Pairing a computing device to a user

• US 9,342,139 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Adermann, Stan, Kinsey, Jeffrey, Hanks, Richard, Ikeda, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Johny
• Application Number:
  US13/330,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 386/248, 386/296, 386/349, 386/686.6, 701/201, 382/190, 726/3, 726/17, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/466, 345156-158, 345/173, 345/174, 715/745
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user is provided herein. According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene, and calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input. The method further includes detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device, creating a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, and assigning one detected user on the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing.

Claims

1. A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user, the method executed by a computing device communicatively coupled to the input device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene;

calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input, the position including a distance and an angle relative to the computing device;

detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device of the computing device, the observed scene including the unpaired input device;

creating a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, the candidate list including a distance between each user and the unpaired input device;

assigning a first user from the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing, the first user being a nearest user to the unpaired input device, and once assigned, the unpaired input device being a first paired input device;

switching the first paired input device from the first user to a second user when the second user is closer to the first paired input device than the first user;

switching a second paired input device of the second user from the second user to the first user when the first user is closer to the second paired input device than the second user; and

concurrently pairing both the first paired input device and the second paired input device to the first user when the first user is closer than the second user to both the first paired input device and the second paired input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying each detected user within the observed scene by identifying a physical attribute of each detected user and matching the physical attribute of each detected user to a profile associated with each detected user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the physical attribute is detected using three-dimensional imaging, facial recognition, or biometrics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received input includes at least one of a button press, a joystick movement, a D-pad movement, a touch event, and a detected motion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unpaired input device includes a motion sensor to sense the detected motion, the motion sensor providing the detected motion input to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unpaired input device includes a tag, and wherein the position of the unpaired input device is calculated based upon a detected position of the tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input includes a beamforming technique to determine the distance and the angle of the unpaired input device from the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the candidate list includes a body portion distance, wherein the body portion distance is at least one of a hand distance, a geometric center distance, a leg distance, a knee distance, a shoulder distance, and an elbow distance of each detected user as measured with respect to the position of the unpaired input device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the nearest user is a user on the candidate list with a strongest correlation to the unpaired input device, wherein one body portion distance for the nearest user has the strongest correlation to the unpaired input device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the nearest user to the unpaired input device includes automatically pairing a profile associated with the nearest user to the unpaired input device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking the nearest user and the first paired input device by correlating a motion of a body portion of the nearest user to a motion of the first paired input device, the motion of the nearest user'"'"'s body portion including the nearest user providing input to the computing device via interaction with the first paired input device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the first paired input device to a second user if a position of the second user has the strongest correlation to the position of the first paired input device, the second user being another detected user on the candidate list.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising pairing more than one input device to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining nearest user pairing to the first paired input device until a pair terminating or pair transferring event occurs.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

terminating an association of the first user to the first paired input device if input from the first paired input device is not received for a threshold period of time, and after the association is terminated.

16. A non-volatile memory holding instructions executable by a processor to:

receive an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene;

calculate a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input, the position including a distance and an angle from a computing device;

detect one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device of the computing device;

create a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, the candidate list including a distance between each user and the unpaired input device;

assign a first user from the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing, the first user being a nearest user to the unpaired input device, and once assigned, the unpaired input device being a first paired input device;

switching the first paired input device from the first user to a second user when the second user is closer to the first paired input device than the first user;

switching a second paired input device of the second user from the second user to the first user when the first user is closer to the second paired input device than the second user; and

concurrently pairing both the first paired input device and the second paired input device to the first user when the first user is closer than the second user to both the first paired input device and the second paired input device.

17. The memory of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by a processor to identify each detected user within the observed scene by identifying a physical attribute of each detected user and to match the physical attribute of each detected user to a profile associated with each detected user, wherein the physical attribute is detected using three-dimensional imaging, facial recognition, or biometrics.

18. The memory of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by a processor to track the nearest user and the first paired input device by correlating a motion of a body portion of the nearest user to a motion of the first paired input device, the motion of the nearest user'"'"'s body portion including the nearest user providing input to the computing device via interaction with the first paired input device.

19. The memory of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by a processor to terminate an association of the nearest user to the first paired input device if input from the first paired input device is not received for a threshold period of time, and if the association is terminated, returning the first paired input device to an unpaired state.

20. A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user, the method executed by a computing device communicatively coupled to the input device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene;

calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input, the position including a distance and an angle relative to the computing device;

detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device of the computing device;

identifying each detected user within the observed scene by identifying a physical attribute of each detected user and matching the physical attribute of each detected user to a profile associated with each detected user;

creating a candidate list of the one or more identified users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, the candidate list including a right hand distance, a left hand distance, and a geometric center distance between each user and the unpaired input device;

maintaining nearest user pairing to the paired input device until a pair terminating or pair transferring event occurs;

assigning a first user from the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing, the first user being a nearest user to the unpaired input device, the right hand distance, the left hand distance, or the geometric center distance for the nearest user having a strongest correlation to the unpaired input device, and once assigned, the unpaired input device being a first paired input device;

tracking the nearest user and the first paired input device by correlating a motion of the nearest user'"'"'s right hand or left hand to a motion of the first paired input device, the motion of the nearest user'"'"'s right hand or left hand including the nearest user providing input to the computing device via interaction with the first paired input device;

terminating an association of the nearest user to the first paired input device if input from the first paired input device is not received for a threshold period of time, and if the association is terminated;

switching the first paired input device from the first user to a second user when the second user is closer to the first paired input device than the first user; and

switching a second paired input device of the second user from the second user to the first user when the first user is closer to the second paired input device than the second user;

transferring the first paired input device to the second user if a position of the second user has the strongest correlation to the position of the first paired input device, the second user being another detected user on the candidate list; and

concurrently pairing both the first paired input device and the second paired input device to the first user when the first user is closer than the second user to both the first paired input device and the second paired input device.