Distributed sensing techniques for mobile devices

• US 7,636,794 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramos, Gonzalo A., Hinckley, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/263,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of the various embodiments allow the coordination of resources of devices to jointly execute tasks or perform actions on one of the devices. In the method, a first gesture input is received at a first mobile computing device. A second gesture input is received at a second mobile computing device. In response, a determination is made as to whether the second gesture is accepted at the initiating device. If it is determined that the second gesture inputs is accepted, then resources of the devices are combined to jointly execute a particular task associated with the shared resources.

Claims

1. A method of coordinating resources between at least two computing devices, the method comprising:

initiating a resource coordination connection between a first device and at least one other device by initiating a first stitching gesture at the first device, the first device and at least one other device comprising computing devices;

receiving the first stitching gesture at the at least one other device and accepting the connection at the at least one other device, wherein accepting the connection comprises performing a second stitching action on the at least one other device while the first gesture is active at the first device;

performing an authorization inquiry with respect to the at least one other device that has accepted the connection, wherein performing comprises performing an action on the first device to authorize the connection between the first device and the at least one other device that has accepted the connection to consummate the coordination of resources between the first device and the at least one other device, wherein the performing an action on the first device to authorize the connection comprises using a crossing gesture at the first device to select whether the at least one other device that has accepted the connection is validated for stitching; and

coordinating the resources based upon the performed action using a processor of at least one of the first device and the at least one other device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication at the first device of the second stitching gesture performed by the at least one other device that has accepted the connection.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising:

prior to coordinating resources, determining if resources are to be coordinated between the first device and the at least one other device that has accepted the connection.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining comprises:

allowing a resource to be coordinated between the first device and the at least one other device that has accepted the connection; and

disallowing a resource to be coordinated between the first device and the at least one other device that has accepted the connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first gesture is active for a period of time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the period of time is predetermined.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein initiating the first stitching gesture comprises:

performing an action on a display device of the first device; and

wherein the period of time corresponds to a period of time of the action.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein performing the action on the display device of the first device comprises:

using a pointing device on the display device to initiate the first gesture, wherein the period of time of the action on the display device comprises a period of time during which the pointing device is held over a predetermined area of the display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other device comprises a second device that has accepted the connection, and further comprising:

creating a resource coordination connection between the second device that has accepted the connection and a third device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein creating the resource coordination connection comprises:

initiating a third stitching gesture at the second device that has accepted the connection;

receiving the third gesture at the third device;

performing an action on the third device to consummate the coordination of resources between the second device and the third device, while the first gesture is active; and

coordinating resources based upon the performed actions.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

defining a level of coordination between each of the devices.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the level of coordination develops a worm hole link between the devices.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the level of coordination uses a buffer to manage resource coordination.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second device that has accepted the connection uses the buffer.

15. A computer readable storage medium containing

computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

initiating a connection between a first device and a second device;

accepting the connection at the second device;

performing an authorization inquiry with respect to the second device that has accepted the connection, wherein performing comprises performing an action on the first device to authorize the connection between the first device and the second device that has accepted the connection, wherein the performing an action on the first device to authorize the connection comprises using a crossing gesture at the first device to select whether the second device that has accepted the connection is validated for stitching;

initiating a first stitching gesture at the first device and transmitting the first stitching gesture from the first device to the second device while the first gesture remains active on the first device;

receiving an indication from the second device that has accepted the connection indicating that the first stitching gesture was accepted, wherein the indication from the second device indicates that the first stitching gesture was accepted by the second device while the first gesture is active; and

coordinating resources between the first device and the second device that has accepted the connection using a processor of at least one of the first device and the second device.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a number of accepted connections to coordinate resources.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein selecting comprises receiving a stylus input on a display of the first device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

holding the first gesture open for a period of time.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the first gesture is transmitted while a stylus is held down on a portion of a display device on the first machine.