FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to providing a coordinated output using multiple devices based on the relative positions and/or orientations of the devices.

BACKGROUND

Multiple electronic devices may cooperate to provide an output, such as a surround sound audio output or a multi-display graphical output. Many traditional electronic devices do not cooperate to produce a coordinated output and also fail to account for the arrangement of the devices with respect to other sources, which may negatively impact the quality of the output.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the systems, devices, methods, and apparatuses described in the present disclosure are directed to providing coordinated outputs and/or receiving coordinated inputs using multiple devices based on the relative positions and/or orientations of the devices.

Embodiments described herein may include or take the form of an electronic device (e.g., a portable electronic device) that includes an enclosure, a display positioned at least partially within the enclosure, an antenna configured to detect a wireless signal pulse transmitted between the electronic device and an additional electronic device, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to receive an input media stream for a coordinated graphical output and analyze the detected wireless signal pulse to determine spatial parameters of the electronic device relative to the additional electronic device. The processing unit may be further configured to determine a partial graphical output based on the input media stream and at least a portion of the set of spatial parameters and cause the partial graphical output to be displayed on the display. The partial graphical output is part of a coordinated graphical output using the electronic device and (at least) the additional electronic device.

In some embodiments, the display is a first display, the partial graphical output is a first partial graphical output, and the processing unit is a first processing unit. The additional electronic device may include a second display and a second processing unit. The second processing unit may be configured to determine a second partial graphical output based on the input media stream and cause the second partial graphical output to be displayed on the second display. The second partial graphical output does not overlap with the first partial graphical output, and the first processing unit is configured to determine the first partial graphical output at least partially based on the second partial graphical output.

In some cases, the processing unit is further configured to determine an orientation of the partial graphical output at least in part based on the orientation of the first display relative to the second display, and display the partial graphical output in accordance with the determined orientation of the partial graphical output.

In some cases, the set of spatial parameters comprises positions of the first and second displays relative to a viewing position. The processing unit may be configured to determine a display scale of the partial graphical output based on the positions of the first and second displays relative to the viewing position such that, from the viewing position, the coordinated graphical output appears consistently sized across the first and second displays.

In some cases, the antenna is a first antenna and the wireless signal pulse is a UWB signal pulse. The electronic device may further comprise a second antenna configured to detect the UWB signal pulse transmitted between the electronic device and the additional electronic device and a third antenna configured to detect the UWB signal pulse transmitted between the electronic device and the additional electronic device. The processing unit may be configured to: determine a first distance between the first antenna and the additional electronic device; determine a second distance between the second antenna and the additional electronic device; determine a third distance between the third antenna and the additional electronic device; determine a direction of a vector from the electronic device to the additional electronic device based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance; and determine the partial graphical output at least partially based on the direction of the vector from the electronic device to the additional electronic device.

In some cases, the processor is configured to determine an orientation of the display of the electronic device relative to a display of the additional electronic device based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance, and to determine an orientation of the partial graphical output at least partially based on the orientation of the display of the electronic device relative to the display of the additional electronic device.

In some implementations, the electronic device is a first smartphone and the additional electronic device is a second smartphone. The processing unit may be further configured to: determine that the second smartphone is positioned along a left side of the first smartphone; determine that a third smartphone is positioned along a right side of the first smartphone; and output the partial graphical output in accordance with determining that the second smartphone is positioned along the left side of the first smartphone and the third smartphone is positioned along the right side of the first smartphone. The partial graphical output may include a middle portion of the input media stream.

Embodiments described herein may include or take the form of an electronic device that includes an enclosure, a speaker positioned at least partially within the enclosure, an antenna configured to detect one or more wireless signal pulses, and a processing unit. The processing unit may be configured to receive an input media stream for a coordinated audio output and analyze the detected one or more wireless signal pulses to determine a distance between the electronic device and a target listening position for the coordinated audio output. The processing unit may be further configured to determine a partial audio output at least partially based on the input media stream and the distance between the electronic device and the target listening position and cause the partial audio output to be output by the speaker.

Embodiments described herein may include or take the form of a method for providing a coordinated audio output. The method may include the steps of receiving an input media stream for the coordinated audio output and determining a target listening position for the coordinated audio output. The method may further include the steps of identifying a set of devices to provide the coordinated audio output and determining a set of spatial parameters for each of the set of devices using one or more wireless signal pulses. The method may further include the steps of determining a set of virtual source positions at least partially based on the target listening position and determining a set of partial audio outputs comprising a partial output for each device of the set of devices at least partially based on the input media stream, the spatial parameters, and the virtual source positions. The method may further include the step of providing each partial audio output of the set of partial outputs using a respective device of the set of devices to produce the coordinated audio output.

Embodiments described herein may include or take the form of a method for detecting gestures using an electronic device. The method may include the steps of detecting a change of a set of spatial parameters of a wearable electronic device using one or more wireless signal pulses and determining a gesture based on the change of the set of spatial parameters. The method may further include the steps of determining a command to execute in response to the gesture and causing the command to be executed.

In addition to the example aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following description.

