AUTOMATIC DEVICE PAIRING

• US 20160337496A1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: JEGANATHAN, Joy Gilbert, MISTRY, Tejas, COPPIN, Justin, MICHAUD, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

The description relates to device pairing. One example can involve a computing device (e.g., companion device) and a stylus. The companion device can have a display and be configured to communicate in accordance with a wireless protocol. The stylus can be configured to transmit proximity information to the computing device when a user brings a tip of the stylus proximate to the display and be configured to supply wireless protocol identification information with the proximity information. The computing device can be configured to pair with the stylus over the wireless protocol using the wireless protocol identification information without requiring any additional action from the user on the computing device or the stylus.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device having a display and configured to communicate in accordance with a wireless protocol; and

a stylus configured to transmit proximity information to the computing device when a user brings a tip of the stylus proximate to the display and configured to supply wireless protocol identification information with the proximity information;

the computing device being configured to;

isolate the wireless protocol identification information from the proximity information; and

initiate a pairing process with the stylus in accordance with the wireless protocol using the wireless protocol identification information, the pairing process being initiated without requiring any additional action from the user on the computing device or the stylus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is configured to transmit the proximity information when the user hovers the tip over the display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is configured to transmit the proximity information when the user touches the tip to the display and wherein the proximity information comprises pressure information, the stylus further comprising a signal generator that is configured to generate a signal that transmits the pressure information electrostatically.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the signal generator comprises an oscillator that generates a specific frequency signal and wherein the pressure information and the wireless protocol identification information are conveyed by modulating the specific frequency signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the oscillator is powered by a battery on the stylus or wherein the oscillator is powered inductively by a digitizer positioned proximate to the display on the computing device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a sensor configured to receive the wireless protocol identification information and the proximity information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor is associated with the display.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol identification information comprises a Bluetooth address of the stylus that is based at least upon a manufacturing identification number.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a tablet type computing device, a smartphone type computing device, a digital whiteboard, or a notebook type computing device.

8. (canceled)

11-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, from a stylus, sensor information transmitted by the stylus when the stylus is in proximity to the display of the computing device, the sensor information being transmitted with wireless protocol information for a particular wireless protocol;

distinguish the sensor information from the wireless protocol information; and

initiate a pairing process with the stylus in accordance with the particular wireless protocol using the wireless protocol information that was transmitted by the stylus with the sensor information.

25. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the wireless protocol information comprises an identifier of the stylus.

26. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the identifier is a serial number of the stylus.

27. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

process the serial number of the stylus with an address generation algorithm to determine an address of the stylus for use in the particular wireless protocol.

28. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

perform the address generation algorithm by applying a hashing operation to the serial number using a hashing seed.

29. A system comprising the computing device of claim 24 and the stylus.

30. The system of claim 29, the stylus comprising a pressure sensor configured to provide pressure signals, the sensor information reflecting the pressure signals.

31. The system of claim 29, the stylus comprising an acceleration sensor configured to provide acceleration signals, the sensor information reflecting the acceleration signals.

32. A method comprising:

receiving, from a stylus, a signal transmitted by the stylus when the stylus is in proximity to a display of a computing device, the signal conveying proximity information and wireless protocol information for a particular wireless protocol;

identifying a first portion of the signal conveying the proximity information and a second portion of the signal conveying the wireless protocol information;

obtaining the wireless protocol information from the second portion of the signal; and

initiating a pairing process with the stylus in accordance with the particular wireless protocol using the wireless protocol information obtained from the second portion of the signal.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining an identifier of the stylus provided in the second portion of the signal; and

deriving a wireless address of the stylus based at least on the identifier of the stylus.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

comparing the wireless address of the stylus to a list of already-paired devices that are already paired to the computing device; and

initiating the pairing process when the wireless address of the stylus does not appear in the list of already-paired devices.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

not initiating the pairing process when the wireless address of the stylus appears in the list of already-paired devices.

36. The method of claim 35, the particular wireless protocol comprising Bluetooth.

37. The method of claim 36, the deriving the wireless address comprising performing a Bluetooth address generation algorithm.