Methods and systems for service transfer

• US 9,584,961 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Scott, Jim, Hertz, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US14/274,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20150327213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems for service transfer are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving a service at a first/current user device, detecting a movement of the first user device, determining a direction of the movement, and requesting the service be provided to a second/target user device in the direction of the movement. Service can be a communication session, network access, video service, audio service, short message service, multimedia message service, and the like. The movement of a user device can be detected by one or more sensors implemented in the user device. For example, to enable a service transfer, a user can point the first user device to a second user device. The pointing can be achieved, for example, by moving the first user device to the direction of the second user device at certain speed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device, a multimedia service from a second device;

updating registration information for at least one of the first device and a third device to reflect a change in a position of at least one of the first device and the third device;

detecting, by a sensor of the first device, a movement of the first device;

determining a direction of the movement;

determining that the movement indicates an intent to transfer the multimedia service from the first device to the third device based on the registration information and the direction of the movement; and

requesting the multimedia service be provided by the second device to the third device in response to the detecting the movement of the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia service comprises one or more of:

a communication session, network access, a video service, an audio service, a short message service, or a multimedia message service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting, by the sensor of the first device, the movement of the first device comprises receiving a signal from one or more of a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a radio transceiver, a global positioning system, or a compass.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the direction of the movement comprises receiving a signal from one or more of a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a radio transceiver, a global positioning system, or a compass.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the multimedia service be provided by the second device to the third device comprises providing the direction of the movement to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the movement indicates the intent to transfer the multimedia service from the first device to the third device based on the registration information and the direction of the movement comprises determining that the third device is located in the direction of the movement based on the registration information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the movement indicates the intent to transfer the multimedia service from the first device to the third device based on the registration information and the direction of the movement comprises identifying the third device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a speed of the movement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the movement indicates the intent to transfer the multimedia service from the first device to the third device based on the registration information and the direction of the movement comprises providing the speed of the movement to the second device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the movement indicates the intent to transfer the multimedia service from the first device to the third device on the registration information and the direction of the movement comprises determining the intent to transfer based on the speed of the movement and determining the third device based on the direction of the movement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration information comprises a position associated with an identifier of the first device and a position associated with an identifier of the third device.

12. A method comprising:

receiving registration information for a first device and a second device;

updating the registration information for at least one of the first device and the second device to reflect a change in a position of at least one of the first device and the second device;

providing a multimedia service to the first device;

receiving a request from the first device to transfer the multimedia service to a target device;

receiving data representing a direction of a movement of the first device relative to the target device;

identifying the second device as the target device based on the registration information and the data representing the direction of the movement of the first device; and

providing the multimedia service to the second device in response to receiving the request from the first device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the multimedia service is one or more of:

a communication session, network access, a video service, an audio service, a short message service, or a multimedia message service.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a speed of the movement of the first device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the second device as the target device comprises determining the second device based on the direction and the speed of the movement.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the second device as the target device comprises:

determining a relative signal strength indicator for each of a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices comprises the first device and the second device; and

utilizing the relative signal strength indicator of the second device to identify the second device as the target device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the registration information comprises a position associated with an identifier of the first device and a position associated with an identifier of the second device.

18. A method comprising:

transmitting, to a plurality of second devices, a request from a first device to provide a multimedia service to one of the plurality of second devices;

receiving, from the plurality of second devices, data representing at least a direction of a movement of the first device relative to the plurality of second devices;

updating registration information for the first device and the plurality of second devices to reflect a change in a position of the first device relative to one or more of the plurality of second devices based on the data representing the direction of the movement of the first device;

identifying the one of the plurality of second devices based on the registration information and the data representing the direction of the movement of the first device; and

providing a request to transfer the multimedia service to the identified one of the plurality of second devices in response to the request from the first device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multimedia service is one or more of:

a communication session, network access, a video service, an audio service, a short message service, or a multimedia message service.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the one of the plurality of second devices comprises:

determining a relative signal strength indicator for the first device and each of the plurality of second devices; and

comparing the relative signal strength indicator of the first device and each of the plurality of second devices to identify the one of the plurality of second devices.