Systems and methods for location-based device control are provided. Example systems and methods include determining a location estimate for a computing device and identifying a controllable device based on the location estimate. Some examples also include determining a relative location of the controllable device with respect to the computing device and triggering display, on the computing device, of a user interface for interacting with the controllable device based on the relative location. Another example system and method includes identifying a controllable device within a physical space based on an aiming direction in which a computing device is aimed, determining an angular offset of the controllable device with respect to the aiming direction of the computing device, and triggering display, on the computing device, of a user interface that indicates the determined angular offset.

Systems and methods for localizing portable devices are illustrated. One embodiment includes a method for locating a portable device in a network that includes several reference devices. The method measures characteristics of signals transmitted via signal paths between reference devices and a portable device, normalizes the measurements to estimate characteristics of the signal paths, and estimates the likelihood that the portable device is in a particular location. Systems and methods for training prediction models include a method that includes steps for receiving context data for a portable device in a system, wherein the context data includes localization data that describes a location of the portable device, identifying a predicted stationary device based on the context data using a prediction model, identifying a target stationary device from the several stationary devices, training the prediction model based on based on the predicted stationary device and the received input.

Systems and methods to authenticate a controller having a user interface with a manually actionable control include randomly selecting a first position of the plurality of positions of the manually actuable control, prompting a user to position the manually actionable control to the randomly selected position, receiving an indication of the present position of the manually actionable control, comparing the indication of the randomly selected position with the indication of the present position, and authenticating the controller when the indication of the randomly selected position matches the indication of the present position.

An electronic device and a method for controlling an external device thereof are provided. The method for controlling an external device by an electronic device includes: in response to a trigger input being sensed, determining an external device from among a plurality of external devices that is indicated by the electronic device; providing a user interface (UI) screen of an application corresponding to the external device indicated by the electronic device; and in response to a user command being input through the UI screen of the application, transmitting a control signal corresponding to the user command to the external device indicated by the electronic device.

Provided is an intelligent garage door switch control system and method thereof. The system includes a transmitting radio frequency device, a receiving radio frequency device, and a control circuit for operating a switch. The control circuit is configured to use a predetermined pattern detected as the basis to operate the switch. The predetermined pattern includes a first acceleration from a speed of 0 to a speed greater than 0, a first deceleration from a speed greater than 0 down to a speed of 0 thereafter, and a second acceleration from a speed of 0 to a speed greater than 0 thereafter.

An instruction device includes: a detection unit that detects a space in which the instruction device exists; a storage unit that stores association information including information indicating that the space and a target device are associated with each other; a specifying unit that specifies the target device associated with the detected space by referring to the association information; and an output unit that outputs an instruction signal corresponding to the specified target device in accordance with an operation by an operator.

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for using location information to manage spillover in an audience monitoring system are disclosed. An example method involves identifying a first location of a portable metering device at a first time based on a plurality of location coordinates received from a location information system. The example method also involves generating media monitoring information corresponding to a media signal received at the first time. Additionally, the example method involves identifying the media monitoring information as being associated with a spillover signal in response to determining that a media delivery device is not located at the first location of the portable metering device at the first time.

A handheld information processing device such a mobile telephone or portable computer has a normal operating mode in which it executes information processing operations in response to user activation of user controls from the user control interface. Furthermore, the device has a remote control signal transmitter coupled to its processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to switch automatically to a remote control mode when no user activation of the user controls has been detected for a predetermined time duration. In an embodiment handheld information processing device switches to the remote control mode only if it is within a predetermined range of spatial locations after the time duration. In the remote control mode the processing circuit responds user activation of the user controls substantially only by causing the remote control signal transmitter to transmit conventional remote control command signals to equipment like TVs, recorders etc.

A method in which a control device controls at least one of a plurality of terminal devices is provided. The method includes transmitting a search request for requesting information on a location of each of a plurality of terminal devices, and information on a direction of each of the plurality of terminal devices based on a direction in which the control device is directed, receiving a response corresponding to the transmitted search request, determining at least one of the plurality of terminal devices that are controllable from among the plurality of terminal devices based on the received response, and controlling the determined at least one of the plurality of terminal devices that are controllable.

Various arrangements for presenting contextual menus are presented. A mobile device may be configured to provide contextual menus for control or monitoring of components. Different menus and interfaces are presented based the position of the mobile device or objects being pointed at using the mobile device. Specific objects may be designated as control markers. The objects may be recognized using a camera of the mobile device. When a control marker is recognized a specific menu or interface that is associated with the control marker may be presented to the user.