Facilitating use of a device based on short-range wireless technology

• US 8,238,938 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Panabaker, Ruston, DeMaio, Pasquale
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US12/767,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20100210210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 4555501-5759
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller

Abstract

Various devices may include a short-range wireless transmitter and/or one or more short-range wireless readers. When a first device including the transmitter is placed near a second device including the one or more readers, a relative location of the first device may be determined. Information regarding the relative location of the first device, may be used to facilitate use of the first device with a processing device. In one embodiment, the processing device may automatically configure itself, such that the first device may be used with the processing device. In another embodiment, the processing device may provide feedback, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions to facilitate setup and use of the first device with the processing device. In some embodiments, an application program interface may provide information about the device to an application executing on the processing device.

Claims

1. A dynamic or static storage device having instructions stored therein such that, when the instructions are executed by at least one processor of a processing device, the processing device performs a method comprising:

determining a relative location of a first device based, at least in part, on a strength of a short-range wireless signal received through a plurality of reader devices;

identifying a type of the first device and an orientation of the first device based, at least in part, on the received short-range wireless signal; and

performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device.

2. The dynamic or static storage device of claim 1, wherein the performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device, based on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprises:

automatically configuring the processing device to use the first device.

3. The dynamic or static storage device of claim 1, wherein the performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprises:

automatically configuring the processing device to use the first device, and

authenticating a user of the first device based, at least in part, on the information included in the received short-range wireless signal.

4. The dynamic or static storage device of claim 1, wherein the performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprises:

providing feedback to a user with respect to the first device, the feedback including information about the relative location of the first device and setup and use of the first device.

5. The dynamic or static storage device of claim 1, wherein the performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprises:

providing information regarding the relative location of the first device to an application via an application program interface.

6. The dynamic or static storage device of claim 1, wherein the performing an action to facilitate use of the first device with the processing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of the first device, the identified orientation of the first device, and the determined relative location of the first device, further comprises:

providing information regarding the relative location of the first device to an application via an application program interface,

sending the information regarding the relative location of the first device to a second processing device, and

coordinating usage of the first device between the processing device and the second processing device.