signal.

10. The processing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions for using the identified type of the first device and the determined relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device further comprises:

instructions for automatically configuring the processing device to work with the first device.

11. The processing device of claim 8, wherein:

the first device includes a display monitor,

the memory further comprises;

instructions for determining an orientation of the display monitor, and

the instructions for using the identified type of the first device and the determined relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device further comprises;

instructions for automatically configuring the processing device to work with the display monitor and a previously-configured display monitor taking into account the relative location of the display monitor and the orientation of the display monitor.

12. The processing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions for using the identified type of the first device and the determined relative location of the first device to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device further comprises:

instructions for providing step-by-step instructions to a user for configuring the processing device to work with the first device, the provided step-by-step instructions taking into account the determined relative location of the first device.

13. The processing device of claim 8, wherein the short-range wireless signal is a Near Field Communication signal or a Radio Frequency Identification signal.

14. The processing device of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for coordinating use of the first device with a second device, connected to a second processing device.

15. A tangible machine-readable medium comprising instructions for at least one processor of a processing device, the tangible machine-readable medium comprising:

instructions for determining a relative location of a first device based, at least in part, on a strength of a short-range wireless signal received through a plurality of reader devices;

instructions for identifying a type of the first device and an orientation of the first device based, at least in part, on the received short-range wireless signal; and

instructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device.

16. A tangible machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device, based on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprise:

instructions for automatically configuring the processing device to use the first device.

17. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprise:

instructions for automatically configuring the processing device to use the first device, and

instructions for authenticating a user of the first device based, at least in part, on the information included in the received short-range wireless signal.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprise:

instructions for providing feedback to a user with respect to the first device, the feedback including information about the relative location of the first device and setup and use of the first device.

19. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprise:

instructions for providing information regarding the relative location of the first device to an application via an application program interface.

20. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprise:

instructions for providing information regarding the relative location of the first device to an application via an application program interface,

instructions for sending the information regarding the relative location of the first device to a second processing device, and

instructions for coordinating usage of the first device between the processing device and the second processing device.