MOBILE DEVICE PAIRING

• US 20170111491A1
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Linkedln Corporation
• Inventors: Gai, Bowei, Shoup, Matthew David
• Granted Patent: US 9,692,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• 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

Abstract

Tools (systems, apparatuses, methodologies, computer program products, etc.) for pairing electronic devices including touchscreen-enabled electronic devices, and for facilitating communication between paired electronic devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor and a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

receive gesture data resulting from a physical user gesture associated with a first device and a second device;

extract from the gesture data first and second straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the first device;

extract from the gesture data third and fourth straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the second device;

determine a number of pixels along the first and second distances and a number of pixels along the third and fourth distances;

compare a first ratio of the number of pixels along the first and third distances to a second ratio of the number of pixels along the second and fourth distances; and

initiate a communicative coupling between the first device and the second device based on the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to base the comparison on a direction determined from the gesture data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to base the comparison on an angle determined from the gesture data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to base the comparison on a speed determined from the gesture data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to base the comparison on an acceleration determined from the gesture data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

access sensor data for the first device and the second device;

determine a likelihood of an association between particular devices of a plurality of candidate devices using the sensor data; and

identify the first device and the second device from among the plurality of candidate devices based on the determined likelihood.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor data comprises geolocation data.

8. A method comprising:

receiving gesture data resulting from a physical user gesture associated with a first device and a second device;

extracting from the gesture data first and second straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the first device;

extracting from the gesture data third and fourth straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the second device;

determining a number of pixels along the first and second distances and a number of pixels along the third and fourth distances;

comparing a first ratio of the number of pixels along the first and third distances to a second ratio of the number of pixels along the second and fourth distances; and

initiating a communicative coupling between the first device and the second device based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising basing the comparison on a direction determined from the gesture data.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising basing the comparison on an angle determined from the gesture data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising basing the comparison on a speed determined from the gesture data.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising basing the comparison on an acceleration determined from the gesture data.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing sensor data for the first device and the second device;

determining a likelihood of an association between particular devices of a plurality of candidate devices using the sensor data; and

identifying the first device and the second device from among the plurality of candidate devices based on the determined likelihood.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor data comprises geolocation data.

15. A machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving gesture data resulting from a physical user gesture associated with a first device and a second device;

extracting from the gesture data first and second straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the first device;

extracting from the gesture data third and fourth straight-line distances between respective entry points and exit points of the physical user gesture on a touchscreen of the second device;

determining a number of pixels along the first and second distances and a number of pixels along the third and fourth distances;

comparing a first ratio of the number of pixels along the first and third distances to a second ratio of the number of pixels along the second and fourth distances; and

initiating a communicative coupling between the first device and the second device based on the comparison.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising basing the comparison on a direction determined from the gesture data.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising basing the comparison on an angle determined from the gesture data.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising basing the comparison on a speed and/or acceleration determined from the gesture data.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

accessing sensor data for the first device and the second device;

determining a likelihood of an association between particular devices of a plurality of candidate devices using the sensor data; and

identifying the first device and the second device from among the plurality of candidate devices based on the determined likelihood.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the sensor data comprises geolocation data.