Apparatus, systems and methods for presenting displayed image information of a mobile media device on a large display and control of the mobile media device therefrom

• US 9,569,159 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Newell, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): OCHOA, JUAN CARLOS
• Application Number:
  US14/492,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 703/23, 345/2.2, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to concurrently present images on a small display of a mobile media device and a large display of a media presentation system. An exemplary method receives emulated information from a mobile media device, wherein the emulated information corresponds to at least one image that is being currently presented on a display of the mobile media device; generates at least one image based upon the received emulated information, wherein the at least one image is configured for presentation on a display of a media system; and communicates the at least one image to a display of the media system. The image presented on the display of the media system is substantially the same image presented on the display of the mobile media device. The image presented on the display of the media system is substantially larger than the image presented on the display of the mobile media device.

Claims

1. A media device, comprising:

a media content stream interface configured to receive at least one media content stream broadcasted to the media device by a media content provider, wherein the at least one media content stream includes a media content event that is selectable for presentation on a first display that is communicatively coupled to the media device;

a mobile device interface configured to;

communicatively couple the media device to a mobile media device; and

receive emulated information from the mobile media device via a first communication link established between the mobile media device and the media device,

wherein the emulated information corresponds to a low resolution image that is being currently presented on a second display of the mobile media device,

wherein the emulated information includes information that causes the media device to access at least one high resolution image from a remote device via a second communication link established between the media device and the remote device, and

wherein the second communication link is different from the first communication link; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the media content stream interface and the mobile device interface, and configured to;

receive high resolution image data from the remote device via the second communication link, wherein the received high resolution image data includes sufficient data to generate the at least one high resolution image;

generate the at least one high resolution image based on the high resolution image data received from the remote device; and

communicate the at least one high resolution image to the first display,

wherein the at least one high resolution image is presented on the first display.

2. The media device of claim 1, wherein the at least one high resolution image is substantially the same as the low resolution image presented on the second display of the mobile media device.

3. The media device of claim 1, further comprising:

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to communicatively couple the media device to the first display,

wherein the first display is a component of a visual presentation device, and

wherein the at least one high resolution image is communicated from the media device to the first display via the presentation device interface.

4. The media device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication system interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to communicatively couple the media device to a communication system that the remote device is communicatively coupled to,

wherein at least a portion of the second communication link established between the media device and the remote device is part of the communication system.

5. The media device of claim 4,

wherein the communication system interface is configured to communicate wireless communication signals between the media device and the communication system, and

wherein at least a portion of the second communication link established between the media device and the remote device is part of the communication system.

6. The media device of claim 1,

wherein the received emulated information comprises emulated active information corresponding to a virtual touch sensitive controller presented as a selectable image on the second display of the mobile media device,

wherein the virtual touch sensitive controller is configured to cause the mobile media device to execute a predefined function, and

wherein the first display is a first touch sensitive display, wherein the first touch sensitive display is larger than the second display of the mobile media device,

wherein the processor system of the media device is further configured to:

generate an image corresponding to the virtual touch sensitive controller based upon the received emulated active information; and

communicate image information corresponding to the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller to the first touch sensitive display,

wherein the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first touch sensitive display is substantially the same as the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the second display of the mobile media device, and

wherein the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first touch sensitive display is substantially larger than the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the second display of the mobile media device.

7. The media device of claim 6 further comprising:

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to;

communicatively couple the media device to the first display, and

receive information from the first touch sensitive display corresponding to at least touch location information identifying a touch location of a user'"'"'s digit on the first touch sensitive display,

wherein the processor system of the media device is further configured to;

determine whether the touch location information corresponds to a location of the virtual touch sensitive controller;

generate command and control information in response to the touch location information corresponding to the location of the virtual touch sensitive controller; and

communicate the command and control information from the media device to the mobile media device, via the first communication link, wherein the command and control information corresponds to a function associated with the virtual touch sensitive controller, and wherein the command and control information is configured to operate the mobile media device in accordance with the function of the virtual touch sensitive controller.

8. The media device of claim 1, wherein the at least one high resolution image presented on the first display corresponds to an entirety of a web page associated with the received high resolution image data, and wherein the low resolution image presented on the second display of the mobile device corresponds to a portion of the web page.

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

a remote interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to communicatively couple the media device to a remote control,

wherein a wireless signal communicated from the remote control to the media device causes the media device to select the media content event from the media content stream such that the media content event is communicated to the first display for presentation, and

wherein the media content event and the at least one high resolution image are concurrently presented on the first display.

10. The media device of claim 9,

wherein the received emulated information comprises emulated active information corresponding to a virtual touch sensitive controller presented as a selectable image on the second display of the mobile media device,

wherein the virtual touch sensitive controller is configured to cause the mobile media device to execute a predefined function, and

wherein the processor system of the media device is further configured to:

generate an image corresponding to the virtual touch sensitive controller based upon the received emulated active information, wherein the image corresponding to the virtual touch sensitive controller is presented on the first display;

receive a selection signal from the remote control corresponding to selection of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first display,

generate command and control information in response to the selection signal received from the remote control; and

communicate the command and control information from the media device to the mobile media device, via the first communication link, wherein the command and control information corresponds to a function associated with the virtual touch sensitive controller, and wherein the command and control information is configured to operate the mobile media device in accordance with the function of the virtual touch sensitive controller.

11. The media device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device interface is further configured to:

communicatively couple the media device to a remote control,

wherein a communication medium used by the first communication link established between the mobile media device and the media device is the same communication medium that is used by the remote control.

12. A method of operating a media device, wherein the media device is configured to provide a media content event to a first display that is communicatively coupled to the media device, comprising:

communicatively coupling the media device and a mobile media device via a first communication link;

receiving, at the media device via the first communication link, emulated information from the mobile media device, wherein the emulated information corresponds to at least one image that is being currently presented on a second display of the mobile media device, wherein the emulated information includes at least information, which identifies a remote device that is configured to provide at least one high resolution image to the media device;

establishing a second communication link between the media device and the remote device, wherein the second communication link is established in response to the media device receiving the emulated information from the mobile media device via the first communication link, and wherein the second communication link is different from the first communication link;

receiving, at the media device via the second communication link, high resolution image data from the remote device, wherein the received high resolution image data includes sufficient data to generate the at least one high resolution image;

generating, at the media device, the at least one high resolution image based upon the high resolution image data received from the remote device, wherein the at least one high resolution image is configured for presentation on the first display; and

communicating the generated at least one high resolution image to the first display,

wherein the communicated at least one high resolution image is presentable on the first display concurrently with presentation of the at least one image that is being currently presented on the second display of the mobile media device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one image presented on the second display of the mobile media device has an image resolution that is less than resolution of the at least one high resolution image presented on the first display.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first display is substantially larger than the second display of the mobile media device,

wherein the at least one high resolution image presented on the first display communicatively coupled to the media device is substantially the same as the at least one image that is being currently presented on the second display of the mobile media device, and

wherein the at least one high resolution image presented on the first display communicatively coupled to the media device is substantially larger than the at least one image that is being currently presented on the second display of the mobile media device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the emulated information comprises:

receiving, at the media device from the mobile media device via the first communication link, image data corresponding to a graphic icon presented on the second display of the mobile media device, wherein the graphic icon is configured to control at least one operation of the mobile media device,

generating, at the media device, at least one additional image corresponding to the graphic icon, and

presenting the at least one additional image corresponding to the graphic icon on the first display,

wherein a change in operation of the mobile media device by a user of the mobile media device causes a corresponding change in the image of the graphic icon presented on the first display.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first display is a first touch sensitive display, wherein the second display of the mobile media device is a second touch sensitive display, and wherein receiving the emulated information comprises:

receiving, at the media device from the mobile media device via the first communication link, emulated active information corresponding to a virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the second touch sensitive display of the mobile media device,

wherein the emulated active information comprises image information configured to present a selectable image associated with the virtual touch sensitive controller being presented on the second touch sensitive display of the mobile media device, and

wherein the emulated active information is configured to cause the mobile media device to execute a predefined function;

generating, at the media device, an image corresponding to the selectable image associated with the virtual touch sensitive controller based upon the received emulated active information; and

communicating the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller to the first display for presentation on the first touch sensitive display,

wherein the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first touch sensitive display is substantially the same as the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the second touch sensitive display of the mobile media device, and

wherein the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first touch sensitive display is substantially larger than the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the second touch sensitive display of the mobile media device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, at the media device, a wireless signal from a remote control, wherein the received wireless signal from the remote control corresponds to a selection of the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller presented on the first touch sensitive display; and

communicating a signal from the media device to the mobile media device via the first communication link, wherein the signal corresponds to the selection of the image of the virtual touch sensitive controller,

wherein the signal causes the mobile media device to execute a predefined function.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an infrared communication medium is used by the first communication link established between the mobile media device and the media device, and wherein the infrared communication medium is used by the remote control to communicate the wireless signal to the media device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first display is a component of a visual presentation device.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, at the media device, a wireless signal from a remote control, wherein the received wireless signal from the remote control, wherein the wireless signal causes the media device to change the at least one high resolution image that is being presented on the first display; and

communicating a signal from the media device to the mobile media device via the first communication link, wherein the signal corresponds to a change made to the at least one high resolution image,

wherein the signal causes the mobile media device to make the change to the at least one image that is being currently presented on the second display of the mobile media device, and

wherein change to the at least one image that is being currently presented on a second display corresponds to the change made to the at least one high resolution image.