Device and method for guiding a user to a communication position

• US 7,769,345 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Phillip Marc, Bloebaum, L. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US11/536,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20080093447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/517, 348/207.99, 348/239, 348/375, 340/854.8, 235/462.2
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/225 based on a marking or identifier characterising the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/235 based on user input or interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00

Abstract

A portable electronic device that includes an antenna and at least one of a transmitter or a receiver connected to the antenna for transferring information between the portable electronic device and a corresponding device via the antenna. The corresponding device includes a visual indicator indicative of a location of an antenna of the corresponding device. The portable electronic device further includes an imaging device for obtaining an image of the visual indicator, an image analyzer for determining a location of the portable electronic device antenna relative to that of the corresponding device based on the image, a direction analyzer for determining a movement direction of the portable electronic device that would reduce an alignment offset between the antennas, and a directional indicator for indicating the movement direction to a user of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

at least one of a transmitter or a receiver connected to the antenna for transferring information between the portable electronic device and a corresponding device via the antenna, the corresponding device including a visual indicator indicative of a location of an antenna of the corresponding device;

an imaging device having a field of view for obtaining an image of the visual indicator;

an image analyzer for determining an alignment offset of a location of the portable electronic device antenna relative to that of the corresponding device by indicating a position of the imaging device denoted in the field of view relative to a position of the visual indicator within the field of view;

a direction analyzer for determining a movement direction of the portable electronic device that would reduce the alignment offset between the antennas; and

a directional indicator for indicating within the field of view the movement direction to a user of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises a camera lens and image capture element.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the portable electronic device includes a camera that allows the user to take pictures, and the imaging device and camera share the camera lens and image capture element.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises a beam scanner.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the directional indicator comprises a visual display.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the visual display comprises a two-dimensional display.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the visual display comprises a plurality of discrete directional indicators.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image analyzer utilizes an image recognition program to identify the visual indicator within the image.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the direction analyzer utilizes vector analysis to determine the movement direction.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile phone.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein operation parameters of the portable electronic device are determined as a function of recognition of the visual indicator within the image.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the antennas are configured to transfer the information via inductive coupling.

13. A method for guiding a user of a portable electronic device to a communication position in relation to a corresponding device, the portable electronic device including an imaging device, an antenna, at least one of a transmitter or a receiver connected to the antenna for transferring information between the portable electronic device and the corresponding device via the antenna, and the corresponding device including a visual indicator indicative of a location of an antenna of the corresponding device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining an image of the visual indicator within a field of view of the imaging device;

determining an alignment offset of a location of the portable electronic device antenna relative to that of the corresponding device by indicating a position of the imaging device denoted in the field of view relative to a position of the visual indicator within the field of view based on the image;

determining a movement direction of the portable electronic device that would reduce the alignment offset between the antennas; and

indicating within the field of view the movement direction to a user of the portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of obtaining the image utilizes a camera lens and image capture element included in the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of obtaining the image utilizes a beam scanner included in the portable electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of indicating the movement direction utilizes a visual display included in the portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual display comprises a two-dimensional display.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual display comprises a plurality of discrete directional indicators.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the location utilizes an image recognition algorithm to identify the visual indicator within the image.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the movement direction utilizes vector analysis.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile phone.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein operation parameters of the portable electronic device are determined as a function of a step of recognizing the visual indicator within the image.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the antennas transfer the information via inductive coupling.

24. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

at least one of a transmitter or a receiver connected to the antenna for transferring information between the portable electronic device and a corresponding device via the antenna, the corresponding device including a visual indicator indicative of a location of an antenna of the corresponding device;

an imaging device having a field of view for obtaining an image of the visual indicator;

a display for displaying a position of the imaging device and a position of the visual indicator within the field of view to a user in a manner indicative of an alignment offset in the field of view of the relative location of the antennas.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 24, wherein the antennas are configured to transfer the information via inductive coupling.