Efficient proximity detection

• US 8,868,762 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishra, Arunesh, Hodes, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US13/656,366
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709224-229, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

In general, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to techniques for detecting proximity between computing devices. A first computing device may query a server device. Subsequent to querying, the first computing device may receive instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time. The first computing device may re-query the server device at the first specified time. Subsequent to re-querying, the first computing device may receive an address associated with a second computing device and instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device at a second specified time. The first computing device may connect with the second computing device at the second specified time based at least in part on the address associated with the second computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

querying, by a first computing device, a server device;

subsequent and responsive to querying the server device, receiving, by the first computing device, instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time;

responsive to receiving instructions to re-query and after the server device receives a query from a second computing device, re-querying, by the first computing device, the server device at the first specified time;

subsequent and responsive to re-querying the server device, receiving, by the first computing device, an address associated with the second computing device and instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device at a second specified time;

responsive to receiving instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device, determining, by the first computing device, whether the second computing device is within a specified physical proximity to the first computing device by attempting to connect, by the first computing device, with the second computing device at the second specified time based at least in part on the address associated with the second computing device;

responsive to the first computing device successfully connecting with the second device at the second specified time, determining, by the first computing device, that the second computing device is within the specified physical proximity to the first computing device; and

responsive to the first computing device not being able to successfully connect with the second device at the second specified, determining, by the first computing device, that the second computing device is not within the specified physical proximity to the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time includes receiving, by the first computing device, instructions from the server device to re-query the server device after a specified delay; and

re-querying the server device at the first specified time includes re-querying, by the first computing device, the server device after the specified delay.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified delay is at least one minute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device includes directly connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein directly connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device includes directly connecting, by a first short-range communication device in the first computing device, with a second short-range communication device in the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first short-range communication device is a first Bluetooth device, and the second short-range communication device is a second Bluetooth device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein querying the server device includes sending, by the first computing device, a Bluetooth address of the first Bluetooth device to the server device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the address associated with the second computing device is a Bluetooth address of the second Bluetooth device.

9. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one programmable processor, causes the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

querying, by a first computing device, a server device;

subsequent and responsive to querying the server device, receiving, by the first computing device, instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time;

responsive to receiving instructions to re-query and after the server device receives a query from a second computing device, re-querying, by the first computing device, the server device at the first specified time;

subsequent and responsive to re-querying the server device, receiving, by the first computing device, an address associated with the second computing device and instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device at a second specified time;

responsive to receiving instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device, determining, by the first computing device, whether the second computing device is within a specified physical proximity to the first computing device by attempting to connect, by the first computing device, with the second computing device at the second specified time based at least in part on the address associated with the second computing device;

responsive to the first computing device successfully connecting with the second device at the second specified time, determining, by the first computing device, that the second computing device is within the specified physical proximity to the first computing device; and

responsive to the first computing device not being able to successfully connect with the second device at the second specified time, determining, by the first computing device, that the second computing device is not within the specified physical proximity to the first computing device.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein:

receiving instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time includes receiving, by the first computing device, instructions from the server device to re-query the server device after a specified delay; and

re-querying the server device at the first specified time includes re-querying, by the first computing device, the server device after the specified delay.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device includes directly connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein directly connecting, by the first computing device, with the second computing device includes directly connecting, by a first short-range communication device in the first computing device, with a second short-range communication device in the second computing device.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the first short-range communication device is a first Bluetooth device, and the second short-range communication device is a second Bluetooth device.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein querying the server device includes sending, by the first computing device, a Bluetooth address of the first Bluetooth device to the server device.

10. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a network interface configured to communicate with a server device;

a query module operable on the one or more processors and configured to;

query, via the network interface, the server device,

subsequent and responsive to querying the server device, receive instructions, via the network interface, from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time,

responsive to receiving instructions to re-query and after the server device receives a query from a second computing device, re-query the server device, via the network interface, at the first specified time, wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and

subsequent and responsive to re-querying the server device, receive, via the network interface, an address associated with the second computing device and instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device at a second specified time;

a short-range communication device configured to, responsive to the query module receiving instructions from the server device to connect to the second computing device, determine whether the second computing device is within a specified physical proximity to the first computing device by attempting to connect with the second computing device at the second specified time based at least in part on the address associated with the second computing device; and

a proximity determination module configured to;

responsive to successfully connecting with the second device at the second specified time, determine that the second computing device is within the specified physical proximity to the computing device; and

responsive to not being able to successfully connect with the second device at the second specified time, determine that the second computing device is not within the specified physical proximity to the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 10, wherein:

receive instructions from the server device to re-query the server device at a first specified time includes receive instructions from the server device to re-query the server device after a specified delay; and

re-query the server device at the first specified time includes re-query the server device after the specified delay.

17. The computing device of claim 10, wherein connect with the second computing device includes directly connecting with the second computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein directly connecting with the second computing device includes directly connecting, by a first short-range communication device in the computing device, with a second short-range communication device in the second computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the first short-range communication device is a first Bluetooth device, and the second short-range communication device is a second Bluetooth device.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein query the server device includes send a Bluetooth address of the first Bluetooth device to the server device.