Centralized display for mobile devices

• US 7,512,402 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pinhanez, Claudio S., Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar, Raghunath, Mandayam Thondanur
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haroon; Adeel
• Application Number:
  US10/845,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/418, 455/558, 455/420, 455/566, 703/23
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A method, information processing system and computer readable medium for emulating a mobile device on a computer is disclosed. The method includes storing an emulator program on the computer, wherein the emulator program imitates the functions and display of the mobile device. The method further includes establishing a connection between the mobile device and the computer and executing the emulator program on the computer, wherein an interface of the computer serves to interface with the emulator program. The method further includes synchronizing the emulator program and the mobile device such that the emulator program imitates in real time the functions and display of the mobile device. The method further allows the user to control and interact with the mobile devices from a centralized console on another device, such as a personal computer.

Claims

1. A method for emulating at least one of a plurality of mobile devices selected from a group consisting of:

a mobile phone, a mobile radio, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a pager, and a beeper, on an emulating computer having a larger display than the at least one of the plurality of mobile devices, the method comprising;

storing an emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein the emulator program emulates at least some functions, controls, and display of the mobile devices such that any actions or tasks that can be executed by the mobile device can also be executed by the emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein the emulator program comprises a security feature that automatically modifies a presentation function if it perceives that a user of the mobile device is not alone;

establishing a connection between the at least one of the plurality of mobile devices and the emulating computer;

displaying an emulated graphical user interface (GUI) on a display of the emulating computer such that the emulated GUI emulates a physical interface of the at least one mobile device;

executing the emulator program on the emulating computer;

interfacing with the emulator program by interacting with the emulated GUI so that at least some input/output applications of the at least one mobile device are emulated on the emulating computer, wherein the interfacing step comprises a step of modifying a requested emulated presentation function if the security feature perceives that the user is not alone;

performing on the emulating computer at least some of the functions of the at least one mobile device that are not supported by the mobile device; and

synchronizing the emulator program and the at least one mobile device such that the emulator program imitates in real time the functions and display of the at least one mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of establishing a connection further comprises:

establishing any one of a wireless and a wire-line connection between the at least one mobile device and the emulating computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of executing the emulator program further comprises:

executing the emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein one or more of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, a roller ball, a gaming input device, and a voice input device serve to interface with the emulator program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing information input between the emulating computer and the at least one mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing information input into the at least one mobile device with the emulating computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of emulator programs on the emulating computer, wherein each emulator program imitates the functions and display of a corresponding mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

establishing a connection between each of the plurality of mobile devices and the emulating computer;

executing the plurality of emulator programs on the emulating computer, wherein an interface of the emulating computer serves to interface with the plurality of emulator programs; and

synchronizing the plurality of emulator programs and the plurality of mobile devices such that each emulator program imitates in real time the functions and display of its corresponding mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the emulating computer supports the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending from the at least one mobile device to the emulating computer temporal data of a call or message received at the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending from the mobile device, an identifier of a sender of the call or the message.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending to the emulating computer at least one of:

audio or video of the call or the message received at the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the sending to the emulating computer occurs responsive to the emulating computer detecting that the mobile device is within range of the emulating computer.

12. An emulating information processing system for emulating at least one of a plurality of mobile devices selected from a group consisting of:

a mobile phone, a mobile radio, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a pager, and a beeper, the system comprising;

an emulator program stored in the memory of an emulator computer, wherein the emulator program imitates functions and display of the at least one mobile device on said emulator computer and provides functions not supported by the at least one mobile device, wherein the emulator program comprises a security feature that automatically modifies a presentation function if it perceives that a user of the mobile device is not alone;

a communication interface for establishing a connection between the mobile device and the emulator computer, the communication interface coupled with a graphical user interface for establishing a connection interacting with the at least one mobile device from the emulator computer;

a display comprising the graphical user interface for displaying the same buttons, display and other input/output mechanisms as the at least one mobile device, wherein the display is larger than a display on the at least one mobile device;

a processor configured for executing the emulator program such that the graphical user interface serves to interface with the at least one mobile device and for synchronizing the emulator program and the mobile device such that the emulator program imitates in real time the functions and display of the at least one mobile device.

13. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, wherein the communication interface comprises any one of a wireless and a wire-line connection between the at least one mobile device and the emulating information processing system.

14. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, wherein the information processing system includes at least one of:

a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, a roller ball, a gaming input device, and a voice input device that serves to interface with the emulator program.

15. The emulating information processing system of claim 14 further comprising a module residing in the mobile device configured to perceive when the mobile device is within range of the emulating computer.

16. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting to the at least one mobile device information input into the information processing system.

17. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving from the at least one mobile device information input into the mobile device.

18. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, wherein the memory comprises a read-only memory.

19. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, wherein the memory comprises a random-access memory.

20. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, wherein the processor comprises an application specific integrated circuit.

21. The emulating information processing system of claim 12, further comprising:

a display for displaying a graphical user interface of the emulator program, wherein the graphical user interface is a larger-sized emulation of an interface of the mobile device.

22. The emulating information processing system of claim 12 wherein the system supports the mobile device.

23. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program product for emulating an mobile device on an emulating computer, the computer program product comprising instructions for:

storing an emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein the emulator program imitates at least some of the functions, controls, and display of the mobile device such that any actions or tasks that can be executed by the mobile device can also be executed by the emulator program on the computer, and wherein the emulator program comprises a security feature;

establishing a connection between the mobile device and the emulating computer;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on a monitor of the emulating computer such that the GUI is identical to a physical interface of the mobile device;

executing the emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein an interface of the emulating computer serves to interface with the emulator program, wherein the executing instruction comprises instructions for modifying a requested emulated presentation function if the security feature perceives that the user is not alone; and

synchronizing the emulator program and the mobile device such that the emulator program imitates in real time the functions and display of the mobile device; and

detecting that the mobile device is within range of the connection between the mobile device and the emulating computer.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions for storing further comprise instructions for:

enabling the emulator program to imitate the functions and display of the mobile device.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions for establishing a connection further comprise instructions for:

establishing any one of a wireless and a wire-line connection between the mobile device and the emulating computer.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions for executing further comprise instructions for:

executing the emulator program on the emulating computer, wherein at least one of;

a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, a roller ball, a gaming input device, and a voice input device serve to interface with the emulator program.