User interface for smart wireless transfer

• US 7,239,845 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobs, Andrew W., Ollis, Joseph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan; Yuwen
• Application Number:
  US11/464,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556, 455/557, 455/559, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.06, 455/13.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.4
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A source wireless device is capable of transmitting items over a wireless network using a number of different wireless transfer mechanism such as, for example, Infra-Red (IR) or Bluetooth. Several potential destination wireless devices may be capable of receiving the item using at least one of the different wireless transfer mechanisms. The user selects one or more destination wireless devices to send items to using a unified user interface that lists the various potential destination wireless devices. After a user selects items to transfer as well as the destination wireless device(s), the wireless transfer mechanism appropriate for transfer to each device is then automatically identified without requiring user selection of the particular wireless transfer mechanism.

Claims

1. A user interface for facilitating user selection of one or more destination wireless devices to send items to without requiring that the user of the source wireless device identify a wireless transfer technology to use in transferring the items, the user interface comprising:

means for receiving a user selection of one or more items the source wireless device is to send;

means for identifying one or more destination wireless devices that are available to receive items from the source wireless device in response to receiving the user selection of the one or more items the source wireless device is to send;

means for identifying one or more different wireless technologies that each detected locally present destination device is capable of using, and wherein each different wireless technology corresponds to a distinct communication path from the source wireless device to the locally present destination wireless device and such that the one or more items can be transferred from the source wireless device to the locally present destination device in accordance with one or more different wireless transfer technologies over a corresponding one or more distinct communication paths respectively;

means for receiving a user selection of one or more of the identified destination wireless devices and requiring separate user selection of the specific wireless transfer technology for each of the one or more selected locally present destination wireless devices; and

means for automatically, and without user intervention, identifying a distinct communication path for each of the one or more selected locally present destination wireless devices in response to the received user selections, each identified distinct communication path corresponding to a wireless technology to use when transferring one or more items to a locally present destination wireless devices.

2. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes modules for detecting the local presence of a plurality of destination wireless devices that are available to receive items in response to receiving the user selection of the one or more items the source wireless device is to send.

3. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes a display of destination wireless devices that are available to receive items in response to receiving the user selection of the one or more items the source wireless device is to send.

4. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes displaying the destination wireless devices with color presentations that are dependant upon which of at least one of the plurality of wireless transfer technologies are available to each of the destination wireless devices.

5. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes displaying the destination wireless devices with font presentations that are dependant upon which of at least one of the plurality of wireless transfer technologies are available to each of the destination wireless devices.

6. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes displaying the destination wireless devices with size distinctions that are dependant upon which of at least one of the plurality of wireless transfer technologies are available to each of the destination wireless devices.

7. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes displaying the destination wireless devices with audible presentations that are dependant upon which of at least one of the plurality of wireless transfer technologies are available to each of the destination wireless devices.

8. A user interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes the use of a chirping sound when a displayed and selected destination wireless device uses IR.

9. A user interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for identifying the one or more destination wireless devices includes the use of a buzzing sound when a displayed and selected destination wireless device uses Bluetooth.

10. A user interface as recited in claim 1, further including means for identifying the one or more items to be sent based on the receipt of a user selection of the one or more items.

11. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless transfer technologies includes one or more infrared wireless transfer technologies.

12. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface obscures at least one of the plurality of wireless transfer technologies available for a detected destination wireless device from user view.

13. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for identifying the one or more different wireless technologies includes a use of visually distinguishable features for distinguishing different wireless transfer technologies.