METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERCONNECTED DEVICES

• US 20130226444A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dan Zacharias Gardenfors, Emil Alexander Wasberger, Karl-Anders Reinhold Johansson, Mathias Lewin, Michael Erik Winberg
• Inventors: Johansson, Karl-Anders Reinhold, Grdenfors, Dan Zacharias, Wasberger, Emil Alexander, Winberg, Michael Erik, Lewin, Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 9,161,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Abstract

A computer implemented method comprises, at an electronic device having an input interface and a display, receiving information relating to a current relative location of at least one other electronic device, displaying on the display a representation of the at least one other electronic device and its relative location, and receiving at the input interface user input associated with the displayed representation of the at least one other electronic device for communicating with the at least one other electronic device. The electronic device has up-to-date knowledge of the relative position of the at least one other device and displays this visually. Information may be sent to the at least one other electronic device in response to receiving the user input associated with the displayed representation of the at least one other electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising, at an electronic device having an input interface and a display:

receiving information relating to a current relative location of at least one other electronic device;

displaying on the display a representation of said at least one other electronic device and its relative location; and

,

receiving at said input interface user input associated with the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device for communicating with said at least one other electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises receiving updated information relating to the relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said representation of said at least one other electronic device is displayed near the periphery of a display area of the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said representation of said at least one other electronic device is displayed in a display area of the display closest to the relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises detecting the orientation of said electronic device and displaying said representation of said at least one other electronic device in dependence on said determined orientation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises receiving information relating to the current location of said at least one other electronic device relative to an external reference point and displaying said representation of said at least one other electronic device in dependence on said received relative location information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying said representation of said at least one other electronic device includes adapting a characteristic of said representation to identify said at least one other electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises detecting user input comprising a gesture in the direction of the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises receiving user input comprising selection of the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises moving an item displayed on the display towards the representation of the at least one other electronic device in response to the received user input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending information to said at least one other electronic device in response to receiving the user input associated with the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said information comprises content associated with an item displayed on said electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises detecting user input at a touch pad of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises detecting a user gesture with a camera of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving current relative location information comprises detecting a sound signal originating from said at least one other electronic device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving current relative location information comprises receiving an image of a reference pattern and comparing said image with an image of said reference pattern taken by a camera of said electronic device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving current relative location information comprises receiving information from an imaging system monitoring said electronic device and said at least one other electronic device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving current relative location information comprises receiving GPS data.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving current relative location information is performed without said electronic device and said at least one other electronic device physically overlapping.

20. A computer program product comprising memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors of an electronic device having an input interface and a display cause the electronic device to:

receive information relating to a current relative location of at least one other electronic device;

display on the display a representation of said at least one other electronic device and its relative location; and

,

receive at said input interface user input associated with the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device for communicating with said at least one other electronic device.

21. An electronic device comprising:

an input interface for receiving user input;

a display;

one or more processors; and

,

memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors cause the electronic device to;

receive information relating to a current relative location of at least one other electronic device;

display on the display a representation of said at least one other electronic device and its relative location; and

,

receive at said input interface user input associated with the displayed representation of said at least one other electronic device for communicating with said at least one other electronic device.

22. An electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said electronic device is adapted to receive updated information relating to the relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

23. An electronic device according to claim 21, wherein the electronic device comprises means detecting the orientation of said electronic device and displaying said representation of said at least one other electronic device in dependence on said determined orientation.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device comprises a touch pad for detecting the user input.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the display is a display screen and the touch pad is provided as a touch-sensitive overlay on the display screen to provide a touch-sensitive screen.

26. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device comprises a camera for detecting the user input.

27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device comprises a camera for capturing an image of a reference pattern and wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive another image of said reference pattern and to compare said received image with said captured image for determining said current relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

28. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive input from an imaging system monitoring said electronic device and said at least one other electronic device.

29. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device comprises a sound detector for detecting sound signals received from said at least one other electronic device.

30. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device is GPS enabled.

31. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive current relative location information without said electronic device and said at least one other electronic device physically overlapping.

32. An electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said electronic device is portable.

33. A plurality of electronic devices according to claim 21, wherein said electronic devices are adapted to communicate with one another in a connected environment.

34. A system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices according to claim 21; and

,

an imaging system adapted to monitor the relative location of said electronic devices and to transmit information relating to the relative location of said electronic devices to each electronic device.