Extending digital artifacts through an interactive surface to a mobile device and creating a communication channel between a mobile device and a second mobile device via the interactive surface

• US 10,044,790 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Wilson, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US13/109,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20110273368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709208, 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A unique system and method that facilitates extending input/output capabilities for resource deficient mobile devices and interactions between multiple heterogeneous devices is provided. The system and method involve an interactive surface to which the desired mobile devices can be connected. The interactive surface can provide an enhanced display space and customization controls for mobile devices that lack adequate displays and input capabilities. In addition, the interactive surface can be employed to permit communication and interaction between multiple mobile devices that otherwise are unable to interact with each other. When connected to the interactive surface, the mobile devices can share information, view information from their respective devices, and store information to the interactive surface. Furthermore, the interactive surface can resume activity states of mobile devices that were previously communicating upon re-connection to the surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a mobile device that is placed on an interactive surface component, the mobile device including a display displaying content and the interactive surface component comprising an interactive surface component display larger than a display of the mobile device;

establishing a connection between the mobile device and the interactive surface component;

displaying, on the interactive surface component display, the content displayed on the mobile device;

receiving an input via input controls on the interactive surface component;

based at least in part on the input, manipulating the display on the interactive surface component display and causing the mobile device to manipulate the content on the mobile device; and

creating a communication channel between the mobile device and a second mobile device via the interactive surface component based at least in part on the identifying the mobile device that is placed on the interactive surface component and determining that the second mobile device is connected to the interactive surface component.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising calling a protocol corresponding to the mobile device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising facilitating data sharing between the mobile device connected to the interactive surface component as a first identified mobile device and a second identified mobile device.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first identified mobile device and the second identified mobile device are heterogeneous mobile devices.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifying the mobile device comprises determining that the mobile device is placed on the display of the interactive surface component, the method further comprising:

determining that the second mobile device is placed on the display of the interactive surface component; and

based at least in part on the determining that the mobile device is placed on the display of the interactive surface component and the determining that the second mobile device is placed on the display of the interactive surface component, creating the communication channel between the mobile device and second mobile device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining a spatial relationship between the mobile device and the second mobile device connected to the interactive surface component.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising, at least in part based on the spatial relationship, grouping the mobile device and the second mobile device into a communication group.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising copying data displayed on the interactive surface component display to the mobile device responsive, at least in part, to the mobile device being placed over the data.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising causing the interactive surface component to display a display workspace for the mobile device that is placed on the interactive surface component display when the mobile device contacts the interactive surface component, the display workspace facilitating background monitoring via the display on the interactive surface component.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sharing an input device between the mobile device as a first mobile device and the second mobile device without requiring a pairing procedure.

11. A system comprising:

an interactive surface component comprising an interactive surface component display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more computer-executable instructions, the instructions being executed by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

identifying a mobile device that is placed on the interactive surface component;

establishing a communication channel between the mobile device and the interactive surface component to control interaction between the mobile device and the interactive surface component;

displaying content from the mobile device on the interactive surface component display;

receiving an input via input controls on the interactive surface component;

manipulating the content displayed on the interactive surface component display based at least in part on the input;

causing the mobile device to manipulate the content on the mobile device based at least in part on the input; and

creating a communication channel between the mobile device and a second mobile device via the interactive surface component in response to identifying that the mobile device is placed on the interactive surface component and determining that the second mobile device is connected to the interactive surface component.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, the instructions being executed by the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

identifying the second mobile device; and

providing information to at least one of mobile device or the second mobile device to facilitate data sharing among the mobile devices connected to the interactive surface component as a first mobile device and the second mobile device.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are heterogeneous mobile devices.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, the instructions being executed by the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising providing information to at least one of the first mobile or the second mobile device to connect via at least one communication channel when the first mobile device and the second mobile device are placed on the interactive surface component.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein an interface for connecting the mobile device to the interactive surface component includes a display component.

16. A computer storage memory or media device having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon, the computer-executable instructions upon execution by a processor, programming an interactive surface component to perform operations comprising:

establishing a connection between a mobile device and the interactive surface component, the interactive surface component including a display space that is larger than a display of the mobile device;

displaying data from the mobile device as a display on the display space of the interactive surface component;

configuring input controls on the interactive surface component to receive inputs to manipulate the display;

receiving, via the input controls, an input to manipulate the display;

manipulating the display based at least in part on the input;

causing the mobile device to manipulate the data on the mobile device based at least in part on the input; and

creating a communication channel between the mobile device and a second mobile device via the interactive surface component in response to identifying that the mobile device is placed on the interactive surface component and determining that the second mobile device is connected to the interactive surface component.

17. A computer storage memory or media device as recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising calling a protocol corresponding to the mobile device.

18. A computer storage memory or media device as recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising facilitating data sharing among the mobile devices connected to the interactive surface component as a first identified mobile device and the second identified mobile device.

19. A computer storage memory or media device as recited in claim 18, wherein the first identified mobile device and the second identified mobile device are heterogeneous mobile devices.

20. A computer storage memory or media device as recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising receiving an indication that the mobile device is disposed on the display space, wherein the establishing the connection is performed at least in part in response to receiving the indication and the connection is a wireless connection.