COORDINATION OF MULTIPLE MOBILE DEVICE DISPLAYS

• US 20150084837A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mese, Murat
• Application Number:
  US14/037,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084837A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for coordination of multiple mobile device displays to display any image(s) so that each device displays an image based on its relative position in an arrangement of a plurality of mobile devices. Random configurations of uniform and non-uniform mobile device displays may be adapted as display elements in a larger display or in a related display, such as game pieces.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an arrangement detector that detects an ad hoc physical arrangement of a plurality of mobile devices, where each mobile device operates independently, has a display and is removable from the arrangement;

an image selector that selects a first image from a plurality of images to display on a first mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices based on a position of the first mobile device in the arrangement; and

the first mobile device, which displays the first image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image selector partitions an image into a plurality of partitioned images, including the plurality of images, based on the arrangement.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server that comprises the arrangement detector and image selector.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device comprises the image selector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device comprises the arrangement detector.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors, in the first mobile device, that sense information used by the arrangement detector to determine the physical arrangement.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement detector detects the physical arrangement based on an analysis of communications between the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices comprise a plurality of transceivers used to generate the communications analyzed by the arrangement detector.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement detector is triggered to re-detect the ad hoc physical arrangement in response to detection of movement by the first mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are non-uniform.

11. A method comprising:

determining an ad hoc physical arrangement of a plurality of mobile devices indicating relative positions of first and second mobile devices in the ad hoc physical arrangement, where each of the plurality of mobile devices operates independently, has a display and is removable from the arrangement;

determining a first image to display on the first mobile device based on the relative position of the first mobile device in the ad hoc physical arrangement;

determining a second image to display on the second mobile device based on the relative position of the second mobile device in the ad hoc physical arrangement; and

displaying the first image on the first mobile device and displaying the second image on the second mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

partitioning an image into the plurality of images, based on the arrangement.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that gaps between displays on the plurality of mobile devices obscure portions of the image.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensing of the ad hoc physical arrangement comprises:

determining the relative positions of the plurality of mobile devices by analyzing a plurality of communications between the plurality of mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of devices are non-uniform.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the ad hoc physical arrangement can be sensed among the group comprising two-dimensional and three dimensional arrangement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

inserting each of the plurality of devices into a form that arranges the plurality of mobile devices.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

re-sensing the ad hoc physical arrangement in response to the first mobile device detecting movement.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, by a server, the first image to the first mobile device.

20. A device comprising:

memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor;

sense an ad hoc physical arrangement of a plurality of mobile devices, where each mobile device operates independently, has a display and is removable from the arrangement;

select a first image from a plurality of images to display on a first mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices based on a position of the first mobile device in the arrangement; and

display the first image on the first mobile device.