Methods and apparatuses for personalized device usage

• US 9,288,661 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jamal-Syed, Shaheer, Vahlne, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US14/122,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20140099899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Methods and arrangements in a first primary device (200) and a secondary device (208), respectively, for enabling personalized usage of the secondary device by a user of the first primary device. The primary device (200) receives (3:1) triangulation information from the secondary device (208) comprising signal strength measurements of signals transmitted from a set of devices (202a-c) associated with the first primary device and forming a limited area (206) of proximity to the first primary device. When the first primary device determines (3:2) that the secondary device is located within the limited area, based on the received triangulation information, it sends (3:4) identity information of the first user to the secondary device. Functions and settings in the secondary device are then adapted (3:6) to the first user, based on the received identity information, to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the first user.

Claims

1. A method in a first primary device for enabling personalized usage of a secondary device by a first user of the first primary device, the method comprising:

receiving triangulation information from the secondary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements by the secondary device of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the first primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the first primary device;

determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area based on the received triangulation information;

establishing a connection with the secondary device when determined to be located within the limited area; and

sending identity information of the first user to the secondary device as a basis for adapting functions and settings in the secondary device to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the first user, wherein personalized usage comprises the secondary device being adapted for a specific user or owner in the way the device functions or operates, or both;

wherein the first primary device is identified based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, before establishing connection with the secondary device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area is further based on triangulation information with signal strength measurements received from the associated devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a connection with the secondary device includes a pairing procedure.

4. A method in a secondary device for enabling personalized usage of the secondary device by a first user of a first primary device, the method comprising:

sending triangulation information to the first primary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements by the secondary device of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the first primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the first primary device, as a basis for determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area;

establishing, when located within the limited area and based on the identification of the first primary device, a connection with the first primary device;

receiving identity information of the first user from the first primary device; and

adapting functions and settings in the secondary device, based on the received identity information of the first user, to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the first user, wherein personalized usage comprises the secondary device being adapted for a specific user or owner in the way the device functions or operates, or both;

wherein the first primary device is identified based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, before establishing connection with the first primary device.

5. The method of claim 4, further enabling personalized usage of the secondary device by a second user of a second primary device, the method further comprising:

releasing adaptation to the first user from the secondary device when the secondary device moves out of said limited area of proximity to the first primary device;

sending triangulation information to the second primary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the second primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the second primary device, as a basis for determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area;

establishing, when located within the limited area, a connection with the second primary device;

receiving identity information of the second user from the second primary device; and

adapting functions and settings in the secondary device, based on the received identity information of the second user, to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the connection is established with the first or second primary device over a short range wireless connection involving any of:

Bluetooth, Infrared, Near Field Connection (NFC), Wireless USB, WIFI, and Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein adapting functions and settings in the secondary device to the first or second user includes retrieving personalized information from a central server or from a local storage in the secondary device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second primary device is identified based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, before establishing connection with the second primary device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first or second primary device is a mobile phone and the secondary device is any of:

a camera, a media player, a portable computer, a game console, a vehicle control unit and a physical monitoring unit.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first or second user is prompted to verify himself as a user of the first or second primary device, respectively, before functions and settings are adapted in the secondary device for personalized usage.

11. An arrangement in a first primary device operable for enabling personalized usage of a secondary device by a first user of the first primary device, the arrangement comprising:

a communication circuit configured to receive triangulation information from the secondary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements by the secondary device of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the first primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the first primary device;

a logic circuit configured to determine whether the secondary device is located within said limited area, based on the received triangulation information; and

the communication circuit being further configured to;

establish a connection with the secondary device when determined to be located within the limited area, and to send identity information of the first user to the secondary device as a basis for adapting functions and settings in the secondary device to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the first user, wherein personalized usage comprises the device being adapted for a specific user or owner in the way the device functions or operates, or both;

wherein the first primary device is identified based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, before establishing connection with the secondary device.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to determine whether the secondary device is located within said limited area further based on triangulation information with signal strength measurements received from the associated devices.

13. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the communication circuit is further configured to establish a connection with the secondary device in a pairing procedure.

14. An arrangement in a secondary device operable for enabling personalized usage of the secondary device by a first user of a first primary device, the arrangement comprising:

a communication circuit configured to send triangulation information to the first primary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements by the secondary device of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the first primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the first primary device, as a basis for determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area;

the communication circuit being also configured to identify the first primary device based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, establish, based on the identification of the first primary device and when located within the limited area, a connection with the first primary device, and to receive identity information of the first user from the first primary device; and

an adaptation circuit configured to adapt functions and settings in the secondary device, based on the received identity information of the first user, to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the first user, wherein personalized usage comprises the secondary device being adapted for a specific user or owner in the way the device functions or operates, or both.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, further operable for enabling personalized usage of the secondary device by a second user of a second primary device, wherein:

the adaptation circuit is further configured to release adaptation to the first user from the secondary device when the secondary device moves out of said limited area of proximity to the first primary device,

the communication circuit is further configured to send triangulation information to the second primary device, the triangulation information comprising signal strength measurements of signals transmitted from a set of devices associated with the second primary device and forming a limited area of proximity to the second primary device, as a basis for determining whether the secondary device is located within said limited area,

the communication circuit being also configured to establish, when located within the limited area, a connection with the second primary device, and to receive identity information of the second user from the second primary device, and

the adaptation circuit is further configured to adapt functions and settings in the secondary device, based on the received identity information of the second user, to provide personalized usage of the secondary device by the second user.

16. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein the communication circuit is further configured to establish the connection with the first or second primary device over a short range wireless connection involving any of:

Bluetooth, Infrared, Near Field Connection (NFC), Wireless USB, WIFI, and Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks.

17. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein adapting functions and settings in the secondary device to the first or second user includes retrieving personalized information from a central server or from a local storage in the secondary device.

18. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein the communication circuit is further configured to identify the second primary device based on a predefined list of primary devices configured in the secondary device, before establishing connection with the second primary device.

19. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first or second primary device is a mobile phone and the secondary device is any of:

a camera, a media player, a portable computer, a game console, a vehicle control unit and a physical monitoring unit.

20. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein the adaptation circuit is further configured to prompt the first or second user to verify himself as a user of the first or second primary device, respectively, before adapting functions and settings in the secondary device for personalized usage.