Methods and systems for providing audio and video telephone communications using a personal computer and a television

• US 6,151,490 A
• Filed: 12/02/1996
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas G. Brown
• Original Assignee: Douglas G. Brown
• Inventors: Schultheiss, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/759,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/19, 348/17, 358/160, 358/85, 379/93, 379/56, 379/102.01, 379/102.03, 341/176, 455/403, 455/418-420
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS

Abstract

A personal computer is used to provide audio and/or video telephone communications. Audio telephone communications are provided by using a personal computer to relay audio telephone communications between external telephone networks and a unified television/personal computer wireless remote control. A personal computer may also be used to relay audio and/or video telephone communications between external telephone networks and a television. For video telephone communications, a television interface unit is provided which includes a wireless communications transceiver, a camera and a microphone. An infrared converter may also be included to convert received television commands into infrared television commands.

Claims

1. A general purpose personal computer comprising:

a housing containing therein a processor and memory;

a display responsive to the processor;

a telephone interface in the housing, which obtains telephone communications from an external telephone network and sends telephone communications to the external telephone network; and

a wireless communications transceiver in the housing, which is responsive to the processor and to the telephone interface, to wirelessly transmit telephone communications which are obtained from the external telephone network to external of the housing, and to wirelessly receive telephone communications from external of the housing and provide the received telephone communications to the telephone interface, wherein the wireless communications transceiver wirelessly transmits telephone communications to a wireless remote control external of the housing and wirelessly transmits to a television external of the housing.

2. A personal computer according to claim 1 wherein the external telephone interface comprises at least one of an audio telephone interface and a video telephone interface.

3. A personal computer according to claim 2 wherein the at least one of an audio telephone interface and a video telephone interface comprises at least one of a wire telephone interface and an internet interface.

4. A personal computer according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications transceiver further comprises:

a remote control receiver, which is responsive to wireless remote control signals, to control the processor and manipulate information in the memory.

5. A personal computer according to claim 4 wherein the remote control receiver is an infrared television remote control receiver.

6. A personal computer according to claim 1 in combination with a unified television/personal computer/telephone wireless remote control, which transmits remote control commands to a television in response to user inputs, which also transmits personal computer commands to the wireless communications transceiver in the housing in response to user inputs, and which also communicates telephone communications with the wireless communications transceiver.

7. A personal computer according to claim 1 in combination with a radio frequency remote control, which transmits personal computer commands and television remote control signals to the wireless communications transceiver in response to user inputs.

8. A personal computer according to claim 1 in further combination with a television interface unit, the television interface unit comprising:

a wireless communications receiver which receives telephone communications from the personal computer and which also receives television remote control commands from the personal computer; and

a converter which is responsive to the wireless communications receiver, and which converts the received television remote control commands into infrared television remote control commands.

9. A personal computer according to claim 8 wherein the television interface unit further comprises:

a television camera;

a microphone; and

a radio frequency transmitter which is responsive to the television camera and to the microphone, to transmit video telephone communications to the personal computer.

10. A method of providing telephone communications using a personal computer, comprising the steps of:

obtaining at the personal computer, telephone communications from an external telephone network;

wirelessly receiving telephone remote control signals at the personal computer, in response to user inputs at a wireless remote control; and

wirelessly transmitting the telephone communications from the personal computer to the wireless remote control wirelessly transmitting the telephone communications from the personal computer to a television.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the obtaining step comprises the step of obtaining audio telephone communications or video telephone communications from the external telephone network.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the external telephone network is at least one of a wired telephone network and the internet.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting video telephone communications to the television.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein the wirelessly receiving step comprises the step of receiving infrared telephone remote control signals at the personal computer.

15. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of:

wirelessly transmitting video telephone communication control signals from the wireless remote control to the television, in response to user inputs at the wireless remote control.

16. A method according to claim 10:

wherein the step of wirelessly receiving comprises the step of wirelessly receiving audio telephone communications at the personal computer from the wireless remote control; and

wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting audio telephone communications from the personal computer to the wireless remote control.

17. A method according to claim 10 wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting video telephone communications from the personal computer to the television;

and

wherein the method further comprises the step of wirelessly receiving video telephone communications at the personal computer from a remote unit.

18. A video telephone system comprising:

a personal computer interface, adapted for use with a personal computer, and including a video telephone network interface and a first radio frequency transceiver which transmits video telephone communications and receives video telephone communications; and

a television interface, adapted for use with a television, and including a second radio frequency transceiver which receives video telephone communications from the personal computer interface, and which applies the received video telephone communications to a television for display, and which also includes a video camera and a microphone to provide video telephone communications to the second radio frequency transceiver, for transmission to the first radio frequency transceiver; and

a wireless remote control, including a user interface which accepts user input commands to remotely control a television external of the personal computer, and a third radio frequency transmitter which transmits radio frequency remote control signals to the first radio frequency transceiver to remotely control the personal computer in response to user input commands at the user interface.

19. A video telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the personal computer interface also relays television remote control signals which are received by the first radio frequency transceiver, to the second radio frequency transceiver.

20. A video telephone system according to claim 19 wherein the personal computer interface also receives personal computer commands from the first radio frequency transceiver, and relays the personal computer commands to a personal computer.

21. A video telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the personal computer interface is contained on a card which connects to a personal computer motherboard in a personal computer housing.

22. A video telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the television interface further comprises a radio frequency switch which switches a video input of a television, between the received video telephone communications and an external video source.

23. A video telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the wireless remote control user interface also accepts user input commands to remotely control a personal computer, and wherein the radio frequency transmitter also transmits radio frequency personal computer control signals to the first radio frequency transceiver to remotely control a personal computer in response to user input commands at the user interface.

24. A video telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the television interface further converts received television remote control signals into infrared television remote control signals.

26. An interface according to claim 18 wherein the radio frequency transceiver also wirelessly receives personal computer commands, and relays the personal computer commands to a personal computer.

25. A telephone communications interface for a general purpose personal computer comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver which wirelessly transmits and receives telephone communications and television and wirelessly transmits to under control of a personal computer; and

an external telephone network interface which transmits and receives the telephone communications between the radio frequency transceiver and an external wire telephone network, under control of the personal computer.

27. An interface according to claim 25 wherein the radio frequency transceiver and the external telephone network interface are contained on a card which connects to a personal computer motherboard in a personal computer housing.