INTERNET-PHONE OPERATING SYSTEM AND APPLICATIONS AND INTERNET-PHONE FOR DIGITAL OUTPUT

• US 20110034150A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• 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 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 : Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 : Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 : Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 : Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

An Internet-Phone device and system for receiving and outputting digital content. The Internet-Phone device may be an Internet-enabled smart phone with access to the Internet, may include a voice communication functionality and a messaging application, may be a mobile apparatus, and may be a wireless information apparatus. The Internet-Phone system may include one or more of a digital camera for image data acquisition, a digital imaging application for image editing, a touch sensitive screen, a graphical user interface, a document creation or document editing application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application. The Internet-Phone device may include an operating system providing an object model or an application programming interface to facilitate access with an output service. The Internet-Phone device further may include a wireless communication unit that may have a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone device and a wireless output devices, and an output manager for managing output of the digital content to a selected wireless output device.

Claims

1. An Internet-Phone system having one or more applications with access to digital content, said Internet-Phone system being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone system comprising:

a voice communication functionality;

a messaging application;

a digital camera for image data acquisition;

a digital imaging application for image editing;

a touch sensitive screen;

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen;

a processing unit;

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content;

a document creation application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application installed or included in the Internet-Phone system, with access to at least part of the digital content;

an operating system in the Internet-Phone system providing an object model or an application programming interface to facilitate said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, and said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application access to an output service;

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone system and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone system; and

an output manager in the Internet-Phone system for managing output of the digital content to a selected wireless output device;

wherein, the Internet-Phone system having means for establishing a wireless communication connection with the selected wireless output device that includes;

searching, over a radio frequency wireless communication and through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Phone system, for one or more wireless devices,

discovering, with the wireless communication unit, one or more wireless output devices subsequent to the wireless search,

selecting a wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output device,

obtaining an authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone system,

establishing a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output device for output of the digital content directly from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output device employing at least in part the authentication or security information, the established wireless connection from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output device not including an external output server between the Internet-Phone system and the selected wireless output device; and

wherein, the output manager in the Internet-Phone system for managing output of the digital content to a selected wireless output device being operable for;

receiving, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, from one or more applications that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application, at least part of the digital content, the receiving of the digital content being facilitated at least in part by the Internet-Phone-system operating system over the object model or application programming interface,

generating, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, an output data from the digital content received from the one or more applications, the generated output data being in accordance to a format, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the established restricted wireless communication connection, and

sending, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, the output data for output of the digital content at the selected wireless output device over the established restricted wireless communication connection with the wireless communication unit;

whereby, the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone system enables said one or more applications that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application included in the Internet-Phone system to output at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output device over a restricted wireless communication connection established directly between the Internet-Phone system and a selected wireless output device.

2. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the output manager in the Internet-Phone system being further operable for:

receiving, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, from the digital imaging application at least part of an image data,

generating, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, an output data from the image data, and

sending, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, the output data for output of the image data at the selected wireless output device over the established restricted wireless communication connection with the wireless communication unit.

3. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the output manager in the Internet-Phone system for managing output of the digital content to a selected wireless output device being further operable for:

receiving, by the output manager at the Internet-Phone system and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection, one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device being related to;

sending output data from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output device, or generating the output data at the Internet-Phone system, or driving the selected wireless output device from the Internet-Phone system.

4. Internet-Phone system of claim 3 in which the one or more components or data received at the Internet-Phone system from the selected wireless output device being one or more of a software component, a user interface, an identity or identification information associated with the wireless output device, a device dependent parameter associated with the selected wireless output device, individually or in any combination thereof.

5. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which selecting a wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output device from the wireless search further includes:

displaying through the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone system one or more discovered wireless output device, and

receiving from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen from the user a selected wireless output device from among the one or more wireless output devices discovered in the wireless search.

6. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which generating by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system an output data from the digital content includes at least an encoding operation or a compression operation.

7. A method for outputting digital content from an Internet-Phone to an output device over wireless communication, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to the Internet and a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone including:

a voice communication functionality,

a messaging application,

a digital camera for image data acquisition,

a digital imaging application for image editing,

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

a document creation application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application, each with access to a least part of the digital content,

an operating system providing an object model or an application programming interface to facilitate one or more applications that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application access to an output service,

output manager software for managing output of the digital content to the output device, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone, the method comprising;

discovering, with the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Phone over wireless communication, one or more wireless output devices;

receiving, over the graphical user interface of the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone, at least an indication related to a selected wireless output device from among the one or more wireless output devices discovered over wireless communication with the wireless communication unit;

obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone;

establishing a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device for output of the digital content directly from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device, the established wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device not including an external output server between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device;

receiving at least an indication of a selected digital document or digital content over the graphical user interface of the Internet-Phone from the user with the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

passing at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from the one or more applications in the Internet-Phone that includes said e-mail application, said document creation application, said digital imaging application and said Internet browsing application to the output manager software in the Internet-Phone, the passing of at least part of the digital document or digital content being facilitated by the object model or the application programming interface provided by the Internet-Phone operating system;

generating, by the output manager software in the Internet-Phone, an output data from the digital document or digital content received from the one or more applications, the output data being in accordance to a format, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the established restricted wireless communication connection, and said generating the output data from the digital document or digital content includes an encoding operation or a compression operation; and

sending, through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Phone, and over the restricted wireless communication connection, the output data to the selected wireless output device for output of the digital document or digital content;

whereby, the one or more applications that include said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application included in the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone are enabled to output at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device over the restricted wireless communication connection established directly between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone, at least an indication associated with a subscription or payment information from the user; and

and receiving, at the Internet-Phone from the selected wireless output device over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection, status information associated with output of digital content at the selected wireless output device;

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving at the Internet-Phone and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device being related to generating the output data at the Internet-Phone, and the generating of the output data from the digital document or digital content employing at least in part the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device over the restricted wireless communication connection.

10. The method claim 7 further comprising receiving at the Internet-Phone and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device for driving the selected wireless output device from the Internet-Phone, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device being one or more of a software component, a user interface, an identity or identification information associated with the wireless output device, a device dependent parameter associated with the selected wireless output device, individually or in any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 7 in which the selected wireless output device being a wireless output controller box connected directly to a television or a projector, the connection between the wireless output controller box and the output device being a direct wired connection that does not include a network in between the wireless output controller box and the output device, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the wireless output controller, the output data corresponding to the digital content from the Internet-Phone over the wireless communication connection;

storing at least part of the received output data corresponding to the digital content in a memory or storage component of the wireless output controller;

decoding or decompressing the received output data; and

delivering at least part of the decoded or decompressed output data to the output device for output of the digital document or digital content.

12. In an Internet-Phone, Internet-Phone system software containing a program of commands executable by a processor in the Internet-Phone to facilitate output of digital content from the Internet-Phone to a wireless output device, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone including:

a voice communication functionality,

a messaging application,

a digital camera for image data acquisition,

a digital imaging application for image editing,

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

a document creation or document editing application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application, each with access to the digital content,

an output manager software for encoding digital content into an output data suitable for sending to an output device,

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone, the Internet-Phone system software being further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to;

discover, at the Internet-Phone, one or more wireless output devices via wireless communication with the wireless communication unit;

receive from the graphical user interface at least an indication of a selected wireless output device from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

obtain an authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone;

establish a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device employing at least in part the authentication or security information, the established wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device not including an external output server between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device;

provide an object model or application programming interface to said one or more applications in the Internet-Phone that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application;

receive from the graphical user interface at least an indication of a selected digital content from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

provide the indication of at least part of a selected digital content to one or more applications that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application over the object model or the application programming interface;

pass at least part of the selected digital content from one or more applications that includes said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application to an output manager software for generating an output data from at least part of the selected digital content, the output data being in accordance to a format, language or instruction suitable for sending to the selected output device over the established wireless communication connection, and said generating the output data from the selected digital content includes an encoding operation or a compression operation; and

send, over the restricted wireless communication connection through the wireless communication unit, the output data to the selected wireless output device for output of at least part of the selected digital content;

whereby, the Internet-Phone system software enables one or more applications that include said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application included in the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone to output at least part of the selected digital content from the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device over restricted wireless communication connection established directly between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device that does not include an output sever in between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device.

13. The Internet-Phone system software of claim 12 being further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to:

receive at the Internet-Phone from the digital image application at least part of an image data;

generate in the Internet-Phone an output data from the image data that include a compression operation or an encoding operation; and

send the output data for output of the image data at the selected wireless output device over the established restricted wireless communication connection with the wireless communication unit.

14. The Internet-Phone system software of claim 12 being further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to receive at the Internet-Phone and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device being associated with generating an output data from the digital content or with driving the selected wireless output device from the Internet-Phone;

and generating the output data or driving the selected output device at the Internet-Phone includes employing at least in part said one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device.

15. In an Internet-Phone, an output manager for managing output of digital content to a wireless output device, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone includes:

a voice communication functionality,

a messaging application,

a touch sensitive screen,

a digital camera for image data acquisition,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

an Internet-Phone operating system having an object model or an application programming interface for communicating with the output manager, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Phone and a selected wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone, the established radio frequency wireless connection not including an external output server between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device, the output manager in the Internet-Phone further comprising;

software for communicating with the operating system of the Internet-Phone over the object model or the application programming interface provided by the Internet-Phone operating system;

software for receiving, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone, from the graphical user interface, at least an indication related to the selected output device from the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

software for obtaining, by the output manager, an authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone,

software for receiving, by the output manager, from the graphical user interface, at least an indication related to a selected digital content from the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

software for receiving, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone, at least part of the digital content from the digital imaging application in the Internet-Phone;

software for receiving, by the output manager, at the Internet-Phone and over said established radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device;

software for conforming, by the output manager, the digital content into an output data, the output data being in accordance to a format, language or instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection, and said conforming the output data from the digital content includes an encoding operation or a compression operation; and

software for sending, by the output manager over the radio frequency wireless communication connection to the selected wireless output device, the output data for output of the digital content at the selected wireless output device, and the radio frequency wireless connection not including an external output server between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device;

whereby, the output manager software included in the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone enables the user to output at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device over the established wireless communication connection directly between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device that does not include an external output server between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device.

16. The output manager of claim 15 further comprising software for sending, by the output manager, the authenticating or security information over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device for authenticating access to the selected wireless output device.

17. The output manager of claim 15 further comprising software for receiving, by the output manager, information related to one or more wireless output devices discovered over wireless communication with the wireless communication unit, and the wireless discovery being in response to a wireless search over wireless communication for one or more wireless output devices available for wireless communication with the Internet-Phone, and the selecting by the user the selected wireless output device being from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices by the Internet-Phone.

18. The output manager of claim 15 in which the one or more components or data includes software or a user interface for driving the selected wireless output device.

19. The output manager of claim 15 in which the one or more components or data includes status information or output parameters associated with outputting the digital content at the selected wireless output device.

20. The output manager of claim 15 further comprising software for receiving, by the output manager, from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone, at least an indication associated with a subscription or a payment information from the user.

21. The output manager of claim 15 further comprising software for accessing the Internet.