Mobile computer communication interface

• US 20070142091A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Frederking, Jay, Bieber, Brian, Gasborro, Henry, Carpenter, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method is provided for a mobile computer communication interface. One embodiment includes a mobile computer communication interface. The mobile computer communication interface comprises a transceiver operative to send and receive wireless communications to and from a host computer. The mobile computer communication interface may also comprise a touch-screen display, the touch-screen display being operative to receive inputs from a user and remotely display outputs provided by the host computer. The mobile computer communication interface may also comprise a controller operative to wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer in response to inputs from the touch-screen display.

Claims

1. A mobile computer communication interface comprising:

a transceiver operative to send and receive wireless communications to and from a host computer;

a touch-screen display operative to receive inputs from a user and remotely display outputs provided by the host computer; and

a controller operative to wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer in response to inputs from the touch-screen display.

2. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

3. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising a metallic exterior cover, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield the mobile computer communication interface from electro-magnetic interference.

4. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the touch-screen display is an organic LED.

5. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications are one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

6. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver operative to receive location information, the location information corresponding to a physical location of the mobile computer communication interface.

7. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 6, wherein the transceiver is further operative to transmit situational awareness (SA) data to the host computer, the SA data including the location information.

8. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 7, wherein a map image is received by the transceiver from the host computer, the map image being an image of a geographical area comprising the physical location of the mobile computer communication interface.

9. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 8, wherein the map image is one of a real-time video map, a still photograph map, and a graphical representation map.

10. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 8, wherein the touch-screen display is further operative to display the SA data superimposed on the map image.

11. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising a video decoder operative to decode the video data received by the transceiver.

12. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications comprise video, voice, and information data.

13. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising one of a wrist-strap and a neck-strap, such that the user is capable of wearing the mobile computer communication interface.

14. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

15. A wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver operative to receive location information corresponding to a physical location of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface;

a transmitter operative to wirelessly transmit situational awareness (SA) data to a host computer, the SA data including the location information;

a receiver operative to wirelessly receive video data from the host computer, the video data being a map image of a geographical area comprising the physical location of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface;

a video decoder operative to decode the video data; and

a touch-screen display operative to receive inputs from the user and to display the SA data superimposed on the map image.

16. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the map image is one of a real-time video map, a still photograph map, and a graphical representation map.

17. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 16, further comprising a controller operative to wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer.

18. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 17, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

19. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, further comprising a metallic exterior cover, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface from electro-magnetic interference.

20. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the touch-screen display is an organic LED.

21. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the wireless SA data and the wireless video data are one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

22. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the transmitter and receiver wirelessly transmit and receive voice, video, and data information to and from the host computer.

23. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, further comprising at least one of an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

24. A mobile communication system comprising:

a plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprising an organic LED touch-screen display and a GPS receiver, the GPS receiver being operative to receive location information corresponding to a physical location of a respective one of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces; and

a host computer operative to wirelessly transmit and receive control, display, and information data to and from each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces being operative to transmit situational awareness (SA) data to the host computer, the SA data including the location information, and being further operative to receive a map image from the host computer, the map image being a geographical area comprising the physical location of each of the respective wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces and including the SA data associated with each of the plurality wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces.

25. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprise a controller operative to wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer.

26. The mobile communication system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

27. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprises a metallic exterior cover, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces from electro-magnetic interference.

28. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the control, display, and information data are wirelessly transmitted on one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

29. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the map image is one of a real-time video map, a still photograph map, and a graphical representation map.

30. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the touch-screen display of each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces is further operative to display the SA data superimposed on the map image.

31. A method comprising:

receiving location information of each of a plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces being worn by a respective one of a plurality of users, the location information corresponding to a physical location of the respective one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces that is receiving the location information;

transmitting situational awareness (SA) data from each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces to a host computer, the SA data including the location information of each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces;

transmitting a map image that includes the SA data associated with each of the plurality of users to at least one of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces; and

displaying the map image on a touch-screen display of at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising wirelessly accessing and controlling the host computer via at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising at least one of launching applications, inputting data to, and downloading data from the host computer via the at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmitting SA data and video data further comprises utilizing one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmitting video data further comprises transmitting one of a real-time video map, a still photograph map, and a graphical representation map.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces are each wrist mounted devices.