Wireless device multimedia feed switching

• US 9,167,071 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mallinson, Dominic S., Mikhailov, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Fanghwa
• Application Number:
  US12/647,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Methods for enabling group switching of paired wireless devices are disclosed. The method includes receiving signals indicative of setting of each of a plurality of wireless devices in pairing mode. Then, detecting a physical contact between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices. The physical contact setting a pairing of the wireless devices to a group for communication with the base computing system, and enabling the group to participate in interaction with a first multimedia feed. The method further includes detecting switch signal from one of the wireless devices of the group. The switch signal discontinuing the first multimedia feed and enabling interaction with a second multimedia feed, such that each of the wireless devices of the group switch together as a group from the first multimedia feed to the second multimedia feed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving signals indicative of a setting of each of a plurality of wireless devices as being in pairing mode, at a base computing system;

receiving a pairing signal from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices in response to a physical contact between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices, the pairing signal setting a pairing of the wireless devices to one another and to a group for communication with the base computing system, the group having players assigned to particular ones of the plurality of wireless devices with each wireless device having a distinct pairing indicator that is specific to a player in the group and each wireless device provides inputs that are configured for interaction activity associated with content of a first multimedia feed;

connecting the group to participate in interaction with content of the first multimedia feed provided by the base computing system; and

detecting a switch signal from one of the plurality of wireless devices of the group, the switch signal initiating discontinuation of interaction by the group with the content of the first multimedia feed and enabling interaction with content of a second multimedia feed provided by the base computing system, such that each of the wireless devices of the group switch together as a group from interacting with the first multimedia feed to interacting with the second multimedia feed on the base computing system by configuring the inputs of the wireless devices for interaction activity associated with content of the second multimedia feed, the switching channels data of the second multimedia feed to ones of the plurality of wireless devices in the group for processing the data, the wireless devices maintaining the pairing to the group for communicating with the base computing system during and after completing the switching.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the physical contact triggers the pairing signal by one of the wireless devices that pairing should be enabled.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the group is saved to a database, the database identifying each of the wireless devices in the group and identifies a capability of the respective wireless devices.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the group identifies devices for a single player or for multiple players.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining components of the first multimedia feed, the components being matched to capabilities of each of the wireless devices of the group; and

connecting the components to input/output channels of the wireless devices,

wherein the components include one or more of video, audio, images, photos, voice, text, movies, games, and internet content.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the pairing indicator is a distinct color hue assigned to each player that is customizable by the respective player.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the physical contact is one of a single tap, multiple taps, rubbing, petting, shaking, capacitive contact, taps at different rates, double taps, triple taps, and sub-combinations of physical contacts.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein particular ones of the physical contact are coded to define a particular pairing action that is indicative of pairing, or un-pairing.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein switching together triggers associating components of the second multimedia feed to input/output capabilities of the wireless devices that are part of the group that switched from the first multimedia feed.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting one or more switches to one or more multimedia feeds, wherein each of the one or more switches moves each of the devices currently in the group together.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the one or more switches is processed at the base computing system.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the base computing system is a networked system.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the switch signal is triggered either at one of the wireless devices or at the base computing system.

14. Computer readable media, being non-transitory, for performing a method, the computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for receiving signals indicative of a setting of each of a plurality of wireless devices as being in pairing mode at a computing device; and

program instructions for receiving a pairing signal from at least one of the plurality of wireless devices in response to a physical contact between two or more of the plurality of wireless devices having communication with the computing device, the pairing signal setting a pairing of the wireless devices to one another and to a group for communication with the computing device, the group having players assigned to particular ones of the plurality of wireless devices with each wireless device having a distinct pairing indicator that is specific to a player in the group and each wireless device provides inputs that are configured for interaction activity associated with content of a first multimedia feed;

program instructions for enabling the group to participate in interaction with content of the first multimedia feed provided by the computing device; and

program instructions for detecting a switch signal from one of the plurality of wireless devices of the group, the switch signal initiating discontinuation of interaction by the group with the content of first multimedia feed and enabling interaction with content of a second multimedia feed provided by the computing device, such that each of the wireless devices of the group switch together as a group from interacting with the first multimedia feed to interacting with the second multimedia feed on the computing device by configuring the inputs of the wireless devices for interaction activity associated with content of the second multimedia feed, the switching channels data of the second multimedia feed to ones of the plurality of wireless devices in the group for processing the data, the wireless devices maintaining the pairing to the group for communicating with the computing device during and after completing the switching.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the pairing indicator is a distinct color hue assigned to each player, the pairing indicator assigned to the player is customizable.

16. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more switches is processed at the computing device.

17. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the computing device is a networked system.

18. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the switch signal is triggered either at one of the wireless devices or at the computing device.

19. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein each of the first and the second multimedia feeds has components, and each of the components define the content of one or more of video, audio, images, photos, voice, text, movies, games, and internet content.

20. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the physical contact is one of a single tap, multiple taps, rubbing, petting, shaking, capacitive contact, taps at different rates, double taps, triple taps, and sub-combinations of physical contacts.