Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses for Determining Proximity Between Computing Apparatuses

• US 20100144274A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Howes, Timothy, Harker, Andrew, Mcdowall, Ian, de Kogel, Marcel
• Application Number:
  US12/634,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20100144274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for determining proximity between computing apparatuses. A method may include extracting information indicating a transmit signal strength from each of a plurality of electromagnetic transmissions sent by a plurality of second computing apparatuses and received by a first computing apparatus. The method may further include determining received signal strengths of the electromagnetic transmissions. The method may additionally include determining proximities between the first computing apparatus and each of the second computing apparatuses based at least in part upon transmit signal strengths and the received signal strengths. The method may also include generating a list listing the second computing apparatuses and providing an indication of the determined proximities of the second computing apparatuses. Corresponding apparatuses and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

extracting information carried by each of a plurality of electromagnetic transmissions sent by a plurality of second computing apparatuses and received by a first computing apparatus, wherein the information carried by a respective electromagnetic transmission comprises a transmit signal strength indicating a signal strength of the respective electromagnetic transmission when the electromagnetic transmission was sent by a respective one of the second computing apparatuses;

determining received signal strengths of the electromagnetic transmissions, wherein a received signal strength indicates a strength of an electromagnetic transmission when received by the first computing apparatus;

determining, by proximity determination circuitry, proximities between the first computing apparatus and each of the second computing apparatuses based at least in part upon the transmit signal strengths and the received signal strengths; and

generating a list listing the second computing apparatuses and providing an indication of the determined proximities of the second computing apparatuses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic transmissions comprises a radio frequency transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic transmissions comprises a Bluetooth protocol transmission.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the Bluetooth protocol transmission comprises an extended inquiry response, and wherein the information carried by the extended inquiry response comprises a transmission power level tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity between the first computing apparatus and a respective second computing apparatus comprises calculating a pathloss value by subtracting the received signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second computing apparatus from the transmit signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second computing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing display of the generated list on a display operably connected to the first computing apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a selection of one of the second computing apparatuses from the displayed list for establishment of a communication session therewith.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the list comprises generating a list listing the second computing apparatuses in order from the second computing apparatus having the closest determined proximity to the second computing apparatus having the farthest determined proximity.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

extract information carried by each of a plurality of electromagnetic transmissions sent by a plurality of second computing apparatuses and received by the apparatus, wherein the information carried by a respective electromagnetic transmission comprises a transmit signal strength indicating a signal strength of the respective electromagnetic transmission when the electromagnetic transmission was sent by a respective one of the second computing apparatuses;

determine received signal strengths of the electromagnetic transmissions, wherein a received signal strength indicates a strength of an electromagnetic transmission when received by the apparatus;

determine proximities between the apparatus and each of the second computing based at least in part upon the transmit signal strengths and the received signal strengths; and

generate a list listing the second computing apparatuses and providing an indication of the determined proximities of the second computing apparatuses.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic transmissions comprises a radio frequency transmission.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic transmissions comprises a Bluetooth protocol transmission.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the Bluetooth protocol transmission comprises an extended inquiry response, and wherein the information carried by the extended inquiry response comprises a transmission power level tag.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a proximity between the apparatus and a respective second computing apparatus by calculating a pathloss value, the pathloss value being calculated by subtracting the received signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second from the transmit signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second computing apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

direct display of the generated list on a display operably connected to the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a selection of one of the second computing apparatuses from the displayed list for establishment of a communication session therewith.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to generate the list by generating a list listing the second computing apparatuses in order from the second computing apparatus having the closest determined proximity to the second computing apparatus having the farthest determined proximity.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises or is embodied on a mobile phone, the mobile phone comprising user interface circuitry and user interface software stored on one or more of the at least one memory;

wherein the user interface circuitry and user interface software are configured to;

facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display; and

cause at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone to be displayed on the display to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured to extract information carried by each of a plurality of electromagnetic transmissions sent by a plurality of second computing apparatuses and received by a first computing apparatus, wherein the information carried by a respective electromagnetic transmission comprises a transmit signal strength indicating a signal strength of the respective electromagnetic transmission when the electromagnetic transmission was sent by a respective one of the second computing apparatuses;

program instructions configured to determine received signal strengths of the electromagnetic transmissions, wherein a received signal strength indicates a strength of an electromagnetic transmission when received by the first computing apparatus;

program instructions configured to determine proximities between the first computing apparatus and each of the second computing apparatuses based at least in part upon the transmit signal strengths and the received signal strengths; and

program instructions configured to generate a list listing the second computing apparatuses and providing an indication of the determined proximities of the second computing apparatuses.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions configured to determine proximities comprise instructions configured to determine a proximity between the first computing apparatus and a respective second computing apparatus by calculating a pathloss value, the pathloss value being calculated by subtracting the received signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second computing apparatus from the transmit signal strength of the electromagnetic transmission sent by the respective second computing apparatus.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program instructions configured to direct display of the generated list on a display operably connected to the first computing apparatus.