Data sharing between smart devices

• US 8,554,897 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Kyungjin, Lee, Kiwon, Cho, Sungil, Hong, Jiyoung, Kim, Sungeun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US13/061,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Data sharing between networked smart devices is disclosed. One embodiment of the present disclosure pertains to a method for data sharing with one or more associated smart devices via a network. The method comprises displaying, on a display unit of the smart device, an image for each one of the associated smart devices within coverage of the network and an image of shared data. The method also comprises effecting a change in a first image for a first smart device of the associated smart devices when the first smart device is targeted as a target device for the data sharing. The method further comprises communicating the shared data with the first smart device via the network when, on the display unit, the image of the shared data is moved to or from a domain of the first image of the first smart device.

Claims

1. A smart device for data sharing with at least one associated smart device connected via a network, the smart device comprising:

a transceiver;

a display unit;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the display unit, and the memory and the processor configured to;

display on the display unit an image for each one of the at least one associated smart device within a coverage of the network simultaneously with an image of shared data;

effect a change in a first image for a first smart device of the at least one associated smart device displayed on the display unit when the first smart device is targeted for the data sharing by directing a body of the image of the shared data to the first smart device; and

transmit the shared data to the first smart device via the network when the image of the shared data is moved on the display unit onto or within a predetermined distance of the first image of the first smart device.

2. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive location data of the at least one associated smart device.

3. The smart device of claim 2, further comprising a gyro sensor.

4. The smart device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to identify the target device based on location data of the target device and tilt data sensed by the gyro sensor when the first smart device is targeted as the target device.

5. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to maintain a control of the shared data until a release of the control of the shared data or an affirmation by the first smart device for successful receipt of the shared data.

6. The smart device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to cancel transmission of the shared data when the image of the shared data is moved out of the image of the first smart device while the control of the shared data is maintained.

7. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the shared data is still image data.

8. The smart device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit position data of the still image data with respect to the image of the first smart device to the first smart device.

9. The smart device of claim 8, wherein the position data is processed by the first smart device to display the still image data on a designated area of a first display unit for the first smart device.

10. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the shared data is moving image data.

11. The smart device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to maintain a control of the moving image data while the moving image data is displayed on a first display unit of the first smart device.

12. The smart device of claim 11, wherein the control of the moving image data comprises play, stop, fast forward, and rewind of the moving image data.

13. The smart device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to continuously display the moving image data on the display unit when the moving image data is released by the first smart device.

14. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the image of the shared data is displayed on a first display unit of the first smart device when the image of the shared data is moved on the display unit onto or within the predetermined distance of the first image of the first smart device.

15. The smart device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to cancel the shared data transmitted to the first smart device when the image of the shared data is moved on the display unit off of or a predetermined distance away from the first image of the first smart device on the display unit.

16. The smart device of claim 15, wherein the processor is yet further configured to transmit the shared data to a second smart device of the at least one associated device and seamlessly display the image of the shared data on a second display unit of the second smart device when the image of the shared data is moved on the display unit onto or within the predetermined distance of a second image of the second smart device.

17. The smart device of claim 15, wherein the image of the shared data is displayed on the first display unit of the first smart device in part and on the second display unit of the second smart device in part when the image of the shared data is extended over the first image of the first smart device and the second image of the second smart device displayed on the display unit.

18. The smart device of claim 1, wherein the image of the shared data displayed on the first display unit of the first smart device is a thumbnail image of the shared data.

19. The smart device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the thumbnail image of the shared data to the first smart device prior to transmission of the shared data to the first smart device.

20. A method of a smart device for data sharing with at least one associated smart device connected via a network, the method comprising:

displaying on a display unit of the smart device an image for each one of the at least one associated smart device within a coverage of the network simultaneously with an image of shared data;

effecting a change in a first image for a first smart device of the at least one associated smart device displayed on the display unit when the first smart device is targeted for the data sharing by directing a body of the image of the shared data to the first smart device; and

transmitting the shared data to the first smart device via the network when the image of the shared data is moved on the display unit onto or within a predetermined distance of the first image of the first smart device.