COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEVICES BASED ON DEVICE-TO-DEVICE PHYSICAL CONTACT

• US 20120135687A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thorn, Ola Karl, Katz, Darius
• Application Number:
  US13/319,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals

Abstract

A method includes detecting one or more physical contacts between the device and another device and determining whether the one or more physical contacts correspond to one or more taps. The method further includes initiating a discovery request to the other device, when it is determined that the physical contact corresponds to the one or more taps, and communicating to the other device when a communication link is established between the device and the other device based on the discovery request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a device, one or more physical contacts between the device and another device;

determining, by the device, whether the one or more physical contacts corresponds to one or more taps;

initiating, by the device, a discovery request to the other device, in response to determining that the physical contact corresponds to the one or more taps, where initiating the discovery request includes regulating a power level associated with the discovery request such that the other device receives the discovery request; and

communicating, by the device, to the other device via a communication link established between the device and the other device based on the discovery request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the device, a discovery response from the other device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the initiating comprises:

transmitting, by the device, the discovery request at a power level that permits the other device to receive the discovery request.

4. The method of claim 1, where the determining comprises:

determining, by the device, whether a tapping pattern exists based on one or more of a number of the one or more physical contacts detected, a location on the device at which the one or more physical contacts occurred, a force associated with the one or more physical contacts, or a time duration in which the one or more physical contacts occurred.

5. The method of claim 1, where the communicating comprises:

transmitting, by the device, data to the other device.

6. The method of claim 5, where the transmitting comprises:

selecting, by the device, the file to transmit based on a file in which the device is currently utilizing.

7. The method of claim 1, where the communicating comprises:

coordinating, by the device, at least one of an audio task or a visual task with the other device.

8. The method of claim 7, where the coordinating comprises:

identifying, by the device, a particular audio task or a particular visual task based on a tapping pattern associated with the one or more taps.

9. A user device adapted to:

monitor for an occurrence of one or more device-to-device physical contacts associated with the user device and another device;

determine whether one or more taps occurred based on the occurrence of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts;

establish a communication link with the other device, in response to determining that one or more taps occurred, where the user device, when establishing the communication link, is further adapted to;

regulate a transmission power associated with a discovery phase so that the other device to receive a discovery request is capable of responding; and

communicate with the other device once the communication link is established.

10. The user device of claim 9, where the user device is further adapted to:

determine whether the one or more taps correspond to a tapping pattern; and

where, when communicating, the user device is further to;

perform at least one of an audio task or a visual task in correspondence to the tapping pattern, in response to determining that the one or more taps correspond to the tapping pattern.

11. The user device of claim 9, where the user device includes a wireless communication device.

12. The user device of claim 9, where, when determining whether one or more taps occurred, the user device is further adapted to:

identify at least one of a number of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts, a force associated with each of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts, a direction associated with each of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts, or a time duration between one of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts and a subsequent one of the one or more device-to-device physical contacts.

13. The user device of claim 9, where, when establishing the communication link, the user device is further to:

regulate a transmission power associated with a discovery phase so that the other device to receive a discovery request is capable of responding.

14. The user device of claim 9, where, when establishing the communication link, the user device is further adapted to:

initiate a dialogue with the other device to inform the other device of a task to which the other device is to perform once the communication link is established.

15. The user device of claim 9, where, when communicating, the user device is further adapted to:

transmit data in which the user device is utilizing, where the data includes one of audio data, video data, image data, or text.

16. The user device of claim 9, where, when communicating, the user device is further adapted to:

utilize Bluetooth profiles.

17. The user device of claim 9, where, when communicating, the user device is further adapted to:

provide that an image displayed on the user device is also displayed on the other device.

18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor in a device, the computer-readable medium storing instructions for:

determining, based on sensor information, whether the device has been tapped by another device;

initiating, in response to determining that the device has been tapped by the other device, a discovery phase to locate the other device, where initiating the discovery phase includes regulating a transmission power associated with the discovery phase so that the other device is capable of receiving a discovery request, associated with the discovery phase; and

communicating with the other device when the other device is located.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the computer-readable medium resides on a portable device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the instructions for communicating further comprise:

one or more instructions for interacting with the other device, where the interacting includes transmitting data to the other device.