Determination of the interaction surface of a mobile device with a host device

• US 9,746,982 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starbreeze Paris
• Original Assignee: EPAWN
• Inventors: Duteil, Christophe, Lefevre, Valentin
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US14/441,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00665 using inductance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/20 by varying inductance, e.g. by a movable armature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for determining a first common interaction surface (503) of a mobile device (501) with a second interaction surface (502) of a host device (500), the method including the following steps: detecting at least one electrical signal induced by at least one inducing magnetic field in at least one electric circuit of the host device (500) associated with the second surface (502); determining an interaction surface (503) of the mobile device (501) associated with the at least one inducing electromagnetic field; performing a level test (1106) in accordance with the at least one induced electrical signal; and determining the first common interaction surface (503) as being the interaction surface of the mobile device (501) associated with the at least one inducing electromagnetic field, according to a result of the level test (1106).

Claims

1. A method of determining a first interacting surface (503) of current interaction of a mobile device (501, 505) with a second interacting surface (502) of a host device (500), the method comprising the following steps of:

detection (1103) of at least one electrical signal induced by at least one inductor magnetic field in at least one electrical circuit (115) of the host device associated with said second surface,

determination (1100, 1101) of an interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said at least one inductor electromagnetic field,

level testing (1106) based on said at least one induced electrical signal,

determination (1107) of said first interacting surface of current interaction as being said interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said at least one inductor electromagnetic field, according to a result of the level testing, and

sending of an activation signal of said mobile device;

wherein said interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said inductor electromagnetic field is determined at least from a sequence for activation, by the mobile device, of magnetic field generation units respectively associated with interacting surfaces of the mobile device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of accessing data representing a disposition of at least one module for magnetic field generation within said mobile device and wherein the interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said electromagnetic field is determined at least from said data.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of reception of said data from the mobile device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of induced electrical signals are respectively detected in a plurality of electrical circuits of the host device, the method further comprising the following steps:

selection of a number of signals of which the respective levels are the highest from the levels of the detected electrical signals,

proximity testing of the electrical circuits in which the induced electrical signals of the highest levels are induced, and wherein the level testing is carried out based on at least one induced electrical signal in an electrical circuit from those satisfying the proximity testing.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of selection, from the induced electrical signals in the electrical circuits satisfying the proximity testing, of the electrical signal of highest level, and wherein the level testing is carried out based on the selected electrical signal.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of interpolation of a level of electrical signal based on levels of induced electrical signals in the electrical circuits satisfying the proximity testing, said interpolated level being associated with a position on said second interacting surface of the host device, and wherein level testing is made based on said interpolated level.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the level testing comprises selecting a maximum level from a plurality of levels of detected induced electrical signals.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the level testing comprises comparing with a threshold level representing a maximum altitude beyond which the interacting surface associated with the detected magnetic field is not considered as in interaction with the surface of the host device.

9. A computer program that is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and is loaded and executed by a processor of a host device for a mobile device comprising instructions for implementing a method according to claim 1.

14. A method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of induced electrical signals are respectively detected in a plurality of electrical circuits of the host device, the method further comprising the following steps:

selection of a number of signals of which the respective levels are the highest from the levels of the detected electrical signals,

proximity testing of the electrical circuits in which the induced electrical signals of the highest levels are induced, and wherein the level testing is carried out based on at least one induced electrical signal in an electrical circuit from those satisfying the proximity testing.

10. A host device (105, 500) comprising at least one interacting surface (502) for interaction with at least one mobile device (501, 505), said host device comprising a processing unit (255) for determining a first interacting surface (503) of current interaction of said at least one mobile device with a second interacting surface of the host device, said processing unit being configured for:

detecting at least one electrical signal induced by at least one inducting magnetic field in at least one electrical circuit of the host device associated with said second surface,

determining an interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said at least one inductor electromagnetic field,

performing level testing based on said at least one induced electrical signal,

determining said first interacting surface of current interaction as being said interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said at least one inductor electromagnetic field, according to a result of the level testing, and

sending an activation signal of said mobile device;

wherein said interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said inductor electromagnetic field is determined at least from a sequence for activation, by the mobile device, of magnetic field generation units respectively associated with interacting surfaces of the mobile device.

11. A mobile device (501, 505) comprising at least one interacting surface (503, 504) for interaction with a host device (105, 500) according to claim 10, said mobile device comprising a processing unit configured to send, to said host device, data representing a device of at least one module for magnetic field generation within said mobile device, each interacting surface of the mobile device being respectively associated with at least one module for generating a magnetic field.

12. A system comprising a host device according to claim 11 and at least one mobile device comprising at least one interacting surface associated with a module for generating a magnetic field.

13. A system comprising a host device according to claim 11 and at least one mobile device comprising at least one interacting surface associated with a module for generating a magnetic field, comprising at least one mobile device comprising at least one interacting surface (503, 504) for interaction with a host device (105, 500) according to claim 12, said mobile device comprising a processing unit configured to send, to said host device, data representing a device of at least one module for magnetic field generation within said mobile device, each interacting surface of the mobile device being respectively associated with at least one module for generating a magnetic field, and wherein the processing unit of the host device is furthermore configured to access data received from the mobile device and that represent a disposition of at least one module for magnetic field generation within said mobile device and is furthermore configured to determine, at least based on said data, the interacting surface, of the mobile device, associated with said electromagnetic field.