Method and apparatus for selecting a receiver in an electronic device

• US 8,451,853 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Boda, Peter Pal, Liu, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US12/609,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20110103353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/419, 370/386, 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises identifying at least one receiver, selecting said at least one receiver by moving an apparatus according to at least one predetermined movement and sending data to said selected at least one receiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying at least one receiver;

associating a stored representation of at least one predetermined movement of an apparatus with said at least one receiver, each said at least one predetermined movement being a physical motion of said apparatus in at least one of an x, y and z direction;

selecting said at least one receiver by detecting movement of said apparatus corresponding to said stored representation of said at least one predetermined movement;

sending data to said selected at least one receiver; and

mapping at least one receiver with at least one receiver display representation.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising arranging said at least one receiver display representation on a display.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said arranging is based at least in part on at least one receiver location.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising detecting a user gesture movement of the apparatus to detect said at least one predetermined movement of said apparatus;

and wherein said at least one receiver is selected depending on the detected user gesture movement.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined movement of said apparatus is toward a direction of said at least one receiver.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein associating comprises associating said at least one predetermined movement of the apparatus with said at least one receiver, wherein said at least one predetermined movement corresponds to at least one form, wherein said form corresponds with at least one of a number, letter, character, symbol and combination thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identifying utilizes a wireless local area network protocol or near field communications protocol.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus and each said at least one receiver are each one of a PDA, a pager, a mobile phone, a mobile television, a gaining device, a camera, a video recorder, audio player, a video player, a radio, a traditional computer, a portable computer, a GPS device, a browsing device, an electronic book reader, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine and a combination thereof.

9. A method, comprising:

identifying at least one receiver;

displaying on a display of an apparatus a receiver display representation of said at least one receiver and an apparatus display representation of said apparatus;

selecting at least one receiver by drawing at least one mark using said display from said apparatus display representation of said apparatus to said receiver display representation of said at least one receiver; and

sending data to said selected at least one receiver.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising mapping a plurality of receivers with a respective receiver display representation;

and wherein displaying includes displaying each said respective receiver display representation.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising arranging each said respective receiver display representation based at least in part on a location of each receiver of said plurality of receivers relative to at least one of said apparatus and other receivers of said plurality of receivers.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said identifying utilizes a wireless local area network protocol or near field communication protocol.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said mark corresponds generally to at least one of a line, a curve or a shape.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein said apparatus and each said at least one receiver are each one of a PDA, a pager, a mobile phone, a mobile television, a gaming device, a camera, a video recorder, audio player, a video player, a radio, a traditional computer, a portable computer, a GPS device, a browsing device, an electronic book reader, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine and a combination thereof.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one motion sensor;

at least one processor;

a display, wherein said at least one processor is configured to enable a user to arrange at least one receiver display representation on said display; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured with the at least one processor and the at least one motion sensor to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

identify at least one receiver;

receive an indication of movement of said apparatus from said at least one motion sensor;

associate a stored representation of at least one predetermined movement of said apparatus with said at least one receiver, each said at least one predetermined movement being a physical motion of the apparatus in at least one of an x, y and z direction;

select at least one receiver based at least in part on said indication of movement of said apparatus and said stored at least one predetermined movement associated with said at least one receiver; and

send data to said selected at least one receiver.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said predetermined movement associated with said at least one receiver corresponds to at least one of a number, letter, character, symbol and a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said apparatus is at least one of an electronic device, mobile phone, gaming device, mobile computer, and a navigation device.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said apparatus and each said at least one receiver are each one of a PDA, a pager, a mobile phone, a mobile television, a gaming device, a camera, a video recorder, audio player, a video player, a radio, a traditional computer, a portable computer, a GPS device, a browsing device, an electronic book reader, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine and a combination thereof.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one motion sensor for detecting movement of an apparatus;

storing means for storing data representing a predetermined movement of said apparatus, said predetermined movement of said apparatus being associated with a receiver, said predetermined movement being a physical motion of said apparatus in at least one of an x, y and z direction;

at least one processor; and

a display for displaying a display representation of said receiver and a display representation of said apparatus;

said apparatus configured to detect said receiver;

said processor coupled with said at least one motion sensor; and

said processor configured to receive signals representative of detected movement of said apparatus and configured to send data to said receiver based at least in part upon said received signals representative of said detected movement of said apparatus and said stored data representing a predetermined movement of said apparatus associated with said receiver.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said predetermined movement of said apparatus associated with said receiver corresponds to at least one of a number, letter, character, symbol and a combination thereof.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said motion sensor is coupled through said processor to said display, and wherein said detected movement of said apparatus is a gesture in a direction of said display representation of said receiver relative to said display representation of said apparatus as displayed on said display.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processor is further configured to enable a user to arrange said display representation of said receiver on said display.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said motion sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

25. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said apparatus is configured to detect a plurality of receivers and said processor is configured to send data to a selected at least one of said plurality of receivers based at least in part upon said received signals representative of said detected movement of said apparatus and said stored data representing a predetermined movement of said apparatus associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of receivers.

26. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said apparatus and each said at least one receiver are each one of a PDA, a pager, a mobile phone, a mobile television, a gaming device, a camera, a video recorder, audio player, a video player, a radio, a traditional computer, a portable computer, a GPS device, a browsing device, an electronic book reader, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine and a combination thereof.