Presence-based device operation

• US 9,224,290 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mason, Todd Christopher, Mincher, Richard William
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin
• Application Number:
  US13/865,528
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.5, 340/539.23, 725/9, 725/12, 725/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Data indicative of user proximity to one or more devices is provided to a server. Based on the proximity data, the server may modify content distribution to, or the behavior of, the one or more devices. In one implementation, determination that no user is proximate to the device may result in pausing or stopping streaming of content to the server.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one communication interface;

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one communication interface and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the at least one processor to;

send a stream of content to a media device configured to present the content;

receive user proximity data, wherein the user proximity data indicates a count of users within a threshold distance from one or more of the media device or a remote control device associated with the media device; and

based on the count of users, modify one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality associated with sending the stream of the content to the media device.

2. The system of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions further configured to cause the processor to send a proximity instruction to one or more receiving devices comprising the media device and the remote control device, wherein the proximity instruction is configured to transition the one or more receiving devices to a low power state.

19. The device of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

determine the count of users to be zero; and

based on the count of users, send an update file to the media device.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving user proximity data from a first device, the user proximity data indicative of physical nearness of a count of users to one or more of the first device or a second device;

accessing proximity action data, the proximity action data comprising one or more user proximity states and one or more proximity instructions, wherein the one or more proximity instructions are configured to perform one or more actions when executed;

determining a correspondence between the user proximity data and the one or more user proximity states;

determining, based at least partially on the one or more proximity instructions, a delivery priority of content to the one or more of the first device or the second device; and

prioritizing one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality associated with the content based at least in part on the delivery priority.

4. The method of claim 3, the one or more proximity instructions comprising:

pausing, terminating, or resuming transmission of the content to the first device or the second device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving second user proximity data from a third device, the second user proximity data indicative of proximity of a second count of users to one or more of the third device or a fourth device;

determining the second count of users to be greater than the count of users associated with the one or more of the first device or the second device;

determining a second delivery priority of second content based at least in part on the second count of users proximate to the one or more of the third device or the fourth device; and

prioritizing transmission of the second content to the one or more of the third device or the fourth device over transmission of the content to the one or more of the first device or the second device based at least in part on the second delivery priority.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining the count of users to be zero; and

sending an update file to one or more of the first device or the second device based at least partially on the count of users.

7. The method of claim 3, the one or more actions comprising:

sending one or more commands configured to transition one or more of the first device or the second device to a low power operating state.

8. The method of claim 3, the one or more actions comprising:

selecting connection configuration data, wherein the connection configuration data designates a third device; and

based on the connection configuration data, sending video to the third device.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an identity of at least one user of the count of users; and

the determining of the correspondence between the user proximity data and the one or more user proximity states is further based on the determined identity.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an identity of at least one user of the count of users; and

the one or more actions comprising generating data associating the identity and a portion of the content.

11. A device, comprising:

at least one communication interface;

at least one sensor;

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the at least one processor to;

generate, based on data from the at least one sensor, user proximity data indicative of one or more of a presence or an absence of;

a count of users at a location proximate to the device;

send at least a portion of the user proximity data using the at least one communication interface;

receive one or more proximity instructions using the at least one communication interface, wherein the one or more proximity instructions are based at least partially on the count of users; and

execute the one or more proximity instructions to perform one or more actions, the one or more actions including one or more of;

prioritizing one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality for transmission of content to the location;

or

processing an update file.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one communication interface is configurable to establish a connection compliant with at least a portion of one or more of an 802.15.1 standard or an 802.11 standard as promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (“

IEEE”

); and

the generating the user proximity data is based at least in part on information from the communication interface indicative of a connection status of the connection between the device and another device.

13. The device of claim 11, the at least one sensor comprising one or more of:

a camera,

an optical proximity sensor,

a capacitive proximity sensor,

a radio frequency identification tag reader,

a near field communication reader,

a motion sensor, or

a structured light system.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more actions further comprise transitioning the one or more of the at least one processor or a component coupled to the at least one processor from a first operating state to a second operating state.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the second operating state comprises a state of reduced functionality in the device relative to the first operating state.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

one or more output devices;

wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to;

receive the content using the at least one communication interface;

present at least a portion of the content using the one or more output devices; and

the one or more actions comprising modifying presentation of the content, the modifying further comprising stopping or pausing presentation of the content.

17. The device of claim 11, the one or more actions further comprising initiating one or more of audio, video, or text communication with another device using the at least one communication interface.

18. The device of claim 11, the one or more actions further comprising generating a bookmark associating at least one user of the count of users with a portion of the content.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the count of users indicates that zero users are proximate to the location and the one or more actions include processing the update file.

21. The device of claim 11, wherein the count of users is greater than a second count of users associated with a second location and the one or more actions further include prioritizing transmission of the content to the location over transmission of second content to the second location.