Enabling user interface elements based on short range wireless devices

• US 7,840,237 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Panabaker, Ruston, DeMaio, Pasquale
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US11/704,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/558, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 4554561-457, 455418-420, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 235/379, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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

A system and method for enabling user interface elements to be displayed on a display device is disclosed. The technology includes a method for enabling user interface elements to be displayed on a display device. The method includes accessing location information corresponding to a first short range wireless device coupled with the display device wherein the location information identifies the location of the first short range wireless device with respect to a viewing surface of the display device. The method also includes enabling a first contactless user interface icon to be displayed on the viewing surface of the display device wherein the contactless user interface icon is displayed on the viewing surface proximate the location of the first short range wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing location information corresponding to a first short range wireless device positioned at least partially behind a viewing surface of a display device, said location information identifying a location of said first short range wireless device with respect to the viewing surface of said display device;

enabling, based upon the location information, a first contactless user interface icon to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device in front of or proximate to said location of said first short range wireless device such that the first contactless user interface icon indicates where a user can position another short range wireless device for communication with the first short range wireless device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating the first contactless user interface icon on said viewing surface of said display device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the another short range wireless device proximate to said first contactless user interface icon; and

enabling an additional user interface element to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device wherein said additional user interface element pertains to said another short range wireless device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

disabling access to said additional user interface element in response to determining said another short range wireless device is not proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the another short range wireless device proximate to said first contactless user interface icon; and

enabling a call to an operation based on said identifying of said another short range wireless device wherein said call pertains to said another short range wireless device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

ending said operation in response to determining said another short range wireless device is not proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining a signal strength of the another short range wireless device proximate to said first contactless user interface icon; and

determining the location of said another short range wireless device with respect to said viewing surface of said display device based on said signal strength of said another short range wireless device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing location information corresponding to a second short range wireless device positioned at least partially behind the viewing surface of the display device, said location information identifying a location of said second short range wireless device with respect to the viewing surface of said display device; and

,

enabling, based upon the location information, a second contactless user interface icon to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device in front of or proximate to said location of said first short range wireless device such that the second contactless user interface icon indicates where the user can position the another short range wireless device for communication with the second short range wireless device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the first and second short range wireless devices are positioned on an opposite side of the viewing surface relative to the another short range wireless device.

10. Instructions on a computer-usable medium wherein said instructions when executed cause a computer system to perform a method comprising:

accessing location information corresponding to first and second short range wireless devices coupled with a display device; and

,

generating first and second contactless user interface icons to be displayed on a viewing surface of said display device, wherein the first and second contactless user interface icons indicate locations at which another short range wireless device can be read by at least one of the first or second short range wireless devices.

11. The instructions on a computer-usable medium as described in claim 10 wherein said method further comprises:

identifying the another short range wireless device proximate to one or both of said first and second contactless user interface icons; and

performing a call to an operation based on said identifying, wherein said call pertains to said another short range wireless device.

12. The instructions on a computer-usable medium as described in claim 11 further comprising:

disabling said operation in response to determining said another short range wireless device is not proximate to at least one of said first or second contactless user interface icons.

13. The instructions on a computer-usable medium as described in claim 10 wherein said method further comprises:

determining a signal strength of the another short range wireless device proximate to at least one of said first and second contactless user interface icons; and

determining a location of said another short range wireless device with respect to the viewing surface of said display device based on said signal strength of said another short range wireless device.

14. The instructions on a computer-usable medium as described in claim 10, wherein the first and second short range wireless devices are positioned on an opposite side of the viewing surface as the another short range wireless device during the reading.

15. A near field communication controller module comprising:

a near field communication device location determiner configured to access location information corresponding to a first short range wireless device coupled with a display device, said location information identifying where said first short range wireless device is positioned with respect to a viewing surface of said display device; and

a user interface enabler module configured to enable a first contactless user interface icon to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device such that said first contactless user interface icon is displayed proximate to said first short range wireless device to indicate where another short range wireless device can be positioned to be read by the first short range wireless device.

16. The near field communication controller module as described in claim 15 wherein said user interface enabler module is configured to enable an additional user interface element to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device in response to determining the another short range wireless device is proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.

17. The near field communication controller module as described in claim 15 wherein said user interface enabler module is configured to enable a call to an operation in response to determining the another short range wireless device is proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.

18. The near field communication controller module as described in claim 17 wherein said user interface enabler module is configured to disabled said operation in response to determining said another short range wireless device is not proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.

19. The near field communication controller module as described in claim 15 further comprising:

a wireless signal strength module configured to determine a signal strength of the another short range wireless device proximate to said first contactless user interface icon, wherein a location of said another short range wireless device with respect to the viewing surface of said display device can be determined based on said signal strength of said another short range wireless device.

20. The near field communication controller module as described in claim 15 wherein said user interface enabler module is configured to enable an additional user interface element to be displayed on said viewing surface of said display device in response to determining a security attribute associated with the another short range wireless device proximate to said first contactless user interface icon.