Portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen

• US 8,718,539 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slotznick, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US13/412,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 455/2.01, 455/3.05, 455419-420, 455/526.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/566, 455405-408, 348/14.02, 348/114.05, 348/734, 725/62, 725109-112, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725 1- 2
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/215 by non-intrusive coupling means, e.g. acoustic couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A portable device is provided that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen. The portable device includes a button which, upon selection, sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen. The portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen.

Claims

1. A portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device comprising:

a display screen;

at least one computing device processor;

a button; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device processor, enable the portable device to;

in response to receiving a selection of the button, send a command with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, the command specifying an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen.

2. The portable device of claim 1 further comprises a transmitter that transmits the electronic address to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen to obtain the new content.

3. The portable device of claim 1 further comprises a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

4. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

5. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

6. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the new content is music selections.

7. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

8. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the button is a voice command.

9. A portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device comprising:

(a) a button which sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, wherein the portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen; and

(b) a transmitter that wirelessly communicates the electronic address from the portable device to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen to obtain the new content.

10. The portable device of claim 9 further comprises a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

11. The portable device of claim 9 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

12. The portable device of claim 9 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

13. The portable device of claim 9 wherein the new content is music selections.

14. The portable device of claim 9 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

15. The portable device of claim 9 wherein the button is a voice command.

16. A portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, wherein new content is obtained by the portable device using an electronic address of the new content, the portable device comprising:

(a) a button which sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, wherein the portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies the new content for display on the nearby display screen; and

(b) a transmitter that wirelessly communicates the new content from the portable device to the nearby display screen.

17. The portable device of claim 16 further comprises a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

18. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

19. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

20. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the new content is music selections.

21. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

22. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the button is a voice command.

23. A method of using a portable device to control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device including a button, the method comprising:

(a) specifying, by the portable device, an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen; and

(b) sending a command from the portable device with respect to current content on the nearby display screen upon selection of the button, the command specifying the electronic address of the new content,

wherein step (b) is performed by wirelessly communicating the electronic address from the portable device to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen to obtain the new content.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the portable device further includes a motion detector, the method further comprising:

(c) operating the portable device as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen by using output of the motion detector, wherein the button selection sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the content is an electronic game.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the content is an Internet web page.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the content is music selections.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the button is a voice command.

30. A method of using a portable device to control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device including a button, the method comprising:

(a) specifying, by the portable device, new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen, the new content being obtained by the portable device using an electronic address of the new content; and

(b) sending a command from the portable device with respect to current content on the nearby display screen upon selection of the button, the command specifying the new content, wherein step (b) is performed by wirelessly communicating the new content from the portable device to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the portable device further includes a motion detector, the method further comprising:

(c) operating the portable device as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen by using output of the motion detector, wherein the button selection sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the content is an electronic game.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the content is an Internet web page.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the content is music selections.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the button is a voice command.

37. A system for remotely controlling content on a display screen, the system comprising:

(a) a portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device comprising a button which, upon selection, sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, wherein the portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen; and

(b) the nearby display screen.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the portable device further comprises a transmitter that transmits the electronic address to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen to obtain the new content.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the portable device further comprises a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the new content is music selections.

43. The system of claim 37 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

44. The system of claim 37 wherein the button is a voice command.

45. A system for remotely controlling content on a display screen, the system comprising:

(a) a portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, the portable device including;

(i) a button which sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, wherein the portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies an electronic address of new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen; and

(ii) a transmitter that wirelessly communicates the electronic address from the portable device to the nearby display screen for use by the nearby display screen to obtain the new content; and

(b) the nearby display screen.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the portable device further comprises:

(iii) a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

47. The system of claim 45 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

48. The system of claim 45 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

49. The system of claim 45 wherein the new content is music selections.

50. The system of claim 45 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

51. The system of claim 45 wherein the button is a voice command.

52. A system for remotely controlling content on a display screen, the system comprising:

(a) a portable device that is adapted to remotely control content on a nearby display screen, wherein new content is obtained by the portable device using an electronic address of the new content, the portable device including;

(i) a button which sends commands with respect to current content on the nearby display screen, wherein the portable device is adapted to send a command that specifies the new content from an electronic network for display on the nearby display screen; and

(ii) a transmitter that wirelessly communicates the new content from the portable device to the nearby display screen; and

(b) the display screen.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the portable device further comprises:

(iii) a motion detector adapted to operate as a pointing device with respect to the content on the nearby display screen, and wherein the button sends commands with respect to the current content on the nearby display screen that is indicated by motion detector.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein the new content is an electronic game.

55. The system of claim 52 wherein the new content is an Internet web page.

56. The system of claim 52 wherein the new content is music selections.

57. The system of claim 52 wherein the portable device is a telephone device.

58. The system of claim 52 wherein the button is a voice command.