Wireless Device Pairing and Grouping Methods

• US 20110159813A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mikhailov, Anton, MALLINSON, Dominic S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Methods for pairing devices to a group are disclosed. The methods include initiating a plurality of wireless device for communication with a base computing system. Then, receiving signals indicative of setting of each of the plurality of wireless devices in pairing mode. The method then detects a physical tap between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices. The physical tap setting a pairing of the wireless devices to a group for communication with the base computing system. The devices in the group being managed in a database to associate capabilities of the wireless devices to components of a multimedia feed being used by the group.

Claims

1. A method of pairing devices to a group, comprising:

detecting initiation of a plurality of wireless device for communication with a base computing system;

receiving signals indicative of setting of each of the plurality of wireless devices in pairing mode; and

detecting a physical tap between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices, the physical tap setting a pairing of the wireless devices to a group for communication with the base computing system.

2. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, wherein the physical tap triggers a signal by one of the wireless devices that pairing should be enabled.

3. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, wherein the group is saved to a database, the database identifying each of the wireless devices in the group and identifies a capability of the respective wireless devices.

4. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, wherein the group identifies devices for a single player or for multiple players.

5. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a multimedia feed for the group, and

determining components of the multimedia feed, the components being matched to capabilities of each of the wireless devices of the group; and

connecting the components to input/output channels of the wireless devices.

6. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 5, wherein the components include one or more of video, audio, images, photos, voice, text, movies, games, and internet content.

7. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

detecting when one of the plurality of wireless devices un-pairs from the group; and

detecting loss of an input/output channel for the multimedia feed; and

updating the group to reflect the loss of the input/output channel due to the un-pairing from the group.

8. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

assigning lost input/output channel for the multimedia feed to another one of the plurality of wireless devices having capability the component of the multimedia feed,

else holding the lost input/output channel open until a wireless device having capability joins the group.

9. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of devices of the group communicating a signal to the base computing system to store the pairing information in a database for the group.

10. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 9, wherein the communicated signal is pre-processed at the wireless computing device.

11. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 10, wherein the communicated signal is raw data transmitted to the base computing system for determining the pairing and saving the pairing for the group in a database.

12. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 1, wherein the physical tap is physical contact selected from one of a single tap, multiple taps, rubbing, petting, shaking, taps at different rates, double taps, triple taps, and sub-combinations of physical contacts.

13. A method of pairing devices to a group as recited in claim 12, wherein particular ones of the physical tap are coded to define a particular paring action, indication of pairing, or un-pairing.

14. Computer readable media for storing program instructions for pairing devices to a group, the compute readable media comprising:

program instructions for receiving initiation information from a plurality of wireless device for communication with a base computing system;

program instructions for receiving signals indicative of setting of each of the plurality of wireless devices in pairing mode; and

program instructions for detecting a physical tap between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices, the physical tap setting a pairing of the wireless devices to a group for communication with the base computing system.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the physical tap triggers a signal by one of the wireless devices that pairing should be enabled.

16. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the group is saved to a database, the database identifying each of the wireless devices in the group and identifies a capability of the respective wireless devices.

17. The computer readable media of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions for detecting a multimedia feed for the group, and

program instructions for determining components of the multimedia feed, the components being matched to capabilities of each of the wireless devices of the group; and

program instructions for connecting the components to input/output channels of the wireless devices.

18. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the components include one or more of video, audio, images, photos, voice, text, movies, games, and internet content.

19. The computer readable media of claim 17, further comprising:

program instructions for detecting when one of the plurality of wireless devices un-pairs from the group; and

program instructions for detecting loss of an input/output channel for the multimedia feed; and

program instructions for updating the group to reflect the loss of the input/output channel due to the un-pairing from the group.

20. The computer readable media of claim 19, further comprising:

program instructions for assigning lost input/output channel for the multimedia feed to another one of the plurality of wireless devices having capability the component of the multimedia feed,

program instructions for, else, holding the lost input/output channel open until a wireless device having capability joins the group.