Portable electronic device with proximity-based content synchronization

• US 8,326,221 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dorsey, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hiltunen, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/422,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20100203833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile

Abstract

Systems are provided that support millimeter-wave wireless communications between hosts and electronic devices. A host may be formed using a personal computer associated with a user or computing equipment associated with a public establishment. Content can be automatically synchronized between the host and the user'"'"'s electronic device over a millimeter-wave wireless communications link in a communications band such as a 60 GHz wireless communications band. Synchronization operations may be performed based on user content preferences. Content preference information may be gathered explicitly from a user using on-screen options or may be gathered by monitoring user media playback activities and media rating activities. The content preference information may be transmitted automatically from an electronic device to a host when the electronic device is brought within range of the host. Synchronization operations may be performed automatically when a user is in proximity of a point-of-sale terminal or ticketing equipment.

Claims

1. A method for using millimeter-wave wireless communications links to synchronize content between a host and an electronic device associated with a user, comprising:

with the electronic device, automatically establishing a millimeter-wave wireless communications link with the host when the user brings the electronic device into proximity of the host;

subsequent to automatically establishing the millimeter-wave wireless communications link, automatically forming a content request at the electronic device, wherein the content request requests specific content from the host;

with the electronic device, transmitting the content request directly to the host; and

with the electronic device, automatically receiving the requested content over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link that has been transmitted by the host.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein automatically forming the content request at the electronic device comprises:

automatically forming the content request at the electronic device based on user content preferences.

3. The method defined in claim 2 further comprising:

obtaining information on the user content preferences by presenting on-screen options on the electronic device to which the user responds.

4. The method defined in claim 2 further comprising:

monitoring user media playback activities with the electronic device; and

generating the user content preferences based on the monitored user media playback activities.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises automatically receiving content transmitted by a beam steering array in the host.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein automatically establishing the millimeter-wave communications link comprises using the electronic device to receive beacon signals from the host.

7. The method defined in claim 6 further comprising:

with the electronic device, evaluating received beacon signals from the host to determine whether the host has synchronization capabilities.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

validating the received content at the electronic device.

9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein validating the received content comprises checking digital rights management credentials.

10. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising authenticating to the host with the electronic device when establishing the millimeter-wave wireless communications link.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving songs from the host at the electronic device.

12. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises a personal computer associated with the user and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving songs from the personal computer at the electronic device.

13. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises a point-of-sale terminal associated with a store and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving promotional content from the point-of-sale terminal at the electronic device.

14. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises a point-of-sale terminal associated with a store at which the user is making a purchase and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving promotional content from the point-of-sale terminal at the electronic device while the user is making the purchase at the point-of-sale terminal.

15. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises ticketing equipment that issues a ticket for the user and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving content from the ticketing equipment at the electronic device.

16. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises ticketing equipment that issues a ticket for the user and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving video from the ticketing equipment over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link at the electronic device while the ticket is being issued for the user.

17. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the host comprises ticketing equipment that issues an airline ticket for the user and wherein automatically receiving the requested content comprises receiving at least one movie from the ticketing equipment over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link at the electronic device while the airline ticket is being issued for the user at the ticketing equipment.

18. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the millimeter-wave wireless communications link is associated with a 60 GHz communications band, the method further comprising detecting that the electronic device is within less than 1 meter of the host before establishing the millimeter-wave wireless communications link.

19. A method for transmitting content from a host to an electronic device over a millimeter-wave wireless communications link operating in a 60 GHz wireless communications band, comprising:

at the host, transmitting a wireless beacon to the electronic device;

at the electronic device, receiving the wireless beacon and automatically establishing a millimeter-wave wireless communications link with the host;

at the host, providing the electronic device with information on available content from the host;

at the electronic device, automatically forming a content request based on the information on the available content and transmitting the content request to the host;

at the host, receiving the content request from the electronic device over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link; and

in response to the received content request, automatically transmitting associated media files from the host to the electronic device over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link in the 60 GHz wireless communications band.

20. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising detecting that the electronic device is within less than 10 meters of the host before establishing the millimeter-wave wireless communications link, wherein transmitting the wireless beacons comprises transmitting beacons that contain information on which media files are available at the host for automatic transfer to the electronic device over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link.

21. A point-of-sale terminal that wirelessly communicates with a portable electronic device, the point-of-sale terminal comprising:

circuitry that stores content, wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit a beacon to the electronic device using millimeter-wave wireless communications that contains information on the stored content available on the point-of-sale terminal and wherein the portable electronic device is configured to automatically determine whether to receive the stored content based on the beacon; and

a steerable antenna array configured to transmit the stored content to the portable electronic device from the point-of-sale terminal using millimeter-wave wireless communications.

22. The point-of-sale terminal defined in claim 21 wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit promotional information to the portable electronic device during purchase transactions using the millimeter-wave wireless communications.

23. A handheld electronic device that communicates with a host, the handheld electronic device comprising:

storage and processing circuitry; and

wireless communications circuitry that is coupled to the storage and processing circuitry;

wherein the storage and processing circuitry and the wireless communications circuitry are configured to automatically receive a description of available digital content from a host over a millimeter-wave wireless communications link when the handheld electronic device is brought into proximity of the host and to automatically form and transmit a content request to the host based on the description of the available digital content; and

wherein the storage and processing circuitry is further configured to transmit user content preference information to the host over the millimeter-wave wireless communications link.