IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,745,162
Granted Patent B2
US 12,745,162 · App. 17/931,842 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Proximity estimation for universal control

Inventors: Benjamin A. Werner (San Jose, CA); Kevin J. Van Vechten (Montecito, CA); Robert W. Mayor (Half Moon Bay, CA); Brent M. Ledvina (San Francisco, CA); Brian G. Kilberg (Berkeley, CA); Subash Marri Sridhar (San Jose, CA); Alejandro A. Rodriguez (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W48/16H04W28/18H04W28/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,745,162
App. No.
17/931,842
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some aspects a first electronic device may detect a triggering condition for enabling control of a second electronic device. Upon detection of the triggering condition, the method can include determining an increased rate of transmission of advertising signals of a wireless protocol transmitted from a wireless transceiver of the first electronic device. The method can include transmitting a plurality of advertising wireless signals at the increased rate using the wireless protocol. The method can include receiving, from the second electronic device, one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals. The method can include determining a distance measurement based on the one or more responses. Responsive to the distance measurement being less than a threshold value, the method can include enabling control of one or more components of the first electronic device or the second electronic device by the other device. Numerous other aspects are described.

Claims (43)

1 . A method comprising performing at a first electronic device:

detecting a triggering condition for enabling control of a second electronic device;

upon detection of the triggering condition, determining an increased rate of transmission of advertising signals of a wireless protocol for transmitting from a wireless transceiver of the first electronic device;

transmitting, during an advertising window, a plurality of advertising wireless signals at the increased rate via the wireless protocol;

receiving, from the second electronic device, one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals that were transmitted at the increased rate using the wireless protocol;

determining a distance measurement between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals; and

responsive to the distance measurement, based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, being less than a threshold value, enabling the second electronic device to control one or more components of the first electronic device, or enabling the first electronic device to control one or more components of the second electronic device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of advertising wireless signals includes a message causing the second electronic device to increase a scanning rate for the wireless protocol.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising decreasing the rate of transmission of advertising wireless signals after a predetermined time period.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering condition comprises at least one of a cursor movement and powering on the first electronic device or the second electronic device within a time threshold.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control includes a one-to-one communications with the second electronic device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control includes one-to-many communications with a plurality of electronic devices.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising decreasing the rate of transmission of advertising wireless signals after determining the distance measurement within a defined probability.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, at an electronic device, that the control is selected on the first electronic device.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is a first mobile device, and wherein the second electronic device is a second mobile device.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining the distance measurement between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the one or more responses to the plurality of advertising wireless signals comprises:

determining a signal strength indicator from the responses to the plurality of advertising wireless signals; and

correlating the signal strength indicator from the responses to the distance measurement.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

detect a triggering condition for enabling control of a second electronic device;

upon detection of the triggering condition, determining an increased rate of transmission of advertising signals of a wireless protocol transmitting from a wireless transceiver of the first electronic device;

transmit, during an advertising window, a plurality of advertising wireless signals at the increased rate via the wireless protocol;

receive, from the second electronic device, one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals that were transmitted at the increased rate using the wireless protocol;

determine a distance measurement between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals; and

responsive to the distance measurement, based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, being less than a threshold value, enabling the second electronic device to control one or more components of the first electronic device or enabling the first electronic device to control one or more components of the second electronic device.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of advertising wireless signals includes a message causing the second electronic device to increase a scanning rate for the wireless protocol.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the first electronic device to decrease the rate of transmission of advertising wireless signals after a predetermined time period.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the triggering condition comprises at least one of a cursor movement, and powering on the second electronic device within a time threshold.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the control includes one-to-one communications with the second electronic device.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the control includes one-to-many communications with a plurality of electronic devices.

17 . A first electronic device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:

detect a triggering condition for enabling control of a second electronic device;

upon detection of the triggering condition, determining an increased rate of transmission of advertising signals of a wireless protocol transmitting from a wireless transceiver of the first electronic device;

transmit, during an advertising window, a plurality of advertising wireless signals at the increased rate via the wireless protocol;

receive, from the second electronic device, one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals that were transmitted at the increased rate using the wireless protocol;

determine a distance measurement between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals; and

responsive to the distance measurement, based on the one or more responses to the advertising wireless signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, being less than a threshold value, enabling the second electronic device to control one or more components of the first electronic device or enabling the first electronic device to control one or more components of the second electronic device.

18 . The first electronic device of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of advertising wireless signals includes a message causing the second electronic device to increase a scanning rate for the wireless protocol.

19 . The first electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to decrease the rate of transmission of advertising wireless signals after a predetermined time period.

20 . The first electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the triggering condition comprises at least one of a cursor movement, and powering on the second electronic device within a time threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: WERNER, BENJAMIN A.; VAN VECHTEN, KEVIN J.; MAYOR, ROBERT W.; LEDVINA, BRENT M.; KILBERG, BRIAN G.; MARRI SRIDHAR, SUBASH; RODRIGUEZ, ALEJANDRO A.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 061082/0240 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63269773 · Mar 22, 2022
Related Publication 20230308994A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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