Methods, systems and apparatus to affect RF transmission from a non-linked wireless client

• US 9,294,869 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jawbone Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: AliphCom, Inc. (AliphCom Corp.)
• Inventors: Pang, Hawk Yin, Donaldson, Thomas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US14/144,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/556.1, 455/552.1, 455/557, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate generally to wireless electronics, wireless portable electronics, wireless media presentation devices, audio/video systems, and more specifically to passive or active RF proximity detection of wireless client devices in an environment that may or may not include wireless access points. A wireless client device may be forced, triggered, or configured to broadcast a wireless scan (e.g., an active WiFi scan) that includes data (e.g., packets) that may be discovered by a wireless media device (e.g., received by RF circuitry in the media device) and information from the wireless scan may be used by the wireless media device to detect presence of the wireless client device and/or its user, to establish a wireless data communications link with the wireless client device, to determine proximity of the wireless client device to the wireless media device, and for near field communication (NFC) with the wireless client device.

Claims

1. A method for radio frequency (RF) communication between wireless devices, comprising:

broadcasting over at least one RF band, packets included in an active wireless scan transmitted by a wireless client;

receiving the packets in a wireless media device configured to decode packet data included in one or more of the packets;

calculating RF signal strength of at least some of the packets to determine a near field communication (NFC) distance between the wireless client and the wireless media device, wherein RF signal strength from the calculating increases with decreasing NFC distance;

establishing a NFC link between the wireless client and the wireless media device when RF signal strength from the calculating is indicative of physical contact between the wireless client and the wireless media device; and

transferring content, content handling or both from the wireless client to the wireless media device using information wirelessly communicated between the wireless client and the wireless media device using the NFC link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting occurs irrespective of a RF presence of one or more wireless access points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting occurs irrespective of one or more wireless communication links between the wireless client and one or more wireless access points.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting occurs irrespective of access credentials between the wireless client and one or more wireless access points.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

installing an application (APP) embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium disposed in the wireless client;

executing the APP on a processor of the wireless client; and

calling an application programming interface (API) from the APP during the executing, the API configured to cause the broadcasting, the transferring or both.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the APP is installed using information wirelessly communicated from the wireless media device using a wireless communications link between the wireless client and the wireless media device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is active on the wireless client prior to or subsequent to the establishing the NFC link.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the active scan comprises a wireless (WiFi) active scan using one or more IEEE 802.x wireless communication protocols.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein decoded packet data includes a header.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein decoded packet data includes a data payload.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the NFC link comprises one or more wireless communications link selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth (BT) link, a BT low power link, an IEEE 802.x link, an Ad Hoc (AH) link, and a cellular link.

12. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

initiating playback of at least some of the content from the transferring, using one or more systems of the wireless media device, of one or more other wireless media devices or both.

13. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

queuing into a queue, content from the transferring by the wireless client, by one or more other wireless clients that also established the NFC link with the wireless media device or both; and

initiating playback of the content from the queue using one or more systems of the wireless media device, of one or more other wireless media devices or both.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more other wireless media devices are wirelessly linked with one another, are wirelessly linked with the wireless media device or both.

15. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

verifying an actual physical contact between the wireless client and the wireless media device by analyzing one or more signals from one or more sensors of the wireless media device.

16. A wireless device, comprising:

a controller, and in electrical communication with the controller

a data storage system,

a proximity detection system,

an audio/video (A/V) system, and

a radio frequency (RF) system including a radio in electrical communication with an antenna and configured

to receive packets included in an active wireless scan transmitted by a wireless client,

to decode packet data included in one or more of the packets,

to calculate RF signal strength of at least some of the packets to determine a near field communication (NFC) distance between the wireless client and the wireless media device, wherein calculated RF signal strength increases with decreasing NFC, and

to establish a NFC link between another radio in the wireless client device and the radio when calculated RF signal strength is indicative of physical contact between the wireless client and the wireless media device,

wherein content accessible by the wireless client, content being handled by the wireless client or both are transferred to the wireless media device for processing using information wirelessly communicated between the wireless client and the wireless media device using the NFC link.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the information comprises access credentials for one or more wireless access points (AP) that are transmitted from the wireless media device to the wireless client over the NFC link, and subsequent wireless communications between the wireless media device and the wireless client occur over a wireless link with the one or more wireless AP.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the wireless media device analyzes one or more signals from one or more sensors to verify an actual physical contact between the wireless client and the wireless media device, and the NFC link is established after the actual physical contact is verified.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the RF system activates a plurality of radios configured for wireless communication using different protocols, different RF bands or both to passively scan for other RF signals transmitted by the wireless client, and the RF system calculates RF signal strength of one or more of the other RF signals to verify the NFC distance, the contact or both.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the wireless media device includes location data that is wirelessly communicated to the wireless client using one or more forms of wireless communication selected from the group consisting of a RF link, an acoustic link, an optical link, and an imaging link, the location data is used by the wireless client to install an application (APP) configured to execute on the wireless client, the APP operative to initiate the active wireless scan.