CONTEXT DEPENDENT COMPUTER OPERATION

• US 20120139690A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Yatharth, Hassan, Amer A., Rao, Ravi, Anders, Billy R. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US12/960,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139690A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A context dependent computing device. The computing device configures itself for operations based on its context. The computing device may determine its context by reading a value from a tag using low power transmissions such that receiving a value from the tag provides an indication of proximity to a location where the tag is affixed. The value read provides an indication of a desired operation. In response to reading a value of a tag, the computing device may identify an application to launch, identify devices with which to pair or take other actions that configure the computing device for its context.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computing device, the method comprising:

reading a value from a tag (232A) using a proximity-based radio (210) within the computing device;

selecting an application based on the value; and

launching the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, based on the output of a sensor (212) on the computing device, proximity with a dock (230); and

in response to detecting the proximity with the dock, transmitting energy of a type detected by the proximity-based radio.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the application to render a context-sensitive display (32) on the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving power wirelessly and charging a battery (544) of the computing device while the computing device is positioned proximate the tag.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the value, at least one wireless device (60) with which the computing device previously paired; and

resuming a connection with the at least one identified wireless device based on information stored during a previous pairing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the computing device comprises a second radio (216), different than the proximity-based radio; and

the method comprises communicating with the at least one wireless device (250) using the second radio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value (310) indicates a type of application; and

selecting the application comprises identifying an application installed on the computing device of the indicated type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value indicates a network address (318) of the application; and

selecting the application comprises downloading the application based on the value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application configures the computing device to operate as a clock, to present a game on a user interface or to stream video content to a display device.

10. A computing device comprising:

a proximity-based radio (210); and

at least one processor (214) configured to;

operate the proximity-based radio to read a value (310) from a tag (232A); and

configure (428) the computing device based on the value.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one processor configures the computing device by launching an application selected based on the value.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one processor configures the computing device by pairing with at least one wireless device identified based on the value.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the computing device has a slate form-factor.

14. The computing device of claim 14, further comprising:

an inductive power pick-up component (540).

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein:

the slate has an exterior surface; and

the inductive power-pickup and the proximity-based radio are positioned adjacent the exterior surface (220).

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method comprising:

operating a near field radio to read a value from a tag; and

configuring the computing device based on the value.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a time at which to emit radiation of a type detected by the near field radio.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

determining a time at which to emit radiation comprises processing an output of an acceleration sensor.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the method further comprises receiving a registration from each of a plurality of applications, the registration from each application identifying at least one respective registration value; and

configuring the computing device comprises;

identifying an application of the plurality of applications by matching the value read from the tag with a respective registration value for the application; and

launching the identified application.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

reading the value from the tag comprises applying an error control decoding scheme to information read from the tag.