Systems and methods for mobile device pairing
View Patent ↗Tools (systems, apparatuses, methodologies, computer program products, etc.) for pairing electronic devices including touchscreen-enabled electronic devices, and for facilitating communication between paired electronic devices.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a request from a user of a first device to activate a pairing mode of the first device;
identifying one or more additional devices located within a predetermined distance of the first device;
detecting, using one or more processors, user input of a single continuous gesture across a touchscreen of the first device and a touchscreen of a specific one of the additional devices;
accessing data indicating a first straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the first device, the first straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the first device;
accessing data indicating a second straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the specific additional device, the second straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the specific additional device;
verifying that the first straight-line distance corresponds to the second straight-line distance; and
automatically pairing the first device and the specific additional device to enable transfer of data between the first device and the specific additional device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the user input of the single continuous gesture comprises:
transmitting a request for touch input gesture information to each of the additional devices;
receiving touch input gesture information from the first device;
receiving touch input gesture information from one or more of the additional devices; and
comparing the touch input gesture information received from the first device with the touch input gesture information received from the one or more of the additional devices.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the touch input gesture information received from the first device is not compared with touch input gesture information generated by one or more other devices located at least the predetermined distance from the first device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after detecting the one or more additional devices, transmitting a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to display indicia indicating that the additional devices are ready for pairing.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after detecting the one or more additional devices, transmitting a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to exit a sleep mode and activate touchscreens of the additional devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the one or more additional devices comprises:
determining a current location of the first device;
accessing device location information listing current locations of each of the additional devices; and
determining that the current locations of each of the additional devices is within the predetermined distance of the current location of the first device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single continuous gesture is a single continuous line gesture.
8. A pairing server comprising:
a detection module implemented by one or more processors and operable to:
receive a request from a user of a first device to activate a pairing mode of the first device;
identify one or more additional devices located within a predetermined distance of the first device;
detect user input of a single continuous gesture across a touchscreen of the first device and a touchscreen of a specific one of the additional devices;
access data indicating a first straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the first device, the first straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the first device;
access data indicating a second straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the specific additional device, the second straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the specific additional device; and
verify that the first straight-line distance corresponds to the second straight-line distance; and
a pairing module operable to automatically pair the first device and the specific additional device to enable transfer of data between the first device and the specific additional device.
9. The pairing server of claim 8 , wherein the detection module is further configured to:
transmit a request for touch input gesture information to each of the additional devices;
receive touch input gesture information from the first device;
receive touch input gesture information from one or more of the additional devices; and
compare the touch input gesture information received from the first device with the touch input gesture information received from the one or more of the additional devices.
10. The pairing server of claim 9 , wherein the touch input gesture information received from the first device is not compared with touch input gesture information generated by one or more other devices located at least the predetermined distance from the first device.
11. The pairing server of claim 8 , wherein the detection module is further configured to transmit a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to display indicia indicating that the additional devices are ready for pairing.
12. The pairing server of claim 8 , wherein the detection module is further configured to transmit a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to exit a sleep mode and activate touchscreens of the additional devices.
13. The pairing server of claim 8 , wherein the detection module is further configured to:
determine a current location of the first device;
access device location information listing current locations of each of the additional devices; and
determine that the current locations of each of the additional devices is within the predetermined distance of the current location of the first device.
14. The pairing server of claim 8 , wherein the single continuous gesture is a single continuous line gesture.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by one or more machines to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request from a user of a first device to activate a pairing mode of the first device;
identifying one or more additional devices located within a predetermined distance of the first device,
detecting user input of a single continuous gesture across a touchscreen of the first device and a touchscreen of a specific one of the additional devices;
accessing data indicating a first straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the first device, the first straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the first device;
accessing data indicating a second straight-line distance between an entry point and an exit point of the gesture on the touchscreen of the specific additional device, the second straight-line distance being along an edge of the touchscreen of the specific additional device;
verifying that the first straight-line distance corresponds to the second straight-line distance; and
automatically pairing the first device and the specific additional device to enable transfer of data between the first device and the specific additional device.
16. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the detecting of the user input of the single continuous gesture comprises:
transmitting a request for touch input gesture information to each of the additional devices;
receiving touch input gesture information from the first device;
receiving touch input gesture information from one or more of the additional devices; and
comparing the touch input gesture information received from the first device with the touch input gesture information received from the one or more of the additional devices.
17. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the touch input gesture information received from the first device is not compared with touch input gesture information generated by one or more other devices located at least the predetermined distance from the first device.
18. The storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
after detecting the one or more additional devices, transmitting a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to display indicia indicating that the additional devices are ready tier pairing.
19. The storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
after detecting the one or more additional devices, transmitting a signal to each of the additional devices, the signals causing the additional devices to exit a sleep mode and activate touchscreens of the additional devices.
20. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the identifying of the one or more additional devices comprises:
determining a current location of the first device;
accessing device location information listing current locations of each of the additional devices; and
determining that the current locations of each of the additional devices is within the predetermined distance of the current location of the first device.