System method for sending messages and commands to a device at a location distanced from the sending device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9465369-B2
Application number	US-201313755429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2013
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A consumer electronics (CE) device includes at least one processor and at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor. The medium is programmed with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute logic including detecting the position of the CE device and sending a command to at least one apparatus at a location distanced from the CE device to establish at least one configuration of the apparatus. The command is sent responsive to a determination that the CE device is passing a predefined distance from a location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. At least one computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor to:
responsive to a determination that a device is passing an outer distance from a home location going toward the home location, send a first message to a recipient apparatus at the home location which indicates human-perceptibly that a user of the device is approaching the home location; and
responsive to a determination that the device is passing an inner distance from the home location going toward the home location, send a second message different from the first message to a recipient apparatus at the home location which indicates that a user of the device is approaching the home location, the inner distance being less than the outer distance.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to, responsive to a determination that the device is passing the outer distance from the home location going away from the home location, send a message to a recipient apparatus at the home location which indicates that a user of the device is moving away from the home location.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to, responsive to a determination that the device is passing the outer distance from the home location going away from the home location, send a command to at least one appliance at the home location to establish at least one configuration of the appliance.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , instructions are executable by the at least one processor to, responsive to a determination that the device is passing the inner distance from the home location going away from the home location, send a message to a recipient apparatus at the home location which indicates that a user of the device is moving away from the home location.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , instructions are executable by the at least one processor to, responsive to a determination that the device is passing the inner distance from the home location going away from the home location, send a command to at least one appliance at the home location to establish at least one configuration of the appliance.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the configuration established responsive to the determination that the device is passing the inner distance from the home location going away from the home location is to power down the appliance and/or enter a low power state.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
responsive to a determination that the device is passing the outer distance from the home location going toward the home location, send a command to at least one appliance at the home location to establish at least one configuration of the at least one appliance, the command being a brightness level for output from a display device.

8. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
responsive to the determination that the device is passing the outer distance from the home location going toward the home location, send a first message which indicates that the user of the device is approaching the home location; and
responsive to the determination that the device is passing the inner distance from the home location going toward the home location, send a second message different from the first message which indicates at least one of: that the user of the device continues to approach the home location, that the user of the device is within the inner distance.

9. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein at least one message that is sent to the recipient apparatus comprises information received from the user of the device once the device passes at least one of the outer distance from the home location going toward the home location and the inner distance from the home location going toward the home location.

10. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises the at least one computer readable storage medium.

11. A method, comprising:
detecting the position of a consumer electronics (CE) device; and
responsive to a determination that the CE device is passing a predefined distance from a home location, presenting on a display remote from the CE device a user interface (UI), the UI presenting:
plural times of receipt for respective messages;
the respective messages juxtaposed with the respective times of receipt;
at least a first message being presented in a first presentation mode and at least a second message being presented in a second presentation mode different from the first presentation mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, responsive to a determination that the CE device is passing the predefined distance from the home location going toward the home location, sending a message to at least recipient device at the home location that indicates a user of the CE device is approaching the home location.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is a television and the command sent thereto is a command to power on the television and to cause the television to present content from a channel; and
wherein prior to sending the command, the method includes prompting a user of the CE device to input selection of a channel to the CE device, receiving the selection at the CE device, and including the channel selection in the command that is sent.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
responsive to a determination that the CE device is passing the predefined distance from the home location, audibly presenting at least some information associated with at least one of the respective messages.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and comprising instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to execute logic comprising:
receiving at least one command to establish at least one configuration of a first device, the at least one command being received from a second device distanced from the first device responsive to a determination that the second device is passing a predefined distance from the location of the first device; and
configuring the first device at least in part based on the at least one command;
wherein the at least one command comprises at least one of: a command to establish a volume level for audio output from the first device, a command to initiate a download of audio video (AV) data to the first device from an AV content provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is the first device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one command comprises a command to establish a volume level for audio output from the first device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one command comprises a command to initiate a download of audio video (AV) data to the first device from an AV content provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one command comprises a command to present a welcome message on a display of the first device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one command comprises a command to present weather information on a display of the first device.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Saha Dipendu
• Venkatesan Prem
• Friedlander Steven
• Fujiwara Nobuyuki
• Heavener Jr Paul Douglas

Classifications

• H04L12/2818 Primary

  from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007) · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• G05B1/01 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title