Systems and methods for coupling wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019306902-A1
Application number	US-201916445105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for coupling wireless devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a server, an image captured by a first electronic device; obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
at a server including one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors:
receiving an image captured by a first electronic device;
obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and
transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the connection information includes:
comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server; determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device; comparing the one or more received device identifiers to a device identifier of the second electronic device; and wherein obtaining the connection information is in accordance with a determination, based on the comparing, that one of the one or more received device identifiers matches the device identifier of the second electronic device.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device; receiving one or more signal strength values corresponding to the received one or more device identifiers, each signal strength value corresponding to a respective device identifier; selecting a device identifier of the received one or more device identifiers corresponding to the highest signal strength value of the received signal strength values; wherein obtaining the connection information includes obtaining connection information of an electronic device associated with the selected device identifier.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving, after facilitating the wireless connection, a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection; and increasing or decreasing a correlation score of the received image with respect to the selected device identifier in accordance with the notification.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after facilitating the wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, receiving a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection is implemented over a local area network, a personal access network, or a wide area network.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection comprises a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection.

9 . A server comprising one or more processors and memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
receiving an image captured by a first electronic device; obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

10 . The server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions for obtaining the connection information include instructions for:
comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server; determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

11 . The server of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device; receiving one or more signal strength values corresponding to the received one or more device identifiers, each signal strength value corresponding to a respective device identifier; selecting a device identifier of the received one or more device identifiers corresponding to the highest signal strength value of the received signal strength values; wherein obtaining the connection information includes obtaining connection information of an electronic device associated with the selected device identifier.

12 . The server of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving, after facilitating the wireless connection, a notification from the first electronic device indicating successful or unsuccessful connection; and increasing or decreasing a correlation score of the received image with respect to the selected device identifier in accordance with the notification.

13 . The server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for face-lifting a connection implemented over a local area network, a personal access network, or a wide area network.

14 . The server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions for facilitating the wireless connection include instructions for facilitating a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a server, the one or more programs including instructions for:
receiving an image captured by a first electronic device; obtaining, based at least in part on the received image, connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and transmitting to the first electronic device the obtained connection information for facilitating a wireless connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for obtaining the connection information include instructions for:
comparing the received image to one or more images stored in the memory of the server; determining, based on the comparing, that the received image matches a particular stored image; and selecting, as the connection information, device connection instructions associated with the particular stored image.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving from the first electronic device one or more device identifiers corresponding to one or more respective electronic devices in a vicinity of the first electronic device; comparing the one or more received device identifiers to a device identifier of the second electronic device; and wherein obtaining the connection information is in accordance with a determination, based on the comparing, that one of the one or more received device identifiers matches the device identifier of the second electronic device.

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Debates Scott P
• Forest Francis W

Classifications

• H04W76/10 Primary

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

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

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06V10/50

  by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis · CPC title

• G06V10/75

  Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries · CPC title