Motion-correlation control system to control communication of a wearable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017010674-A1
Application number	US-201514796184-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method for communicating between a first device and second device, where each device includes a motion sensor. Communication functions are triggered by comparing motion data derived from each device. For example, when the first device is worn on a user's wrist (e.g., a smartwatch) and the second device (e.g., a smartphone) is held in the user's hand corresponding to the user's wrist, then moving the hand and devices results in correlated motion data between the devices. This correlated motion indicates the devices correspond to the same user. Further, human-body communication between the devices provides additional indicia that the devices correspond to the same user. Thus, based on the above-identified correlated motion and human-body communication the same user can be inferred and predefined communication task between the devices can be performed, such as unlocking the devices, exchanging identification codes, or exchanging other information.

First claim

1 . A first device configured to communicate with a second device, the first device comprising:
a communication processor configured to communicate with the second device; a motion sensor configured to detect a motion of the first device and to generate first motion data representing the motion of the first device; and circuitry configured to
determine whether the first motion data is substantially the same as second motion data received from the second device, and
issue a first instruction when the first motion data is determined to be substantially the same as the second motion data.

2 . The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication processor communicates with the second device using human-body communication, wherein the first device sends and receives electromagnetic signals using a human body of a user as a transmission line for the electromagnetic signals.

3 . The first device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first device is a wearable technology device that is configured to be worn on the body of a user, and the first instruction instructs the communication processor of the first device to communicate an unlock signal to the second device that signals to the second device to perform an unlock process unlocking the second device.

4 . The first device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display screen, wherein the first instruction instructs the communication processor of the first device to communicate a residual-battery-level request to the second device that requests information indicating a residual-battery charge of a battery of the second device, and the display screen is configured to display the residual-battery charge when the information indicating a residual-battery charge is received by the first device.

5 . The first device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a computer-readable memory configured to store an identification code, wherein the first instruction instructs the communication processor of the first device to communicate to the second device the identification code stored in the computer-readable memory.

6 . The first device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a computer-readable memory configured to store an identification code; and another communication processor configured to communicate with the second device, wherein the first instruction instructs the communication processor of the first device to communicate to the second device the identification code stored in the computer-readable memory, and the circuitry of the first device is further configured to
determine whether communication between the communication processor and the second device is terminated, and
issue a second instruction instructing the another communication processor to signal the second device to erase the identification code from a memory of the second device when communication between the communication processor and the second device is determined to be terminated.

7 . The first device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a computer-readable memory configured to store an identification code, wherein the first instruction instructs the communication processor of the first device to communicate to the second device the identification code stored in the computer-readable memory, and the circuitry of the first device is further configured to
determine whether the user is in a sleep state, and
issue a second instruction instructing the communication processor to signal the second device to erase the identification code from a memory of the second device when the user is determined to be in a sleep state.

8 . The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry determines that the first motion data is substantially the same as the second motion data when a value of a correlation function between the first motion data and the second motion data exceeds a predefined threshold.

9 . The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry determines that the first motion data is substantially the same as the second motion data when a an acceleration indicated by the first motion data is synchronized to an acceleration indicated by the second motion data for more than a predefined percentage of the first motion data and the second motion data.

10 . A second device configured to communicate with a first device, the second device comprising:
a communication processor configured to communicate with the first device; a motion sensor configured to detect a motion and to generate motion data representing the motion, wherein the motion is one of a motion of the second device and a motion of the first device; and circuitry configured to
process instructions received from the first device, and
issue instructions to be transmit to the first device.

11 . The second device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a camera configured to obtain a plurality of images, wherein the motion sensor processes the plurality of images to detect a motion of the first device, and the circuitry is further configured to
determine whether the motion of the first device detected from the plurality of images is substantially the same as motion data received from the first device, and
issue a first instruction when the motion of the first device detected from the plurality of images is substantially the same as the motion data received from the first device.

12 . The second device according to claim 10 , wherein
the motion data represents the motion of the second device, the processing circuitry is further configured to instruct the communication processor to transmit the motion data to the first device.

13 . The second device according to claim 12 , wherein
the communication processor communicates with the first device using a human-body communication method, wherein the second device sends and receives electromagnetic signals using a human body of a user as a transmission line for the electromagnetic signals.

14 . The second device according to claim 12 , wherein
the communication processor is configured to receive an unlock signal from the first device, and the circuitry is further configured to perform a process that unlocks the second device when the unlock signal is received from the first device.

15 . The second device according to claim 12 , wherein
the communication processor is configured to
receive a residual-battery-level request from the first device, and
transmit, to the first device, information indicating a residual-battery charge of a battery of the second device when the residual-battery-level request is received.

16 . The second device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a computer-readable memory, wherein the communication processor is configured to
receive, from the first device, an identification code, and
receive an instruction to erase the identification code, and the circuitry is further configured to
store the identification code in the computer-readable memory when the second device receives from the first device the identification code, and
erase the identification code from the computer-readable memory when the second device receives from first device the instruction to erase the identification code.

17 . A method of performing communication between a first device and a second device, wherein the first device and the second device each include a motion sensor, the method comprising:
determining, using a motion sensor of the first device, first motion data representing a motion of the first device; receiving, from

Assignees

• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• Ide Yuji

Classifications

• H04B13/005

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body · CPC title

• H04W4/80

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

• G08C2201/32

  Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title