Remote control unit with a computer peripheral communication port

• US 20060064525A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ahluwalia, Devinder S.
• Application Number:
  US10/950,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A remote control unit is to be used by a person to control a media home computer, via a wireless link that couples the remote control unit to the computer. The remote control unit has a separate wireless communication port for two-way wireless data communications with a computer peripheral, and can support communications between the peripheral and the computer. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a remote control unit (RCU) to be used by a person to control a media home computer via a wireless link that couples the RCU to the computer, wherein the RCU has a wireless communication port for two way wireless data communications with a computer peripheral and is to support communications between the computer peripheral and computer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RCU is self-powered by a power source installed in the unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the RCU is to be used by the person to navigate a user interface of a media player program running in the computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the RCU is to be used by the person to navigate a user interface of a device manager program.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communications port is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant port.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a remote control unit (RCU) to be used to initiate and control downloads of image and music files to, and uploads of image and music files from, a computer, the RCU having a communication port that is to interface with a peripheral and can be detected by a device discovery process running in the computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the remote control unit is to be exposed as a remote host controller by a device manager of an operating system stack running in the computer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the communication port can be identified by the device discovery process as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the communication port is a memory card reader.

12. A method comprising:

performing a device discovery procedure upon a computer; and

displaying a result of the device discovery procedure as an icon representing a root hub of a hierarchical point to point bus depending from an icon representing a remote host controller, and an icon representing a wireless peripheral device depending from the root hub icon.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the root hub is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) root hub.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the peripheral device is a portable handheld mass storage device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the peripheral device is a portable digital camera.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein displaying a result includes showing a brand name of the peripheral device.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the result is displayed in response to receiving a command from a user of the computer to expand a view depending from the remote host controller icon.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine readable medium with instructions stored therein that, when executed by a processor of a wireless remote control unit (RCU), cause the RCU to signal, via its wireless link, a computer unit that an unused universal serial bus (USB) communication port within the RCU is available for use.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the instructions are to determine the type of peripheral device that is connected to the communication port and then signal the computer such information.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the instructions enable a user of the RCU to use the RCU to navigate a media program guide on a display screen.

21. A system comprising:

a computer unit having an operating system program installed therein, the operating system program having device discovery capability; and

a remote control unit (RCU) for the computer unit, the RCU to provide the computer unit, over a wireless communication link and during a device discovery procedure, information about a peripheral device that has established a separate communication link with the RCU.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the peripheral device is a wireless USB peripheral.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the RCU is to enable a user to select and transfer a media file from the peripheral device through the RCU and on to the computer unit.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the RCU is to enable the user to select the play back of the media file from the computer unit to one of a hi-fi sound system and a television display screen.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the peripheral device is a memory card.