Gesturing to select and configure device communication

• US 7,991,896 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Peng, Chunyi, Shen, Guobin, Zhang, Yongguang
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal D
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOROBOV, VITALI A
• Application Number:
  US12/131,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 342/47, 342/367, 345/156
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 3/017 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: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Described is a technology by which a gesture made with a source device (e.g., a cellular telephone), such as a throwing or pointing motion, is used to automatically set up a connection with another device to which the gesture is directed. Audio signals output during the gesture, e.g., such as at the start and end of the gesture, are detected by candidate (listening) devices. The device having the least time difference between detection of the start and end signals is the device that is generally best aligned with the throwing or pointing motion, and thus may be selected as the target device. Once selected, a connection such as a network connection may be set up between the source device and the target device for further communication, such as for application data exchange.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a first time, by a candidate device, a first signal emitted from a source device, wherein the first signal is emitted from the source device in response to a beginning portion of a physical movement of the source device in relation to the candidate device, wherein the physical movement represents a request to establish a spontaneous connection between the source device and the candidate device;

receiving at a second time, by the candidate device, a second signal emitted from the source device, wherein the second signal is emitted from the source device in response to an ending portion of the physical movement;

computing a time difference between the first time and the second time;

receiving from the source device, by the candidate device and based at least in part on the time difference, a connection probe;

establishing, based at least in part on the received connection probe, the spontaneous connection between the source device and the candidate device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal or the second signal comprises at least one frequency emitted from the source device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one frequency is in a sonic range.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one frequency is outside of a sonic range.

5. The method of claim 1 herein the candidate device is one of a plurality of candidate devices.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the time difference is shorter than time differences related to others of the plurality of candidate devices, and wherein the time difference indicates that the candidate device is more closely aligned along a direction of the physical movement that the others of the plurality of candidates.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining a first signal strength of the received first signal or a second signal strength of the second received signal.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

reporting the time difference to the source device; and

reporting the first signal strength or the second signal strength to the source device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the receiving the connection probe is further based at least in part on the first signal strength or the second signal strength.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal strength or the second signal strength is greater than a corresponding signal strength related to others of the plurality of candidate.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical movement of the source device comprises a pointing or throwing gesture.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the spontaneous connection is via BlueTooth.

13. At least one computer storage medium that is not a signal or carrier wave per se, and that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a candidate device, cause the source device to perform a method comprising:

receiving at a first time a first signal emitted from a source device, wherein the first signal is emitted from the source device in response to a beginning portion of a physical movement of the source device in relation to the candidate device, wherein the physical movement represents a request to establish a spontaneous connection between the source device and the candidate device;

receiving at a second time a second signal emitted from the source device, wherein the second signal is emitted from the source device in response to an ending portion of the physical movement;

computing a time difference between the first time and the second time;

receiving from the source device, based at least in part on the time difference, a connection probe;

establishing, based at least in part on the received connection probe, the spontaneous connection between the candidate device and the source device.

14. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 13 wherein receiving the first signal or the second signal comprises at least one frequency emitted from the source device.

15. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 13 wherein the time difference is shorter than time differences related to others of a plurality of candidate devices, and wherein the time difference indicates that the candidate device is more closely aligned along a direction of the physical movement than the others of the plurality of candidates.

16. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 13 further comprising, determining a first signal strength of the received first signal or a second signal strength of the second received signal.

17. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 16 further comprising:

reporting the time difference to the source device; and

reporting the first signal strength or the second signal strength to the source device.

18. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the receiving the connection probe is further based at least in part on the first signal strength or the second signal strength.

19. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 13 wherein the first signal strength or the second signal strength is greater than a corresponding signal strength related to others of the plurality of candidate.

20. The at least one computer storage medium of claim 13 wherein the physical movement of the source device comprises a pointing or throwing gesture.