Systems and methods for communicating between devices using vibrations

• US 9,140,599 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beckman, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDIFORD, DEVAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/667,858
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for sending and receiving messages between two user devices using vibration generation and detection techniques. The devices may be placed in proximity to each other and initiate a solicitation protocol and a communication protocol routine to establish a vibration communication link. The devices may exchange information using information that is encoded into the vibrations that are transferred from one user device to another user device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one rotational motor for generating vibrations at one or more frequencies;

at least one accelerometer device for detecting vibrations;

at least one electrical communication device to communicate with a user device;

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one rotational motor, the at least one accelerometer, and the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

spin the rotational motor at one or more rotational frequencies within a first period of time, the arrangement of the one or more rotational frequencies encodes information in a binary format, wherein a first rotational frequency indicates a binary value of “

1” and

a second rotational frequency indicates a binary value of “

0”

;

detect, using the accelerometer, an indication of the capability of the user device to vibrate at a range of frequencies;

detect, using the accelerometer, a response to the spinning of the rotational motor during a second period of time, and the response comprising a vibration arrangement comprising at least one frequency;

send, upon receiving the response, a messaging comprising an encryption key using the rotational motor that oscillates between the first rotational frequency and the second rotational frequency within a third period of time;

receive a response to the message within a fourth period of time, the response comprising a vibration signal comprising at least two vibration frequencies; and

send, using the electrical communication device, electrical communication to the user device, the electrical communication being based, at least in part, on the encryption key.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first period of time, the second period of time, the third period of time, and the fourth period of time are in a sequential order.

3. A device, comprising:

at least one electrical vibration device, for generating vibrations at one or more frequencies;

at least one electrical vibration detection device;

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one electrical vibration device, the at least one electrical vibration detection device, and the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

generate, using the electrical vibration device, at least one vibration comprising at least one frequency to encode information in a binary format, wherein the at least one frequency includes a first frequency indicating a first binary value and a second frequency indicating a second binary value;

detect, using the electrical vibration detection device, an indication of the capability of the user device to vibrate at a range of frequencies;

detect, using the electrical vibration detection device, at least one vibration from a user device, the at least one vibration comprising at least one frequency;

send, using the electrical vibration device, a vibration signal comprising at least the first frequency and the second frequency; and

receive a response to the vibration signal, the response comprising the at least two vibration frequencies.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the vibration signal comprises a message and further comprising the computer-executable instructions to send, using an electrical communication device, electrical communication to the user device, the electrical communication being based, at least in part, on the message.

5. A device, comprising:

at least one electrical vibration device, for generating vibrations at one or more frequencies;

at least one electrical vibration detection device;

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one electrical vibration device, the at least one electrical vibration detection device, and the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

detect, using the electrical vibration detection device, a vibration signal from a user device, the vibration signal comprising at least one frequency that is arranged to solicit a response vibration signal from the device, wherein the at least one frequency includes a first frequency indicating a binary value of “

1” and

a second frequency indicating a binary value of “

0”

;

detect, using electrical vibration detection device, an indication of the capability of the user device to vibrate at a range of frequencies;

send, using the electrical vibration device, the response vibration signal to the user device, the response vibration signal comprising at least one frequency;

receive one or more vibration communication protocols from the user device, the vibration communication protocols being encoded into a vibration protocol signal comprising at least two vibration frequencies; and

send a vibration communication protocol response to the user device, the vibration communication protocol response being encoded into a vibration protocol response signal comprising the at least two vibration frequencies.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the communication protocols comprise values for the at least two frequencies and an amount of time to shift between the at least two frequencies to encode information using the at least two frequencies.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the communication protocol response comprises an acknowledgment of the vibration communication protocol.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the communication protocol comprises a capability of the device to generate vibrations and a capability of the device to detect vibrations.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the capability of the device to generate vibrations comprising a range of frequencies or a maximum frequency and a minimum frequency.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the capability of the electrical vibration detection device to detect vibrations comprises a range of frequencies or a maximum frequency and a minimum frequency.

11. The device of claim 10, the computer-executable instructions, further comprises instructions to:

receive an acknowledgement of the other communication protocol that is within the capability of the device; and

receive a message from the user device, the message comprising at least two vibration frequencies that are within the capabilities of the vibration generation device and the electrical vibration detection device.

12. A method comprising:

generating, using an electrical vibration device, at least one vibration comprising at least one frequency including a first frequency indicating a binary value of “

1” and

a second frequency indicating a binary value of “

0”

;

detecting, using an electrical vibration detection device, an indication of the capability of a user device to vibrate at a range of frequencies;

detecting, using the electrical vibration detection device, at least one vibration from the user device, the at least one vibration comprising at least one frequency;

sending, using the electrical vibration device, a vibration signal comprising at least two frequencies; and

receiving, using the electrical vibration detection device, a response to the vibration signal, the response comprising the at least two vibration frequencies.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vibration signal comprises a message and the computer-executable instructions, further comprise instructions to send, using an electrical communication device, electrical communication to the user device, the electrical communication bring based, at least in part, on the message.

14. A Non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting, using an electrical vibration detection device, a vibration signal from a user device, the vibration signal comprising at least one frequency for a first period of time and pauses for a second period of time, wherein the at least one frequency includes a first frequency indicating a binary value of “

1” and

a second frequency indicating a binary value of “

0”

;

detecting, using the electrical vibration detection device, an indication of the capability of the user device to vibrate at a range of frequencies;

sending, using an electrical vibration device, a response vibration signal to the user device, the response vibrational signal comprising at least one frequency when the vibration signal pauses for the second period of time;

receiving a vibration communication request from the user device, the vibration communication request comprising at least two vibration frequencies; and

sending a vibration communication response to the user device, the vibration communication response comprising the at least two vibration frequencies.

15. A method comprising:

sending an electrical communication protocol using a vibration signal comprising at least two vibration frequencies;

receive a response to the vibration signal, the response comprising the at least two vibration frequencies;

initiate, using an electrical communication device, an electrical connection with a user device that sent the response, the electrical connection being based, at least in part, on the communication protocol; and

receive a response to the initiation of the electrical connection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication protocol comprises a password or key for a wireless connection.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one electrical communication device to communicate with a user device;

at least one vibration device for generating vibrations at one or more frequencies;

at least one vibration detection device;

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one electrical communication device, the at least one vibration device, the at least one vibration detection device, and the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

send, using the at least one vibration device, a message to the user device, the message comprising an arrangement of two vibration frequencies to encode information from on the message, wherein the two vibration frequencies include a first frequency indicating a binary value of “

1” and

a second frequency indicating a binary value of “

0”

;

detecting, using the at least one vibration detection device, an indication of the capability of the user device to vibrate at a range of vibration frequencies;

receive, using the at least one vibration detection device, a response message comprising an arrangement of the at least two vibration frequencies to encode an acknowledgement of receiving the information;

send, using the at least one electrical communication device, an electrical communication message to the user device, the electrical communication being, based at least in part, on the information; and

receive, using the at least one electrical communication device, a response acknowledging the receipt of the electrical communication.