DUAL PURPOSE MOBILE DEVICE USINGULTRA WIDE BAND COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20070293261A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: CHUNG, Woo Cheol
• Application Number:
  US11/424,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A mobile phone, such as a personal cellular telephone, includes a pointer movement mechanism and a UWB transmitter. The pointer movement mechanism detects instructions issued by a user to move a graphical pointer or cursor. The UWB transmitter transmits signals that implement those instructions to a UWB receiver coupled to a computer system. In this manner, the mobile phone can be used as a relatively long-range wireless pointing device for the computer system.

Claims

1. A mobile device including computer-executable components, comprising:

a phone manager configured to handle phone calls made by and/or to the mobile device;

an ultra-wideband transceiver for transmitting/receiving signals in accordance with a Wireless Universal Serial Bus (“

W-USB”

) standard; and

a pointer manager configured to detect an input instruction related to a pointer movement and to cause a signal based on the input instruction to be transmitted using the ultra-wideband transceiver to a host computer.

2. The mobile device recited in claim 1, wherein the phone manager is further configured to instruct the pointer manager to terminate a pointer mode upon a phone call event occurring.

3. The mobile device recited in claim 2, wherein the phone call event comprises an incoming phone call or an event indicating an initiation of an outgoing phone call.

4. The mobile device recited in claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband transceiver is further configured to operate in one or more frequency bands from approximately 3 GHz to approximately 11 GHz.

5. The mobile device recited in claim 4, wherein the frequency band of operation comprises a bandwidth of 7.5 GHz or any ultra wideband range.

6. The mobile device recited in claim 1, wherein the pointer manager is further configured to terminate a pointer mode upon an indication that a phone call event has occurred.

7. The mobile device recited in claim 6, wherein the phone call event comprises an incoming phone call or an event indicating an initiation of an outgoing phone call.

8. A method for communicating pointer information from a mobile device to a host computer, comprising:

initiating a pointer mode on a mobile device;

receiving an instruction pertaining to pointer movement; and

transmitting a signal associated with the instruction to the host computer using an ultra-wideband universal serial bus transmitter.

9. The method recited in claim 8, further comprising switching the mobile device from the pointer mode to a normal mode, the normal mode being operative to handle phone calls on the mobile device.

10. The method recited in claim 9, further comprising handling the phone call on the mobile device.

11. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the signal is transmitted in a frequency band or multiple frequency bands from approximately 3 GHz to approximately 11 GHz.

12. The method recited in claim 11, wherein the frequency band comprises an operating bandwidth of approximately 7.5 GHz or any ultra wideband range.

13. A method for switching between modes of operation on a mobile device, comprising:

initiating a pointer mode on the mobile device;

detecting an incoming phone call on the mobile device;

switching the mobile device from the pointer mode to a normal mode, the normal mode being operative to handle phone calls on the mobile device; and

handling the phone call on the mobile device.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the mobile device is operative, while in the pointer mode, to transmit pointing instructions to a host computer using an ultra-wideband universal serial bus transmitter.

15. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the pointing instructions are transmitted in a frequency band or multiple frequency bands from approximately 3 GHz to approximately 11 GHz.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the frequency band comprises an operating bandwidth of approximately 7.5 GHz or any ultra wideband range.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for communicating pointer information from a mobile device to a host computer, the instructions comprising:

initiating a pointer mode on a mobile device;

receiving an instruction pertaining to pointer movement; and

transmitting a signal associated with the instruction to the host computer using an ultra-wideband universal serial bus transmitter.

18. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 17, further comprising switching the mobile device from the pointer mode to a normal mode, the normal mode being operative to handle phone calls on the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 18, further comprising handling the phone call on the mobile device.

20. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the signal is transmitted in a frequency band or multiple frequency bands from approximately 3 GHz to approximately 11 GHz.

21. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the frequency band comprises an operating bandwidth of approximately 7.5 GHz or any ultra wideband range.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for switching between modes of operation on a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

initiating a pointer mode on the mobile device;

detecting an incoming phone call on the mobile device;

switching the mobile device from the pointer mode to a normal mode, the normal mode being operative to handle phone calls on the mobile device; and

handling the phone call on the mobile device.

23. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 22, wherein the mobile device is operative, while in the pointer mode, to transmit pointing instructions to a host computer using an ultra-wideband universal serial bus transmitter.

24. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 23, wherein the pointing instructions are transmitted in a frequency band or multiple frequency bands from approximately 3 GHz to approximately 11 GHz.

25. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 24, wherein the frequency band comprises an operating bandwidth of approximately 7.5 GHz or any ultra wideband range.

26. A system for communicating pointer information from a mobile device to a host computer, the instructions comprising:

means for initiating a pointer mode on a mobile device;

means for receiving an instruction pertaining to pointer movement; and

means for transmitting a signal associated with the instruction to the host computer using an ultra-wideband universal serial bus transmitter.

27. A system for switching between modes of operation on a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

means for initiating a pointer mode on the mobile device;

means for detecting an incoming phone call on the mobile device;

means for switching the mobile device from the pointer mode to a normal mode, the normal mode being operative to handle phone calls on the mobile device; and

means for handling the phone call on the mobile device.