CAPACITIVE BONDING OF DEVICES

• US 20110319019A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Glass, Andrew C., Dreher, Christopher M., Sung, Ellick H., Aull, Randall E., Holan, Doron J., Ranta, Craig S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to systems and methods that facilitate wireless device communications and configuration. A detection component identifies N devices that are coupled together via a biological medium, N being an integer, wherein the medium includes direct or indirect touching to a device or devices. After biological contact, a configuration component initiates a configuration between a subset of the devices.

Claims

1. A device-implemented method comprising:

measuring, in response to contact with a user, an impedance characteristic of the user;

broadcasting, via a wireless interface, a signal encoding data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user;

receiving, from another device, a response to the signal broadcast via the wireless interface; and

initiating a wireless network connection with the other device based on the response to the signal.

2. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response encodes data associated with a location of the other device.

3. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response encodes data associated another impedance characteristic measured by the other device.

4. The device-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising comparing the data associated with the other impedance characteristic with the data associated with the measured impedance characteristic of the user.

5. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the signal or the response includes network configuration data, and further comprising configuring the wireless network connection with the other device based on the configuration data.

6. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface communicates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the impedance characteristic of the user includes at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.

8. A device-implemented method comprising:

measuring, in response to contact with a user, an impedance characteristic of the user;

receiving, via a wireless interface, a signal from another device, the signal encoding data associated with an impedance characteristic measured by the other device;

comparing data associated with the impedance characteristic of the user and the data associated with the impedance characteristic measured by the other device; and

initiating a wireless connection with the other wireless device if the data associated with the impedance characteristic of the user matches the data associated with the impedance characteristic measured by the other device.

9. The device-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising configuring the wireless interface to poll for signals from other devices.

10. The device-implemented method of claim 9, wherein configuring the wireless interface to poll is performed in response to the contact with the user.

11. The device-implemented method of claim 9, wherein configuring the wireless interface to poll is performed in response to the user'"'"'s proximity with the wireless interface or another sensor.

12. The device-implemented method of claim 9, wherein configuring the wireless interface to poll is in response to detecting an electric current flow from the other device via the contact with the user.

13. The device-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

14. The device-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the impedance characteristic of the user includes at least one of a capacitance, an inductance, or a resistance associated with the user.

15. A wireless communication device comprising:

a sensing module configured to sense a property of a user based on an electrical signal generated by another device, the electrical signal propagated through the user;

a location module configured to determine location information based on the location of the wireless communication device or the other device; and

a communication module configured to establish, via a wireless interface, communications with at least the other device based on the sensed property of the user and the location information.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the communication module is further configured to establish, via the wireless interface, communications with additional devices for which additional location information is available from the location module.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the communication module is further configured to establish communications with the additional devices based on proximity of the additional devices to the wireless communication device or the user.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the communication module includes a maximum proximity level for communication, and is further configured to not establish communications with an additional device having a proximity that exceeds the maximum proximity level.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the sensed property includes at least one of a time at which the property was sensed, a level of the sensed electrical signal, or an impedance characteristic of the user.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.