Magnetic Induction Network Device

• US 20150046526A1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Knight, Andrea, Bush, Kathryn
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A network device has a housing, a magnetic induction charger, a wireless data link and a processor. The housing has one or more sides. The induction charger is housed by the housing and is arranged to wirelessly charge a rechargeable battery of a portable electronic device. The electronic device is adjacent to or in contact with the housing. The wireless data link communicates with the portable electronic device. The processor communicates with the magnetic induction charger and the wireless data link. In addition, the processor recognizes the portable electronic device and associates a profile with the portable electronic device. The processor delivers content to an associated media device based on the profile.

Claims

1. A network device (300) comprising:

a housing (310) having one or more sides (311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316);

a magnetic induction charger (320) supported by the housing (310) and arranged to wirelessly charge a rechargeable battery (220) of a portable electronic device (200) adjacent to or in contact with the housing (310);

a wireless data link (330) communicating with the portable electronic device (200); and

a processor (340) in communication with the magnetic induction charger (320) and the wireless data link (330), the processor (340) recognizing the portable electronic device (200) and associating a profile (352) with the portable electronic device (200), the processor (340) delivering content to an associated media device (120) based on the profile (352).

2. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the profile (352) of the portable electronic device (200) comprises at least one of a user identifier, user preferences, user settings, or user favorites.

3. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the processor (340):

retrieves updated profile information (352) from the portable electronic device (200); and

updates the profile (352) of the portable electronic device (200) using the updated profile information (352).

4. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein if the processor (340) fails to retrieve an existing profile (352) for the recognized portable electronic device (200), when associating a profile (352) with the portable electronic device (200), the processor (340) associates a default profile (354) with the portable electronic device (200).

5. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the processor (340):

queries the portable electronic device (200) for one or more media files (256) stored in non-transitory memory (250) of the portable electronic device (200); and

stores one or more media files (256, 356) of the portable electronic device (200) in other non-transitory memory (350) unassociated with the portable electronic device (200).

6. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the processor (340) queries an external networked storage device (14) for a media purchase history associated with an owner of the portable electronic device (200).

7. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the processor (340) recognizes multiple portable electronic devices (200) being charged by the magnetic induction charger (320) or in communication with the wireless data link (330), the processor (340) associating a profile (352) with each recognized portable electronic device (200).

8. The network device (300) of claim 7, wherein the processor (340) delivers content to the associated media device (120) based on weighted parameters of the profiles (352) of all recognized portable electronic devices (200).

9. The network device (300) of claim 8, wherein the weighted parameters comprise at least one of an age, a movie genre, a music genre, favorite songs, favorite images, or favorite videos.

10. The network device (300) of claim 7, wherein the processor (340) executes a party mode when a threshold number of portable electronic devices (200) are charged by the magnetic induction charger (320) or in communication with the wireless data link (330), the processor (340) delivering content, in the party mode, to the media device (120) based on a time of day and a media history associated with each portable electronic device (200) or a random selection of media (256, 356) associated with each portable electronic device (200).

11. The network device (300) of claim 1, wherein the processor (340) only recognizes and communicates with the portable electronic device (200) when the portable electronic device (200) is adjacent to or in contact with the housing (310).

12. A communication method comprising:

detecting a portable electronic device (200) having a rechargeable battery (220);

wirelessly charging the battery (220) of the portable electronic device (200);

establishing wireless data communications with the portable electronic device (200);

associating a profile (352) with the portable electronic device (200); and

delivering content (256, 356) to an associated media device (120) based on the profile (352) associated with the portable electronic device (200).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the profile (352) of the portable electronic device (200) comprises at least one of a user identifier, user preferences, user settings, or user favorites.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving updated profile information (352) from the portable electronic device (200); and

updating the profile (352) of the portable electronic device (200) using the updated profile information (352).

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, if unable to retrieve an existing profile (352) for the portable electronic device (200), associating a default profile (354) with the portable electronic device (200).

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

querying the portable electronic device (200) for one or more media files (256) stored in non-transitory memory (250) of the portable electronic device (200); and

storing in other non-transitory memory (350) unassociated with the portable electronic device (200) the one or more media files (256) of the portable electronic device (200).

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising querying an external networked storage device (14) for a media purchase history associated with an owner (122) of the portable electronic device (200).

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising, when wirelessly charging or wirelessly communicating with multiple portable electronic devices (200), delivering content (256, 356) to the associated media devices (120) based on weighted parameters of the profiles (352, 354) of all portable electronic devices (200).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the weighted parameters comprise at least one of an age, a movie genre, a music genre, favorite songs, favorite images, or favorite videos.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising executing a party mode when wirelessly charging or wirelessly communicating with a threshold number of portable electronic devices (200), the party mode comprising delivering content to the media device (120) based on a time of day and a media history associated with each portable electronic device (200) or a random selection of media (256, 356) associated with each portable electronic device (200).

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising, when wirelessly charging or wirelessly communicating with multiple portable electronic devices (200), sharing media files (256, 356) between the portable electronic devices (200).

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising only detecting and communicating with the portable electronic device (200) when the portable electronic device (200) is within a threshold distance.