Systems, methods, and computer readable media for sharing environment information

• US 9,661,068 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rottler, Benjamin A., Nadeau, Kyle Patrick, Mincey, Tyler, Nakajima, Taido
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US14/821,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer readable media for sharing awareness information are provided. A non-aware electronic device can require awareness information including, for example, information about its environment or information about its status within its environment, in order to perform a particular device operation. When the non-aware device lacks an awareness component for detecting the required type of awareness information, the non-aware device can establish a communications path with an aware device that includes such an appropriate awareness component. The aware device can share the required type of awareness information as captured by its awareness component with the non-aware device. The distance between the non-aware device and the aware device can be less than a threshold distance to ensure that the shared awareness information is relevant to the non-aware device.

Claims

1. A method for sharing environment information, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a request for environment information from a second device, wherein the first device comprises an environment sensor configured to detect a type of the requested environment information, wherein the second device is not configured to detect the type of the requested environment information, and wherein the requested environment information is indicative of one or more characteristics of;

a surrounding environment of the first device;

or

a status of the first device within the surrounding environment;

determining, by the first device, whether the second device was previously authorized to receive the type of the requested environment information from the first device; and

when the second device was previously authorized;

detecting, by the first device, the requested environment information using the environment sensor; and

transmitting, by the first device, the requested environment information to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for environment information specifies the type of the requested environment information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous authorization is determined based on the environment information having been previously provided to the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device was previously authorized by receiving, at the first device, a selection of one or more devices that are authorized for sending the requested environment information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device was previously authorized by the first device detecting a wired communications path with the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second device was previously authorized is performed using a secret key in establishing a connection with the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for environment information is received as a broadcast from the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested environment information comprises at least one of:

a position, an ambient light, a proximity, motion information, a temperature, a pressure, an image, audio information, magnetic information, and a humidity.

9. A first device comprising:

an environment sensor;

communications circuitry; and

control circuitry coupled to the environment sensor and the communications circuitry, the control circuitry operative to;

receive a request for environment information from a second device, the environment sensor configured to detect a type of the requested environment information, wherein the second device is not configured to detect the type of the requested environment information, and wherein the requested environment information is indicative of one or more characteristics of;

a surrounding environment of the first device;

or

a status of the first device within the surrounding environment;

determine whether the second device was previously authorized to receive the type of the requested environment information from the first device; and

when the second device was previously authorized;

detect the requested environment information using the environment sensor; and

transmit the requested environment information to the second device.

10. The first device of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

perform a previous authorization by prompting a user of the first device to authorize providing the requested environment information.

11. The first device of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

perform a previous authorization by receiving, at the first device, a selection of one or more devices that are authorized for sending the requested environment information.

12. The first device of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

perform a previous authorization by detecting a wired communications path with the second device.

13. The first device of claim 9, wherein determining whether the second device was previously authorized is performed using a secret key in establishing a connection with the second device.

14. The first device of claim 9, wherein the request for environment information is received as a broadcast from the second device.

15. The first device of claim 9, wherein the environment sensor comprises at least one of:

positioning circuitry, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, a motion sensing component, a thermometer, a pressure sensor, a strain gauge, a microphone, a camera, an imaging sensor, a shock sensor, a magnetometer, a humidity sensor, RF sensing circuitry, and near field communications circuitry.

16. A non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable code for controlling a first device to share environment information, the code comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a request for environment information from a second device, wherein the first device comprises an environment sensor configured to detect a type of the requested environment information, wherein the second device is not configured to detect the type of the requested environment information, and wherein the requested environment information is indicative of one or more characteristics of;

a surrounding environment of the first device;

or

a status of the first device within the surrounding environment;

determining, by the first device, whether the second device was previously authorized to receive the type of the requested environment information from the first device; and

when the second device was previously authorized;

detecting, by the first device, the requested environment information using the environment sensor; and

transmitting, by the first device, the requested environment information to the second device.

17. A method for sharing location information, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a request for location information from a second device, wherein the first device comprises a location sensor configured to detect a type of the requested location information, wherein the second device is not configured to detect the type of the requested location information;

determining, by the first device, whether the second device was previously authorized to receive the type of the requested location information from the first device; and

when the second device was previously authorized;

detecting, by the first device, the requested location information using the location sensor; and

transmitting, by the first device, the requested location information to the second device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the request for location information is received from the second device via a local connection between the first device and the second device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the previous authorization is determined based on the location information having been previously provided to the second device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device identifies the first device before sending the request for location information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first device is identified by the second device from one or more trusted devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more trusted devices are defined by user input of selecting from a list, of entering identifying information of devices, or authorizing particular devices once communications paths with the devices are established.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device does not know its location before sending the request for location information.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device does not include a location sensor for determining a location of the second device.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device was previously authorized by receiving, at the first device, a selection of one or more devices that are authorized for sending the requested location information.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device was previously authorized by the first device detecting a wired communications path with the second device.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the second device was previously authorized is performed using a secret key in establishing a connection with the second device.