Enhanced interface for mobile phone

• US 8,478,324 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Farris, Jack M., Hao, Jianxiu
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/494,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/78, 455/557, 455/574, 379/88.23, 340/686.6, 439/540.1, 725/24, 725/52, 715/744, 715/722, 713/320
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/382 using universal interface adapter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

A docking station may provide an enhanced user interface for mobile communication devices. In one particular implementation, a device may include a base unit configured to provide connections to one or more user interface devices and an interface for connecting to a mobile phone, where the base unit connects the mobile phone to the one or more user interface devices to provide an enhanced interface for the mobile phone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a docking station, a connection of a wireless mobile device to the docking station,

the docking station being in communications with;

a set-top box that receives first content via a network and provides the first content for presentation via at least one output device that is not included in the wireless mobile device,

the at least one output device including a display, and

a computing device that receives second content via the network and that includes at least one input device;

forwarding, by the docking station and based on detecting the connection, first signals between the wireless mobile device and the set-top box,

the first signals including;

third content, from the wireless mobile device, for presentation via the display,

control data, from the wireless mobile device, for specifying multimedia content, from a plurality of multimedia content included in the first content, for presentation via the display,

data associated with a first request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the first content, and

data forwarding, based on the first request, the portion of the first content from the set-top box to the wireless mobile device; and

forwarding, by the docking station and based on detecting the connection, second signals between the wireless mobile device and the computing device,

the second signals including;

fourth content, from the wireless mobile device, for storage by the computing device,

data associated with a second request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the second content,

data forwarding, based on the second request, the portion of the second content from the computing device to the wireless mobile device, and

information associated with a user input received via the at least one input device,

the docking station providing an interface for transferring data between the set-top box, the computing device, and the wireless mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1,

where the second content is associated with a broadband connection.

3. The method of claim 1, where the docking station is integrated with the set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the docking station and via the connection, control signals from the wireless mobile device when the wireless mobile device is connected to the docking station,

where forwarding the first signals and forwarding the second signals are based on the control signals received from the wireless mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, where the connection is made via at least one of:

a local area wireless network between the docking station and the wireless mobile device, or

a wired connection between the docking station and the wireless mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, where the wireless mobile device receives at least one of the third content or the fourth content via a wireless network that differs from the network associated with the set-top box and the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more operational features of the wireless mobile device,

forwarding, to one or more of the set-top box or the computing device, first instructions to activate, based on the operational features of the wireless mobile device, a user interface device associated with the one or more of the set-top box or the computing, and

forwarding, to the wireless mobile device, second instructions to deactivate an interface component, of the wireless mobile device, that corresponds to the activated user interface.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors to;

detect a connection of a wireless mobile device to a docking station associated with the device,

the docking station being in communications with;

a set-top box that receives first content via a network and provides the first content for presentation via at least one output device that is not included in the wireless mobile device,

 

the at least one output device including a display, and

a computing device that receives second content via the network and that includes at least one input device,

forward, based on detecting the connection, first signals between the wireless mobile device and the set-top box,

the first signals including;

third content, from the wireless mobile device, for presentation via the display,

control data, from the wireless mobile device, for specifying multimedia content, from a plurality of multimedia content included in the first content, for presentation via the display,

data associated with a first request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the first content, and

data forwarding, based on the first request, the portion of the first content from the set-top box to the wireless mobile device, and

forward, when the wireless mobile device is connected to the docking station, second signals between the wireless mobile device and the computing device,

the second signals including;

fourth content, from the wireless mobile device, for storage by the computing device,

data associated with a second request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the second content,

data forwarding, based on the second request, the portion of the second content from the computing device to the wireless mobile device, and

information associated with a user input received via the at least one input device,

the docking station providing an interface for transferring data between the set-top box, the computing device, and the wireless mobile device.

9. The device of claim 8, where the second content is associated with a broadband connection, and

where the one or more processors, when forwarding the second signals between the wireless mobile device and the computing device, are to further to:

provide, through the docking station, the wireless mobile device with access to the broadband connection.

10. The device of claim 8, where the device is included in the set-top box and the docking station is integrated into the set-top box.

11. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

receive, via the connection, control signals from the wireless mobile device when the wireless mobile device is connected to the docking station, and

where the one or more processors forward the first signals and forward the second signals based on the control signals received from the wireless mobile device.

12. The device of claim 8, where the connection is made via at least one of:

a local area wireless network between the docking station and the wireless mobile device, or

a wired connection between the docking station and the wireless mobile device.

13. The device of claim 8, where the wireless mobile device receives at least one of the third content or the fourth content via a wireless network that differs from the network associated with the set-top box and the computing device.

14. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors, when forwarding the first signals between the wireless mobile device and the set-top box, are further to:

receive, from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a multimedia format associated with the wireless mobile device,

adjust, based on the information, the portion of the first content to be compatible with the multimedia format, and

provide the adjusted portion of the first content to the wireless mobile device.

15. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine one or more operational features of the wireless mobile device,

forward, to one or more of the set-top box or the computing device, first instructions to activate, based on the operational features of the wireless mobile device, a user interface associated with the one or more of the set-top box or the computing device, and

forward, to the wireless mobile device, second instructions to deactivate an interface component, of the wireless mobile device, that corresponds to the activated user interface.

16. A non-transitory computer-executable memory device storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

detect a connection of a wireless mobile device to a docking station,

the docking station being in communications with;

a set-top box that receives first content via a network and provides the first content for presentation via at least one output device that is not included in the wireless mobile device,

 

the at least one output device including a display, and

a computing device that receives second content via the network and that includes at least one input device,

forward, based on detecting the connection, first signals between the wireless mobile device and the set-top box,

the first signals including;

third content, from the wireless mobile device, for presentation via the display,

control data, from the wireless mobile device, for specifying multimedia content, from a plurality of multimedia content included in the first content, for presentation via the display,

data associated with a first request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the first content, and

data forwarding, based on the first request, the portion of the first content from the set-top box to the wireless mobile device, and

forward, when the wireless mobile device is connected to the docking station, second signals between the wireless mobile device and the computing device,

the second signals including;

fourth content, from the wireless mobile device, for storage by the computing device,

data associated with a second request, by the wireless mobile device, for a portion of the second content,

data forwarding, based on the second request, the portion of the second content from the computing device to the wireless mobile device, and

information associated with a user input received via the at least one input device,

the docking station providing an interface for transferring data between the set-top box, the computing device, and the wireless mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 16, where the one or more instructions, to forward the first signals between the wireless mobile device and the set-top box, further include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a multimedia format associated with the wireless mobile device,

adjust, based on the information, the portion of the first content to be compatible with the multimedia format, and

provide the adjusted portion of the first content to the wireless mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine one or more operational features of the wireless mobile device,

forward, to one or more of the set-top box or the computing device, first instructions to activate, based on the operational features of the wireless mobile device, a user interface associated with the one or more of the set-top box or the computing device, and

forward, to the wireless mobile device, second instructions to deactivate an interface component, of the wireless mobile device, that corresponds to the activated user interface.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 16, where the second content is associated with a broadband connection, and

where the one or more instructions, to forward the second signals between the wireless mobile device and the computing device, further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide, through the docking station, the wireless mobile device with access to the broadband connection.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory device of claim 16, where the wireless mobile device receives at least one of the third content or the fourth content via a wireless network that differs from the network associated with the set-top box and the computing device.