PROXIMITY DETECTION FOR SHARED COMPUTING EXPERIENCES

• US 20130040572A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Berrett, Doug, Cirrincione, Cory, Kollenkark, Sean, McClanahan, Joseph, Patten, Michael, Albee, Mike, Weare, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• 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 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting whether or not two devices are proximate to one another in order to provide a shared computing experience are provided. The method includes broadcasting audio from a first computing device; receiving the broadcast audio at a second computing device; and processing the received audio to identify a unique audio signature within the broadcasted/received audio. The unique audio signature uniquely identifying the first computing device. The method may further include determining that the first computing device and the second computing device are proximate to one another based on the broadcast audio; and providing a shared computing experience at one or both of the first computing device and the second computing device, where the shared computing experience is not provided in the event that it is determined that the first and second computing devices are non-proximate to one another.

Claims

1. A method of detecting whether or not two devices are proximate to one another in order to provide a shared computing experience that involves interaction between the devices and that would not be provided if the devices were non-proximate, comprising:

broadcasting, from a first computing device, broadcasted audio;

receiving, at a second computing device, received audio from a physical environment in which the second computing device is located;

processing the received audio to determine whether or not such received audio corresponds to the broadcasted audio;

determining, if the received audio does in fact correspond to the broadcasted audio, that the first computing device and the second computing device are proximate to one another; and

providing a shared computing experience at one or both of the first computing device and the second computing device, where the shared computing experience is not provided in the event that it is determined that the first and second computing devices are non-proximate to one another.

2. The method of claim 1, where the broadcasted audio includes a unique audio signature.

3. The method of claim 2, where determining whether the first computing device and the second computing device are proximate to one another includes the second computing device communicating with a cloud service which uses the unique audio signature to identify the first computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, where the unique audio signature is not human perceivable and is embedded within an otherwise audible signal.

5. The method of claim 4, where the unique audio signature is watermark embedded within the otherwise audible signal.

6. The method of claim 1, where the unique audio signature is human perceivable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the first computing device and the second computing device are proximate to one another, retrieving data pertaining to prior interactions between the first computing device and the second computing device, wherein the provided computer experience is controlled based on such data pertaining to the prior interactions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after determining that multiple computing devices are proximate to one another, providing a computing experience involving inter-device interaction, wherein such providing is controlled based on a spatial orientation of one or more of the proximate devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a proximate device includes a capture device and if the capture device is aimed to capture visual content displayed by a main computing device, the spatial orientation allowing the proximate device to control aspects of the main computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a proximate device includes a capture device and if the capture device is not aimed to capture visual content displayed by a main computing device, the spatial orientation inhibiting the proximate device from controlling aspects of the main computing device.

11. A method for determining that two or more computing devices are proximate, comprising:

prompting a first computing device to enter a listening mode;

prompting a second computing device to enter a broadcasting mode;

identifying a broadcast emitted by the second computing device, wherein the first computing device identifies the broadcast;

determining if the first and second computing devices are proximate to one another; and

if the first and second computing devices are proximate, establishing a shared computing experience between the first and second computing devices, else inhibiting the first and second computing devices from interacting via a shared computing experience.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadcast includes audio and/or video content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second computing devices are communicatively linked to the same local area network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second computing devices are communicatively linked to different local area networks.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein prompting the listening mode and prompting the broadcasting mode is implemented by a cloud computing service communicatively linked to the first and second computing devices.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein after determining if the first and second computing devices are proximate to one another, determining if the first and/or second computing devices are within a threshold distance from a main computing system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the threshold distance is determined by a global positioning system such that coordinates corresponding to a location of the first and second computing devices are compared to coordinates corresponding to a location of the main computing system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the location of the first or second computing device exceeds the threshold distance, inhibiting the first or second computing device from joining the shared experience.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second computing device prompts the first computing device to enter the listening mode.

20. A data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by a logic subsystem to:

detect an audio signature;

identify a computing device associated with the audio signature;

establish a communicative link with the computing device to thereby form a shared computing experience with the computing device; and

configure an interactive software experience, wherein configuring includes determining a user associated with the linked computing device and identifying historical data associated with the user, the historical data influencing the shared computing experience.