Controlling operation of a device

• US 9,940,827 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Provenance Asset Group LLC
• Inventors: Suomela, Riku Oskari, Kerai, Kanji
• Primary Examiner(s): ALUNKAL, THOMAS D
• Application Number:
  US14/785,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• 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

A method comprises determining, based on at least one radio frequency packet passed wirelessly between first and second devices using an array of plural antennas provided in one of the first and second devices, an orientation of the second device with respect to the first device and, if the orientation satisfies a predetermined criterion, controlling operation of the first device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a controlling device, at least one radio frequency wireless positioning packet to a first controlled device and to a second controlled device, using an array of plural antennas forming part of at least one of the controlling device, the first controlled device, and the second controlled device;

selecting, by the controlling device, either a first orientation of the controlling device facing in a direction of the first controlled device or a second orientation of the controlling device facing in a direction of the second controlled device, the selected first or second orientation serving to respectively select either the first or second controlled device as a selected controlled device;

transmitting, by the controlling device, at least one radio frequency wireless second packet to the selected controlled device, the at least one radio frequency wireless second packet characterizing a performance of one of a plurality of different predetermined gestures by a user of the controlling device, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different operation of the selected controlled device; and

controlling, by the controlling device, operation of the selected controlled device, in response to detection by the selected controlled device of an event in respect of the controlling device, wherein the event comprises a recognition, based on the at least one radio frequency wireless second packet, of a performance of one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user in respect of the controlling device, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different operation of the selected controlled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises a determination that the controlling device is facing in a direction of the selected controlled device for longer than a threshold duration.

3. The method claim 1, wherein the performance of the one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures is recognised based on detected variations in the orientation of the controlling device with respect to the selected controlled device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling operation of the selected controlled device comprises causing the selected controlled device to initiate or terminate provision of audio data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling device is affixed to, or is part of, an audio headset, wherein the one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user is a head movement and wherein provision of the audio data is to the audio headset.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising, prior to determining the orientation of the controlling device, automatically setting the selected controlled device into a mode for wirelessly receiving radio frequency packets.

7. The method claim 6, comprising automatically setting the selected controlled device into the mode for wirelessly receiving packets in response to receipt of a communication by the selected controlled device from a third device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation is determined in part by sequentially activating each of the plural antennas of the array.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is configured to be affixed to, or is part of, a user-wearable carrier.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio frequency packet is a positioning packet comprising at least one of an angle-of-arrival information or angle-of-departure information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling device includes a plurality of antennas, each for transmitting at least one radio frequency packet, and wherein at least one of a determination of the orientation of the controlling device with respect to the selected controlled device or a recognition of the performance of the one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user is performed by comparing signal strengths of packets received from each of the plurality of antennas of the controlling device.

10. At least one non-transitory computer-readable memory medium having computer-readable code stored thereon, the computer-readable code being configured to, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus to:

transmit, by a controlling device, at least one radio frequency wireless positioning packet to a first controlled device and to a second controlled device, using an array of plural antennas forming part of at least one of the controlling device, the first controlled device, and the second controlled device;

select, by the controlling device, either a first orientation of the controlling device facing in a direction of the first controlled device or a second orientation of the controlling device facing in a direction of the second controlled device, the selected first or second orientation serving to respectively select either the first or second controlled device as a selected controlled device;

transmit, by the controlling device, at least one radio frequency wireless second packet to the selected controlled device, the at least one radio frequency wireless second packet characterizing a performance of one of a plurality of different predetermined gestures by a user of the controlling device, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different operation of the selected controlled device; and

control, by the controlling device, operation of the selected controlled device in response to an event comprising recognition by the selected controlled device of a performance of one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user in respect of the controlling device, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different operation of the selected controlled device.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 10, wherein the event further comprises a determination that the controlling device is facing in a direction of the selected controlled device for longer than a threshold duration.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 10, wherein controlling operation of the selected controlled device comprises causing the selected controlled device to initiate or terminate provision of audio data.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 10, wherein the controlling device is affixed to or is part, of an audio headset and wherein the one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user is a head movement.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable code is further configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the selected controlled device to automatically set, prior to determining the orientation of the controlling device, the selected controlled device into a mode for wirelessly receiving radio frequency packets.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer-readable code which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to;

transmit at least one radio frequency wireless positioning packet to a first controlled device and to a second controlled device, using an array of plural antennas forming part of at least one of the apparatus, the first controlled device, and the second controlled device;

select either a first orientation of the apparatus facing in a direction of the first controlled device or a second orientation of the apparatus facing in a direction of the second controlled device, the selected first or second orientation serving to respectively select either the first or second controlled device as a selected controlled device;

transmit at least one radio frequency wireless second packet to the selected controlled device, the at least one radio frequency wireless second packet characterizing a performance of one of a plurality of different predetermined gestures by a user of the apparatus, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different operation of the selected controlled device; and

control operation of the selected controlled device in response to an event comprising recognition of a performance of one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user in respect of the apparatus, each of the plurality of different predetermined gestures corresponding to a different control operation of the selected controlled device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the event further comprises a determination that the apparatus is facing in a direction of the selected controlled device for longer than a threshold duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein performance of the control operation of the remote device comprises causing the remote device to initiate or terminate provision of audio data.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is affixed to or is part of an audio headset or comprises an audio headset and wherein the one of the plurality of different predetermined gestures by the user is a head movement.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the selected controlled device to automatically set, prior to determining the orientation of the apparatus, the selected controlled device into a mode for wirelessly receiving radio frequency packets.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the selected controlled device to determine the orientation of the apparatus by sequential activation of each of the plural antennas of the array.