Intuitive Wireless Sharing via Device Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless electronic devices face challenges in intuitively sharing information due to the need for multiple steps and difficulty in establishing a secure connection with the desired device, especially in crowded environments with numerous devices.
Innovation Solution
The device is equipped with control circuitry that determines the location and orientation of nearby devices using antennas and sensors, providing visual and audio cues on a display to facilitate intuitive sharing by automatically establishing connections when devices are aligned, and allowing for intuitive selection and control of information exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless sharing is enabled in crowded environments with multiple devices, then the ability to share information with nearby devices is improved, but the difficulty of establishing a secure connection with the desired device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual indicators on the display to show the location and status of nearby devices. Different visual cues (such as colored indicators or highlighted regions) help users identify and select the desired device for sharing, making it easier to establish connections in crowded environments with multiple devices.
2Reliability
If manual device selection is required for wireless sharing, then connection security is improved, but the number of steps required for sharing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuitry automatically detects nearby devices and pre-presents sharing options to the user before a connection is fully established. This preliminary action allows users to review and confirm the desired device selection, maintaining security while reducing the number of manual steps required compared to traditional pairing methods.
3Ease of operation
If visual indicators are added to show device locations, then ease of device selection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuitry utilizes existing display hardware and sensor capabilities of the electronic device to provide visual indicators of nearby device locations. By making use of already-present components for multiple functions (displaying content, showing device locations, providing visual feedback), the patent avoids adding significant hardware complexity while improving ease of device selection.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may use information about the location of nearby devices to make sharing with those devices more intuitive for a user. When two devices are pointed towards one another, each device may automatically present the option to share information with the other device. When a user wishes to share information with one or more devices in a group of users, an array of icons representing the nearby users may be positioned on the display according to the locations of the nearby users so that the sharing user can easily select which user he or she wishes to share with. A sharing user may broadcast a signal and nearby users may elect to receive the signal by pointing their devices towards the sharing user. A user of two devices may share information between the two devices and may use one device to manipulate the information on the other device.