AUTOMATIC INTERAFACING BETWEEN A MASTER DEVICE AND OBJECT DEVICE

• US 20110016405A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, Gerald V. JR., Diaz Spindola, Serafin, Keating, Virginia Walker, Grob, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• 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

A master device images an object device and uses the image to identify the object device. The master device then automatically interfaces with the identified object device, for example, by pairing with the object device. The master device may receive broadcast data from the object device including information about the visual appearance of the object device and use the broadcast data in the identification of the object device. The master device may retrieve data related to the object device and display the related data, which may be display the data over the displayed image of the object device. The master device may provide an interface to control the object device or be used to pass data to the object device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

imaging an object device with a master device and displaying the image of the object device on the master device;

identifying the object device using the image of the object device; and

interfacing with the object device through the master device based on the identity of the object device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying data related to the object device on the master device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the object device as pairable using the image of the object device; and

pairing the master device with the object device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the master device an interface to control the object device.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

interfacing with a target device through the master device;

wherein interfacing with the object device comprises retrieving data related from the object device; and

passing the data to the target device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pairing the master device with the object device;

pairing the master device with a second object device; and

using the master device to pair the object device and the second object device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving broadcast data from the object device, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearance of the object device;

wherein the object device is identified by comparing the image of the object device with the broadcast data from the object device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information about the visual appearance of the object device comprises at least one of an image and a textured 3-dimensional model of the object device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving broadcast data from a plurality of object devices, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearances of the object devices;

wherein identifying the object device using the image of the object device comprises;

filtering the broadcast data using the image of the object device to produce a subset of broadcast data;

displaying the subset of broadcast data;

identifying the object device by user selection from the displayed subset of broadcast data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising interfacing the object device with a wide area network through the master device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving broadcast data from an object device, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearance of the object device;

displaying the broadcast data on a master device; and

interfacing with the object device based on a selection of the displayed broadcast data from the object device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadcast data comprises information about an image displayed by the object device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

imaging the object device with the master device; and

identifying the object device by comparing the image of the object device and the received broadcast data.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising interfacing the object device with a wide area network through the master device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a camera being operable to image an object device;

a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from the object device;

a processor connected to the camera and the wireless transceiver;

memory connected to the processor; and

software held in the memory and run in the processor to cause the processor to identify the object device using an image provided by the camera and to interface with the identified object device through the wireless transceiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a digital display coupled to the processor, wherein the data related to the object device is displayed on the digital display.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data related to the object device is received by the wireless transceiver from the object device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising a network interface transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the data related to the object device is received by the network interface transceiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the software causes the processor to identify the object device as pairable using the image of the object device;

and pairing the master device with the object device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a digital display coupled to the processor, wherein the software causes the processor to display an interface to control the object device on the digital display.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the software causes the processor to interface with a target device, to interface with the object device comprises by retrieving data related from the object device;

and to transmit the data to the target device through the wireless transceiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the software causes the processor to pair with the object device, to pair with a second object device;

and to pair the object device and the second object device.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wireless transceiver receives broadcast data from the object device and provides the broadcast data to the processor, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearance of the object device, the software causes the processor to identify the object device by comparing the image provided by the camera with the broadcast data received from the object device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the information about the visual appearance of the object device comprises at least one of an image and a textured 3-dimensional model of the object device.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a digital display coupled to the processor and a user interface coupled to the processor, wherein the wireless transceiver receives broadcast data from a plurality of object devices and provides the broadcast data to the processor, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearances of the object devices, the software causes the processor to identify the object device by filtering the broadcast data using the image provided by the camera to produce a subset of broadcast data;

to display the subset of broadcast data on the digital display and to identify the object device from the subset of broadcast data based on an input from the user interface.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further comprising a network interface transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the software causes the processor to interface the object device with a wide area network through the network interface transceiver.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from the object device, the wireless transceiver receiving broadcast data from an object device, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearance of the object device;

a digital display;

a user interface;

a processor connected to the camera and the digital display and a user interface;

memory connected to the processor; and

software held in the memory and run in the processor to cause the processor to display the broadcast data on the digital display; and

to interface with the object device based on an input from the user interface in response to the displayed broadcast data.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the broadcast data comprises information about an image displayed by the object device.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the wireless transceiver receives broadcast data from a plurality of object devices, the apparatus further comprising a camera being operable to image the object device, the software causes the processor to compare the image of the object device with the received broadcast data and to filter the broadcast data using the image provided by the camera to produce a subset of broadcast data;

to display the subset of broadcast data on the digital display.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, the apparatus further comprising a network interface transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the software causes the processor to interface the object device with a wide area network through the network interface transceiver.

31. A system interfacing between a master device and an object device comprising:

means for imaging an object device with the master device;

means for displaying the image of the object device on the master device;

means for identifying the object device using the image of the object device; and

means for interfacing with the identified object device.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for obtaining data related to the object device, wherein the means for displaying the image of the object displays the data related to the object device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the means for interfacing pairs the master device with the object device.

34. The system of claim 31, further means for controlling the identified object device with the master device.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the means for interfacing with the identified object device further interfaces with a target device that is different than the object device;

the system further comprising means for retrieving data related from the identified object device;

wherein the means for interfacing passes the retrieved data to the target device.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the means for interfacing pairs the master device with the object device and pairs the master device with a second object device, the system further comprising means for pairing the object device with the second object device through the master device.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for receiving broadcast data from the object device, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearance of the object device;

wherein the means for identifying the object device compares the image of the object device with the broadcast data from the object device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the information about the visual appearance of the object device comprises at least one of an image and a textured 3-dimensional model of the object device.

39. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for receiving broadcast data from a plurality of object devices, the broadcast data including information about the visual appearances of the object devices;

wherein the means for identifying the object device comprises;

means for filtering the broadcast data using the image of the object device to produce a subset of broadcast data, wherein the means for displaying displays the subset of broadcast data;

means for selecting the object device based on the displayed subset of broadcast data.

40. The system of claim 31, further comprising a means for interfacing the object device to a wide area network.

41. A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to identify an object device using an image of the object device; and

program code to interface with the identified object device.