Proximity sensing device control architecture and data communication protocol

Abstract

Mobile device speaker control may include: monitoring one or more devices coupled (e.g., wired or wirelessly) with a data network, receiving one or more data packets from each of the one or more devices, filtering received data packets by evaluating a received signal strength (e.g., RSSI) of the received packets. The received packets may be ordered in a priority based on a value, and comparing the received signal strength of each of the received packets to a threshold to determine whether the one or more devices are to perform an action; and/or detecting a device within a proximity of a speaker box coupled with a data network, filtering a data packet received from the device to determine a received signal strength associated with the device, comparing the received signal strength to a threshold, and determining whether an action is to be performed based on a result of the comparing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 detecting a device within a proximity of a speaker box coupled to a data network;   filtering a data packet received from the device to determine a received signal strength associated with the device;   comparing the received signal strength to a threshold; and   determining whether an action is to be performed based on a result of the comparing the received signal strength to the threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a wireless mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity of the device to the speaker box is used to determine a priority associated with the device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the threshold is based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action comprises streaming media from a networked resource. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action comprises streaming media from a Cloud Service. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action comprises accessing a file stored in a memory associated with the speaker box. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 establishing data communication with a wireless access point configured to transmit data using a wireless data communication protocol. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein an audio file is retrieved using the wireless access point when the received signal strength is greater than the threshold, the audio file being rendered audible by the speaker box. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an audio file is retrieved using a wireless access point when the received signal strength, when compared, is greater than the threshold, the audio file being rendered audible by the speaker box. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data packet is received by a radio in electrical communication with a processor in the speaker box, the radio electrically coupled with a first end of an antenna that is detuned to be non-resonant at a frequency the data packet is transmitted at, the antenna including a plurality of segments oriented at angles to one another other, an electrical length of each segment is approximately one or more multiples of a quarter-wavelength of the frequency, the antenna including a second end that is electrically un-coupled as an open circuit or is electrically coupled with a ground. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data packet is received by a radio in electrical communication with a processor in the speaker box, the radio electrically coupled with a first end of an antenna that is detuned to be non-resonant at a frequency the data packet is transmitted at, the antenna including a plurality of segments oriented at angles to one another other, an electrical length of each segment is greater than a wavelength of the frequency or the electrical length comprises an arbitrary fraction of the wavelength of the frequency, the antenna including a second end that is electrically un-coupled as an open circuit or is electrically coupled with a ground. 
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 a memory operative to store data transmitted over a data network; and   a processor operative
 to detect a wireless device within a proximity of a wireless speaker box that is wirelessly coupled with the data network, 
 to filter a data packet that is wirelessly received from the wireless device to determine a received signal strength associated with the wireless device, 
 to compare the received signal strength to a threshold, and 
 to determine whether an action is to be performed based on a result of the comparing the received signal strength to the threshold. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the data packet is wirelessly received by a radio in electrical communication with the processor, the radio electrically coupled with a first end of an antenna that is detuned to be non-resonant at a frequency the data packet is wirelessly transmitted at, the antenna including a plurality of segments oriented at angles to one another other, an electrical length of each segment is approximately one or more multiples of a quarter-wavelength of the frequency, the antenna including a second end that is electrically un-coupled as an open circuit or is electrically coupled with a ground. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of segments include a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending in a first direction and the second portion folded back over the first portion and extending in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the data packet is wirelessly received by a radio in electrical communication with the processor, the radio electrically coupled with a first end of an antenna that is detuned to be non-resonant at a frequency the data packet is wirelessly transmitted at, the antenna including a plurality of segments oriented at angles to one another other, an electrical length of each segment is greater than a wavelength of the frequency or the electrical length comprises an arbitrary fraction of the wavelength of the frequency, the antenna including a second end that is electrically un-coupled as an open circuit or is electrically coupled with a ground. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of segments include a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending in a first direction and the second portion folded back over the first portion and extending in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, and at a point of crossing between the first and second portions, the first and second portions do not contact each other, are electrically insulated from each other, or both. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the action is performed when the result of the comparing indicates a direct physical contact between the wireless device and the wireless speaker box. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the action that is performed comprises the wireless speaker box handling playback of content from the wireless device. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer executable instructions for:
 detecting a wireless device within a proximity of a wireless speaker box that is wirelessly coupled with a data network;   filtering a data packet that is wirelessly received from the wireless device to determine a received signal strength associated with the wireless device;   comparing the received signal strength to a threshold; and   determining whether an action is to be performed based on a result of the comparing the received signal strength to the threshold.