Controlling a target device using short-range communication

• US 8,515,413 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Schilit, William Noah, Want, Roy, Li, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US13/612,169
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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

Abstract

In general, techniques and systems for retrieving supplemental information associated with visual media are described. In one example, a method includes obtaining, by a computing device, position information from a position device using near-field communication (NFC), wherein the position information identifies a position of the position device in relation to a portion of visual media associated with the position device. The method may also include receiving, by the computing device, supplemental information that is provided by a networked device based at least in part on the position information, wherein the supplemental information comprises additional information related to the portion of the visual media. In some examples, the position device is included within an array of position devices mounted behind the visual media.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device, information from a position device using near-field communication, wherein the information identifies a position of the position device within an array of position devices associated with a visual representation of a control parameter that at least partially defines operation of a target device, wherein the visual representation of the control parameter is attached to at least one of one or more of the position devices of the array or a mounting surface comprising the array of position devices, and wherein the position of each of the position devices of the array with respect to the visual representation is representative of one of a value of or an adjustment to the control parameter; and

transmitting the information from the computing device to a networked device configured to adjust the control parameter based at least in part on the information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is first information and the position device is a first position device, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the computing device, second information from a second position device of the plurality of position devices, wherein the second information identifies a position of the second position device in relation to the visual representation of the control parameter; and

transmitting the second information to the networked device configured to update the adjustment of the control parameter based at least in part on the second information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device is moved with respect to the first position device, the second position device, and the visual representation of the control parameter to obtain the second information from the second position device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the information from the position device comprises obtaining, by a near-field communication module of the computing device, the information from the position device, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by a sensor of the computing device, movement of the computing device with respect to the position device, wherein the sensor is different than the near-field communication module; and

transmitting information associated with the detected movement to the networked device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting movement of the computing device comprises measuring one or more accelerations of the computing device after obtaining the position information;

and

calculating a distance and a direction the computing device was moved with respect to the position device based on the measured accelerations.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting movement of the computing device further comprises:

capturing a plurality of images with a sensor of the computing device; and

calculating a distance and a direction the computing device was moved with respect to the position device based on a distance and a direction that visual content of the visual representation moved between the captured plurality of images.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the position information comprises positions obtained from a first position device and a second position device of the plurality of devices, the method further comprising:

correcting the detected movement to a distance between the positions of the first position device and second position device identified by the position information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of each of the plurality of position devices with respect to the visual representation is representative of a magnitude of the control parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control parameter is one of a volume control, a channel control, and a light intensity control.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the position information comprises coordinates that identify the position of each of the plurality of position devices within the mounting surface that is associated with the visual representation of the control parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the position information is obtained when the computing device is placed proximate to both the position device and a portion of the visual representation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the position device comprises one or more position devices that are a subset of the array of position devices associated with visual media that includes the visual representation of the control parameter.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the position device is configured for passive near-field communication.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the position information comprises a uniform resource locator configured to direct a browser of the computing device to web-based service associated with the networked device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the uniform resource locator comprises the position of the at least one of the plurality of position devices and a code that identifies the control parameter and the target device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, an adjusted value of the control parameter based on the position information.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the computing device, the adjusted value of the control parameter.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the information from the computing device to a networked device comprises transmitting the information in response to receiving a transmit input that commands the computing device to transmit the information, wherein the transmit input is received from one of a user or the position device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

20. A computer-readable storage device encoded with instructions that cause one or more processors of a computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining information from a position device using near-field communication, wherein the information identifies a position of the position device within an array of position devices associated with a visual representation of a control parameter that at least partially defines operation of a target device, wherein the visual representation of the control parameter is attached to at least one of one or more of the position devices of the array or a mounting surface comprising the array of position devices, and wherein the position of each of the position devices of the array with respect to the visual representation is representative of one of a value of or an adjustment to the control parameter; and

transmitting the information from the computing device to a networked device configured to adjust the control parameter based at least in part on the information.

21. A computing device comprising:

a near-field communication module configured to obtain information from a position device using near-field communication, wherein the information identifies a position of the position device within an array of position devices associated with a visual representation of a control parameter that at least partially defines operation of a target device, wherein the visual representation of the control parameter is attached to at least one of one or more of the position devices of the array or a mounting surface comprising the array of position devices, and wherein the position of each of the position devices of the array with respect to the visual representation is representative of one of a value of or an adjustment to the control parameter; and

at least one processor configured to transmit the information from the computing device to a networked device configured to adjust the control parameter based at least in part on the information.