Capacitive bonding of devices

• US 8,380,130 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Glass, Andrew C., Dreher, Christopher M., Sung, Ellick H., Aull, Randall E., Holan, Doron J., Ranta, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/229,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/100, 455/95, 455/40, 340/5.64, 340/825, 340/72, 340/565.5, 340/5.74, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 713/186, 382/115, 382/123, 382/124
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

Various embodiments relate 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.

Claims

1. A device-implemented method comprising:

measuring, in response to contact with a user, an impedance characteristic of the user;

broadcasting, via a wireless interface, a signal encoding data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user;

receiving, from another device, a response to the signal broadcast via the wireless interface, the response encoding data associated another impedance characteristic measured by the other device; and

identifying the other device as being associated with the user based on the data associated with the other impedance characteristic and the data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user and responsive to said identifying, initiating a wireless network connection with the other device based on the response to the signal.

2. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response encodes data associated with a location of the other device.

3. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the signal or the response includes network configuration data, and further comprising configuring the wireless network connection with the other device based on the configuration data.

4. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface communicates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the impedance characteristic of the user includes at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.

6. A device comprising:

a processing unit;

a wireless interface;

at least one sensor;

a storage device embodying instructions that are executable by the processing unit to perform a method comprising;

measuring, in response to contact with said at least one sensor by a user, an impedance characteristic of the user;

broadcasting, via the wireless interface, a signal encoding data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user;

receiving, from another device, a response to the signal broadcast via the wireless interface, the response encoding data associated another impedance characteristic measured by the other device; and

identifying the other device as being associated with the user based on the data associated with the other impedance characteristic and the data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user and responsive to said identifying, initiating a wireless network connection with the other device based on the response to the signal.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the response is configured to encode data associated with a location of the other device.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the signal or the response is configured to include network configuration data, and the method further comprises configuring the wireless network connection with the other device based on the configuration data.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the impedance characteristic of the user includes at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.

11. A system comprising:

a storage device embodying instructions that are executable to perform a method comprising;

measuring, in response to contact with at least one sensor by a user, an impedance characteristic of the user;

broadcasting, via a wireless interface, a signal encoding data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user;

receiving, from another device, a response to the signal broadcast via the wireless interface, the response encoding data associated another impedance characteristic measured by the other device; and

identifying the other device as being associated with the user based on the data associated with the other impedance characteristic and the data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user and responsive to said identifying, initiating a wireless network connection with the other device based on the response to the signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the response is configured to encode data associated with a location of the other device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the signal or the response is configured to include network configuration data, and the method further comprises configuring the wireless network connection with the other device based on the configuration data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the impedance characteristic of the user includes at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.