Controlling electronic devices based on wireless ranging

A wireless communication device comprising:

• an interface circuit configured to communicate wirelessly with an object;
• one or more sensors configured to measure sensor data;
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the interface circuit and the one or more sensors, and configured to execute a program module;
• a display, communicatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, and configured to store the program module, wherein the program module includes instructions for:
• accessing sensor data generated by the one or more sensors and identifying, by the wireless communication device, an intent gesture indicating an intent to engage with the object, wherein the object is located proximate to the wireless communication device;
• determining the object identified by the intent gesture based at least in part on a wireless ranging operation, wherein the wireless ranging operation comprises using a wireless transmission characteristic to determine a distance between the wireless communication device and the object;
• transmitting, to the object, a first identifier associated with the wireless communication device when the wireless ranging operation indicates that the object is within a selected distance from the wireless communication device;
• receiving, at the wireless communication device, a second identifier associated with the object;
• and
• presenting, via the display, output information to confirm engaging the wireless communication device with the object identified by the intent gesture.

A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a wireless communication device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to control an object, the computer-program mechanism including:

• instructions for identifying, by the wireless communication device, an intent gesture indicating an intent to engage with the object, wherein the object is located proximate to the wireless communication device;
• instructions for determining the object identified by the intent gesture based at least in part on a wireless ranging operation, wherein the wireless ranging operation comprises using a wireless transmission characteristic to determine a distance between the wireless communication device and the object;
• instructions for transmitting a first identifier associated with the wireless communication device to the object when the wireless ranging operation indicates that the object is within a selected distance from the wireless communication device;
• instructions for receiving, at the wireless communication device, a second identifier associated with the object;
• and
• instructions for presenting, via a display of the wireless communication device, output information that requests confirmation for the wireless communication device to engage with the object identified by the intent gesture.