Method and system for identifying when a first device is within a physical range of a second device

• US 20030114104A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kirby, Graham D., Kardach, James, Want, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for identifying which one of a plurality of first devices, within a wireless communication range of a second device, the second device is to establish substantive communications with. The method includes sensing which particular first device is within a physical range of the second device, and establishing substantive communications with the particular first device.

Claims

1. An electronic system, which includes:

a first device which includes a first wireless communication interface; and

a second device which includes a second wireless communication interface to communicate with the first wireless communication interface when the first and second devices are within a wireless communication range, and a range sensor to sense when the first device is within a predetermined physical range of the second device.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces communicate using a standardized communication protocol, the second wireless communication interface communicates with a plurality of first wireless communication interfaces each associated with a particular first device within the wireless communication range.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the range sensor senses which one of a plurality of first devices is within the predetermined physical range whereafter substantive communications between the two devices are established via the first and second wireless communication interfaces.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first device is a portable computer device and the second device is a computer access device which defines a user interface for the portable computer device.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces are communication modules which communicate using a standardized communication protocol.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces are communication modules which communicate using Bluetooth 802.15 technology.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the range sensor is a tag reader which communicates with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of the first device when the RFID tag is within the predetermined physical range thereby to identify the first device.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the range sensor is an optical arrangement to sense when the first device is within a predetermined angular range relative to the second device.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, in which the optical arrangement includes a guide to define the angular range that defines a zone proximate to the second device within which substantive communications between the two devices are established via the first and second wireless communication interfaces.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the predetermined physical range is substantially less than the wireless communication range, the physical range defining a restricted zone within which the second device assumes that a user requires use of the second device

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first device is selected from the group including a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, and a personal computer.

12. A computer access device which includes:

a second wireless communication interface to communicate with at least one portable electronic device having a first wireless communication interface when the portable electronic device is within a wireless communication range of the computer access device; and

a range sensor to sense when the portable electronic device is within a physical range of the computer access device.

13. A computer access device as claimed in claim 12, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces communicate using a standardized communication protocol, at least the second wireless communication interface being to communicate with a plurality of first wireless communication interfaces each associated with a particular portable electronic device within the wireless communication range.

14. A computer access device as claimed in claim 13, in which the range sensor senses which one of a plurality of portable electronic devices is within the physical range whereafter substantive communications between the computer access device and the predetermined portable electronic device are established via the first and second wireless communication interfaces.

15. A computer access device as claimed in claim 12, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces are communication modules which communicate using Bluetooth 802.15 technology.

16. A computer access device as claimed in claim 12, in which the range sensor is a tag reader which communicates with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of the portable electronic device when the RFID tag is within the predetermined physical range thereby to identify the portable electronic device.

17. A computer access device as claimed in claim 12, in which the range sensor is an optical arrangement to sense when the portable electronic device is within a predetermined angular range relative to the computer access device.

18. A computer access device as claimed in claim 17, in which the optical arrangement includes a guide to define the angular range.

19. A computer access device as claimed in claim 12, in which the predetermined physical range is substantially less than the wireless communication range.

20. A portable electronic device, which includes:

a first wireless communication interface to communicate with a second wireless communication interface of a computer access device when the portable electronic device is within a wireless communication range of the computer access device; and

a range sensing component which interacts with a range sensor of the computer access device when the portable electronic device is within a predetermined physical range of the computer access device.

21. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces communicate using a standardized communication protocol, the first wireless communication interface being to communicate with a plurality of second wireless communication interfaces each associated with a particular computer access device within the wireless communication range.

22. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, in which the range sensing component enables the computer access device to identify the portable electronic device.

23. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, in which the rangesensing component is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to communicate with a tag reader of the computer access device.

24. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, in which the range sensing component includes an optical component to interact with an optical arrangement of the computer access device.

25. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, in which the first and second wireless communication interfaces are communication modules which communicate using Bluetooth technology.

26. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 20, which is selected from the group including a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, and a personal computer.

27. A method which includes

identifying which one of a plurality of first devices a second device is to establish substantive communications with by

sensing when a particular first device within a wireless communication range of the second device is within a physical range of the second device;

and

establishing substantive communications with the first device.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, in which sensing when the particular device is within the physical range is done in a wireless fashion by a range sensor.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, in which each first device includes an RFID tag uniquely associated with it, the method including receiving an RFID tag signal in the physical range to sense when the particular first device is within the physical range.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28, which includes sensing in an optical fashion when the particular first device is within a predetermined angular range relative to the second device.

31. A method as claimed in claim 28, in which each first device includes a first wireless communication interface and the second device includes a second wireless communication interface, the method including communicating between the first and second wireless communication interfaces using a standardized communication protocol.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, in which the standardized communication protocol uses Bluetooth communication protocols.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31, in which the physical range is substantively less than the wireless communication range and the method includes, once the particular first device has been identified, establishing substantive communications between the particular fist device and the second device by means of the first and second wireless communication interfaces.

34. A method as claimed in claim 27, in which establishing substantive communications includes communicating data between the particular first device and the second device which is uniquely associated with the particular first electronic device.