Method and apparatus for interconnected devices

• US 9,161,166 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Johansson, Karl-Anders Reinhold, Grdenfors, Dan Zacharias, Wasberger, Emil Alexander, Winberg, Michael Erik, Lewin, Mathias
• Primary Examiner(s): Holwerda, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/404,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes, at an electronic device having an input interface and a display, receiving information relating to a current relative location of at least one other electronic device, displaying on the display a representation of the at least one other electronic device and its relative location, and receiving at the input interface user input associated with the displayed representation of the at least one other electronic device for communicating with the at least one other electronic device. The electronic device has up-to-date knowledge of the relative position of the at least one other device and displays this visually. Information may be sent to the at least one other electronic device in response to receiving the user input associated with the displayed representation of the at least one other electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an input interface for receiving user input;

a display;

one or more processors; and

,

memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors cause the electronic device to;

receive information indicating a current location of the electronic device relative to a location of at least one other electronic device from an imaging device located above the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device,

wherein the imaging device is in a device that is separate from the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device;

display on the display a representation of said at least one other electronic device and its relative location to the at least one other electronic device; and

,

receive at said input interface a gesture in a direction from the relative location of the electronic device to the at least one other electronic device; and

in response to the gesture, establish a communication session with said at least one other electronic device.

2. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the electronic device to receive updated information relating to the relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

3. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the electronic device to detect the orientation of said electronic device and display said representation of said at least one other electronic device in dependence on said determined orientation.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a touch pad for detecting the user input.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the display is a display screen and the touch pad is provided as a touch-sensitive overlay on the display screen to provide a touch-sensitive screen.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a camera for detecting the user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a camera for capturing an image of a reference pattern and wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive another image of said reference pattern and to compare said received image with said captured image for determining said current relative location of said at least one other electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a sound detector for detecting sound signals received from said at least one other electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is GPS enabled and wherein the relative location is further determined based GPS information determined by the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the electronic device to receive current relative location information without said electronic device and said at least one other electronic device physically overlapping.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is portable and communicates wirelessly with the imagine device.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the electronic device to communicate with the at least one other electronic device in a connected environment.

13. A system comprising:

an imaging system configured to monitor a relative location of an electronic devices and at least one other electronic device and to transmit information relating to the relative location of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, the imaging system located above the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device to monitor devices near a surface, the imaging system located in a device that is separate from the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device; and

the electronic device configured to receive information indicating a current location of the electronic device relative to a location of the at least one other electronic device from the imaging device located in the device that is separate from the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, wherein the imaging device is in the device that is separate from the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, display on a display a representation of the electronic device and its relative location to the at least one other electronic device, and receive at an input interface of the electronic device a gesture in the direction of the at least one other electronic device, in response to the gesture, establish a communication session with the at least one other electronic device.