Using a remote handheld device as a local device

• US 7,949,708 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Yang, Li, Chao, Wang, Lifeng, Wang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yohannes; Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US11/811,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/203, 709/208
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

A data connection can be established between a handheld device (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) and a computerized second device. For example, an action associated with a keyboard scancode can be mapped to a key on the keypad of the handheld device. A key press on a keypad of the handheld device can be translated into key press data. The key press data can be sent to the second device over the data connection, causing the action to be executed on the second device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

establishing a device-to-device data connection between a computerized handheld device and a computerized second device, said computerized handheld device having a keypad and mobile phone capability, said computerized second device having a local keyboard, wherein said establishing comprises automatically selecting a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces when said computerized handheld device and said computerized second device discover each other;

receiving, at said computerized handheld device, a request to make said keypad of said computerized handheld device act as a local input device of said computerized second device, said request sent from said computerized second device over said data connection;

translating, at said computerized handheld device, a key press on said keypad of said computerized handheld device into key press data, said translating comprising mapping an action that is executable by said computerized second device and associated with a particular keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized second device to a key on said keypad of said computerized handheld device by mapping a code associated with said key press on said keypad of said computerized handheld device to said particular keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized second device that executes said action on said computerized second device; and

sending said key press data to said computerized second device over said data connection to cause execution of said action on said computerized second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said computerized handheld device is one of a personal digital assistant having mobile phone capability, a smartphone, and a cell phone.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a mapping to be used for an application resident on said computerized second device from a plurality of user-defined mappings resident on said computerized handheld device, each of said plurality of user-defined mappings being associated with a different application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting said connection interface from said plurality of connection interfaces comprises selecting one of an infrared connection interface and a Bluetooth®

connection interface.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving image data from said computerized second device via said data connection; and

rendering said image data on a display of said computerized handheld device, wherein said rendering shows a result of executing said action on said computerized second device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending image data captured by a camera of said computerized handheld device to said computerized second device via said data connection.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising mapping a sensed position of an object relative to a touchpad of said computerized handheld device to keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized second device that executes an action on said computerized second device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said computerized handheld device and said computerized second device automatically discover each other when said computerized handled device is within communication range of said computerized second device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said computerized handheld device is associated with a user-defined group and a password that allow said computerized handheld device to connect with said computerized second device.

10. A computer-readable storage medium that does not consist of a signal, said computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable components that, when executed by a computerized handheld device, perform a method for aggregating said computerized handheld device and a computerized second device, said computer-executable components comprising:

a connection manager that establishes a device-to-device data connection between said computerized handheld device and said computerized second device, said computerized handheld device having a keypad and mobile phone capability, said computerized second device having a local keyboard, wherein said connection manager automatically selects a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces when said computerized handheld device and said computerized second device discover each other;

a device manager coupled to said connection manager that receives a request to make said keypad of said computerized handheld device act as a local input device of said computerized second device, said request sent from said computerized second device over said data connection;

a user interface that associates a key press on said keypad of said computerized handheld device with a first code;

a key press simulator coupled to said user interface that translates key presses of said computerized handheld device into key press data by mapping actions executable by said computerized second device and associated with particular keyboard scancodes of said keyboard of said computerized second device to keys on said keypad of said computerized handheld device, wherein said key press simulator maps said first code to a particular keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized second device that executes a corresponding action on said computerized second device, and wherein said key press data is sent to said computerized second device over said data connection to cause execution of said corresponding action on said computerized second device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said key press simulator selects a mapping to be used for an application resident on said computerized second device from a plurality of user-defined mappings, each of said plurality of user-defined mappings being associated with a different application.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said device manager:

accepts said request sent from said computerized second device over said data connection to make said keypad of said computerized handheld device act as a local input device of said computerized second device, and

refuses other requests from other computerized devices to make said keypad of said computerized handheld device act as a local input device of said other computerized devices until said data connection is closed.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein:

said device manager acquires image data captured by a camera of said computerized handheld device and forwards said image data to said connection manager, and

said connection manager forwards said image data to said computerized second device over said data connection.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein said key press simulator maps proximity of an object to a touchpad of said computerized handheld device to keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized second device that executes an action on said computerized second device.

15. A computer-readable storage medium that does not consist of a signal, said computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable components that, when executed by a computerized device, perform a method for aggregating a smartphone and said computerized device, said computer-executable components comprising:

a first virtual device driver;

a virtual bus driver coupled to said first virtual device driver;

a connection manager that automatically detects said smartphone when in communication range of said computerized device and automatically selects a connection interface from a plurality of connection interfaces to establish a device-to-device data connection between said computerized device and said smartphone; and

a virtual device manager coupled to said connection manager that sends a request to make a keypad of said smartphone act as a local input device of said computerized device over said data connection to said smartphone, wherein;

when said request is accepted by said smartphone, said virtual device manager requests said virtual bus driver to plug in said first virtual device driver to represent said keypad of said smartphone to an operating system of said computerized device,

said virtual bus driver transfers first data received over said data connection from said smartphone to said first virtual device driver,

said first data comprises a particular keyboard scancode of a keyboard of said computerized device that is associated with an action executable by said computerized device, and

said first data is generated by said smartphone in response to mapping a code associated with a key press on said keypad of said smartphone to said particular keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized device that executes said action on said computerized device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 further comprising a second virtual device driver coupled to said virtual bus driver, wherein:

said virtual bus driver transfers second data received over said data connection from said smartphone to said second virtual device driver, and

said second data comprises image data captured by a camera of said smartphone.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 further comprising a third virtual device driver coupled to said virtual bus driver, wherein:

said virtual bus driver transfers third data received over said data connection from said smart phone to said third virtual device driver, and

said third data comprises a keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized device generated by said smartphone in response to mapping proximity of an object to a touchpad of said smartphone to keyboard scancode of said keyboard of said computerized device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 further comprising a user interface coupled to said connection manager, wherein said user interface displays information indicating said smartphone has been detected.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein:

said particular keyboard scancode causes said action to be executed on said computerized device,

said computerized device sends image data to said smartphone via said data connection, and

said image data when rendered on a display device of said smartphone shows a result of executing said action on said second device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein said first virtual device driver, said virtual bus driver, and said connection manager are receptive to information received from said smartphone over said data connection when said computerized device is in a sleep state such that a signal sent from said smartphone over said data connection awakens said second device.