Device behavior based on surrounding devices

• US 7,394,457 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Croiser, Dale Clark, Ledbetter, Carl J., Maguire, Justin Michael, DeMaio, Pasquale, Beck, Taryn K., Adams, Aditha M., Chandley, Adrian Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US10/831,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method for modifying the operation of a device responsive to the detection of a remote device is provided. In the method, the remote device is detected, and communications with the remote device are established responsive to the detection of the remote device. A determination is made as to whether a feature of the device is affected by the establishment of communications with the remote device, and an action with respect to the feature of the device is initiated.

Claims

1. A method for modifying an operation of a first processor-operated computing device responsive to a detection of a second processor-operated computing device, comprising the first device:

detecting the second device being in inter-operative wireless communications range with the first device;

establishing inter-operative wireless communications with the second device responsive to said detection of the second device;

identifying the second device by way of wireless communications between the first device and the second device;

identifying, selecting, and actuating a feature of the first device relating to the identified second device;

displaying the actuated feature to a user using the first device by way of an associated display;

receiving a selection of the displayed feature from the user using the first device by way of an associated input device; and

performing an operation with regard to the identified second device, the performed operation corresponding to the selection and the displayed feature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a present operational state of the first device, and wherein said initiation of the action is in accordance with the present operational state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the present operational state of the first device is affected by a battery power level of the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step comprises identifying a device type of the second device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the feature of the first device is specific to the device type of the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step comprises receiving a wireless transmission from the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step comprises wirelessly interrogating the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communications further comprises determining that the second device is within a predetermined distance from the first device, and establishing a security protocol between the first and second devices in response to said distance determination.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature of the first device is affected by said establishment of communications with the second device if an implementation of the feature requires the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature of the first device is a first feature, and further comprising determining that a second feature of the first device is not affected by said establishment of communications with the second device, and initiating a second action with respect to the second feature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second action is disabling the second feature.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second action is removing the second feature from a presentation of information to a user.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first device:

detecting the identified second device having moved out of inter-operative wireless communications range with the first device;

de-actuating the feature of the first device relating to the out-of-range second device; and

removing from the display the de-actuated feature, whereby the user can no longer select the de-actuated feature.

14. A processor-operated computing device capable of modifying its behavior based on a detection of a processor-operated computing remote device, the device comprising:

a memory, wherein said memory stores a plurality of features;

a wireless interface, wherein said wireless interface detects the remote device being in inter-operative wireless communications range with the first device and establishes inter-operative wireless communications with the remote device; and

a processor, wherein said processor;

identifies the remote device by way of wireless communications between the device and the remote device;

identifies, selects, and actuates a feature of the device relating to the identified remote device;

displays the actuated feature to a user using the device by way of an associated display;

receives a selection of the displayed feature from the user using the device by way of an associated input device; and

performs an operation with regard to the identified remote device, the performed operation corresponding to the selection and the displayed feature.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said wireless interface detects a RFID tag associated with the remote device.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising a user interface for presenting information to a user.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the action initiated by the processor is the presentation of information relating to the one of the plurality of features on the user interface.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor further initiates the action by enabling the one of the plurality of features.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor further determines whether the remote device is within a predetermined distance, and establishing a security protocol with the remote device in response to the distance determination.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor further determines that a second one of the plurality of features is not affected by said establishment of communications with the remote device, and initiates a second action with respect to the second one of the plurality of features.

21. The device of claim 14 wherein the processor further:

detects the identified remote device having moved out of inter-operative wireless communications range with the device;

de-actuates the feature of the device relating to the out-of-range remote device; and

removes from the display the de-actuated feature, whereby the user can no longer select the de-actuated feature.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for performing a method for modifying an operation of a first processor-operated computing device responsive to a detection of a second processor-operated computing device, the method comprising the first device:

detecting the second device being in inter-operative wireless communications range with the first device;

establishing inter-operative wireless communications with the second device responsive to said detection of the second device;

identifying the second device by way of wireless communications between the first device and the second device;

identifying, selecting, and actuating a feature of the first device relating to the identified second device;

displaying the actuated feature to a user using the first device by way of an associated display;

receiving a selection of the displayed feature from the user using the first device by way of an associated input device; and

performing an operation with regard to the identified second device, the performed operation corresponding to the selection and the displayed feature.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises determining a present operational state of the first device, and wherein said initiation of the action is in accordance with the present operational state.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the present operational state of the first device is affected by a battery power level of the first device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said detecting step comprises receiving a wireless transmission from the second device.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said detecting step comprises wirelessly interrogating the second device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein establishing communications further comprises determining that the second device is within a predetermined distance from the first device, and establishing a security protocol between the first and second devices in response to said distance determination.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the feature of the first device is affected by said establishment of communications with the second device if an implementation of the feature requires the second device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said initiating step comprises enabling the feature of the first device.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said initiating step comprises providing the feature without user intervention.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the feature of the first device is a first feature, and further comprising determining that a second feature of the first device is not affected by said establishment of communications with the second device, and initiating a second action with respect to the second feature.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the second action is disabling the second feature.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the second action is removing the second feature from a presentation of information to a user.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said initiating step comprises presenting the feature of the first device to a user of the first device.

35. The medium of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises the first device:

detecting the identified second device having moved out of inter-operative wireless communications range with the first device;

de-actuating the feature of the first device relating to the out-of range second device; and

removing from the display the de-actuated feature, whereby the user can no longer select the de-actuated feature.