Techniques for device connections using touch gestures

Abstract

Techniques for device connections using touch gestures are described. A method may comprise receiving a first gesture input at a first electronic device, receiving, at the first electronic device, a second gesture input from a second computing device in proximity to the first computing device, comparing the first gesture input and the second gesture input, and establishing a wireless connection between the first computing device and the second computing device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a first gesture input at a first electronic device;   receiving, at the first electronic device, a second gesture input from a second electronic device in proximity to the first electronic device;   comparing the first gesture input and the second gesture input; and   establishing a wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the first gesture input entered via a touch interface of the first electronic device and second gesture input entered via a touch interface of the second electronic device. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the first and second gesture inputs comprising one or more of a shape, letter, number, or symbol entered using a touch interface. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 detecting that the second electronic device is proximate to the first electronic device; and   initiating gesture recognition based on the detecting.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , the detecting comprising one or more of determining that the first and second electronic devices are connected to a same wireless network, using audio signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic device or using radio frequency signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 initiating a gesture recognition training phase;   receiving a training gesture input;   requesting reentry of the training gesture input; and   storing the training gesture input as a gesture template.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 comparing the first gesture input and the second gesture input to the gesture template;   generating a similarity confidence score based on the comparison; and   establishing the connection if the similarity confidence score meets or exceeds the similarity threshold.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the wireless connection comprising a secure wireless connection established using a wireless local area network (WLAN). 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 associating different gesture inputs with different users, different types of connections or different levels of security access.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a touch-screen display;   a processor coupled to the touch-screen display; and   a memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit to store a gesture recognition application operative on the processor to receive a first gesture input entered via the touch-screen display, receive a second gesture input entered via a touch-screen display of an electronic device in proximity to the apparatus, compare the first gesture input and the second gesture input, and establish a wireless connection between the apparatus and the electronic device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the first and second gesture inputs comprising one or more of a shape, letter, number, or symbol entered using a touch-screen display. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to detect that the electronic device is proximate to the apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the detecting comprising one or more of determining that the apparatus and the electronic device are connected to a same wireless network, using audio signals to determine a distance between the apparatus and the electronic device or using radio frequency signals to determine a distance between the apparatus and the electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to initiate a gesture recognition training phase, receive a training gesture input, request reentry of the training gesture input and store the training gesture input as a gesture template in the memory unit. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to compare the first gesture input and the second gesture input to the gesture template, to calculate a similarity confidence score based on the comparison and to establish the connection if the similarity confidence score meets or exceeds the similarity threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to associate different gesture inputs with different users, different types of connections or different levels of security access. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a first gesture input from a first electronic device;   receiving a second gesture input from a second electronic device;   comparing the first gesture input and the second gesture input; and   establishing a wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , the first gesture input entered via a touch interface of the first electronic device and second gesture input entered via a touch interface of the second electronic device, the first and second gesture inputs comprising one or more of a shape, letter, number, or symbol entered using a touch interface. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device by determining that the first and second electronic devices are connected to a same wireless network, using audio signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic devices or using radio frequency signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic devices; and   initiating gesture recognition based on the determining.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 initiating a gesture recognition training phase;   receiving a training gesture input from one or more of the first electronic device or the second electronic device;   requesting reentry of the training gesture input; and   storing the training gesture input as a gesture template.   
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , comprising:
 comparing the first gesture input and the second gesture input to the gesture template;   generating a similarity confidence score based on the comparison; and   establishing the connection if the similarity confidence score meets or exceeds the similarity threshold.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 associating different gesture inputs with different users, different electronic devices, different types of connections or different levels of security access.   
     
     
         23 . An apparatus, comprising:
 one or more wireless transceivers;   a processor coupled to the one or more wireless transceivers; and   a memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit to store a gesture recognition application operative on the processor to receive a first gesture input from a first electronic device, receive a second gesture input from a second electronic device, compare the first gesture input and the second gesture input, and establishing a wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , the first gesture input entered via a touch interface of the first electronic device and second gesture input entered via a touch interface of the second electronic device, the first and second gesture inputs comprising one or more of a shape, letter, number, or symbol entered using a touch interface. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to determine that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device by determining that the first and second electronic devices are connected to a same wireless network, using audio signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic devices or using radio frequency signals to determine a distance between the first and second electronic devices and to initiate gesture recognition based on the determining. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to initiate a gesture recognition training phase, receive a training gesture input from one or more of the first electronic device or the second electronic device, request reentry of the training gesture input, and store the training gesture input as a gesture template. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to compare the first gesture input and the second gesture input to the gesture template, generate a similarity confidence score based on the comparison, and establish the connection if the similarity confidence score meets or exceeds the similarity threshold. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , the gesture recognition application operative on the processor to associate different gesture inputs with different users, different electronic devices, different types of connections or different levels of security access. 
     
     
         29 . A system, comprising:
 a first electronic device operative to receive a first gesture input via a touch interface of the first electronic device;   a second electronic device operative to receive a second gesture input via a touch interface of the second electronic device; and   a third electronic device operative to receive the first gesture input from the first electronic device and the second gesture input from the second electronic device, to compare the first gesture input and the second gesture input, and to establish a wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device if a similarity of the first gesture input and the second gesture input meets or exceeds a similarity threshold based on the comparing.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , the third electronic device comprising a server device. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , the third electronic device operative to store, in a memory unit, one or more gesture templates and to compare one or more of the first and second gesture inputs to the gesture templates. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , the third electronic device operative to store, in a memory unit, one or more sets of gesture inputs, each set comprising two or more different gestures that are linked or paired together. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , the third electronic device operative to establish a wireless connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device if the first gesture input and the second gesture input comprise different gestures that match a set of gesture inputs. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , the first and second gesture inputs comprising one or more of a shape, letter, number, or symbol.