Internet-pad specification, the internet-pad specification may include a touch sensitive screen, a digital camera, a document application, an e-mail application, icons over the touch sensitive screen for user selection, a wireless communication unit for wireless connectivity, a digital content application for playing digital content, and an operating system supporting application programming interface (API)

• US 8,332,521 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• 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): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Lin
• Application Number:
  US12/903,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/227, 358/1.15, 455/3.01, 455/557, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 : Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 : Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 : Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 : Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

An Internet-Pad is disclosed and enabled. The Internet-Pad is a mobile digital Pad with access to Internet. The product specification of the Internet-Pad may include a digital camera, a touch sensitive screen, a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen, an e-mail application, an editing application, an Internet browsing application, an Internet-Pad operating system, and a wireless communication unit for accessing a wireless network. The e-mail application including a GUI with icons over the touch sensitive screen for selection. The Internet-Pad operating system may provide an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate one or more applications to run at the Internet-Pad. The Internet-Pad may include applications for managing digital documents, audio digital content, or video digital content for rendering or playing. The digital content may be encoded, encrypted, or compressed. The Internet-Pad may wireless synchronize, transfer, or stream the digital content to other devices.

Claims

1. An Internet-Pad system having one or more applications with access to digital content, said Internet-Pad system being a wireless mobile information apparatus and including a digital Pad with access to the Internet, the Internet-Pad system comprising:

a touch sensitive screen;

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen;

a digital camera;

an image acquisition application;

a processing unit;

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content;

a document creation application;

a document editing application;

an e-mail application, the e-mail application including a user interface over the touch sensitive screen for selecting, by the user, icons or functions of the e-mail application;

an Internet browsing application with access to at least part of the digital content;

an operating system in the Internet-Pad system providing an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate one or more applications at the Internet-Pad system;

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency link controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Pad system and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Pad system;

an output manager to facilitate managing of digital documents or the digital content at the Internet-Pad system; and

means for discovering, with the wireless communication unit, one or more wireless output devices for wireless connection,

means for enabling selection, over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad system, a selected wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices available for wireless connection with Internet-Pad system,

means for obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Pad system,

means for sending information related to the authentication or security information over the secure radio frequency wireless communication connection and through the wireless communication unit to the selected wireless output device, and

means for establishing a secure radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Pad system and the selected wireless output device for sending the digital documents or the digital content from the Internet-Pad system to the selected wireless output device, employing at least in part the authentication or security information obtained at the Internet-Pad system; and

wherein, the Internet-Pad system is operable for;

receiving, by the output manager, at least part of the digital content, the receiving of the digital content being facilitated at least in part by the Internet-Pad operating system and over the object model or the application programming interface (API),

conforming, by the Internet-Pad system, output data from at least part of the digital content, the conformed output data being in accordance to a format, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless communication connection, and

sending, by the Internet-Pad system, at least part of the output data for output or rendering of at least part of the digital content at the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless communication connection via the wireless communication unit;

whereby, the Internet-Pad system enables one or more applications included in the Internet-Pad system for sending at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Pad system to the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless communication connection established between the Internet-Pad system and the selected wireless output device.

2. The Internet-Pad system of claim 1, in which the Internet-Pad system is further operable for:

receiving, by the output manager and from the image acquisition application, at least part of image data,

generating, by the output manager, output data from at least part of the image data, and

sending, by the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Pad system, at least part of the output data for output of the image data at the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless communication connection.

3. The Internet-Pad system of claim 1 in which the output manager in the Internet-Pad system for managing output of the digital content to a selected wireless output device is further operable for:

receiving, by the output manager at the Internet-Pad system and over said established secure radio frequency wireless connection, one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device being related to one or more of;

sending output data from the Internet-Pad system to the selected wireless output device,

generating the output data at the Internet-Pad system, and

driving the selected wireless output device from the Internet-Pad system, individually or in any combination.

4. The Internet-Pad system of claim 3 in which the one or more components or data received at the Internet-Pad system from the selected wireless output device being one or more of:

a software component, a user interface, identity or identification information associated with the wireless output device, a device dependent parameter associated with the selected wireless output device, security information, and status information associated with outputting digital content at the selected wireless output device, individually or in any combination.

5. The Internet-Pad system of claim 1 in which the means for enabling selection of a selected wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices further includes:

means for displaying, through the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad system, one or more discovered wireless output devices, and

means for receiving, from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen from the user, a selected wireless output device from among the one or more wireless output devices discovered in the wireless search.

6. The Internet-Pad system of claim 1 in which conforming, by the output manager in the Internet-Pad system, output data from the digital content includes at least one of an encryption operation, a decryption operation, a decoding operation, an encoding operation, a decompression operation, or a compression operation, individually or in any combination.

7. A method for sending digital content from an Internet-Pad to an output device over wireless communication, said Internet-Pad being a wireless mobile information apparatus and including a digital Pad with access to the Internet, the Internet-Pad including:

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of digital content,

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition,

a document creation application,

a document editing application,

an e-mail application including a user interface over the touch sensitive screen for selecting, by the user, icons or functions of the e-mail application,

an Internet browsing application installed or included in the Internet-Pad,

an operating system in the Internet-Pad providing an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate one or more applications in the Internet-Pad accessing a service,

output manager software for managing output of digital document or digital content to the output device, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Pad and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Pad,

the Internet-Pad method comprising;

discovering, with the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Pad over wireless communication, the one or more wireless output devices;

receiving, over the graphical user interface of the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad, at least an indication related to a selected wireless output device from among the one or more wireless output devices discovered over wireless communication with the wireless communication unit;

obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Pad;

sending, from the Internet-Pad, information related to the authentication or security information through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Pad and over a radio frequency wireless communication connection for establishing a secure radio frequency wireless connection between the Internet-Pad and the selected wireless output device;

receiving at least an indication of a selected digital document or digital content over the graphical user interface and over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad from the user;

receiving, by the output manager software in the Internet-Pad, at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from the Internet-Pad operating system, the receiving of at least part of the selected digital document or digital content being facilitated, at least in part, by the object model or the application programming interface (API) provided by the Internet-Pad operating system;

processing an operation that includes at least one of an encryption, a decryption, an encoding, a decoding, a compression, or a decompressing operation, individually or in any combination, by the output manager software in the Internet-Pad, on at least part of the selected digital document or digital content at the Internet-Pad;

generating, by the output manager software in the Internet-Pad, output data from at least part of the selected digital document or digital content, the generated output data being in accordance to a format, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection, and said generating the output data from the selected digital document or digital content includes the at least one operation processed by the output manager software at the Internet-Pad; and

sending, through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Pad and over the secure radio frequency wireless connection, at least part of the output data to the selected wireless output device for output or rendering of at least part of the selected digital document or digital content;

whereby, the Internet-Pad is enabled to output or to render at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection established between the Internet-Pad and the selected wireless output device.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the Internet-Pad further includes a digital camera for image data acquisition, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the Internet-Pad, at least part of image data from the digital camera,

generating, at the Internet-Pad, output data from at least part of the image data, and

sending, from the Internet-Pad, at least part of the output data to the selected wireless output device for output of the image data, the sending of the output data being over the secure radio frequency wireless connection and via the wireless communication unit.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving, at the Internet-Pad and over said secure radio frequency wireless connection, one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device being related to generating output data at the Internet-Pad, and the generating of the output data from at least part of the selected digital document or digital content employing, at least in part, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving, at the Internet-Pad and over said secure radio frequency wireless connection, one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device being one or more of:

a software component, a user interface, identity or identification information associated with the wireless output device, a device dependent parameter associated with the selected wireless output device, security information, and status information associated with output or rendering of at least part of the selected digital document or digital content at the wireless selected output device, individually or in any combination.

11. The method of claim 7 in which the selected wireless output device is a wireless output controller box that is wire connected to at least one of a sound output device, a display device, a television, or a projector device, individually or in any combination, and the method further comprising:

receiving, at the wireless output controller box, output data corresponding to at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from the Internet-Pad over the secure radio frequency wireless connection;

storing at least part of the received output data corresponding to at least part of the selected digital document or digital content in a memory or storage component of the wireless output controller box;

decoding or decompressing, at the wireless output controller box, at least part of the received output data; and

delivering at least part of the decoded or decompressed output data to the at least one of a sound output device, a display device, a television, or a projector device for output or rendering of at least part of the selected digital document or digital content.

12. In an Internet-Pad, Internet-Pad system software containing a program of commands executable by a processor in the Internet-Pad to facilitate sending of digital content from the Internet-Pad to a wireless output device, said Internet-Pad being a wireless mobile information apparatus and including a digital Pad with access to the Internet, the Internet-Pad including:

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

an audio application,

a document creation application,

a document editing application,

an e-mail application, the e-mail application including a user interface over the touch sensitive screen for selecting, by the user, icons or functions of the e-mail application,

an Internet browsing application installed or included in the Internet-Pad,

an output manager software for decoding or encoding at least part of the digital content into output data suitable for sending to an output device, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing a radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Pad and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Pad, and

the Internet-Pad system software being further executable by the processor at the Internet-Pad to facilitate;

discovering, at the Internet-Pad, one or more wireless output devices via wireless communication with the wireless communication unit for wireless connection with the Internet-Pad;

receiving, from the graphical user interface, at least an indication of a selected wireless output device from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad;

obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Pad;

sending information related to the authentication or security information obtained at the Internet-Pad over the radio frequency wireless communication connection for establishing a secure radio frequency wireless connection between the Internet-Pad and the selected wireless output device for sending of the digital content from the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device;

providing an object model or application programming interface (API) to one or more applications in the Internet-Pad for interfacing;

receiving, from the graphical user interface, at least an indication of a selected digital content from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad;

providing an indication of at least part of the selected digital content to one or more applications in the Internet-Pad over the object model or the application programming interface (API);

providing at least part of the selected digital content to the output manager software for conforming output data from at least part of the selected digital content, the output data being in accordance to a format, language or instruction suitable for sending to the selected output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection; and

sending, over the secure radio frequency wireless connection through the wireless communication unit, at least part of the output data to the selected wireless output device for output or rendering of at least part of the selected digital content;

whereby, the Internet-Pad system software enables the Internet-Pad to send at least part of the selected digital content from the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection established between the Internet-Pad and the selected wireless output device.

13. The Internet-Pad system software of claim 12, in which the Internet-Pad further includes a digital camera for image data acquisition, and an image data acquisition application in the Internet-Pad, the Internet-Pad being further operable to:

receive, at the Internet-Pad and from the image acquisition application, at least part of image data;

generate, at the Internet-Pad, output data from the at least part of image data; and

send, via the wireless communication unit, at least part of the output data for output of the image data at the selected wireless output device over the secure radio frequency wireless connection.

14. The Internet-Pad system software of claim 12 in which the Internet-Pad system software further facilitate operations to receive, at the Internet-Pad and over said secure radio frequency wireless connection, one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device being associated with sending at least part of the digital content or being associated with driving the selected wireless output device from the Internet-Pad.

15. An Internet-Pad including output manager software for managing output or rendering of digital content to a wireless output device, said Internet-Pad being a wireless mobile information apparatus and including:

a digital Pad with access to the Internet,

a touch sensitive screen,

a digital camera,

an image acquisition function,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

an e-mail application, that includes a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen for selecting, by the user, icons or functions of the e-mail application,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

an Internet-Pad operating system having an object model or an application programming interface (API) for communicating with the output manager software,

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency link controller and an antenna for establishing radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Pad and a selected wireless output device that is a distinct device from the Internet-Pad, and

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for communicating with the operating system of the Internet-Pad over the object model or the application programming interface (API) provided by the Internet-Pad operating system;

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for obtaining, authentication or security information provided by the user;

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for receiving, by the output manager and from the graphical user interface, at least an indication related to a selected digital content from the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad;

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for receiving at least part of the selected digital content facilitated, at least in part, by the object model or the application programming interface (API) provided by the Internet-Pad operating system;

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for receiving, at the Internet-Pad and over said established radio frequency wireless communication connection, one or more software components or data from the selected wireless output device;

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for conforming at least part of the selected digital content into output data, the conforming of the output data being in accordance to a format, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection; and

output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for sending at least part of the output data for output or rendering of at least part of the selected digital content at the selected wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection;

whereby, the output manager software, enables the user to send at least part of the selected digital content from the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Pad and the selected wireless output device, and the selected digital content being selected by the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Pad.

16. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 further comprising output manager software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for sending, by the output manager, the authentication or security information obtained by the output manager, to the selected wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection from the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device.

17. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 further comprising software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for receiving information related to one or more wireless output devices discovered over wireless communication with the wireless communication unit, and the discovered wireless output device being in response to a wireless search over the wireless communication unit for one or more wireless output devices available for wireless communication with the Internet-Pad, and the selected wireless output device being from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices by the Internet-Pad.

18. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 in which the one or more software components or data being related to driving or sending of at least part of the selected digital content to the selected wireless output device or being related to sending at least part of the output data from the Internet-Pad to the selected wireless output device.

19. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 in which the one or more components or data includes one or more of identity information related to the selected output device, status information, and output parameters associated with outputting or sending of digital content to the selected wireless output device, individually or in any combination.

20. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 further comprising software, executable by the processor unit at the Internet-Pad, for obtaining, by the output manager at the Internet-Pad, at least an indication associated with at least one of subscription, identification, or payment information from the user.

21. The Internet-Pad of claim 15 wherein the establishing of radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Pad to a selected wireless output device includes the Internet-Pad contacting a wireless output controller, the wireless output controller being a wireless server or a control point in the same network for connecting to the selected wireless output device.