Target identification for sending content from a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9378639-B2
Application number	US-201414546460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A method for target identification for a connectable device is carried out at a mobile device. A sensor on a mobile device receives one or more infrared emissions from one or more infrared light sources, each light source being provided by a connectable device in an area. One or more processors in the mobile device analyze the one or more infrared emissions to determine a target connectable device at a target position in the area. The mobile device receives a blink pattern of infrared emissions from the target connectable device. One or more processors in the mobile device decode the blink pattern to determine a reference for the target connectable device to enable wireless connection by the mobile device to the target connectable device for data transfer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for target identification for a connectable device, wherein the method is carried out at a mobile device and the method comprises:
receiving, via a sensor on a mobile device, a sampling of multiple frames of an image of an area, the sampling comprising infrared emissions from multiple infrared light sources, each infrared light source being provided by a connectable device in the area of multiple connectable devices in the area;
analyzing, by one or more processors in the mobile device, the multiple frames to select infrared emissions of a target connectable device at a target position in the area from the multiple connectable devices in the area, the selecting comprising:
ascertaining the target connectable device as the connectable device in the area producing infrared emissions closest to a center of the image over the multiple frames, wherein a same infrared light source is identified by infrared emissions occurring in more than one frame of the multiple frames within a correlation circle of increasing radius with successive frames of the multiple frames from an infrared emission closest to the center of the image;

based on the selecting, receiving, by the mobile device, a blink pattern of infrared emissions from the target connectable device; and
decoding, by one or more processors in the mobile device, the blink pattern to determine a reference for the target connectable device to enable wireless connection by the mobile device to the target connectable device for data transfer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more infrared emissions comprises filtering the image to filter received infrared emissions in the image.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
activating, by the mobile device, a connection process with the target connectable device; and
prompting, by the mobile device, a user to point the mobile device at the target connectable device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein receiving the infrared emissions of the sampling via the sensor on the mobile device comprises:
receiving the image via a camera of the mobile device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the
sampling of multiple frames of the image comprises frames at regular intervals.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the mobile device, the blink pattern at a frequency less than or equal to a sampling rate of the sensor on the mobile device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the blink pattern includes buffer bits that identify a start of the blink pattern.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the blink pattern is an encoding of an identifier of the target connectable device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the blink pattern is an encoding of a pattern referenced to the target connectable device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the multiple connectable devices in the area have unique blink patterns.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the receiving, based on the selecting, comprises:
receiving, by the mobile device, a broadcast protocol for the target connectable device, wherein the broadcast protocol comprises the blink pattern.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the sampling of multiple frames, instructing, by the mobile device, a connectable device of the multiple connectable devices in the area to change its blink pattern.

13. A system for target identification for a connectable device, wherein the system is provided at a mobile device, the system comprising:
a sensor for receiving a sampling of multiple frames of an image of an area, the sampling comprising infrared emissions from multiple infrared light sources, each infrared light source being provided by a connectable device in the area of multiple connectable devices in the area;
a light analyzer for analyzing the multiple frames to select infrared emissions of a target connectable device at a target position in the area from the multiple connectable devices in the area, the selecting comprising:
ascertaining the target connectable device as the connectable device in the area producing infrared emissions closest to a center of the image over the multiple frames, wherein a same infrared light source is identified by infrared emissions occurring in more than one frame of the multiple frames within a correlation circle of increasing radius with successive frames of the multiple frames from an infrared emission closest to the center of the image;

a sensor data receiver for receiving, based on the selecting, a blink pattern of infrared emissions from the target connectable device; and
a pattern decoder for decoding the blink pattern to determine a reference for the target connectable device to enable wireless connection by the mobile device to the target connectable device for data transfer.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the light analyzer for analyzing the one or more infrared emissions includes a filter for filtering the image comprising the received infrared emissions.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
a user interface for activating a connection process and prompting a user to point the mobile device at the target connectable device.

16. A computer program product for target identification for a connectable device on a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via a sensor on a mobile device, a sampling of multiple frames of an image of an area, the sampling comprising infrared emissions from multiple infrared light sources, each infrared light source being provided by a connectable device in the area of multiple connectable devices in the area;
analyzing, by one or more processors in the mobile device, the multiple frames to select infrared emissions of a target connectable device at a target position in the area from the multiple connectable devices in the area, the selecting comprising:
ascertaining the target connectable device as the connectable device in the area producing infrared emissions closest to a center of the image over the multiple frames, wherein a same infrared light source is identified by infrared emissions occurring in more than one frame of the multiple frames within a correlation circle of increasing radius with successive frames of the multiple frames from an infrared emission closest to the center of the image;

based on the selecting, receiving, by the mobile device, a blink pattern of infrared emissions from the target connectable device; and
decoding, by one or more processors in the mobile device, the blink pattern to determine a reference for the target connectable device to enable wireless connection by the mobile device to the target connectable device for data transfer.

Assignees

• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Brown Martin
• Lincoln Nicholas K
• Lundgren Jens D R
• Papageorgiou Anthony P

Classifications

• G08C19/28

  using pulse code · CPC title

• G08C23/04 Primary

  using light waves, e.g. infrared · CPC title