Mobile device methods for enabling pervasive wireless digital media

• US 8,169,649 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US12/581,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 358/1.1, 358/1.6, 358/1.9, 358/1.2, 358/1.5, 358/1.11, 358/400, 358/401, 358/407, 358/468, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/437, 358/438, 358/439, 347/2, 347/3, 347/5, 347/14, 347/23, 399/1, 399/8, 455/3.01, 455/557, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1258 by updating job settings at the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 : in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 : Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 : Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/181 : Receiving print data characterized by its formatting, e.g. particular page description languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1836 : Rasterization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 : Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 : with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 : Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 : the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 : providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 : Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00938 : Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications program loading in general G06F9/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32534 : details of interfacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32582 : Output interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 : involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 : using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 : Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 : using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Mobile device methods for enabling pervasive wireless digital media communication. A wireless digital media ecosystem may include a mobile Information apparatus such as a smart phone, an internet or information Pad, and may further include other wireless devices such as televisions, media players, media output controllers, printers, projectors, and another information apparatus. This disclosure teaches adding a wireless communication unit to the mobile information apparatus for digital media access, sharing, and transferring with the wireless communication unit. The mobile information apparatus may further perform wireless discovery and may establish a wireless connection to one or more wireless output devices such as the television. Authentication using security keys may be added for digital security. Digital content may be encoded and compressed at the mobile information apparatus prior to transferring to the one or more wireless output devices over the established wireless connection.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile data output method for rendering content to a wireless output device from a wireless information apparatus, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device, the wireless information apparatus including a wireless communication unit for communicating with one or more wireless output devices, the wireless information apparatus further including a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless mobile data output method comprising:

obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of a content and displaying at least part of the content over the graphical user interface to the user;

opening, at the wireless information apparatus, a wireless communication channel;

receiving, at the wireless information apparatus and over the wireless communication channel, at least an indication related to the wireless output device;

selecting, at the wireless information apparatus, a selected wireless output device based, at least in part, on the received indication;

conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images, the one or more output images being encoded in one or more image layers;

generating, at the wireless information apparatus, a device independent intermediate output data that includes said one or more output images, at least one image layer including output images encoded with compression, and the device independent intermediate output data conforming to a predefined or standard compression method, format or language;

establishing a wireless connection between the wireless information apparatus and the selected wireless output device;

transmitting, over the wireless connection, the device independent intermediate output data from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device for rendering of the content.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising searching wirelessly, at the wireless information apparatus, for wireless output devices available for wireless communication;

and discovering one or more wireless output devices.

3. The method of claim 1 in which establishing a wireless connection with the selected wireless output device further comprises authenticating wireless access to the selected wireless output device that includes sending, over the wireless communication channel, one or more of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, signatures, physical or digital security keys, biometrics, fingerprints, and a voice.

4. The method according to claim 1 in which the one or more output images includes one or more of audio data, video data, and image data.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting, over the wireless connection to the selected wireless output device, payment information as payment for rendering of the content at the selected wireless output device.

6. The method of claim 1 in which encoding the one or more output images in one or more image layers includes encoding each image layer with a distinct resolution.

7. The method according to claim 1 in which the wireless information apparatus is one of a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, a digital camera, and a PDA.

8. A wireless mobile data output method for rendering content to one or more wireless output devices from a wireless information apparatus, the content including at least one of an image, graphics, text, video and audio data and being at least partly accessible with the wireless information apparatus, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the one or more wireless output devices and including a wireless communication unit for communicating with the one or more wireless output devices, the wireless information apparatus further including a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless mobile data output method comprising:

opening a wireless communication channel at the wireless information apparatus;

receiving, over the wireless communication channel, at least an indication associated with the one or more wireless output devices,

authenticating wireless access to the one or more wireless output devices by sending, over the wireless communication channel, one or more security keys, and if the authentication associated with an output device is successful, establishing a secured wireless access from the wireless information apparatus to the output device;

obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images and encoding the one or more output images into one or more image layers, at least one image layer including includes encoding with compression;

generating, at the wireless information apparatus, a device independent intermediate output data that includes said one or more output images, the device independent intermediate output data conforming at least partly to a predefined or standard compression method, format or language; and

delivering the device independent intermediate output data over the secured wireless access to the output device for rendering of the content.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising searching wirelessly, at the wireless information apparatus, for wireless output devices available for wireless communication;

discovering one or more wireless output devices; and

selecting a wireless output device found in the search based, at least in part, on the received indication from the one or more wireless output devices over the wireless communication channel.

10. The method according to claim 8 further comprising obtaining user preferences over the graphical user interface of the wireless information apparatus, the preferences relating to parameters for rendering of the content at the one or more wireless output devices.

11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising transmitting payment information over the secured wireless access as payment for rendering of the content at the output device.

12. The method of claim 8 in which the one or more security keys comprises one or more of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, signatures, physical or digital security keys, biometrics, fingerprints, and a voice.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the one or more wireless output devices include one or more of a display device, a projection device, a printing device, and an audio output device.

14. The method of claim 8 in which the conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images further includes one or more of a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, an interpolation operation, a decoding operation, an encoding operation, a color correction operation, a color space transformation, a color matching operation, a halftoning operation, an image processing operation, an image enhancement, a segmentation, a digital watermark, a conversion operation, a smoothing operation, an anti-aliasing operation, an encryption operation, and a compression operation.

15. A method of mobile wireless data output from a wireless information apparatus with access to at least part of content to a wireless output device, wherein the wireless information apparatus includes at least one wireless communication unit for communicating with one or more wireless output devices, and a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device, the mobile wireless data output method comprising:

obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

opening a wireless communication channel;

discovering wirelessly one or more wireless output devices that are available for wireless connection;

receiving, over the wireless communication channel, an attribute corresponding to each discovered wireless output device, the attribute including one or more of a name, an identity, a device type, a device address, and an indication of a supported output device profile;

selecting a wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices based, at least in part, on the received attribute;

obtaining a security key at the wireless information apparatus, the security key enabling wireless data transfer to the selected wireless output device;

sending at least part of the security key over the wireless communication channel and requesting the selected wireless output device to open a secured wireless connection for data transfer;

receiving, over the wireless communication channel, a response related to an authentication; and

if the received response is positive, establishing a secured wireless access between the wireless information apparatus and the selected wireless output device;

conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into output data encoded with a format or language for transmitting to the selected wireless output device; and

transmitting the output data from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device over said secured wireless connection for rendering of the content.

16. The method according to claim 15 in which the wireless information apparatus is one of a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, a digital camera, and a PDA.

17. The method of claim 15 in which said security key comprises at least one of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, signatures, physical or digital security key, biometrics, fingerprints, and a voice.

18. The method of claim 15 in which the output data includes compressed data and comprising one or more of audio data, video data, and image data.

19. The method of claim 15 in which conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into output data comprises conforming the at least part of the content into device dependent output data that is related, at least in part, to the attribute received over the wireless communication channel and from the selected wireless output device.

20. The method of claim 15 in which conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into output data comprises conforming the at least part of the content into device independent output data that is related, at least in part, to a predefined or standard compression, format or language.