Method and device for identifying devices which can be targeted for the purpose of establishing a communication session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9923974-B2
Application number	US-201213533292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2012
Priority date	Nov 15, 2008
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

Computer-based methods and devices for identifying devices and objects that can be targeted for the purpose of establishing a communication session are described. In an example embodiment, a mobile handset displays a visual indication of the location of devices in proximity relative to the location and orientation of the mobile handset. A mobile handset includes object recognition logic for determining when the mobile handset is targeting another device with which the mobile handset is authorized to communicate. In some cases, the targeted device may be a non-computing object serving as a proxy for another computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method for automatically determining a mobile computing device is targeting a target device in order to initiate a communication session at the target device, the method comprising:
based on a location of the mobile computing device, receiving an environment model comprising object recognition information for devices located in an environment associated with the location of the mobile computing device, the environment model including object recognition information for the target device;
receiving an image captured by an image sensor of the mobile computing device;
based on an analysis of the image and on the object recognition information for the target device, identifying the target device in the image, wherein the object recognition information for the target device enables the mobile computing device to identify the target device in the image;
based on identifying the target device in the image, automatically determining the mobile computing device is pointing in a direction of the target device in order to initiate the communication session at the target device; and
in response to determining the mobile computing device is pointing in the direction of the target device, presenting a target device indicator on a display of the mobile computing device, the target device indicator identifying the target device and indicating the mobile computing device is targeting the target device.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the communication session at the target device comprises initiating a transfer of electronically stored data residing on a server to the target device, wherein initiating the transfer comprises:
detecting a user input associated with the target device indicator, the user input indicating a command to transfer the electronically stored data to the target device; and
in response to the user input, communicating from the mobile computing device to the target device a reference to the electronically stored data residing on the server so as to enable the target device to communicate to the server a request for the electronically stored data.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the communication session at the target device comprises initiating a transfer of electronically stored data residing on a server to the target device, wherein initiating the transfer comprises:
communicating from the mobile computing device to the server a data transfer request directing the server to transfer the electronically stored data from the server to the target device.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the object recognition information for the target device is based on previously captured images of the target device.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the previously captured images of the target device are compared to the image captured by the image sensor of the mobile computing device in order to identify the target device in the image captured by the image sensor of the mobile computing device.

6. A processor-implemented method for automatically determining a mobile computing device is targeting a non-computing object that is a proxy for a remote computing device in order to establish a communication session at the remote computing device, the method comprising:
receiving an image captured by an image sensor of the mobile computing device;
based on an analysis of the image and on object recognition information for the non-computing object, identifying in the captured image the non-computing object that is the proxy for the remote computing device, wherein the object recognition information for the non-computing object enables the mobile computing device to identify the non-computing object in the captured image;
based on identifying in the captured image the non-computing object that is the proxy for the remote computing device, automatically determining the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object in order to establish the communication session at the remote computing device, wherein determining the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object in order to establish the communication session at the remote computing device comprises determining the mobile computing device is pointing in a direction of the non-computing object in order to establish the communication session at the remote computing device; and
presenting a user interface element on a display of the mobile computing device in response to determining that the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object that is the proxy for the remote computing device, the user interface element identifying the non-computing object.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the user interface element identifies the remote computing device for which the non-computing object is the proxy and indicates the mobile computing device is authorized to establish the communication session at the remote computing device.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
prior to determining that the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object, configuring the mobile computing device to recognize when it is targeting the non-computing object by providing the mobile computing device with location information for the non-computing object.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein configuring the mobile computing device to recognize when it is targeting the non-computing object comprises:
receiving a first location information and a first orientation information for a first location and a first orientation of the mobile computing device, wherein the first location information and the first orientation information are associated with the first location and the first orientation at which the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object;
receiving a second location information and a second orientation information for a second location and a second orientation of the mobile computing device, wherein the second location information and the second orientation information are associated with the second location and the second orientation at which the mobile computing device is targeting the non-computing object; and
using a triangulation algorithm to determine a location of the non-computing object.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the non-computing object comprises an inanimate object.

11. A mobile computing device comprising:
an image sensor to capture an image;
processor-implemented targeting logic to:
based on the image and on object recognition information for a target device, identify the target device in the image, wherein the object recognition information for the target device enables the mobile computing device to identify the target device in the image, and
based on identifying the target device in the image, determine the mobile computing device is targeting the target device in order to initiate a communication session at the target device; and

a wireless communication device to initiate the communication session at the target device.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to initiate a transfer of electronically stored data residing on a server to the target device by communicating to the target device a reference to the electronically stored data residing on the server so as to enable the target device to communicate to the server a request for the electronically stored data.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 11 ,

Assignees

• Weskamp Marcos
• Tulley Gever
• Adobe Systems Inc

Inventors

• Weskamp Marcos
• Tulley Gever

Classifications

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W4/026

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title

• H04L67/141 Primary

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04L67/18

  Electricity · mapped topic