Technology enabling communication between electronic devices is evolving daily. Both wired and wireless protocols allow devices to exchange electronic data for a multitude of purposes. UWB (Ultrawideband), Bluetooth, 802.11 are examples of wireless radio communication protocols for establishing device “pairings.” A pairing, for example, can be between a mobile phone and a headset, a mouse and a personal computer, or a PDA (personal digital assistant) and a printer. Once paired, devices are able to interact as if they were physically connected. This assumes, of course, that the paired devices remain within communication range with one another.
In an environment containing multiple devices of similar and/or differing types, it can be difficult to identify a particular device with which a connection is desired. Imagine, for example, a user of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) who desires to send a document to a particular printer over a wireless connection. That environment may have any number of available printers located in a multitude of physical locations. The limited user interface capabilities of a PDA can make it cumbersome for the user to identify and connect with the desired printer.
INTRODUCTION: Many electronic devices are provided with a limited but useful user interface of one form or another. A typical PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), for example, allows a user to input information or commands through a touch screen while being capable of presenting visual content (text and still and motion video) using the screen and audible content through a speaker. Photo printers often include a display for previewing images and can be equipped with speakers for presenting audible content. Televisions, of course, include a display and speakers and can be remotely controlled through a menu driven interface.
With the advent or wireless communication protocols such as UWB, Bluetooth, and 802.11, a device like a PDA or cellular telephone can, for example, be enabled to exchange data with another computing device, send images to a photo printer, and to send audio and video content to a television. Before such exchanges can take place, the devices are “paired” or connected. However, the relatively limited user interface capabilities of such devices can make it cumbersome to identify a device with which a connection is desired.
To help a user more efficiently identify a particular device, embodiments of the present invention use multimedia identifiers that can be presented though relatively limited user interfaces. A multimedia device identifier is an electronic file containing content of differing media types such as audio content, textual content, and/or graphical content. The content of a multimedia identifier is capable of uniquely identifying a particular device and/or the user of the device. For example, a multimedia identifier for a PDA may include graphical content in the form of a photo image of the user or the device, audio content identifying the users name or describing the device, and textual content listing the users name or describing the device.
A set of devices available for connection broadcast their multimedia identifiers. A user's device receives and presents the multimedia identifiers. The device selectively presents the content of each identifier, according to the capabilities of its user interface. From the content presented, the user can more easily identify from the set of devices a particular device with which a connection is desired.
The description that follows is broken into sections. The first section, labeled “environments,” describes exemplary environments in which various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented. The second section, labeled “components,” describes exemplary logical and physical elements used to implement various embodiments of the present invention. The third section, labeled “operation,” describes exemplary steps taken to practice various embodiments of the present invention.
ENVIRONMENTS:
Requesting PDA 12 and available PDA 14 can communicate via link 16. Link 16 is shown as a wireless connection. However, link 16 represents generally any one or combination of cable, wireless, or remote connections via telecommunication links, infrared links, radio frequency links, or any other connectors or systems that provide electronic communication.
In manners described in more detail below, requesting PDA 12 and available PDA 14 can use multimedia identifiers to establish a connection with one another for purposes such as exchanging data. The user of requesting PDA 12, for example, may desire to connect with available PDA 14 and inputs commands indicating this desire. Requesting PDA 12 searches link 16 for available devices and receives a multimedia identifier from available PDA 14. Requesting PDA 12 then presents the multimedia identifier for available PDA 14 allowing the user to confirm that a connection is desired with that device. Once confirmed, requesting PDA 12 sends its own multimedia identifier and a connection request to available PDA 14. Available PDA 14 presents to its user the multimedia identifier for requesting PDA 12 along with an indication that a connection is being requested. The user of available PDA 14 can either accept or reject the connection request.
Moving on to
In manners described in more detail below, requesting PDA 20 can use multimedia identifiers provided by devices 22-26 to identify a particular device with which a connection is desired. The user of requesting PDA 20, for example, may desire to connect with available file server 26 to perform a back-up. The user inputs commands indicating this desire. Requesting PDA 20 searches link 28 for available devices and receives a multimedia identifiers from available devices 22-26. Requesting PDA 20 then presents the multimedia identifiers for available devices 22-26 allowing the user to identify and select available file server 26. Once selected requesting PDA 20 sends a connection request to available file server 26.
In manners described in more detail below, requesting camera 32 can use multimedia identifiers provided by available televisions 34-38 to identify a particular device with which a connection is desired. The user of requesting camera 32, for example, may desire to connect with available television 38 to display one or more images. Available television 38 may, for example be in the room with the user while available televisions 34 and 36 may be in other rooms or other buildings. The user enters commands indicating this desire. Requesting camera 32 searches link 40 for available devices and receives a multimedia identifiers from available televisions 34-38. Requesting camera 32 then presents the multimedia identifiers for available televisions 34-38 allowing the user to identify and select available television 38. The multimedia identifier for available television 38 may include visual content uniquely identifying available television 38 that can be shown on a display supplied by requesting camera 32. That multimedia identifier may also include audio content that can be presented on a speaker supplied by requesting camera 32. Once available television 38 is identified and selected, requesting camera 32 sends a connection request.
The three environments 10, 18, and 30 shown in
COMPONENTS:
Requesting device 42 includes functional components 48, logic 50, memory 52, and connection interface 54. Functional components 48 represent generally the physical components capable of performing the functions for which requesting device 40 is designed. Function components 48 include user interface elements as well as a microprocessor for executing logic 50. Logic 50 represents the programs capable of directing or being processed by functional components 48. Memory 52 represents generally any memory capable of being utilized by logic 50 to store multimedia identifiers. Connection interface 68 represents generally any hardware and program instructions enabling requesting device 42 to exchange data with available device 44.
Logic 50 includes control logic 56 and connection logic 58. Control logic 56 represents programs having instructions that when executed guide the operation of functional components 48. Connection logic 58, described in more detail with reference to
Available device 44 includes functional components 60, logic 62, memory 64, and connection interface 66. Functional components 60 represent generally the physical components capable of performing the functions for which available device 44 is designed. Functional components 60 include user interface elements as well as a microprocessor for executing logic 62. Logic 62 represents programs capable of directing or being processed by functional components 60. Memory 64 represents any memory capable of being utilized by logic 62 and functional components 60 to store multimedia identifiers. Connection interface 66 represents generally any hardware and program instructions enabling available device 44 to exchange data with requesting device 42 over link 46.
As shown, logic 62 includes control logic 68 and connection logic 70. Control logic 68 represents programs capable of directing functional components 60. For example, control logic 68 might include a word processor and an operating system. Control logic 68 could then direct a display to present a user interface for entering text. Connection logic 70, described in more detail with reference to
Authorization module 81 represents program instructions capable of providing connection module 78 with credentials required to access available device 44. Such credentials, for example, could include a username and/or a password.
Presentation module 88 represents program instructions capable of sending, receiving, and presenting multimedia identifiers. For example, presentation module 88 is configured to receive a multimedia identifier 84 into memory 64 from another device such as requesting device 42. Presentation module 88 is also configured to present multimedia identifier 84 based on the capabilities of user interface 82. Multimedia identifier 84 may include content that cannot be presented on available device 44. For example, multimedia identifier 84 may include graphical content and user interface 82 may not include an appropriate display. Presentation module 88, then, is responsible for examining the content in multimedia identifier 84 and presenting only that content supported by user interface 82.
Authorization module 90 represents program instructions capable of instructing connection module 86 to accept or reject a connection request, according to user input following the presentation of a multimedia identifier 84 for a device making the connection request. For example, a user of available device 44 may not want to allow a connection with requesting device 42. Upon presentation of multimedia identifier 84, the user of available device 44 can identify the source of the connection request and instruct that the request be rejected. Authorization module 90 may also be responsible for validating credentials received from requesting device 42.
OPERATION: The operation of embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
When presenting multimedia identifiers in step 96, it may be impracticable to present the identifiers simultaneously. This is especially true when presenting audio content or when the available user interface has limited or no display capabilities.
As noted above, a given multimedia identifier may include content that cannot be presented by a particular requesting device or by a particular available device. Additionally, a user of a particular device may prefer one type of content over another even though that device can present both types. For example, a device may be able to present both motion and still images and the user may prefer presenting motion video.
CONCLUSION: The schematic diagrams of
Also, the present invention can be embodied in any computer-readable media for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system such as a computer/processor based system or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other system that can fetch or obtain the logic from computer-readable media and execute the instructions contained therein. “Computer-readable media” can be any media that can contain, store, or maintain programs and data for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system. Computer readable media can comprise any one of many physical media such as, for example, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor media. More specific examples of suitable computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, a portable magnetic computer diskette such as floppy diskettes or hard drives, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory, or a portable compact disc.
Although the flow diagrams of
The present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention that is defined in the following claims.