APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PERIPHERAL DEVICE SELECTION

• US 20110256895A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Reunam?ki, Jukka, Palin, Arto
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Apparatus for enabling the connection of an electronic device to a particular peripheral device, wherein the apparatus is configured to

• • determine a first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device using geographical location signalling;
  • associate the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with a communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device;
  • discriminate the communication channel signalling for the particular peripheral device based on the association; and
  • enable selection of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device to use the communication channel signalling to provide for connection of the electronic device to the particular peripheral device to allow the electronic device to use the functionality provided by the particular peripheral device.

Claims

1. Apparatus, wherein the apparatus is configured to:

determine a first measure of the geographical location of a particular peripheral device using geographical location signalling;

associate the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with a communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device;

discriminate the communication channel signalling for the particular peripheral device based on the association; and

enable selection of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device to use the communication channel signalling to provide for connection of an electronic device to the particular peripheral device to allow the electronic device to use the functionality provided by the particular peripheral device.

2. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determined first measure comprises a first distance value corresponding to the distance between the particular peripheral device and the apparatus.

3. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determined first measure comprises a first orientation value corresponding to the orientation of the particular peripheral device relative to the apparatus.

4. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the geographical location signalling and the communication channel signalling is wireless.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the first measure of the geographical location of a particular peripheral device by using one or more of active autofocus and passive autofocus.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the first measure of the geographical location by a user selecting a particular peripheral device using one or more of zooming onto an image of the particular peripheral device and user pointing to an image of the particular peripheral device.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to discriminate the particular peripheral device from multiple peripheral devices located within the locality based on the association.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable selection of the particular peripheral device from an actual captured representation of a scene comprising the particular peripheral device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable selection of the particular peripheral device from an actual captured representation of a scene comprising the particular peripheral device and other peripheral devices located within the locality.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a pointer configured to enable selection of the particular peripheral device by orientating the pointer to point at the particular peripheral device to allow a separate electronic device to use the functionality.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a request based upon which communication channel signalling is transmitted by the particular peripheral device.

12. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to

associate the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with a characteristic communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device.

13. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to

determine a first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device using geographical location signalling, wherein the geographical location signalling is visible light;

associate the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with the communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device, wherein the communication channel signalling is non-visible electromagnetic radiation.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to perform the association, the apparatus is configured to

determine a second measure of the geographical position of a particular peripheral device using the communication channel signalling;

associate the determined first measure with the communication channel signalling by the use of a comparison between the determined first measure and the determined second measure corresponding to the communication channel signalling.

15. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein the determined second measure comprises a second distance value corresponding to the distance between the particular peripheral device and the apparatus as determined using the communication channel signalling.

16. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein the determined second measure comprises a second orientation value corresponding to the orientation of the particular peripheral device relative to the apparatus as determined using the communication channel signalling.

17. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the second measure of the geographical position of a particular peripheral device by the use one or more of the received signal strength and time of flight as determined using the communication channel signalling.

18. An apparatus of claim 14 wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the second measure of the geographical position of a particular peripheral device by the calculation of the angle of incidence from measurements of the phase of the received communication channel signalling.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a user interface, a portable electronic device, a portable electronic device, a selector device which is configured to select the particular peripheral device for use by the electronic device, or portable electronic device, or a user interface, or module for the electronic device, portable electronic device, or selector device.

20. A method, the method comprising:

determining a first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device using geographical location signalling;

associating the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with a communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device;

discriminating the communication channel signalling for the particular peripheral device based on the association; and

enabling selection of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device to use the communication channel signalling to provide for connection of an electronic device to the particular peripheral device to allow the portable electronic device to use the functionality provided by the particular peripheral device.

21. A computer program, the computer program comprising code configured to:

determine a first measure of the geographical location of a particular peripheral device using geographical location signalling;

associate the determined first measure of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device with a communication channel signalling used by the particular peripheral device;

discriminate the communication channel signalling for the particular peripheral device based on the association; and

enable selection of the geographical location of the particular peripheral device to use the communication channel signalling to provide for connection of an electronic device to the particular peripheral device to allow the electronic device to use the functionality provided by the particular peripheral device.