Portable Computing Device-Integrated Appliance

• US 20060106965A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• 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 7,222,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• 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 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.

2. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, 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.

3. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, 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.

4. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, 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.

5. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, 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.

6. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, wherein the I/O component further allows audio data to be communicated to the handheld computer.

7. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, 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.

8. A car stereo as recited in claim 1, further comprising a peripheral bus to which one or more peripheral devices can be coupled and made accessible to the handheld computer.

9. A portable computing device comprising:

an input/output (110) 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.

10. A portable computing device as recited in claim 9, 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.

11. A portable computing device as recited in claim 9, 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.

12. 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.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to access one or more resources of the stereo.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, 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.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, 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.

16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, 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.

17. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to operate as an audio source for the stereo.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive audio data from the stereo.

19. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive data from an optical disc drive of the stereo.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, 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.