IP Library Granted Patent US 11,343,864
Granted Patent B2
US 11,343,864 · App. 14/261,992 · Granted May 24, 2022

Device pairing

Inventors: Howard Locker (Cary, NC); Xin Feng (Morrisville, NC); Paul Hilburger (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
H04W76/14H04M1/72412H04W4/80H04W84/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,343,864
App. No.
14/261,992
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An embodiment provides a method, including: receiving data relating to a first command from a user; recognizing the data relating to the first command as being directed to a first user device; receiving data relating to a second command from a user; recognizing the data relating to the second command as being directed to a second user device; determining that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another based on the data relating to the first command and the data relating to the second command; and pairing the first device with the second device; wherein one or more of the data relating to the first command and the data relating to the second command comprises data related to a non-touch input modality. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims (33)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a network device comprising a cloud device, a first user input command recognized as being directed to a first user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the first user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the first user device, wherein the recognizing the first user input command comprises consulting a device table stored in the cloud device;

receiving, at the network device, a second user input command recognized as being directed to a second user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the second user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the second user device, wherein the second device is not in proximity to the first device, wherein the recognizing the second user input command comprises consulting the device table stored in the cloud device;

determining, at the network device, that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another by determining that the first user input command and the second user input command correspond to a pairing command, wherein the determining comprises identifying the first user device using the received device identifier for the first user device and marking the first user device within the network device as a device to be paired and identifying the second user device using the received device identifier for the second user device and marking the second user device within the network device as a device to be paired and determining that the marking of the second user device occurred within a predetermined time frame with respect to the marking of the first user device; and

pairing, at the network device, the first device with the second device, wherein the pairing comprises transmitting pairing information from the network device to both the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first user input command and the second user input command comprises a non-touch input command selected from the group consisting of camera based gesture and audio input.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another is based on the first user input command and the second user input command being received within a predetermined time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user input command comprises a repeat of the first command.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first user input command and second user input command comprises a physical gesture other than direct physical contact with an object.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the physical gesture is selected from the group consisting of: hand movement, hand clapping, eye orientation and eye movement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first user input command and second user input command comprises an auditory command including a spoken command.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pairing comprises:

measuring an elapsed time between said recognizing of the first user input command and said recognizing of the second user input command; and

pairing the first device and second device if the elapsed time does not exceed a predetermined time limit.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions executable by the processor to:

receive, at the apparatus comprising a network device comprising a cloud device, a first user input command recognized as being directed to a first user device, wherein to receive comprises receiving a device identifier for the first user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the first user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the first user device, wherein the recognizing the first user input command comprises consulting a device table stored in the cloud device;

receive, at the network device, a second user input command recognized as being directed to a second user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the second user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the second user device, wherein the second device is not in proximity to the first device, wherein the recognizing the second user input command comprises consulting the device table stored in the cloud device;

determine, at the network device, that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another by determining that the first user input command and the second user input command correspond to a pairing command, wherein the determining comprises identifying the first user device using the received device identifier for the first user device and marking the first user device within the network device as a device to be paired and identifying the second user device using the received device identifier for the second user device and marking the second user device within the network device as a device to be paired and determining that the marking of the second user device occurred within a predetermined time frame with respect to the marking of the first user device; and

pair, at the network device, the first device with the second device, wherein the pairing comprises transmitting pairing information from the network device to both the first device and the second device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first user input command and the second user input command comprises a non-touch input command selected from the group consisting of camera based gesture and audio input.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another is based on the first user input command and the second user input command being received within a predetermined time.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second user input command comprises a repeat of the first user input command.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the first user input command and second user input command comprises a physical gesture other than direct physical contact with an object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the physical gesture is selected from the group consisting of: hand movement, hand clapping, eye orientation and eye movement.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the first user input command and second user input command comprises an auditory command including a spoken command.

16. A product, comprising:

a non-signal storage device having code stored therewith, the code being executable by a processor of a network device comprising a cloud device and comprising:

code that receives, at the network device, a first user input command recognized as being directed to a first user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the first user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the first user device, wherein the recognizing the first user input command comprises consulting a device table stored in the cloud device;

code that receives, at the network device, a second user input command recognized as being directed to a second user device based upon determining a gaze of the user is directed at the second user device, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a device identifier for the second user device, wherein the second device is not in proximity to the first device, wherein the recognizing the second user input command comprises consulting the device table stored in the cloud device;

code that determines, at the network device, that the first user device and the second user device are to be paired with one another by determining that the first user input command and the second user input command correspond to a pairing command, wherein the determining comprises identifying the first user device using the received device identifier for the first user device and marking the first user device within the network device as a device to be paired and identifying the second user device using the received device identifier for the second user device and marking the second user device within the network device as a device to be paired and determining that the marking of the second user device occurred within a predetermined time frame with respect to the marking of the first user device; and

code that pairs, at the information handling device, the first device with the second device, wherein the pairing comprises transmitting pairing information from the network device to both the first device and the second device.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070266/0821 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2014
From: LOCKER, HOWARD; FENG, XIN; HILBURGER, PAUL
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 032759/0372 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150312951A1 · Oct 29, 2015