Performing device communications based on relative positioning

• US 9,820,098 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hewitt, Trudy Leigh, Wetli, Christina L., Schembari, Francesco Carmine
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, HIEN VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/870,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for initiating actions among devices are described. A relative position of at least one device to at least one other device is determined, and one or more rules specifying at least one action to initiate based at least in part on the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device are obtained. The one or more rules can differ based on the relative position of the devices. The at least one action is initiated using a processor of the at least one device.

Claims

1. A method for initiating actions among devices, comprising:

automatically determining, without user interaction, a relative position of at least one device to at least one other device based on position information, wherein the relative position comprises a distance and directionality to the at least one device from the at least one other device based on a user interface orientation of the at least one other device, location coordinates of the at least one device and the at least one other device, and location of sensors on the at least one device that detect presence of the at least one other device;

determining a type of device of the at least one other device;

obtaining one or more rules from a rules database specifying at least one action to initiate and defining selected content on which to perform the at least one action

based at least in part on the relative position and the type of device of the at least one device to the at least one other device, wherein the least one action comprises initiating communication between the at least one device and the at least one other device, performing authentication among the at least one device and the at least one other device, transferring files between the at least one device and the at least one other device, and leveraging device functionalities of the least one device and the at least one other device; and

initiating the at least one action relative to the selected content using a processor of the at least one device or the at least one other device,

wherein the one or more rules further define the selected content at least in part based on association between a type of content and a corresponding relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device, and

wherein both the at least one device and the at least one other device are configured to be enabled to initiate the at least one action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an orientation of the at least one device, wherein the obtaining the one or more rules is further based at least in part on the orientation of the at least one device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is based at least in part on determining that the at least one device is within a proximity of the at least one other device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein information regarding the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is received from an access point with which the at least one device and the at least one other device communicate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the one or more rules comprises obtaining the one or more rules from a rules database, and wherein the rules database additionally includes one or more rules specifying at least one other action to initiate where the at least one device is in a different relative position to the at least one other device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a relationship between an owner of the at least one device and a different owner of the at least one other device, wherein the obtaining the one or more rules is further based at least in part on the relationship.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the at least one device is within proximity of the at least one other device and one or more additional devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is based at least in part on determining that the at least one other device has a higher priority than the one or more additional devices.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is based at least in part on determining a selection of the at least one other device via input from a user interface of the at least one device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the input from the user interface includes a gesture in a direction toward the at least one other device from a perspective of the at least one device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action corresponds to transferring files from the at least one device to the at least one other device, wherein the files are selected from a group comprising email, files, photos, music, or videos based on the one or more rules.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the at least one device, wherein the obtaining the one or more rules is further based at least in part on the location of the at least one device.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input comprising a gesture on a user interface to control the one or more actions,

wherein a gesture toward the at least one device from a perspective of the at least one other device selects a device of the at least one device for priority of the action to be performed.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of device is selected from one of a group comprising a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, personal digital assistant, and a tablet computer.

13. A system for initiating actions among devices, comprising:

a rules database for storing one or more rules specifying at least one action to initiate and defining selected content on which to perform the at least one action based at least in part on a relative position of at least one device to at least one other device; and

processing circuitry configured to;

automatically determine, without user interaction, a relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device based on position information, wherein the relative position comprises a distance and directionality to the at least one device from the at least one other device based on a user interface orientation of the at least one other device, location coordinates of the at least one device and the at least one other device, and location of sensors on the at least one device that detect presence of the at least one other device;

determining a type of device of the at least one other device; and

obtaining the one or more rules from the rules database specifying at least one action to initiate and defining selected content on which to perform the at least one action based at least in part on the relative position and the type of device of the at least one device to the at least one other device, wherein the least one action comprises initiating communication between the at least one device and the at least one other device, performing authentication among the at least one device and the at least one other device, transferring files between the at least one device and the at least one other device, and leveraging device functionalities of the least one device and the at least one other device; and

initiating the at least one action on the at least one device relative to the selected content,

wherein the one or more rules further define the selected content at least in part based on association between a type of content and a corresponding relative position and the type of device of the at least one device to the at least one other device, and

wherein both the at least one device and the at least one other device are configured to be enabled to initiate the at least one action.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an orientation of the at least one device, wherein obtaining the one or more rules is further based at least in part on the orientation of the at least one device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a proximity of the at least one device to the at least one other device, wherein the determining the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is based at least in part on detecting the proximity.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the position information regarding the relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device is received from an access point with which the at least one device and the at least one other device communicate.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the rules database additionally includes one or more rules specifying at least one other action to initiate where the at least one device is in a different relative position to the at least one other device.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

automatically determining, without user interaction, a relative position of at least one device to at least one other device based on position information, wherein the relative position comprises a distance and directionality to the at least one device from the at least one other device based on a user interface orientation of the at least one other device, location coordinates of the at least one device and the at least one other device, and location of sensors on the at least one device that detect presence of the at least one other device;

determining a type of device of the at least one other device;

obtaining one or more rules specifying at least one action to initiate and defining selected content on which to perform the at least one action based at least in part on the relative position and the type of device of the at least one device to the at least one other device, wherein the least one action comprises initiating communication between the at least one device and the at least one other device, performing authentication among the at least one device and the at least one other device, transferring files between the at least one device and the at least one other device, and leveraging device functionalities of the least one device and the at least one other device; and

initiating the at least one action relative to the selected content using a processor of the at least one device or the at least one other device,

wherein the one or more rules further define the selected content at least in part based on association between a type of content and a corresponding relative position of the at least one device to the at least one other device, and

wherein both the at least one device and the at least one other device are configured to be enabled to initiate the at least one action.