Information processing apparatus and method and display control apparatus and method

• US 6,574,488 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Sawai, Kunihito
• Primary Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/732,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/557, 455/566, 379/355.05, 379/355.07, 379/354, 379/355.02
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32523 a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 : Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

The invention is intended to allow a plurality of users to share a single apparatus while securing the privacy of each user. A terminal is made portable and detachable from a base. Data exchange by radio is made possible between the base and the terminal, and E-mail or facsimile data that is received by the base through a telephone circuit is stored in the terminal. A user can remove the terminal from the base and carry it to his room, and can display a stored E-mail message or facsimile data there.

Claims

1. A portable wireless information processing apparatus comprising;

a storing means for storing E-mail addresses and telephone numbers of a plurality of persons to be accessed through a telephone network;

a manipulation means to be manipulated in accessing a desired person through the telephone network;

a first display means for displaying, when an instruction to access a certain person by E-mail is made, a correlation table of the E-mail address and the telephone numbers of the respective persons and information necessary to transmit E-mail at the same time;

a second display means for displaying, when an instruction to access a certain person by telephone is made, a correlation table corresponding to that displayed by the first display means and image information necessary for access by telephone at the same time;

a third display means for displaying control of an electric apparatus in a house to be controlled through said telephone network when a home net instruction is accessed; and

an accessing means for accessing, when one person is selected from the correlation table, the selected person through the telephone network.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information displayed by the first display means is a message to be transmitted by E-mail.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information displayed by the second display means is an image of the accessed person.

4. An information processing method for processing information in a portable wireless information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

a storing step of storing E-mail addresses and telephone numbers of a plurality of persons to be accessed through a telephone network;

a manipulation step in which a manipulation is made in accessing a desired person through the telephone network;

a first display step of displaying, when an instruction to access a certain person by E-mail is made, a correlation table of the E-mail addresses and the telephone numbers of the respective persons and information necessary to transmit E-mail at the same time;

a second display step of displaying, when an instruction to access a certain person by telephone, a correlation table corresponding to that displayed by the first display means and information necessary for access by telephone at the same time;

a third display step of displaying, when an instruction to access controls of an electric apparatus in a house to be controlled through said telephone network when a home net instruction is accessed; and

an accessing step of accessing, when one person is selected from the correlation table, the selected person through the telephone network.

5. A display control apparatus for controlling display of information on a portable wireless display device, comprising:

first display means for displaying first information necessary to access a certain person who is determined by an E-mail address;

second display means for displaying second information necessary to access a certain person who is determined by a telephone number;

third display means for displaying control of an electric apparatus in a house to be controlled through said telephone network when a home net instruction is accessed;

first manipulation means to be displayed together with the first information and to be manipulated in making a transition from a state that the first information is displayed to a state that the second information is displayed; and

second manipulation means to be displayed together with the second information and the to be manipulated in making a transition from the state that the second information is displayed to the state that the first information is displayed.

6. The display control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second manipulation means is a button displayed on the display device.

7. A display control method for controlling display of information on a portable wireless display device, comprising:

a first step of displaying first information necessary to access a certain person who is determined by an E-mail address;

a second step of displaying second information necessary to access a certain person who is determined by a telephone number;

a third step of displaying, together with the first information, a first manipulation portion to be manipulated in making a transition from a state that the first information is displayed to a state that the second information is displayed;

a fourth step of displaying, together with the second information, a second manipulation portion to be manipulated in making a transition from the state that the second information is displayed to the state that the first information is displayed; and

a fifth step of displaying third information necessary to control an electric apparatus in a house through a telephone network when a home net instruction is accessed.