User interface including portable display for use with multiple electronic devices

• US 20030025735A1
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S., Polgar, Leslie G.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025735A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A user interface for use with a plurality of electronic devices, each having a representative icon and display layout and content, includes; a display screen; a touch screen overlaying the display screen; a wireless communication interface for communicating with the electronic devices; and a controller connected to the communication interface, the touch screen and the display screen, the controller including means for, receiving and displaying the icons representing the electronic devices on the display screen, sending a communication to a selected electronic device in response to selection of one of the icons via the touch screen, receiving and displaying the screen layout and content of the selected electronic device, and communicating user inputs from the touch screen to the selected electronic device.

Claims

1. A user interface for use with a plurality of electronic devices, each having a representative icon and display layout and content, comprising;

a) a display screen;

b) a touch screen overlaying the display screen;

c) a wireless communication interface for communicating with the electronic devices; and

d) a controller connected to the communication interface, the touch screen and the display screen, the controller including means for,

i) receiving and displaying the icons representing the electronic devices on the display screen,

ii) sending a communication to a selected electronic device in response to selection of one of the icons via the touch screen,

iii) receiving and displaying the screen layout and content of the selected electronic device, and

iv) communicating user inputs from the touch screen to the selected electronic device.

2. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the icons are displayed on one area of the display screen and the screen layout and content is displayed on an adjacent area of the display screen.

3. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication'"'"'s interface is an infrared interface.

4. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface is an RF interface.

5. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is an organic light emitting diode display.

6. The user interface claimed in claim 1, further comprising a microphone and speaker connected to the controller.

7. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises means for changing the display layout and content in response to communications from the selected electronic device.

8. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the display layout includes softbuttons.

9. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen layout and content are defined as an array of pixels.

10. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen layout and content are defined as graphical objects and the controller includes means for rendering the graphical objects for display.

11. The user interface claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more additional operator interface modalities selected from the group consisting of a switch button, a light, a speaker, and a vibrator.

12. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the display and the touchscreen are integrated on a common substrate.

13. The user interface claimed in claim 12, wherein the display is an OLED display and the touchscreen is a resistive wire touchscreen.

14. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller, further comprises means for controlling the display and the touchscreen.

15. The user interface claimed in claim 14, wherein the controller is integrated in a single integrated circuit.

16. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is integrated on a common substrate with the display and the touchscreen.

17. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the display, touchscreen, communication interface and controller are integrated on a common substrate.

46. The user interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface is located in an electronic device having functionality in addition to the user interface.

47. The user interface claimed in claim 46, wherein the additional functionality is a PDA.

18. A system, comprising:

a) a plurality of electronic devices, each having a representative icon and display layout and content; and

b) a user interface, having,

i) a display screen;

ii) a touch screen overlaying the display screen;

iii) a wireless communication interface for communicating with the electronic devices; and

iv) a controller connected to the communication interface, the touch screen and the display screen, the controller including means for,

a) receiving and displaying the icons representing the electronic devices on the display screen,

b) sending a communication to a selected electronic device in response to selection of one of the icons via the touch screen,

c) receiving and displaying the screen layout and content of the selected electronic device, and

d) communicating user inputs from the touch screen to the selected electronic device.

19. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a digital camera.

20. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a personal data assistant (PDA).

21. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a cell-phone.

22. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is an audio player.

23. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a video player.

24. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a pager.

25. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the electronic devices is a portable television.

26. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein the display is an OLED display.

27. The system claimed in claim 18, further comprising a communications network and wherein the electronic devices are interconnected by the communications network.

28. The system claimed in claim 27, wherein the communications network comprises a wired interface.

29. The system claimed in claim 27, wherein the communications network interface comprises a wireless interface.

30. The system claimed in claim 27, wherein the communications network is an ad hoc network.

31. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein the display and the touchscreen are integrated on a common substrate.

48. The system claimed in claim 18, wherein the user interface is incorporated in one of the electronic devices and also provides the user interface for that device.

49. The system claimed in claim 48, wherein the one electronic device is a PDA.

32. A system, comprising:

a) a plurality of inter-communicating electronic devices, each having a display layout and content and means to negotiate access to a user interface; and

b) the user interface, having,

i) a display screen;

ii) a touch screen overlaying the display screen;

iii) a wireless communication interface for communicating with the electronic devices; and

iv) a controller connected to the communication interface, the touch screen and the display screen, the controller including means for,

a) receiving and displaying the display layout and content from the electronic devices(s) with access to the user interface,

b) sending a communication to the accessed electronic device in response to user interaction, and

c) communicating user inputs from the touch screen to the electronic device(s) with access.

33. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the display is an OLED display.

34. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the user interface is simultaneously shared between multiple electronic devices.

35. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein one or more of the electronic devices is selected from the group consisting of a personal data assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a cell-phone, audio player, video player, pager, and television.

36. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth interface.

37. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the screen layout and content are defined as graphical objects and the controller includes means for rendering the graphical objects for display.

38. The system claimed in claim 32, further comprising one or more additional operator interface modalities selected from the group consisting of a switch button, a light, a speaker, and a vibrator.

39. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the user interaction device can access or communicate with external devices equipped with compatible communications capability.

40. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein communications are secured through the use of encryption or identification means.

50. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the user interface is incorporated in one of the electronic devices and also provides the user interface for that device.

51. The system claimed in claim 50, wherein the one electronic device is a PDA.

41. A user interface for use with a plurality of electronic devices, each having a display layout and content, comprising:

a) a display screen for receiving and displaying the display layout and content of any one of the electronic devices; and

b) a communication interface in each of the electronic devices for communicating with the display screen.

42. The user interface claimed in claim 41, wherein the communication interfaces are wireless interfaces, and the display screen further comprises a wireless communications receiver.

43. The user interface claimed in claim 41 wherein the communication interfaces are wired interfaces.

44. The user interface claimed in claim 41 wherein the display screen is an OLED display.

45. The user interface claimed in claim 41 further comprising a touch screen overlaying the display screen and including a communications interface with one or more of the electronic devices.

52. The user interface claimed in claim 41, wherein the user interface is incorporated in one of the electronic devices and also provides the user interface for that device.

53. The user interface claimed in claim 52, wherein the one electronic device is a PDA.