Cross device information exchange using gestures and locations
A method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) are presented for exchanging information between two or more devices when they are in a close proximity using gestures and web technologies. According to an embodiment, the identification of one or more devices using gestures is asynchronous, so that the two or more devices do not have to be shaken together at the same time synchronously, which is one advantage over conventional approaches. Another advantage is that various embodiments described herein do not require a user to download any special software (application), and it can work on all platforms, for example, with HTML5-compliant browsers.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a server from a first device, a request for a gesture token, the request comprising a location of the first device;
in response to the receiving of the request, determining, by the server, a first gesture token for the first device;
storing, by the server, a first device entry comprising the location of the first device and the first gesture token in a data storage;
in response to the receiving of the request for the gesture token, sending, by the server, a signal comprising the first gesture token to the first device, so that a predefined mobile device movement is provided to a mobile device in response to information displayed on the first device, the displayed information comprising instructions about the predefined mobile device movement and a link to an application or web page;
receiving, by the server from the mobile device, a captured signal comprising a confirmation of detecting, by the mobile device, the predefined mobile device movement, the captured signal further comprising a location of the mobile device;
matching, by the server, the received captured signal to stored entries comprising the first device entry; and
when a match is uniquely found between the location of the first device and the location of the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement,
causing, by the server, the mobile device to download the application or display the web page.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data storage is located at the server.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an accelerometer sensor in the mobile device is used for detecting said predefined mobile device movement.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a stationary television set.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed information comprises a displayed phone number and an encouragement to send a text to the displayed phone number.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a smart phone, a tablet, a portable computer or a wireless device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises an advertisement and instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for getting a coupon related to the advertisement, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing the coupon to the mobile device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein content of the coupon is dependent on a personal information of the user of the mobile device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for establishing a chatting session, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing a chat box to the first device and to the mobile device for chatting with other mobile devices.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for getting a special event displayed, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing the special event displayed on the mobile device.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from a first device, a request for a gesture token, the request comprising a location of the first device;
determining logic executed by the processor for, in response to the receiving of the request, determining a first gesture token for the first device;
storing logic executed by the processor for storing a first device entry comprising the location of the first device and the first gesture token in a data storage;
sending logic executed by the processor for, in response to the receiving of the request for the gesture token, sending, by the server, a signal comprising the first gesture token to the first device, so that a predefined mobile device movement is provided to the mobile device in response to information displayed on the first device, the displayed information comprising instructions about the predefined mobile device movement and a link to an application or web page;
second receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from a mobile device, a captured signal comprising a confirmation of detecting, by the mobile device, the predefined mobile device movement, the captured signal further comprising a location of the mobile device;
matching logic executed by the processor for determining when there is a match between the location of the first device and the location of the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement; and
downloading logic executed by the processor for causing, by the server, the mobile device to download the application or display the web page.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein an accelerometer sensor in the mobile device is used for detecting said predefined mobile device movement.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first device is a stationary television set.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the displayed information comprises a displayed phone number and an encouragement to send a text to the displayed phone number.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mobile device is a smart phone, a tablet, a portable computer or a wireless device.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises an advertisement and instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for getting a coupon related to the advertisement, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing the coupon to the mobile device.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein content of the coupon is dependent on a personal information of the user of the mobile device.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for establishing a chatting session, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing a chat box to the first device and to the mobile device for chatting with other mobile devices.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein information displayed on the first device comprises instructions including the predefined mobile device movement for getting a special event displayed, and when the match is found between the locations of the first device and the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement confirmed in the captured signal, providing the special event displayed on the mobile device.
20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor, the computer program instructions defining code for:
receiving, by a server from a first device, a request for a gesture token, the request comprising a location of the first device;
in response to the receiving of the request, determining, by the server, a first gesture token for the first device;
storing, by the server, a first device entry comprising the location of the first device and the first gesture token in a data storage;
in response to the receiving of the request, sending, by the server, a signal comprising the first gesture token to the first device, so that a predefined mobile device movement is provided to the mobile device in response to information displayed on the first device, the displayed information comprising instructions about the predefined mobile device movement and a link to an application or web page;
receiving, by the server from a mobile device, a captured signal comprising a confirmation of detecting, by the mobile device, the predefined mobile device movement, the captured signal further comprising a location of the mobile device; and
when a match is uniquely found between the location of the first device and the location of the mobile device and between the first gesture token and the predefined mobile device movement,
causing, by the server, the mobile device to download the application or display the web page.