INDICATORS FOR RELATIVE POSITIONS OF CONNECTED DEVICES

• US 20160357385A1
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cressey, Robert, Frebourg, Olivier, Zamler-Carhart, Andrew, Dan, Ronnie, Patitucci, Patricia, Dyke, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 10,228,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

Various embodiments utilize a portable electronic device determining the relative physical location of a connected device and displaying a location indicator on a display of the portable electronic device. This location indicator can “point” to the connected device and provide an indication as to how far away the connected device is. The portable electronic device can facilitate user interaction with the connected device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a relative location of a nearby connected electronic device from a current position of a portable electronic device; and

displaying a graphical user interface element on a portable electronic device, the graphical user interface element indicating a direction of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface element is a portion of a periphery of a display of the portable electronic device.

3. The computer-implement method of claim 2, wherein the portion of the periphery of the display is a portion of an annulus.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a user input, the method further comprises displaying a graphical user interface for interacting with the nearby interactive electronic device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, where the user input comprises a swipe across the graphical user interface element indicating the direction from the current position of the of the portable electronic device to the position of a nearby interactive electronic device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface for interacting with the nearby interactive electronic device allows a user to do at least one of view more information about the interactive electronic device, share information about the interactive electronic device to an email address, or save information about the interactive electronic device for later viewing.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface element further indicates a distance of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.

8. A system for indicating the relative location of a connected electronic device comprising:

a wireless interface;

memory;

a display;

a processor connected to the wireless interface, memory, and display, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a relative location of a nearby connected electronic device from the current position of system; and

display a graphical user interface element on the display, the graphical user interface element indicating a direction of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface element is a portion of a periphery of the display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the portion of the periphery of the display is a portion of an annulus.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to a user input, display a graphical user interface for interacting with the nearby interactive electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the display contains a touch-sensitive surface and the user input comprises a swipe across the graphical user interface element, the graphical user interface element indicating the direction from the current position of the of the portable electronic device to the position of a nearby interactive electronic device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface for interacting with the nearby interactive electronic device allows a user to do at least one of view more information about the interactive electronic device, share information about the interactive electronic device to an email address, or save information about the interactive electronic device for later viewing.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface element further indicates a distance of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions being effective cause a computer to:

determine a relative location of a nearby connected electronic device from the current position of computer; and

display a graphical user interface element on a display of the computer, the graphical user interface element indicating a direction of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface element is a portion of a periphery of the display of the computer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the portion of the periphery of the display is a portion of an annulus.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured to, in response to a user input, display, on the display of the computer, a graphical user interface for interacting with the nearby interactive electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the display on the computer contains a touch-sensitive surface and the user input comprises a swipe across the graphical user interface element, the graphical user interface element indicating the direction from the current position of the of the computer to the position of a nearby interactive electronic device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface element further indicates a distance of the relative location of the nearby connected electronic device.