Wireless attached reader screen for cell phones

• US 9,049,540 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Unger, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US14/097,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/173, 345/156, 725/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A display device is provided comprising a housing, a communication means within the housing configured to receive content from a local content source device external to the housing and to transmit messages to the local content source device, wherein the content comprises a static screen image, a storage means configured to store the content having been received from the content source device, wherein the storage means stores no more than a single static screen image and a display configured to display the content. A method for use with the display device is further provided.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a housing configured to be hand-held;

a communication means within the housing configured to request and receive content from a local content source device external to the housing, wherein the local content source comprises a portable device with a display screen configured to display the content; and

an e-ink display integrated with the housing and configured to display and store a static image of the content on an e-ink memory of the e-ink display; and

user input means for controlling the receiving and displaying of the content on the e-ink display;

wherein the content corresponds to a book and the static image of the content corresponds to a page of the book;

wherein the e-ink memory is configured to store only a single static image at a time, and the static image is removed from the e-ink memory when a second static image is received from the local content source.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the user input means is configured to receive a request for displaying new content on the display;

and

the communication means is further configured to transmit the request.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the communication means is a wireless connection.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the communication means is a wired connection.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the communication means comprises an electronic socket configured to receive a cord connectable to the local content source device.

7. The display device of claim 5, wherein the communication means comprises a dock for receiving the local content source device.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the e-ink memory is an only storage means at the display device such that the display device contains no more content than is stored at the e-ink memory.

9. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional storage means for storing no more than a single static screen image;

wherein the e-ink memory and the additional storage means are the only storage means of the display device.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the local content source device comprises a cellular phone.

11. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a detection means configured to determine whether the display device has become inactive and further configured to cause all content to be removed from the display device upon determining that the display device has become inactive.

12. A method for use with a display device comprising:

establishing a communication channel with a local content source device external to the display device, wherein the local content source comprises a portable device with a display screen and the display device receives content corresponding to a single static screen image and transmits requests to the local content source device through the communication channel;

receiving a first content at the display device from the local content source device, wherein the first content corresponds to a first single static screen image;

storing the first content in a storage means, wherein the storage means comprises an e-ink memory of an e-ink display;

displaying the first content on the e-ink display;

receiving a second content at the display device, wherein the second content corresponds to a second single static image;

displaying the second content on the e-ink display; and

removing the first content from the e-ink memory in response to displaying the second content;

wherein the first single static screen image and the second single static image corresponds to pages of a book.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request for the second content; and

transmitting the request for the second content to the local content source device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a third content corresponding to a single static screen image;

displaying the third content; and

removing the second content from the display device in response to displaying the third content.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the display device has been inactive for a predetermined period of time; and

removing all content present on the display device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing the second content;

receiving a request for displaying new content;

determining whether the second content is the new content requested; and

wherein displaying the second content comprises displaying the second content when it is determined that the second content corresponds to the new content requested.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication channel is established through a wired connection.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication channel is established through a wireless connection.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

20. A method for use with a display device comprising:

establishing a communication channel with a local content source device external to the display device wherein the local content source comprises a portable device with a display screen;

receiving the first content from the local content source device, wherein the first content corresponds to a first single static screen image;

storing the first content in a storage means, wherein the storage means comprise an e-ink memory of an e-ink display;

displaying the first content on the e-ink display;

receiving a user request;

displaying a second content corresponding to the user request on the e-ink display, wherein the second content corresponds to a second single static image; and

removing the first content from the e-ink memory in response to displaying the second content;

wherein the first single static screen image and the second single static image corresponds to pages of a book.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting the user request to the local content source device; and

receiving the second content from the local content source device in response to the user request, wherein the second content corresponds to a single static screen image.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein at most the display device contains content corresponding to two static screen images at any given time.

23. A system for displaying content comprising:

a local content source device having a display application stored thereon configured to transmit content currently being displayed at an external device one static screen image at a time wherein the local content sources comprises a display screen configured to display the content; and

a remote display device configured to establish a connection with the local content source device and to receive and display the content at the display device;

wherein the local content device is configured to;

transmit a first single static screen image corresponding to a content to the local display device; and

transmit a second single static screen image corresponding to the content to the local display device only in response to receiving a request from the local display device; and

wherein the remote display device comprises an e-ink display and is configures to display and store a single static screen image on an e-ink memory of the e-ink display;

and wherein the first single static screen image and the second single static image corresponds to pages of a book.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the display device is further configured to receive an input at the display device and transmit the input to the local content source device;

and

the display application at the local content source device is further configured to receive process the input and to transmit content corresponding to the input to the display device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the display application is configured to transmit content in response to a request received from a user.