Device auto pairing without touch and tap

• US 9,967,911 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holding Stock Company Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holding Stock Company Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sinha, Rohit R., Aerrabotu, Naveen
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US15/269,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A device-to-device (D2D) pairing assembly comprises: a first and a second device detecting and communicating (DDC) component communicatively coupled to each other and to a microprocessor that executes a device pairing parameter exchange (DPPE) utility, which configures the D2D pairing assembly to: detect a communicative coupling of a first user device to the first DDC component; receive from the first user device at least one first pairing parameter, which first pairing parameter enables another device to connect to and participate in a pairing session with the first user device; detect a communicative coupling of a second user device to the second DDC component; and communicate the at least one first pairing parameter to the second user device, via the second DDC component, to trigger the second user device to connect to and participate in a pairing session with the first user device via a direct device-to-device communication channel.

Claims

1. A system for device-to-device pairing, the system comprising:

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to a first device detection pad and a second device detection pad, wherein the hardware processor is configured to;

detect a communicative coupling of a first user device to the first device detection pad;

in response to detecting the communicative coupling of the first user device, receive, from a pairing application executing on the first user device, a first pairing parameter and cause the pairing application executing on the first user device to allow additional devices to communicate with the first user device in a pairing session over a communication channel with the first pairing parameter;

detect a communicative coupling of a second user device to the second device detection pad, wherein the second user device has a second pairing parameter;

exchange the first pairing parameter with the second user device using the second device detection pad and the second pairing parameter with the first user device using the first device detection pad; and

initiate the pairing session over the communication channel between the first user device and the second user device in response to the exchange.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to suspend communication between the first user device and the first device detection pad in response to exchanging the first pairing parameter with the second user device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to suspend communication between the second user device and the second device detection pad in response to exchanging the second pairing parameter with the first user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, in response to initiating the pairing session over the communication channel between the first user device and the second user device, a subsequent communication between the first user device and the second user device occurs using the communication channel and is independent of the first device detection pad and the second device detection pad.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

detect a communicative coupling of a third user device to the second device detection pad while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad; and

in response to detecting the third user device communicatively coupled to the second device detection pad component while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad, communicate a different pairing parameter to the third user device that is different than the first pairing parameter and that allows the third user device to pair with the first user device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

detect a communicative coupling of a third user device to the second device detection pad while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad; and

in response to detecting the third user device communicatively coupled to the second device detection pad component while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad, communicate a differently-encoded version of the first pairing parameter to the third user device that allows the third user device to pair with the first user device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive the first pairing parameter from the first user device via a data transmitter associated with the first device detection pad.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to transmit the second pairing parameter to the first user device via a data receiver associated with the first device detection pad.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive the first pairing parameter from the first user device via a data transceiver associated with the first device detection pad and transmit the second pairing parameter to the first user device via the data transceiver associated with the first device detection pad.

10. A method for facilitating device-to-device pairing, the method comprising:

detecting a communicative coupling of a first user device to the first device detection pad;

in response to detecting the communicative coupling of the first user device, receiving, from a pairing application executing on the first user device, a first pairing parameter and causing the pairing application executing on the first user device to allow additional devices to communicate with the first user device in a pairing session over a communication channel with the first pairing parameter;

detecting a communicative coupling of a second user device to the second device detection pad, wherein the second user device has a second pairing parameter;

exchanging the first pairing parameter with the second user device using the second device detection pad and the second pairing parameter with the first user device using the first device detection pad; and

initiating the pairing session over the communication channel between the first user device and the second user device in response to the exchange.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising suspending communication between the first user device and the first device detection pad in response to exchanging the first pairing parameter with the second user device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising suspending communication between the second user device and the second device detection pad in response to exchanging the second pairing parameter with the first user device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein, in response to initiating the pairing session over the communication channel between the first user device and the second user device, a subsequent communication between the first user device and the second user device occurs using the communication channel and is independent of the first device detection pad and the second device detection pad.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a communicative coupling of a third user device to the second device detection pad while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad; and

in response to detecting the third user device communicatively coupled to the second device detection pad component while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad, communicating a different pairing parameter to the third user device that is different than the first pairing parameter and that allows the third user device to pair with the first user device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a communicative coupling of a third user device to the second device detection pad while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad; and

in response to detecting the third user device communicatively coupled to the second device detection pad component while the first user device is paired to the second user device and remains communicatively coupled to the first device detection pad, communicating a differently-encoded version of the first pairing parameter to the third user device that allows the third user device to pair with the first user device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the first pairing parameter from the first user device via a data transmitter associated with the first device detection pad.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the second pairing parameter to the first user device via a data receiver associated with the first device detection pad.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the first pairing parameter from the first user device via a data transceiver associated with the first device detection pad and transmit the second pairing parameter to the first user device via the data transceiver associated with the first device detection pad.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

detecting a communicative coupling of a first user device to the first device detection pad;

in response to detecting the communicative coupling of the first user device, receiving, from a pairing application executing on the first user device, a first pairing parameter and causing the pairing application executing on the first user device to allow additional devices to communicate with the first user device in a pairing session over a communication channel with the first pairing parameter;

detecting a communicative coupling of a second user device to the second device detection pad, wherein the second user device has a second pairing parameter;

exchanging the first pairing parameter with the second user device using the second device detection pad and the second pairing parameter with the first user device using the first device detection pad; and

initiating the pairing session over the communication channel between the first user device and the second user device in response to the exchange.