Utilizing asymmetrical radiation pattern to determine relative orientation

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

establish a connection with a self-propelled device, the connections causing the self-propelled to provide an asymmetrical radiation pattern;

transmit a control command to cause the self-propelled device to initiate a spin;

while the self-propelled device is spinning, detect an initial set of pulses caused by the rotating asymmetrical radiation pattern;

based on the initial set of pulses, determine a direction towards the self-propelled device; and

based on the determined direction, transmit an orientation command to calibrate an orientation of the self-propelled device in relation to the mobile computing device.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the established connection comprises a Bluetooth low energy connection, and wherein the asymmetrical radiation pattern corresponds to a Bluetooth low energy radio transmission emitted from a Bluetooth low energy module of the self-propelled device.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:

generate and calibrate virtual controls on the touch-sensitive display based on the determined direction.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:

transmit a second control command to cause the self-propelled device to drive to a second location and perform a second spin;

while the self-propelled device is performing the second spin, detect a second set of pulses caused by the rotating asymmetrical radiation pattern; and

triangulate a positional relationship between the self-propelled device and the mobile computing device based on the initial set of pulses and the second set of pulses.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:

track the positional relationship between the mobile computing device and the self-propelled device;

during operation of the self-propelled device, detect divergence in the positional relationship between the mobile computing device and the self-propelled device; and

based on the divergence, transmit one or more adjustment commands to the self-propelled device to recalibrate the positional relationship.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:

receive user inputs on the calibrated virtual controls;

translate the user inputs into control commands to be implemented on an internal drive system of the self-propelled device; and

transmit the control commands to the self-propelled device for implementation.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the virtual controls comprise a virtual steering mechanism, and wherein calibrating the virtual controls based on the determined direction comprises orienting the virtual steering mechanism to indicate forward, backward, and rotational controls to enable a user of the mobile computing device to maneuver the self-propelled device.

8. A method of determining relative orientation between a self-propelled device and a mobile computing device, the method performed by one or more processors of the mobile computing device and comprising:

establishing a connection with a self-propelled device, the connections causing the self-propelled to provide an asymmetrical radiation pattern;

transmitting a control command to cause the self-propelled device to initiate a spin;

while the self-propelled device is spinning, detecting an initial set of pulses caused by the rotating asymmetrical radiation pattern;

based on the initial set of pulses, determining a direction towards the self-propelled device; and

based on the determined direction, transmitting an orientation command to calibrate an orientation of the self-propelled device in relation to the mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the established connection comprises a Bluetooth low energy connection, and wherein the asymmetrical radiation pattern corresponds to a Bluetooth low energy radio transmission emitted from a Bluetooth low energy module of the self-propelled device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating and calibrating virtual controls on a touch-sensitive display of the mobile computing device based on the determined direction.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting a second control command to cause the self-propelled device to drive to a second location and perform a second spin;

while the self-propelled device is performing the second spin, detecting a second set of pulses caused by the rotating asymmetrical radiation pattern; and

triangulate a positional relationship between the self-propelled device and the mobile computing device based on the initial set of pulses and the second set of pulses.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

tracking the positional relationship between the mobile computing device and the self-propelled device;

during operation of the self-propelled device, detecting divergence in the positional relationship between the mobile computing device and the self-propelled device; and

based on the divergence, transmitting one or more adjustment commands to the self-propelled device to recalibrate the positional relationship.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving user inputs on the calibrated virtual controls;

translating the user inputs into control commands to be implemented on an internal drive system of the self-propelled device; and

transmitting the control commands to the self-propelled device for implementation.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual controls comprise a virtual steering mechanism, and wherein calibrating the virtual controls based on the determined direction comprises orienting the virtual steering mechanism to indicate forward, backward, and rotational controls to enable a user of the mobile computing device to maneuver the self-propelled device.

15. A self-propelled device comprising:

an internal drive system to maneuver the self-propelled device;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the self-propelled device to:

establish a connection with a mobile computing device, the connection causing the self-propelled device to emit an asymmetrical radiation pattern;

engage the internal drive system of the self-propelled device to perform an initial spin;

detect an initial set of pulses corresponding to the asymmetrical radiation pattern intersecting with a radiated signal emitted by the mobile computing device based on the established connection;

determine a direction towards the mobile computing device based on the initial set of pulses; and

based on the determined direction, maneuver the self-propelled device to calibrate an orientation in relation to the mobile computing device.

16. The self-propelled device of claim 15 , further comprising:

a Bluetooth low energy module to emit a Bluetooth radio transmission comprising the asymmetrical radiation pattern upon establishing the connection;

wherein the established connection comprises a Bluetooth low energy connection.

17. The self-propelled device of claim 15 , wherein the executed instructions cause the self-propelled device to engage the internal drive system to perform the initial spin automatically upon establishing the connection.

18. The self-propelled device of claim 17 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the self-propelled device to:

after performing the initial spin, automatically drive to a second location and perform a second spin;

detect a second set of pulses corresponding to the asymmetrical radiation pattern intersecting with the radiated signal emitted by the mobile computing device; and

triangulate a positional relationship between the self-propelled device and the mobile computing device based on the initial set of pulses and the second set of pulses.

19. The self-propelled device of claim 18 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the self-propelled device to:

receive control commands from the mobile computing device, the control commands corresponding to user inputs on virtual controls rendered on a display of the mobile computing device; and

implement the control commands on the internal drive system to maneuver the self-propelled device based on the user inputs.

20. The self-propelled device of claim 19 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the self-propelled device to:

track the positional relationship between the self-propelled device and the mobile computing device;

identify a divergence in the positional relationship based on the implemented control commands; and

maneuver the self-propelled device to adjust the positional relationship and correct the divergence.