VIRTUAL SMART PHONE

• US 20140325420A1
• Filed: 11/23/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KCG Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: KCG Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Kildevaeld, Michael Rogler
• Granted Patent: US 9,671,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention, a virtual phone is provided which includes a touch screen mounted on an enclosure that includes a processor, memory, wireless communication port, and a power port. The virtual phone further includes a software application executing on the processor to control image display on the touch screen and emulate features of a handheld device presented in the image in response to a user touching a presented feature. The virtual phone further includes a configuration of a user-specific handheld device that is derived from the user-specific handheld device is stored in a memory that is accessible to the processor; wherein the virtual phone presents a visual representation of the user-specific handheld device on the touch screen based on the configuration.

Claims

1. A virtual phone, comprising:

a touch screen mounted on an enclosure;

a processor, memory, wireless communication port, and a power port mounted in the enclosure;

a software application executing on the processor to control image display on the touch screen and emulate features of a handheld device presented in an image displayed in response to a user touching an emulated feature; and

a configuration of a user-specific handheld device that is stored in a memory that is accessible to the processor, wherein the virtual phone presents a visual representation of the user-specific handheld device on the touch screen based on the configuration independent of access to the handheld device.

2. The virtual phone of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is one of:

a resistive touch screen, capacitive touch screen, and surface acoustic wave touch screen.

3. A method of emulating a smart phone, comprising:

receiving information over a network indicative of a smart phone user interface, including physical features thereof;

receiving information over a network indicative of user-specific data associated with the smart phone;

displaying an image representative of the smart phone including actionable elements based on the user-specific data; and

facilitating, with a processor, access to at least one feature of the smart phone in response to a user interacting with at least one of the actionable elements independent of access to the smart phone.