SYSTEM FOR INTERACTION OF PAIRED DEVICES

• US 20110314168A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Meistrich, Jason Alexander, Hinckley, Kenneth, Weber, Karon A., Cox, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for setting interactions between paired computing devices. Paired devices may interact in a master-slave relationship, where the slave device is an intelligent computing device capable of performing a wide variety of functions for the master computing device. When initiating a paired relationship, various characteristics relating to the initiating device are recorded, and the used in defining the relationship between the initiating device and the target device with which the initiating device paired. In a further example of interactions between paired computing devices, user-defined policies may be recorded, stored and implemented which affect the behavior of one or both computing devices when the two devices are paired.

Claims

1. A method of a first computing device interacting with a second computing device, comprising:

a) receiving an indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device; and

b) pairing the first and second computing devices, with the first computing device operating as peripheral device for the second computing device, where the functionality of the first computing device as a peripheral device are determined by factors including at least one of;

b1) parameters set by a user upon pairing the first computing device with the second computing device,

b2) specifications of the characteristics and capabilities of the first computing device, and

b3) an application running on the second computing device upon receipt of the indication in said step a).

2. The method of claim 1, said step b1) comprising a gesture performed in conjunction with receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, the first computing device including a touch-sensitive screen for input of information, said step b1) comprising a gesture performed by contact with the touch-sensitive screen on the first computing device in conjunction with receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device comprises simultaneous contact with a screen or button on the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, said step b1) comprising an orientation of the first computing device to the second computing device upon receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, the first computing device including a display having a touch-sensitive screen, the display capable of displaying information and receiving input of information, said step b1) comprising an indication to use the display of the first computing device as a display device when display of the first computing device is vertically oriented with respect to the second computing device upon receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device, and said step b1) comprising an indication to use the display of the first computing device as an input/output device when display of the first computing device is horizontally oriented with respect to the second computing device upon receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device

7. The method of claim 1, said step b1) comprising a positional relation of the first computing device to the second computing device upon receipt of the indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, said step b) comprising the step of the second computing device evaluating the factors in b1), b2) and b3) according to a set of predefined rules and determining the functionality of the first computing device as a peripheral device based on the evaluation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the functionality of the first computing device as a peripheral device upon changing of an application running on the second computing device to a new application.

10. The method of claim 1, said step b) of determining the functionality of the first computing device as a peripheral device comprising the step of setting the functionality of the first computing device to act as at least one of a display, a game controller, an input device, a storage device and a computational device for the second computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, said step a) of receiving an indication that a user desires to pair the first computing device with the second computing device comprising the step of the user bumping the first computing device against the second computing device.

12. A method of a first computing device interacting with a second computing device, comprising:

a) receiving an indication of a pairing initiation act between the first computing device and the second computing device;

b) receiving an indication of one or more parameterization descriptors in conjunction with receiving the indication of said step a), the indication of the one or more parameterization descriptors indicating one or more parameters to be set for the pairing of the first and second computing devices;

c) pairing the first and second computing devices together; and

d) applying to the pairing one or more of the parameters indicated by the one or more parameterization descriptors of said step b).

13. The method of claim 12, the one or more parameterization descriptors including at least one of:

a gesture performed in association with receiving the indication in said step a),

an orientation of one of the first and second computing devices upon receiving the indication of said step a), and

a relative position of the first and second computing devices upon receiving the indication of said step a).

14. The method of claim 12, the one or more parameterization descriptors indicating that the first computing device is to act as a peripheral device to the second computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step e) of configuring aspects of the pairing at least in part based on specifications of the first computing device including at least one of characteristics of the first computing device and capabilities of the first computing device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step f) of configuring aspects of the pairing at least in part based on specification of the first computing device including at least one of characteristics of the first computing device and capabilities of the first computing device.

17. A method of a first computing device interacting with a second computing device, comprising:

a) automatically pairing a first computing device with a second computing device upon the first and second devices being within communications range of each other;

b) determining if a predefined policy exists relating to the first and second computing devices to be implemented upon pairing of the first and second computing devices, the predefined policy affecting a behavior of at least one of the first and second computing devices upon pairing of the first and second computing devices; and

c) implementing the policy relating to the first and second computing devices if the policy is determined to exist in said step b).

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

d) determining if more than one predefined policy applies to at least one of the first and second computing devices if it is determined in said step b) that at least one predefined policy exists relating to the first and second computing devices;

e) resolving any conflict that may exist based on predefined policy priorities.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a user of the first and second computing devices defines at least one policy as the policy relating to the first and second computing devices.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one policy is stored on a server accessible by the first and second computing devices via network connections between the first computing device and the server and the second computing device and the server.