Disambiguation of target devices using ambient signal data
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsMikhail Skobov, Christopher M. Barth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are described for automatically determining which of a plurality of target devices should be connected with a source device using data regarding ambient signals about the source device. For example, a request is received for an identifier to which a source device is to connect. Data is received describing at least one ambient signal detected by the source device. The data is compared with a plurality of target device profiles. It is determined that the data matches a target device profile of the plurality of device profiles. An identifier associated with the determined target device profile is returned.
Claims20
A method, implemented by a computing device, for obtaining a target device identifier, the target device identifier identifying a target device to be placed in communication with a source device, the method comprising:
- generating a request for a target device identifier;
- detecting at least one ambient signal, wherein the at least one ambient signal is not used to send data between the source device and the target device;
- sending the request and data describing the at least one ambient signal to a disambiguation component;
- and
- receiving the target device identifier from the disambiguation component.
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for execution on a computing device to perform operations for creating a target device profile for use in disambiguating a plurality of target devices, the operations comprising:
- receiving from a source device a request to register a target device;
- receiving data describing at least one ambient signal detected by the source device, wherein the at least one ambient signal is not used to send data between the source device and the target device;
- associating the data describing the at least one ambient signal detected by the source device with a target device identifier uniquely identifying the target device;
- and
- storing the data describing the at least one ambient signal detected by the source device in association with the target device identifier.
A method, implemented by a computing device comprising one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memories storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the computing device to carry out operations comprising:
- receiving from a source device a request to register a target device;
- receiving data from the source device describing at least:
- positional information indicating a geospatial position or orientation of the source device;
- and
- a communication channel detectable by the source device;
- associating the data with a target device identifier of the target device;
- storing the data from the source device in association with the target device identifier;
- after the storing, receiving data describing at least one ambient signal detected by the source device, wherein the at least one ambient signal is not used to send data between the source device and the target device;
- associating the source device with a target device library, the target device library comprising a plurality of target device profiles;
- comparing the data describing the at least one ambient signal with the plurality of target device profiles;
- determining that the data describing the at least one ambient signal matches a target device profile of the plurality of target device profiles corresponding to the target device;
- and
- returning to the source device an identifier associated with the target device and the determined target device profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.