Portable computing device-integrated appliance

• US 20040098571A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Falcon, Stephen R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect, a portable computing device determines a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked. The portable computing device identifies, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device, and configures the user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration. In accordance with another aspect, a car stereo includes a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked. The car stereo also includes an input/output (I/O) component that allows the car stereo to communicate with the handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station of the car stereo. In accordance with another aspect, an appliance in which a portable computing device can be docked is an integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a portable computing device, the method comprising:

determining a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked;

identifying, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device; and

configuring a user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the type of the appliance comprises a vehicle stereo.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

saving a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the appliance; and

retrieving the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the appliance.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the state comprises a current song being played.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the state comprises both a current song being played and a current temporal location in the song.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the type of the appliance comprises receiving, from the appliance, a data packet including a type identifier for the appliance.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the user interface configuration comprises receiving, from the appliance, information describing the user interface configuration for the portable computing device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the user interface configuration comprises:

accessing a record of appliance types;

identifying an appliance type in the record that matches the determined type; and

using, as the user interface configuration, a user interface description associated with the identified appliance type.

9. A system comprising:

an integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station; and

a portable computing device configured to present a first user interface while the portable computing device is undocked, and present a second user interface while the portable computing device is docked in the docking station.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the portable computing device comprises an off-the-shelf handheld computer.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the portable computing device is further configured to:

save a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the docking station; and

retrieve the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the docking station.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station is configured to receive user inputs via a user interface of the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station when the portable computing device is undocked and to receive user inputs via the second user interface when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station.

13. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the portable computing device includes a first input/output (I/O) component through which the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station can be sensed, and a configuration module to identify an appliance type of the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station and determine an appropriate user interface for the portable computing device based at least in part on the identified appliance type; and

the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station includes a second I/O component to communicate with the portable computing device when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station, and a type module to communicate, to the portable computing device through the second I/O component, an indication of the appliance type of the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.

14. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the portable computing device is further configured to be an audio source for the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.

15. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station is configured to be an audio source to the portable computing device.

16. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station is configured to be a data source to the portable computing device.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station includes an optical disc drive to operate as the data source.

18. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station is configured to operate as an extensible peripheral bus for the portable computing device.

19. A vehicle stereo having a user interface and a portable computing device docking station, wherein the vehicle stereo is configured to receive user inputs via the user interface when the portable computing device is not docked in the docking station and to receive user inputs via an interface of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station.

20. A vehicle stereo as recited in claim 19, wherein the vehicle stereo further comprises:

an input/output (I/O) component to communicate with the portable computing device when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station; and

a type module to communicate, to the portable computing device through the I/O component, an indication of an appliance type of the vehicle stereo to allow the portable computing device computer to configure its user interface based on the appliance type.

21. A vehicle stereo as recited in claim 19, wherein the vehicle stereo is further configured to:

determine when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station; and

send, to the portable computing device when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station, an indication of an appliance type of the vehicle stereo to allow the portable computing device to configure its user interface based on the appliance type.

22. A vehicle stereo as recited in claim 19, wherein the docking station is configured so that when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station a display of the portable computing device is approximately parallel with a face of the vehicle stereo.

23. A vehicle stereo as recited in claim 19, wherein the vehicle stereo is implemented in a Double-DIN housing.

24. A car stereo including a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked, and including an input/output (I/O) component allowing the car stereo to communicate with the handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station.

25. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the vehicle stereo further comprises a type module to communicate, to the handheld computer through the I/O component, an indication of an appliance type of the car stereo to allow the handheld computer to configure its user interface based on the appliance type.

26. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the car stereo is further configured to:

determine when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station; and

send, to the handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station, an indication of an appliance type of the car stereo to allow the handheld computer to configure its user interface based on the appliance type.

27. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the docking station is configured so that when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station a display of the handheld computer is approximately parallel with a face of the vehicle stereo.

28. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the car stereo is implemented in a Double-DIN housing.

29. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the I/O component further allows audio data, which is to be played by the car stereo, to be received from the handheld computer.

30. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, wherein the I/O component further allows audio data to be communicated to the handheld computer.

31. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, further comprising an optical disc drive to communicate, in conjunction with the I/O component, data from an optical disc in the optical disc drive to the handheld computer.

32. A car stereo as recited in claim 24, further comprising a peripheral bus to which one or more peripheral devices can be coupled and made accessible to the handheld computer.

33. An integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.

34. An integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station as recited in claim 33, wherein the docking station comprises a portable computing device receptacle that is part of a face of the vehicle stereo.

35. A portable computing device comprising:

an input/output (I/O) component through which an appliance that the portable computing device is docked in can be sensed; and

a configuration module to identify a type of the appliance and determine an appropriate user interface for the portable computing device based at least in part on the identified type of the appliance.

36. A portable computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the configuration module is further to receive, through the I/O component, a data packet from the appliance identifying the type of the appliance.

37. A portable computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the I/O component is further to send control information to the appliance to control the operation of the appliance based on user input via the user interface.

38. A portable computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the configuration module is further configured to:

save a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the appliance; and

retrieve the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the appliance.

39. A docking station comprising:

an input/output (I/O) component to communicate with an off-the-shelf handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station; and

a type module to communicate, to the handheld computer through the I/O component, an indication of a type of the docking station to allow the handheld computer to configure its user interface based on the type of the docking station.

40. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the I/O component comprises a radio frequency (RF) transmitter.

41. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the I/O component comprises an infrared (IR) transmitter.

42. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the I/O component comprises an electrical contact.

43. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the type of the docking station comprises a vehicle stereo.

44. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the type of the docking station comprises a refrigeration appliance.

45. A docking station as recited in claim 39, wherein the type of the system comprises an alarm clock.

46. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a portable computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

present a first user interface while the portable computing device is undocked;

detect when the portable computing device is docked in a stereo of a vehicle; and

present, in response to detecting that the portable computing device is docked in the stereo, a second user interface while the portable computing device is docked in the stereo.

47. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to access one or more resources of the stereo.

48. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to allow the stereo to access one or more resources of the portable computing device.

49. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

save a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the stereo; and

retrieve the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the stereo.

50. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive, from the stereo, a data packet identifying the appliance type of the stereo.

51. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to send control information to the stereo to control the operation of the stereo based on user input via the second user interface.

52. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to operate as an audio source for the stereo.

53. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive audio data from the stereo.

54. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive data from an optical disc drive of the stereo.

55. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 46, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to access one or more peripheral devices via a bus of the stereo.

56. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an appliance having a docking station, causes the one or more processors to:

determine when a portable computing device is docked in the docking station; and

send, to the portable computing device when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station, an indication of a type of the appliance to allow the portable computing device to configure its user interface based on the type of the appliance.

57. A vehicle stereo comprising:

an input/output (I/O) component to allow the vehicle stereo to communicate with a portable computing device when the portable computing device is docked in the vehicle stereo; and

a docking station in which the portable computing device can be docked, wherein the docking station is configured so that when the portable computing device is docked in the docking station a display of the portable computing device is approximately parallel with a face of the vehicle stereo.

58. A vehicle stereo as recited in claim 57, wherein the vehicle stereo is implemented in a Double DIN housing.