Apparatus and method for selection of a device for content sharing operations

• US 9,426,229 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dearman, David Alexander, Setlur, Vidya Raghavan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOREAU, AUSTIN J
• Application Number:
  US13/537,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that provide for the selection of a device from among one or more devices that is best suited to receive and process content. Upon receipt of input from a user designating a target user with whom content is to be shared, at least one device associated with the designated target user is identified. A capability of one or more of the identified devices to experience the content to be shared is then determined. One of the identified devices is then selected to receive the content at least partially based on the capability determined. In this way, the content is shared with one of the designated target user'"'"'s devices that is most appropriate for receiving the particular content, providing the target user with the best experience of the content and at the same time allowing for a “user-centric” content sharing experience.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

detect a plurality of user devices based on proximity of the respective user devices with the apparatus;

present, on a display associated with the apparatus, a user associated with each of the plurality of detected user devices;

receive an input from a user of the apparatus designating a target user from among the users presented with whom content is to be shared;

communicate with the detected user device representing the target user and identify a plurality of target devices associated with the designated target user based on the communication with the detected user device representing the target user;

determine a capability of the target devices identified to experience the content to be shared;

in an instance in which the capability of at least one of the target devices is appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, select one of the at least one of the target devices with appropriate capability to receive the content, wherein the selected target device is selected at least partially based on the capability determined; and

in an instance in which none of the target devices identified are determined to have a capability appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, provide for storage of the content on a network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the capability of a target device identified based on at least one of a hardware characteristic, a software characteristic, or context information associated with the respective device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hardware characteristic comprises at least one of a screen size of the respective device, a resolution of a display of the respective device, peripherals associated with the respective device, a network connection status of the respective device, or a processor status of the respective device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the software characteristic comprises an availability of an application for executing an operation associated with the content.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the context information comprises at least one of a state of an application for executing an operation associated with the content, a frequency of the target user'"'"'s accessing of similar content via the respective device, or whether the target user is currently accessing the respective device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, in an instance in which a first target device that is a non-proximate device with respect to the apparatus is selected for receiving the content, provide for transmission of a notification regarding execution of an operation sharing the content with the first target device to a second target device identified as being associated with the designated target user, the second target device being a proximate device with respect to the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is a digital token configured to serve as a proxy for the plurality of target devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is one of the plurality of target devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein detection of the plurality of user devices based on proximity of the respective user devices with the apparatus is triggered by a wave gesture applied to the apparatus.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a plurality of user devices based on proximity of the respective user devices with an apparatus;

presenting, on a display associated with the apparatus, a user associated with each of the plurality of detected user devices;

receiving an input from a user of the apparatus designating a target user from among the users presented with whom content is to be shared;

communicating with the detected user device representing the target user and identifying a plurality of target devices associated with the designated target user based on the communication with the detected user device representing the target user;

determining a capability of the target devices identified to experience the content to be shared;

in an instance in which the capability of at least one of the target devices is appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, selecting one of the at least one of the target devices with appropriate capability to receive the content, wherein the selected target device is selected at least partially based on the capability determined; and

in an instance in which none of the target devices identified are determined to have a capability appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, providing for storage of the content on a network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the capability of a target device identified comprises determining the capability of the target device identified based on at least one of a hardware characteristic, a software characteristic, or context information associated with the respective device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hardware characteristic comprises at least one of a screen size of the respective device, a resolution of a display of the respective device, peripherals associated with the respective device, a network connection status of the respective device, or a processor status of the respective device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the software characteristic comprises an availability of an application for executing an operation associated with the content.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the context information comprises at least one of a state of an application for executing an operation associated with the content, a frequency of the target user'"'"'s accessing of similar content via the respective device, or whether the target user is currently accessing the respective device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is a digital token configured to serve as a proxy for the plurality of target devices.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is one of the plurality of target devices.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

detecting a plurality of user devices based on proximity of the respective user devices with an apparatus;

presenting, on a display associated with the apparatus, a user associated with each of the plurality of detected user devices;

receiving an input from a user of the apparatus designating a target user from among the users presented with whom content is to be shared;

communicating with the detected user device representing the target user and identifying a plurality of target devices associated with the designated target user based on the communication with the detected user device representing the target user;

determining a capability of the target devices identified to experience the content to be shared;

in an instance in which the capability of at least one of the target devices is appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, selecting one of the at least one of the target devices with appropriate capability to receive the content, wherein the selected target device is selected at least partially based on the capability determined; and

in an instance in which none of the target devices identified are determined to have a capability appropriate for experiencing the content to be shared, providing for storage of the content on a network.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code portions are further configured for determining the capability of the target device identified based on at least one of a hardware characteristic, a software characteristic, or context information associated with the respective device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the hardware characteristic comprises at least one of a screen size of the respective device, a resolution of a display of the respective device, peripherals associated with the respective device, a network connection status of the respective device, or a processor status of the respective device.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the software characteristic comprises an availability of an application for executing an operation associated with the content.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the context information comprises at least one of a state of an application for executing an operation associated with the content, a frequency of the target user'"'"'s accessing of similar content via the respective device, or whether the target user is currently accessing the respective device.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code portions are further configured for, in an instance in which a first target device that is a non-proximate device with respect to the apparatus is selected for receiving the content, providing for transmission of a notification regarding execution of an operation sharing the content with the first target device to a second target device identified as being associated with the designated target user, the second target device being a proximate device with respect to the apparatus.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is a digital token configured to serve as a proxy for the plurality of target devices.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the at least one device representing the target user is one of the plurality of target devices.