Mobile computing device with method and system for interrupting content performance among appliances

• US 20030073432A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Meade,, William K. II
• Application Number:
  US09/982,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A method of controlling an appliance includes wirelessly initiating with a mobile computing device a performance of a content on at least one appliance of a plurality of appliances. The method includes interrupting the performance of the content by at least one of: switching the performance from a first appliance to a second appliance of the plurality of the appliances; splitting the performance of content between the first appliance and the second appliance; and splitting the performance of content on the first appliance to include only a portion of the content. The method optionally includes maintaining the continuity of the performance during the switching step and/or splitting step.

A system for controlling an appliance includes a mobile computing device comprising a content interruption manager including at least one of: an appliance switcher configured for switching the performance of content among appliances; a multiple appliance splitter configured for splitting the performance of content into select portions for simultaneous performance on multiple appliances; and a performance continuity monitor configured for maintaining a continuity of a performance of content on one or more appliances.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with a mobile computing device a performance of a content on at least one appliance of a plurality of appliances; and

interrupting the performance of the content by at least one of switching the performance from a first appliance to a second appliance of the plurality of the appliances, splitting the performance of content between the first appliance and the second appliance, and splitting the performance of content in include only a portion of the content performed on the first appliance.

2. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with a mobile computing device a first performance of a content on a first appliance;

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a second performance of the content on a second appliance at a point in time after the first performance has been initiated.

3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

wirelessly terminating with the mobile computing device the first performance of the content upon initiation of the second performance of the content.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein initiating the second performance includes beginning performance of the content at the place within the content that was last completed in the first performance.

5. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

maintaining with the mobile computing device the first performance of the content upon initiation of the second performance.

6. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance;

terminating with the mobile computing device the performance of the content on the first appliance; and

resuming with the mobile computing device the performance of the content on a second appliance at a point in time after the termination of the performance on the first appliance.

7. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a first performance of a content on a first appliance and on a second appliance including;

performing a first component of the content on the first appliance; and

performing a second component of the content on a second appliance.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein performing the first component includes the first component comprising a video component with the first appliance comprising a video device and the second component comprising an audio component with the second appliance comprising an audio device.

9. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link between the appliance and a mobile computing device; and

simultaneously initiating with the mobile computing device performance of a first content on a first appliance and performance of a second content on a second appliance wherein the first content and the second content are related.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein initiating the performance includes the first content comprising a video component of a television broadcast of an event with the first appliance comprising a video device and the second content comprising a radio broadcast of the event with the second appliance comprising an audio device.

11. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance;

switching the performance of the content from the first appliance to a second appliance while substantially preserving the continuity of the performance during the switch between the first and second appliances.

12. A method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance with the content including a first media component and a second media component and the first appliance comprising a first media-type device; and

switching the performance of the content from the first appliance to a second appliance, with the second appliance comprising a second media-type device, while substantially preserving the continuity of the performance during the switch between the first and second appliances;

wherein the performance of the content on the first appliance includes both the first media component and the second media component, and with the performance of the content on the second appliance including only the second media component of the content.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first media component is a video component, the second media component is an audio component, the first media-type device is a video device, and the second media-type device is an audio device.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a first performance of a content on a first appliance;

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a second performance of the content on a second appliance at a point in time after the first performance has been initiated.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance;

terminating with the mobile computing device the performance of the content on the first appliance; and

resuming with the mobile computing device the performance of the content on a second appliance at a point in time after the termination of the performance on the first appliance while substantially preserving the continuity of the performance through the switch between the first and second appliance.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link between the appliance and a mobile computing device; and

simultaneously initiating with the mobile computing device performance of a first content on a first appliance and performance of a second content on a second appliance wherein the first content and the second content are related.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance;

switching the performance of the content from the first appliance to a second appliance while substantially preserving the continuity of the performance during the switch between the first and second appliances.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

wirelessly initiating with the mobile computing device a performance of a content on a first appliance with the content including a first media component and a second media component and the first appliance comprising a first media-type device; and

switching the performance of the content from the first appliance to a second appliance, with the second appliance comprising a second media-type device, while substantially preserving the continuity of the performance during the switch between the first and second appliances;

wherein the performance of the content on the first appliance includes both the first media component and the second media component, and with the performance of the content on the second appliance including only the second media component of the content.

19. A mobile computing device comprising:

a controller;

a memory;

a wireless communicator configured for wireless communication with a plurality of appliances; and

a content interrupt manager configured for switching and splitting performance of content among the plurality of appliances and for maintaining the continuity of the performance during the switching and splitting of the content performance.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 19 wherein the content interrupt manager comprises:

a telephone call switcher configured to selectively switch an ongoing telephone call between a land-line phone and a mobile phone during the ongoing telephone call.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 20 and further comprising:

a phone book configured to automatically synchronize its contents and a call list during wireless communication between the mobile computing device, the land-line phone, and the mobile phone.

22. A content interrupt manager of a mobile computing device comprising:

an appliance switcher configured for switching performance of content from a first appliance to a second appliance;

a multiple appliance splitter configured for splitting performance of content among a plurality of appliances including the first appliance and the second appliance; and

a performance continuity monitor configured for maintaining the continuity of performance of content during switching and splitting the performance among the plurality of appliances.

23. A telecommunications control system comprising:

a mobile computing device including a wireless communicator and call switcher;

a mobile phone including a wireless communicator, a phone book with call list, and a call switcher; and

a land-line phone a wireless communicator, a phone book with call list, and a call switcher,

wherein the respective call switchers are configured to selectively switch a live telephone call between the land-line phone and the mobile phone during the live telephone call and the phone books are configured to automatically synchronize each other during wireless communication between at least two of the mobile computing device, the land-line phone, and the mobile phone.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the respective call switchers further comprise a voice mail activator configured for sending any new phone calls, in addition to the live telephone call, to a voice mail box so that any one of the land-line phone and the mobile phone that is not currently in use in the live telephone call does not ring during the live telephone call.

25. A method of exchanging contact information comprising:

wirelessly establishing communication between a mobile computing device and a mobile phone; and

exchanging a phone book file between the mobile computing device and the mobile phone.