Controlling Remote Electronic Device with Wearable Electronic Device

• US 20140143784A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Mistry, Pranav, Sadi, Sajid, Aumiller, Curtis Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 11,237,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0208 for combination with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches, pens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a wearable computing device that includes one or more processors and a memory. The memory is coupled to the processors and includes instructions executable by the processors. When executing the instructions, the processors determine whether an application is running on the wearable computing device. The application controls one or more functions of a remote computing device. The processors determine to delegate a task associated with the application; delegate the task to be processed by a local computing device; and receive from the local computing device results from processing the delegated task.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wearable computing device comprising one or more processors and a memory;

wherein the memory is coupled to the processors and comprises instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

determine whether an application is running on the wearable computing device, wherein the application controls one or more functions of a remote computing device;

determine to delegate a task associated with the application;

delegate the task to be processed by a local computing device; and

receive from the local computing device results from processing the delegated task.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wearable computing device comprises:

a device body comprising;

one or more of the processors;

the memory;

a display;

a rotatable element about the display; and

a detector configured to detecting rotation of the rotatable element;

a band coupled to the device body; and

an optical sensor in or on the band.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the local computing device is paired with the wearable computing device using one or more of the following;

a BLUETOOTH connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

a near-field communication (NFC) connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

or

a WI-FI connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a latency sensitivity of the task;

a processing requirement of the task;

or

a network payload size of data associated with the task.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on analyzing one or more characteristics of the wearable computing device, the characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

available memory;

CPU capacity;

available energy;

network connectivity;

availability of network-based services;

behavior of one or more users;

or

predicted processing time of the task.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the task comprises wirelessly connecting to the remote computing device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the task comprises issuing a command to the remote computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the task comprises receiving data from the remote computing device.

9. A method comprising:

determining whether an application is running on a wearable computing device, wherein the application controls one or more functions of a remote computing device;

by the wearable computing device, determining to delegate a task associated with the application;

delegating the task to be processed by a local computing device; and

receiving from the local computing device results from processing the delegated task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wearable computing device comprises:

a device body comprising;

one or more of the processors;

the memory;

a display;

a rotatable element about the display; and

a detector configured to detecting rotation of the rotatable element;

a band coupled to the device body; and

an optical sensor in or on the band.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the local computing device is paired with the wearable computing device using one or more of the following;

a BLUETOOTH connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

a near-field communication (NFC) connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

or

a WI-FI connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a latency sensitivity of the task;

a processing requirement of the task;

or

a network payload size of data associated with the task.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on analyzing one or more characteristics of the wearable computing device, the characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

available memory;

CPU capacity;

available energy;

network connectivity;

availability of network-based services;

behavior of one or more users;

or

predicted processing time of the task.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the task comprises wirelessly connecting to the remote computing device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the task comprises issuing a command to the remote computing device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the task comprises receiving data from the remote computing device.

17. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

determine whether an application is running on a wearable computing device, wherein the application controls one or more functions of a remote computing device;

determine to delegate a task associated with the application;

delegate the task to be processed by a local computing device; and

receive from the local computing device results from processing the delegated task.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the wearable computing device comprises:

a device body comprising;

one or more of the processors;

the memory;

a display;

a rotatable element about the display; and

a detector configured to detecting rotation of the rotatable element;

a band coupled to the device body; and

an optical sensor in or on the band.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein:

the local computing device is paired with the wearable computing device using one or more of the following;

a BLUETOOTH connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

a near-field communication (NFC) connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device;

or

a WI-FI connection between the local computing device and the wearable computing device.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a latency sensitivity of the task;

a processing requirement of the task;

or

a network payload size of data associated with the task.

21. The media of claim 17, wherein determining to delegate the task is performed based at least in part on analyzing one or more characteristics of the wearable computing device, the characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

available memory;

CPU capacity;

available energy;

network connectivity;

availability of network-based services;

behavior of one or more users;

or

predicted processing time of the task.

22. The media of claim 17, wherein the task comprises wirelessly connecting to the remote computing device.

23. The media of claim 17, wherein the task comprises issuing a command to the remote computing device.

24. The media of claim 17, wherein the task comprises receiving data from the remote computing device.