Touch and device orientation-based device pairing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135964-B2
Application number	US-201615243074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Aug 22, 2016
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for pairing a mobile device with a second device based on the mobile device being placed flat against a touch screen of the second device. The mobile device determines that is has been placed in a predetermined orientation that matches the orientation of the display of the second device. The second device detects the contact of the mobile device with its touch screen. Both devices send timestamps of their respective determinations to a server that compares the timestamps. If the timestamps match within a predetermined threshold, the server initiates pairing of the devices.

First claim

Having described the technology, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A method, performed by a mobile device, for pairing the mobile device with a second device based on detecting a user action orienting the mobile device in a particular orientation while the mobile device is touched against a touch screen of the second device, the method comprising:
monitoring an orientation of the mobile device;
detecting that the mobile device has been oriented in a predetermined orientation for a predetermined amount of time;
based on detecting that the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation for the predetermined amount of time, recording a first timestamp identifying when the mobile device was oriented in the predetermined orientation;
providing an indication on the mobile device that indicates the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation for the predetermined amount of time and that indicates a pairing process is being performed; and
pairing with the second device, wherein the pairing is based on determining a second timestamp identifying when the touch was detected by a touch screen of the second device and comparing the first timestamp identifying when the mobile device was oriented in the predetermined orientation with the second timestamp identifying when the touch was detected and determining that a first location of the mobile device while oriented in the predetermined orientation matches a second location of the second device when the touch was detected by the second device to determine that the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation coincided with the touch detected by the touch screen of the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the mobile device transmitting information about the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation to a server, wherein the server receives the information about the touch being detected by the touch screen of the second device and determines that the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation coincided with the touch detected on the touch screen of the second device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device receives information about the touch being detected by the touch screen of the second device and determines that the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation coincided with the touch detected on the touch screen of the second device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the mobile device has been oriented in said predetermined orientation comprises determining that the orientation of said mobile device matches the predetermined orientation within a predetermined margin of error.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined orientation is based on an orientation of the second device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the mobile device has been oriented in a predetermined orientation comprises detecting that the mobile device is vertical relative to horizon or ground.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined orientation matches an orientation of the second device, wherein the mobile device detects that the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation when the mobile device has been placed with a back of the mobile device flat against a surface of the touch screen of the second device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first device launching a software application (app), wherein said app:
interrogates detectors on the mobile device to monitor the orientation of the mobile device and detect that the mobile device has been oriented in a predetermined orientation;
sends a message for receipt by a server indicating that the mobile device is in the predetermined orientation; and
said app receiving a message from the server authorizing pairing of the mobile device with the second device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mobile device uses an accelerometer located within said mobile device to monitor the orientation of the mobile device and detect that the mobile device has been oriented in a predetermined orientation.

10. A method for pairing a mobile device with a second device based on detecting a user action orienting the mobile device in a particular orientation while the mobile device is touched against a touch screen of the second device, the method, performed by the second device, comprising:
monitoring the touch screen of the second device;
detecting a touch with the touch screen for a predetermined amount of time, the touch comprising a physical contact having a size and a shape on the touch screen;
determining the size and the shape of the physical contact of the touch on the touch screen and that the touch occurred for the predetermined amount of time;
providing an indication on the second device that indicates the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation for the predetermined amount of time and that indicates a pairing process is being performed;
determining a second timestamp identifying when the touch was detected; and
pairing with the mobile device, wherein the pairing is based on:
determining that the size and shape of the physical contact of the touch on the touch screen corresponds to the mobile device;
determining a first timestamp identifying when the mobile device was oriented in a predetermined orientation; and
comparing the first timestamp identifying when the mobile device was oriented in the predetermined orientation with the second timestamp identifying when the touch was detected and determining that a first location of the mobile device while oriented in the predetermined orientation matches a second location of the second device when the touch was detected by the second device to determine that the touch detected by the touch screen of the second device coincided with the mobile device detecting the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the second device transmitting information about the touch to a server, wherein the server receives the information about the touch and determines that the touch coincided with the mobile device detecting the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second device receives information about the mobile device detecting the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation and determines that the touch coincided with the mobile device detecting the mobile device being oriented in the predetermined orientation.

13. A system for pairing a mobile device with a second device, the system comprising:
a mobile device comprising a first non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for a software application (“app”), wherein when executed, the app monitors an orientation of the mobile device, detects that the mobile device has been oriented in a predetermined orientation for a predetermined amount of time, and responsive to detecting that the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation for the predetermined amount of time transmits a first message indicating that the mobile device is in the predetermined orientation and provides an indication on the mobile device that indicates the mobile device has been oriented in the predetermined orientation for the predetermined amount of time and that indicates a pairing process is being performed, wherein the first message includes a first timestamp identifying when the mobile device was oriented in the predetermined orientation and includes a first location identifyin

Assignees

• Adobe Systems Inc

Inventors

• Nuescheler David
• Bocanegra Tobias
• Capt Alexandre

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title