IP Library Granted Patent US 10,588,000
Granted Patent B2
US 10,588,000 · App. 14/745,077 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Determination of device at which to present audio of telephonic communication

Inventors: Nathan J. Peterson (Durham, NC); Russell Speight VanBlon (Raleigh, NC); John Carl Mese (Cary, NC); Arnold S. Weksler (Raleigh, NC); Rod D. Waltermann (Rougemont, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
H04W4/80G06F3/165H04M1/7253H04M1/6066H04M1/72569
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,588,000
App. No.
14/745,077
Granted
Mar 10, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a first device includes a processor, a Bluetooth transceiver accessible to the processor, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to, based on at least one signal received at the Bluetooth transceiver, determine a distance from the first device to a second device different from the first device. The instructions are also executable to, based on the distance, execute at least one function at the first device associated with a telephonic communication.

Claims (49)

1. A first device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a Bluetooth transceiver accessible to the at least one processor; and

storage accessible to the at least one processor and bearing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:

based on at least one signal received at the Bluetooth transceiver, determine a distance from the first device to a second device different from the first device,

based on at least one signals received by the first device, identify a device type of the second device; and

execute at the first device at least one function associated with a telephonic communication, wherein the determination of distance is undertaken at least in part by:

comparing the distance to a first distance threshold responsive to identifying that the second device is a device of a first device type;

comparing the distance to a second distance threshold different from the first distance threshold responsive to identifying that the second device is a device of a second device type, the first device type being different from the second device type.

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second distance thresholds are established by a user based at least in part on input received via a graphical user interface (GUI) presented on a display.

3. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:

regardless of the distance and in response to actuation of an element on the second device, present at least audio associated with the telephonic communication at the second device.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a wireless telephony transceiver, and wherein the function is associated with facilitation of the telephonic communication at least in part using the wireless telephony transceiver.

5. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the telephonic communication is an incoming telephonic communication, and wherein the instructions are executable to:

based at least in part on the determination of the distance and in response to manipulation of the first device to answer the incoming telephonic communication, execute the at least one function.

6. The first device of claim 1 , wherein first device type is headset, and wherein the second device type is a speaker.

7. The first device of claim 1 , wherein first device type is a headset, and wherein the second device type is a television.

8. The first device of claim 1 , wherein first device type is a wearable device, and wherein the second device type is a non-wearable device.

9. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first distance threshold is different from the second distance threshold.

10. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the function comprises transmitting audio of the telephonic communication to the second device based on the distance being less than one or more of the first distance threshold and the second distance threshold, and wherein the function comprises presenting audio of the telephonic communication at the first device based on the distance being more than one or more of the first distance threshold and the second distance threshold.

11. A method, comprising:

determining a distance at least between a first device and a second device; and

based at least in part on the determining of the distance, determining at which of the first device and the second device to present at least audio;

wherein the determining is performed at least in part by:

identifying the second device:

comparing the distance to a first distance threshold based on identifying the second device as being a wearable device;

comparing the distance to a second distance threshold different from the first distance threshold based on identifying the second device as being something other than a wearable device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the distance at least between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on data from a Bluetooth communication element on the first device.

13. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

in response to determining to present the at least audio at the first device, presenting the at least audio at the first device; and

in response to determining to present the at least audio at the second device, presenting the at least audio at the second device.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first distance threshold is used for the comparison based on the second device being a headset.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second distance threshold is used for the comparison based on the second device being a Bluetooth speaker.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second distance threshold is used for the comparison based on the second device being a television.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first distance threshold is different from the second distance threshold.

18. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

receiving user input to a graphical user interface (GUI) to establish the first and second distance thresholds, the GUI presented on a display.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a first processor;

a network adapter; and

storage bearing instructions executable by a second processor for:

determining a distance between a first device and a second device; and

based at least in part on the determining of the distance, determining at which of the first device and the second device to present at least audio;

wherein the determining is performed at least in part by:

identifying the second device,

comparing the distance to a first distance threshold based on identifying the second device as being a wearable device;

comparing the distance to a second distance threshold different from the first distance threshold based on identifying the second device as being something other than a wearable device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are executable for:

receiving user input to a graphical user interface (GUI) to establish the first and second distance thresholds, the GUI presented on a display.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LTD
Reel/Frame 055939/0434 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2015
From: PETERSON, NATHAN J.; VANBLON, RUSSELL SPEIGHT; MESE, JOHN CARL; WEKSLER, ARNOLD S.; WALTERMANN, ROD D.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 035870/0925 →