Using a remote handheld device as a local device

• US 20080307096A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Yang, Wang, Jian, Li, Chao, Wang, Lifeng
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

A data connection can be established between a handheld device (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) and a computerized second device. For example, an action associated with a keyboard scancode can be mapped to a key on the keypad of the handheld device. A key press on a keypad of the handheld device can be translated into key press data. The key press data can be sent to the second device over the data connection, causing the action to be executed on the second device.

Claims

1. A method of aggregating a computerized handheld device and a computerized second device, said method comprising:

establishing a data connection between said handheld device and said second device, wherein said handheld device provides mobile phone capability and wherein said establishing comprises automatically selecting a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces;

translating a key press on a keypad of said handheld device into key press data, said translating comprising mapping an action associated with a keyboard scancode to a key on said keypad of said handheld device; and

sending said key press data to said second device over said data connection to cause execution of said action on said second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said handheld device is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant;

a smartphone;

a mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said mapping is selected from a plurality of user-defined mappings resident on said handheld device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said connection interface has the highest bandwidth among said plurality of connection interfaces.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving image data from said second device via said data connection; and

rendering said image data on a display of said handheld device, wherein said rendering shows a result of executing said action on said second device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending image data captured by a camera of said handheld device to said second device via said data connection.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising mapping a sensed position of an object relative to a touchpad of said handheld device into an action executed on said second device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising said handheld device automatically detecting said second device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said handheld device is associated with a user-defined group and a password that allow said handheld device to connect with said second device.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for aggregating a computerized handheld device and a computerized second device, said components comprising:

a user interface that associates a key press on a keypad of said handheld device with a first code, wherein said handheld device has cell phone capability;

a key press simulator coupled to said user interface that associates said first code with a keyboard scancode; and

a connection manager coupled to said key press simulator that establishes a data connection between said handheld device and said second device, wherein said connection manager automatically selects a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces according to an attribute of said connection interfaces, and wherein said scancode is sent to said second device via said data connection to cause execution of a corresponding action on said second device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein said key press simulator comprises a plurality of user-defined mappings, each of said mappings associating a code generated by a key press on said keypad with a keyboard scancode, and wherein a code generated by a single key press on said keypad is associated with a combination of multiple keyboard scancodes.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising a device manager coupled to said connection manager, wherein said device manager accepts a request from said second device to use said keypad as an input device, and wherein said device manager refuses other such requests until said data connection is closed.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising a device manager coupled to said connection manager, wherein said device manager acquires image data captured by a camera of said handheld device and forwards said image data to said connection manager, which forwards said image data to said second device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein said key press simulator also associates proximity of an object to a touchpad of said handheld device into an action that is executable on said second device.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for aggregating a smartphone and a computerized second device, said components comprising:

a first virtual device driver;

a virtual bus driver coupled to said first virtual device driver; and

a connection manager coupled to said virtual bus driver, wherein said connection manager automatically detects said smartphone and also automatically selects a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces to establish a data connection between said second device and said smartphone, wherein said virtual bus driver transfers first data received via said data connection to said first virtual device driver, and wherein said first data comprises a keyboard scancode generated from a key press on a keypad of said smartphone.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising a second virtual device driver coupled to said virtual bus driver, wherein said virtual bus driver transfers second data received via said data connection to said second virtual device driver, and wherein said second data comprises image data captured by a camera of said smartphone.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising a third virtual device driver coupled to said virtual bus driver, wherein said virtual bus driver transfers third data received via said data connection to said third virtual device driver, and wherein said third data comprises a code generated in response to an object in proximity to a touchpad of said smartphone.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising a user interface coupled to said connection manager, wherein said user interface displays information indicating said smartphone has been detected.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said keyboard scancode causes an action to be executed on said second device, wherein said second device sends image data to said smartphone via said data connection, and wherein said image data when rendered on a display device of said smartphone shows a result of executing said action on said second device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said virtual device driver, said virtual bus driver and said connection manager are receptive to information received from said smartphone via said data connection when said second device is in a sleep state such that a signal from said smartphone awakens said second device.