Content transfer involving a gesture

• US 8,676,175 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Long, Xie, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/765,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20130157630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/661, 345/73, 345/558, 386/280, 386/284, 386/285, 386/343, 455/412.1, 455/456.3, 455/425, 455/500, 455/41.3, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/41.2, 455/456, 455/99, 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/434, 455/414
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Content transfer involving a gesture is described. In an implementation, a method is implemented by a mobile communications device that includes recognizing a gesture input via a touchscreen of the mobile communications device that is indicative of a direction, the touchscreen including a display of content. One or more other mobile communications devices are located that are positioned, approximately, along the indicated direction of the gesture. A communication is formed to transfer the content to the located one or more other mobile communications devices.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

outputting content to a touchscreen;

recognizing, concurrently with the outputting, a gesture involving a drag or flick via the touchscreen that is indicative of a direction;

determining a direction of the gesture relative to an edge of the touchscreen;

determining if one or more other mobile communications devices are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen by using one or more directional antennas in the mobile communications devices to determine the direction; and

forming a communication to communicate to the one or more other mobile communications devices that are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to forming the communication, transferring the content from the first mobile communications device to one or more of the other mobile communications devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the one or more other mobile communications devices are authorized to receive the transferred content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is performed directly between the mobile communications devices over a wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the one or more other mobile communications devices are within a predetermined range.

6. A mobile communications device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory, coupled to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform;

outputting content to a touchscreen;

recognizing, concurrently with the outputting, a gesture involving a drag or flick via the touchscreen that is indicative of a direction;

determining a direction of the gesture relative to an edge of the touchscreen;

determining if one or more other mobile communications devices are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen by using one or more directional antennas in the mobile communications devices to determine the direction; and

forming a communication to communicate to the one or more other mobile communications devices that are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 6, the instructions further executable to:

responsive to forming the communication, transferring the content from the first mobile communications device to one or more of the other mobile communications devices.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the communication is performed directly between the mobile communications devices over a wireless network.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 6, the instructions further executable to perform:

determining that the one or more other mobile communications devices are within a predetermined range.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 6, the instructions further executable to perform:

determining that the one or more other mobile communications devices are authorized to receive the transferred content.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the mobile communications device is a gaming device.

12. A system comprising:

a first mobile communications device configured to;

output content to a touchscreen;

recognize, concurrently with the output of the content, a gesture involving a drag or flick via the touchscreen that is indicative of a direction;

determine a direction of the gesture relative to an edge of the touchscreen;

determine if one or more other mobile communications devices are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen;

form a communication to communicate to the one or more other mobile communications devices that are located in the direction relative to the edge of the touchscreen;

responsive to forming the communication, transfer the content from the first mobile communications device to one or more of the other mobile communications devices;

the one or more other mobile communications devices configured to;

receive a communication of content from the first mobile communication device, the content communicated by the first mobile communications device responsive to recognition of a gesture that is indicative of a direction relative to an edge of the touchscreen of the first mobile communication device; and

display an indication of the direction from which the communication of the content was received by the one or more other mobile communications devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication of the direction is an animation.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication is performed directly between the mobile communications devices over a wireless network.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication of direction is relative to one of the plurality of edges of a touchscreen.