Capacitive bonding of devices

• US 8,036,595 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dreher, Christopher M., Ranta, Craig S., Sung, Ellick H., Glass, Andrew C., Holan, Doron J., Aull, Randall E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Tuan
• Application Number:
  US11/423,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/100, 455/95, 455/40, 340/5.64, 340/825.72, 340/565, 340/5.74, 713/186
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods that facilitate wireless device communications and configuration. A detection component identifies N devices that are coupled together via a biological medium, N being an integer, wherein the medium includes direct or indirect touching to a device or devices. After biological contact, a configuration component initiates a configuration between a subset of the devices. Although configurations and/or other communications can be conducted through a medium such as the human body, the present invention can employ an initial touch to identify respective devices whereby other electronic configuration sequences commence without further device contact. Other aspects include chain touching between users and/or devices to facilitate contact between the devices. Location detection components can also be provided to identify when users are present near a device, the detected presence to commence further automated procedures, and/or the location detection components can enable devices to identify other devices in a crowded wireless environment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless device to facilitate communications with a second wireless device, the method comprising:

sensing a property based on an electrical signal propagated between the first wireless device and the second wireless device through a user, the sensed property comprising at least one property selected from the group consisting of a time of the sensed electrical signal, a level of the sensed electrical signal, and a location of the first wireless device when the electrical signal is detected; and

identifying the second wireless device based on the sensed property while establishing a connection with the second wireless device,

wherein identifying the second wireless device comprises receiving, from the second device, data encoding a value proportional to the sensed property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes one or more data packets and/or one or more pulses.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the property includes sensing one or more electrical properties of the user through direct or indirect physical touching.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indirect physical touching includes touching through a glove or other clothing of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sensing a property based on the electrical signal includes sensing an electrical signal propagated to a plurality of wireless devices through concurrent touching of a plurality of users, the plurality of wireless devices including the first wireless device, the second wireless device and at least one additional wireless device, and;

the method further comprises identifying the at least one additional wireless device based on the sensed property, and establishing a connection with the at least one additional wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a profile store to aggregate property keys relating to the sensed property; and

employing the property keys to execute at least one procedure selected from the group consisting of security procedures, pairing procedures, and providing device address information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the property includes detecting a current flow from the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensed property is an electrical property including at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, and a resistance associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received from the second wireless device is received over a wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received from the second wireless device is received over a connection through the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises determining that the user touched the first wireless device and the second wireless device at similar times.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises determining that the second wireless device is located within a predetermined range of the location of the first wireless device when the electrical signal is detected.

13. One or more computer-readable memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, implement a method comprising:

sensing a property based on an electrical signal propagated between the first wireless device and the second wireless device through a user, the sensed property including at least one of a time of the sensed electrical signal, a level of the sensed electrical signal, or a location of the first wireless device when the electrical signal is detected;

identifying the second wireless device based on data received from the second wireless device, the data encoding a value proportional to the sensed property; and

establishing a connection with the second wireless device once identified.

14. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein the data received from the second wireless device is received over a wireless connection.

15. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein the data received from the second wireless device is received over a connection through the user.

16. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein the identifying includes determining that the user touched the first wireless device and the second wireless device at similar times.

17. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein the identifying includes determining that the second wireless device is located within a predetermined range of the location of the first wireless device when the electrical signal is detected.

18. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein sensing the property includes detecting current flow from the user.

19. The one or more computer-readable memory devices of claim 13, wherein sensing the property includes sensing an electrical property including at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.

20. A wireless device comprising:

a biometrics module configured to sense a property based on an electrical signal received from another wireless device through a user, the sensed property including at least one of a time of the sensed electrical signal, a level of the sensed electrical signal, or a location of the wireless device when the electrical signal is detected;

a communication module configured to;

identify the other wireless device based on data received from the other wireless device, the data encoding a value proportional to the sensed property; and

establish a communicative coupling with the other wireless device once identified.