Magnetic Induction Network Device

• US 20160337477A1
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bush, Kathryn, Knight, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 9,680,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A network device has a housing, a magnetic induction charger, a wireless data link and a processor. The housing has one or more sides. The induction charger is housed by the housing and is arranged to wirelessly charge a rechargeable battery of a portable electronic device. The electronic device is adjacent to or in contact with the housing. The wireless data link communicates with the portable electronic device. The processor communicates with the magnetic induction charger and the wireless data link. In addition, the processor recognizes the portable electronic device and associates a profile with the portable electronic device. The processor delivers content to an associated media device based on the profile.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a housing having one or more sides;

a magnetic induction charger supported by the housing and arranged to wirelessly charge a rechargeable battery of a portable electronic device adjacent to or in contact with the housing;

a wireless data link communicating with the portable electronic device; and

a processor in communication with the magnetic induction charger and the wireless data link, the processor configured to;

recognize multiple portable electronic devices for charging by the magnetic induction charger or for communication with the wireless data link;

associate a profile with each portable electronic device; and

deliver content to an associated media device based on at least one profile.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the profile of each corresponding portable electronic device comprises at least one of a user identifier, user preferences, user settings, or user favorites.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor:

retrieves updated profile information from each corresponding portable electronic device; and

updates the profile of the corresponding portable electronic device using the corresponding updated profile information.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein when the processor fails to retrieve an existing profile for any recognized portable electronic device, when associating the profile with the corresponding portable electronic device, the processor is configured to associate a default profile with the corresponding portable electronic device.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor:

queries the portable electronic devices for one or more media files stored in non-transitory memory of the portable electronic devices; and

stores the one or more media files of the portable electronic devices in other non-transitory memory unassociated with the portable electronic devices.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor queries an external networked storage device for a media purchase history associated with an owner of at least one portable electronic device.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to deliver the content to the associated media device based on weighted parameters of the profiles of the recognized portable electronic devices.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the weighted parameters comprise at least one of an age, a movie genre, a music genre, favorite songs, favorite images, or favorite videos.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured deliver content to the associated media device based on at least one of a time of day, a media history associated with each portable electronic device, or a random selection of media associated with each portable electronic device.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to only recognize and communicate with the portable electronic devices, when the portable electronic devices are adjacent to or in contact with the housing.

11. A communication method comprising:

detecting, by data processing hardware, multiple portable electronic devices, at least one portable electronic device having a rechargeable battery;

wirelessly charging, by an induction charger in communication with the data processing hardware, the battery of the at least one portable electronic device;

establishing, by a wireless data link wireless in communication with the data processing hardware, data communications with the detected portable electronic devices;

associating, by the data processing hardware, a profile with each portable electronic device; and

delivering, by the data processing hardware, content to an associated media device based on the profile associated with one or more corresponding portable electronic devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the profile of each corresponding device comprises at least one of a user identifier, user preferences, user settings, or user favorites.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving updated profile information from each corresponding portable electronic device; and

updating the profile of the corresponding portable electronic device using the corresponding updated profile information.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when unable to retrieve an existing profile for any portable electronic device, associating, by the data processing hardware, a default profile with the corresponding portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

querying the portable electronic devices for one or more media files stored in non-transitory memory of the portable electronic devices; and

storing in other non-transitory memory unassociated with the portable electronic device the one or more media files of the portable electronic devices.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising querying, by the data processing hardware, an external networked storage device for a media purchase history associated with an owner of at least one portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when wirelessly charging or wirelessly communicating with multiple portable electronic devices, delivering content to the media device based on weighted parameters of the profiles of the portable electronic devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the weighted parameters comprise at least one of an age, a movie genre, a music genre, favorite songs, favorite images, or favorite videos.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising delivering content to the associated media device based on at least one of a time of day, a media history associated with each portable electronic device, or a random selection of media associated with each portable electronic device

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when wirelessly charging or wirelessly communicating with multiple portable electronic devices, sharing media files between the portable electronic devices.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising only detecting and communicating with any portable electronic device, when the portable electronic device is within a threshold distance.