ASSOCIATING BROADCASTING DEVICE DATA WITH USER ACCOUNT

• US 20150281364A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Connolly, Emmet
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A device can include at least one processor, and a telemetry module operable by the at least one processor to receive remote sensor data transmitted by a broadcasting device, wherein the remote sensor data is captured by a sensor of the broadcasting device. The system additionally can include a local sensor operable to capture local sensor data, and a sensor analysis module automatically operable by the at least one processor to associate, based at least in part on analysis of the remote sensor data and the local sensor data, the remote sensor data with a user account associated with the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, remote motion sensor data transmitted by a broadcasting device, wherein the remote motion sensor data is captured by a sensor of the broadcasting device and is indicative of motion of the broadcasting device;

receiving, by the computing device, local motion sensor data captured by a local sensor operatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the local motion sensor data is indicative of motion of the computing device;

analyzing, by the computing device, the local motion sensor data and the remote sensor data to determine whether the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data;

responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data, determining, by the computing device, that a user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device; and

responsive to determining that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, automatically storing, by the computing device and based at least in part on a user account associated with the user, an indication of the remote motion sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to automatically storing the remote motion sensor data as being associated with the user account, and responsive to determining that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, outputting, by the computing device and for display, an alert requesting approval to associate the indication of the remote motion sensor data with the user account; and

receiving, by the computing device and responsive to the alert, an indication of a user input approving association of the indication of the remote motion sensor data with the user account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on analysis of the remote motion sensor data and the local motion sensor data, a confidence score that indicates a likelihood that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device,

wherein automatically storing comprises automatically storing the indication of the remote motion sensor data responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than a threshold confidence score.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than the threshold confidence score, automatically storing the indication of the remote motion sensor data without outputting an alert requesting approval to associate the indication of the remote motion sensor data with the user account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically storing the indication of the remote motion sensor data comprises transmitting, by the computing device, to a server device, an instruction to store the indication of the remote motion sensor data at the server device to the user account.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, responsive to detecting that a signal strength of a wireless communication link between the computing device and the broadcasting device is below a threshold signal strength, transmitting, by the computing device, to the server device, an instruction to stop storing the indication of the remote motion sensor data to the user account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor of the computing device, an indication of a wireless communication link between the computing device and the broadcasting device,

wherein automatically storing comprises automatically storing, based at least in part on the indication of the wireless communication link between the computing device and the broadcasting device, the remote motion sensor data.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the sensor of the broadcasting device comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, or a gyroscope, and

wherein the local sensor physically coupled to the computing device comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, or a gyroscope.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting device comprises at least one of a piece of cutlery, a cup, a kitchen appliance, a bathroom appliance, a food wrapper, a toothbrush, a thermometer, a medical device, a chair, a door, a step, an item of fitness equipment, or a bag.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises one of a wearable computing device, a mobile computing device, or a tablet computing device.

10. (canceled)

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device associated with a user, first motion sensor data, the first motion sensor data transmitted by a broadcasting device not associated with the user, wherein the first motion sensor data is captured by a sensor of the broadcasting device and is indicative of motion of the broadcasting device;

receiving, by the first computing device, second motion sensor data, the second motion sensor data captured by a sensor operatively coupled to a second computing device associated with the user, wherein the second motion sensor data is indicative of motion of the second computing device;

analyzing, by the first computing device, the first motion sensor data and the second sensor data to determine whether the second motion sensor data correlates with the first motion sensor data;

responsive to determining, by the first computing device, that the second motion sensor data correlates with the first motion sensor data, determining, by the first computing device, that the user is using the broadcasting device; and

responsive to determining that the user is using the broadcasting device, automatically storing, by the first computing device and based at least in part on a user account associated with the user, an indication of the first motion data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device comprise a single computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device comprises a mobile computing device, and wherein the second computing device comprises a wearable computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prior to automatically storing the indication of the first motion sensor data, and responsive to determining that the user with which the first computing device is associated is using the broadcasting device, outputting, by the first computing device and for display, an alert requesting approval to associate the first motion sensor data with the user account; and

receiving, by the first computing device and responsive to the alert, an indication of a user input approving storing of the indication of the first motion sensor data with the user account.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the first computing device, a confidence score based at least in part on analysis of the first motion sensor data and the second motion sensor data, wherein the confidence score indicates a likelihood that the user with which the first computing device is associated is using the broadcasting device,

wherein automatically storing comprises automatically storing the indication of the first motion sensor data responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than a threshold confidence score.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than the threshold confidence score, automatically storing the indication of the first motion sensor data without outputting an alert requesting approval to associate the indication of the first motion sensor data with the user account.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically storing the indication of the first motion sensor data in association with the user account comprises transmitting, by the computing device, to a server device, an instruction to store the indication of the first motion sensor data with the user account.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device comprises one of a wearable computing device, a mobile computing device, or a tablet computing device.

20. A device comprising:

at least one processor;

a telemetry module operable by the at least one processor to receive remote motion sensor data transmitted by a broadcasting device, wherein the remote motion sensor data is captured by a sensor of the broadcasting device and is indicative of motion of the broadcasting device;

a local sensor operable to capture local motion sensor data that is indicative of motion of the device; and

a sensor analysis module operable by the at least one processor to analyze the local motion sensor data and the remote sensor data to determine whether the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data, responsive to determining that the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data, determine that a user of the device is using the broadcasting device, and, responsive to determining that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, store, based at least in part on a user account associated with the user an indication of the remote motion sensor data.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

a notification module operable by the at least one processor to, prior to the sensor analysis module automatically storing indication of the remote motion sensor data in association with the user account, and responsive to the sensor analysis module automatically determining that user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, output for display an alert requesting approval to associate the remote motion sensor data with the user account,

wherein the notification module receives an indication of a user input, responsive to the alert, approving association of the remote motion sensor data with the user account, and

wherein the sensor analysis module stores the indication of the remote motion sensor data based at least in part on the notification module receiving the indication.

22. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

wherein the sensor analysis module determines, based at least in part on analysis of the remote motion sensor data and the local motion sensor data, a confidence score that indicates a likelihood that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, and

wherein the sensor analysis module automatically stores the indication of the remote motion sensor data responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than a threshold confidence score.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the sensor analysis module, responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than the threshold confidence score, automatically stores the indication of the remote motion sensor data without instructing the notification module to output an alert requesting approval to associate the remote motion sensor data with the user account.

24. The device of claim 20, wherein the local sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a gyroscope.

25. The device of claim 20, wherein the telemetry module is operable by at least one of processor of the one or more mobile computing device processors and the one or more mobile computing device processors to, prior to the telemetry module receiving the remote sensor data transmitted by the broadcasting device, establish a wireless communication link between the computing device and the broadcasting device.

26. The device of claim 20, wherein the computing device comprises one of a wearable computing device, a mobile computing device, or a tablet computing device.

27. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

receive remote motion sensor data transmitted by a broadcasting device, wherein the remote motion sensor data is captured by a sensor of the broadcasting device and is indicative of motion of the broadcasting device;

receive local motion sensor data captured by a local sensor operatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the local motion sensor data comprises motion data indicative of motion of the computing device;

analyze the local motion sensor data and the remote sensor data to determine whether the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data;

responsive to determining that the remote motion sensor data correlates with the local motion sensor data, determine that a user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device; and

responsive to determining that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, automatically store, based at least in part on a user account associated with the user, an indication of the remote motion sensor data.

28. The computer-readable storage device of claim 27, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor of the computing device to:

prior to automatically storing the indication of the remote motion sensor data in association with the user account, and responsive to automatically determining that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device, output, by the computing device and for display, an alert requesting approval to associate the indication of the remote motion sensor data with the user account;

receive an indication of a user input, responsive to the alert, approving association of the indication of the remote motion sensor data in association with the user account; and

store the indication of the remote motion sensor data based at least in part on the notification module receiving the indication.

29. The computer-readable storage device of claim 27, wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor of the computing device to:

determine, based at least in part on analysis of the remote motion sensor data and the local motion sensor data, a confidence score that indicates a likelihood that the user of the computing device is using the broadcasting device; and

automatically store the indication of the remote motion sensor data responsive to determining that the confidence score is greater than a threshold confidence score.

30-32. -32. (canceled)