METHODS AND DEVICES FOR IDENTIFYING SELECTED OBJECTS

• US 20120309454A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plum Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Plum Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method of choosing an object from multiple objects using a wireless device includes receiving a backscatter communication signal from each of the objects, determining one or more analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal, and, using the wireless device, selecting one object based at least in part on the analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal. Each of the objects includes an RF interface configured to communicate using backscatter communication.

Claims

1. A method of choosing an object from a plurality of objects using a wireless device, wherein each of the plurality of objects includes an RF interface configured to communicate using backscatter communication, the method comprising:

receiving a backscatter communication signal from each of the plurality of objects;

determining at least one analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal;

using the wireless device, selecting one object of the plurality of objects based at least in part on the at least one analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an RF signal using the wireless device, and wherein receiving a backscatter communication signal from each of the plurality of objects includes receiving the backscatter communication signal from each of the plurality of objects by the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting movement of the wireless device, and wherein selecting one object of the plurality of objects includes selecting one object based on the movement of the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list of identifiers for a subset of the plurality of objects on a display of the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating the list of identifiers based on the analog parameter of each of the plurality of signals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting one object includes receiving from a user of the wireless device an indication of a selection of a selected one of the plurality of objects from the list of identifiers.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising after selecting one of the plurality of objects, communicating with the selected one of the plurality of objects using the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal amplitude.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting movement of at least one of the plurality of objects, and determining at least one additional parameter for each moving object, and wherein selecting includes selecting one object of the plurality of objects based at least in part on the at least one analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal and based on the at least one additional parameter for each moving object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal phase.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving includes receiving the backscatter signals at a stationary device, and wherein the method further includes forwarding information related to the backscatter signals from the stationary device to the wireless device.

12. A wireless mobile device used for choosing an object from a plurality of objects, the wireless device comprising:

an RF interface configured to generate an RF signal and to receive backscatter signals related to the RF signal;

a processing unit coupled to the RF interface and configured to;

receive a plurality of backscatter signals from the plurality of objects;

determine an analog parameter for each of the backscatter signals; and

select a selected object from the plurality of objects based at least in part on the analog parameter for each of the backscatter signals.

13. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, further comprising at least one motion sensor coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive at least one motion signal from the motion detector and select the selected object based at least in part on the at least one motion signal.

14. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a display coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is configured to generate on the display a list of identifiers for a subset of the plurality of objects on a display of the wireless device.

15. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate the list of identifiers based on the analog parameter of each of the backscatter signals.

16. The wireless mobile device of claim 15, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the selected object based on a signal from the user interface.

17. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further configured to communicate with the selected one of the plurality of objects through the RF interface after selecting the selected one of the plurality of objects.

18. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal amplitude.

19. The wireless mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to detect movement of at least one of the plurality of objects based on the plurality of backscatter signals, and determine at least one additional parameter for each moving object, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the selected object based at least in part on the at least one analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal and based on the at least one additional parameter for each moving object.

20. The wireless mobile device of claim 18, wherein the device is configured to operate as a cellular phone.

21. The wireless mobile device of claim 12, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal phase.

22. A system comprising:

a plurality of objects, each having an RF identification tag;

a mobile device comprising an RF interface configured to generate an RF signal and to receive backscatter signals related to the RF signal from each of the plurality of objects;

a processing unit coupled to the RF interface and configured to;

receive a plurality of backscatter signals from the plurality of objects;

determine an analog parameter for each of the backscatter signals; and

select a selected object from the plurality of objects based at least in part on the analog parameter for each of the backscatter signals.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the mobile device further includes at least one motion sensor coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive at least one motion signal from the motion detector and select the selected object based at least in part on the at least one motion signal.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a display coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is configured to generate on the display identifiers for a subset of the plurality of objects on a display of the wireless device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a list of the identifiers based on the analog parameter of each of the backscatter signals.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the selected object based on a signal from the user interface.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing unit is further configured to communicate with the selected one of the plurality of objects through the RF interface after selecting the selected one of the plurality of objects.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal amplitude.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processing unit is further configured to detect movement of at least one of the plurality of objects based on the plurality of backscatter signals, and determine at least one additional parameter for each moving object, and wherein the processing unit is configured to select the selected object based at least in part on the at least one analog parameter of each backscatter communication signal and based on the at least one additional parameter for each moving object.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the device is configured to operate as a cellular phone.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one analog parameter is based on signal phase.