Phone-to-monitor connection device

• US 20060259942A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Toyama, Kentaro, Blagsvedt, Sean O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• 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 21/41407 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01

Abstract

A device for connecting a phone to a television so that content available via the phone can be rendered on the television is provided. The phone-to-television device includes a telephone interface for receiving content from and sending commands to the connected phone and includes a television interface for transmitting the received content for rendering on the connected television. The phone-to-television device includes a converter for converting content received from the phone into a television format and includes a transmission component for transmitting the formatted content for display on the television. As the user interacts with the phone, the user can view on the television the content that is provided by the phone.

Claims

1. A device for connecting a phone to a monitor, the device comprising:

a phone interface for receiving content and user input from the phone connected to the device;

a monitor interface for sending content to a monitor connected to the device;

a format converter for converting content received via the phone interface to a monitor format; and

a transmission component that transmits the converted content via the monitor interface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the phone interface is additionally for sending to the phone commands indicating the content to be sent to the device from the phone and including a user interface component that receives via the phone interface input from a user and sends via the phone interface commands to the phone indicating content based on the user input to be sent to the device from the phone.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the content includes a description of a web page and the device includes a component for converting the description of the web page to a monitor format for display on the monitor.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the content includes an image and the device includes a component for converting the image to a monitor format for displaying the converted image on the monitor.

5. The device of claim 4 including a component for receiving user input indicating an image to be displayed on the monitor.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the content includes audio data and the device includes a component for converting the audio data to a monitor format for transmission to the monitor.

7. The device of claim 6 including a component for receiving user input indicating audio data to be output to the monitor.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein the content includes phone list data and the device includes a component for converting the phone list data to a monitor format for output to the monitor.

9. The device of claim 2 including a memory for storing data received via the phone interface for display when the phone is not connected to the phone interface.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the data stored in memory is selected from a group consisting of news headlines, sports scores, and security prices.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is connected to the phone via a wireless connection.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is integrated into the monitor to which it is connected.

13. A peripheral device for connecting a phone to a phone-to-television device, the peripheral device comprising:

a phone interface for connecting to an external interface of a phone;

a phone-to-television device interface for sending content to a phone-to-television device; and

a component for receiving content and user input from the phone via the phone interface and sending content to the phone-to-television device via the phone-to-television device interface based on the user input for display in real-time.

14. The peripheral device of claim 13 wherein the peripheral device is embedded within the phone.

15. The peripheral device of claim 13 wherein the phone-to-television device interface is connected to the phone-to-television device via a wireless connection.

16. The peripheral device of claim 13 including a component for receiving commands from the phone-to-television device via the phone-to-television device interface and for sending the received commands to the phone via the phone interface.

17. A peripheral device for connecting a phone-to-television device to a television, the peripheral device comprising:

a phone-to-television device interface for receiving content from the phone-to-television device connected to the peripheral device;

a television interface for sending data to the television connected to the peripheral device; and

a component for receiving data via the phone-to-television device interface and for sending data via the television interface.

18. The peripheral device of claim 17 wherein the peripheral device is embedded within the television.

19. The peripheral device of claim 17 wherein the phone-to-television device interface is connected to the phone-to-television device via a wireless connection.

20. The peripheral device of claim 17 wherein the peripheral device is connected to the television via a set-top box.