REMOVABLE COMPUTING DEVICE THAT FACILITATES COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20180146081A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brenner, Andrew Scott, Brady, Patrick, Kataria, Rupinder, Townsend, Karl Alun, Shah, Sharlik, Gubarev, Andrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,244,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for receiving, by a removable computing device that is electrically connected to a computing system through a physical connection, contact information from a contact list that is assigned to a user account. The user account is associated with a mobile computing device that is in wireless communication with the removable computing device. The removable computing device is configured to physically disconnect from the computing system. The removable computing device provides the computing system with the contact information for presentation by a display of the computing system. The removable computing device receives from the computing system an indication of user input requesting that the mobile computing device initiate communication with a device identified by the contact information. The removable computing device transmits data to the mobile computing device that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication with the device identified by the contact information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a removable computing device that is electrically connected to a computing system through a physical connection, contact information from a contact list that is assigned to a user account, wherein;

the user account is associated with a mobile computing device that is in wireless communication with the removable computing device, and

the removable computing device is configured to physically disconnect from the computing system;

providing, by the removable computing device and to the computing system, the contact information for presentation by a display of the computing system;

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile computing device initiate communication with a device that is identified by the contact information; and

transmitting, by the removable computing device for receipt by the mobile computing device, data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication with the device that is identified by the contact information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the computing system is a computing system installed in a vehicle;

the removable computing device is a computerized dongle that is insertable into a data communication port of the vehicle; and

the mobile computing device is a smartphone.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the contact information includes a telephone number; and

the communication that the mobile computing device initiates with the device that is identified by the contact information is a telephone call with a device that is identified by the telephone number.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication is data that causes the mobile computing device to wirelessly transmit audio from the telephone call directly to the computing system without the audio being transmitted to the removable computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device in response to the removable computing device having transmitted the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication, data that identifies characteristics of the telephone call; and

providing, by the removable computing device to the computing system, the data that identifies characteristics of the telephone call for presentation by the display of the computing system, wherein the presentation of the characteristics of the telephone call is provided concurrent with the wireless transmission of audio from the mobile computing device directly to the computing system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the contact information comprises (i) receiving the contact information from the mobile computing device through a wireless communication from the mobile computing device to the removable computing device, or (ii) receiving the contact information from a server to the removable computing device through a wireless communication that is not transmitted by the mobile computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the mobile computing device, data indicating that a telephone call has been initiated with the mobile computing device, wherein the data indicating that a telephone call has been initiated with the mobile computing device identifies characteristics of the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device;

providing, by the removable computing device to the computing system, information including at least a portion of characteristics of the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device for presentation by the display of the computing system;

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile computing device accept the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device; and

transmitting, by the removable computing device for receipt by the mobile computing device, data that causes the mobile computing device to accept the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

outputting, by the removable computing device, an audio signal encoding an address that identifies the removable computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to;

receive the audio signal,

decode the audio signal to obtain the address encoded in the audio signal,

transmit the address encoded in the audio signal to a server through a wireless communication,

in response to transmitting the address encoded in the audio signal to the server, receive data that identifies the removable computing device, and

establish a wireless communication channel with the removable computing device based at least on receiving the data that identifies the removable computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the contact information includes a telephone number;

the indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile communication device initiate communication with the device that is identified by the contact information comprises message content for transmission in a message communication to the device that is identified by the telephone number; and

the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication causes the mobile computing device to transmit data that includes the message content through a wireless communication to the device that is identified by the telephone number.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request a message communication to a recipient identified by an identifier, the indication comprising message content to be included in the message communication to the recipient identified by the identifier; and

in response to receiving the indication, transmitting, by the removable computing device through a wireless communication to a server, a message communication to the recipient identified by the identifier that includes the message content.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a data store coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a removable computing device that is electrically connected to a computing system through a physical connection, contact information from a contact list that is assigned to a user account, wherein;

the user account is associated with a mobile computing device that is in wireless communication with the removable computing device, and

the removable computing device is configured to physically disconnect from the computing system;

providing, by the removable computing device and to the computing system, the contact information for presentation by a display of the computing system;

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile computing device initiate communication with a device that is identified by the contact information; and

transmitting, by the removable computing device for receipt by the mobile computing device, data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication with the device that is identified by the contact information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the computing system is a computing system installed in a vehicle;

the removable computing device is a computerized dongle that is insertable into a data communication port of the vehicle; and

the mobile computing device is a smartphone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the contact information includes a telephone number; and

the communication that the mobile computing device initiates with the device that is identified by the contact information is a telephone call with a device that is identified by the telephone number.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication is data that causes the mobile computing device to wirelessly transmit audio from the telephone call directly to the computing system without the audio being transmitted to the removable computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, the operations comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device in response to the removable computing device having transmitted the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication, data that identifies characteristics of the telephone call; and

providing, by the removable computing device to the computing system, the data that identifies characteristics of the telephone call for presentation by the display of the computing system, wherein the presentation of the characteristics of the telephone call is provided concurrent with the wireless transmission of audio from the mobile computing device directly to the computing system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein receiving the contact information comprises (i)

receiving the contact information from the mobile computing device through a wireless communication from the mobile computing device to the removable computing device, or (ii) receiving the contact information from a server to the removable computing device through a wireless communication that is not transmitted by the mobile computing device.

17. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the mobile computing device, data indicating that a telephone call has been initiated with the mobile computing device, wherein the data indicating that a telephone call has been initiated with the mobile computing device identifies characteristics of the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device;

providing, by the removable computing device to the computing system, information including at least a portion of characteristics of the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device for presentation by the display of the computing system;

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile computing device accept the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device; and

transmitting, by the removable computing device for receipt by the mobile computing device, data that causes the mobile computing device to accept the telephone call initiated with the mobile computing device.

18. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising:

outputting, by the removable computing device, an audio signal encoding an address that identifies the removable computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to;

receive the audio signal,

decode the audio signal to obtain the address encoded in the audio signal,

transmit the address encoded in the audio signal to a server through a wireless communication,

in response to transmitting the address encoded in the audio signal to the server, receive data that identifies the removable computing device, and

establish a wireless communication channel with the removable computing device based at least on receiving the data that identifies the removable computing device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the contact information includes a telephone number;

the indication of user input received by the computing system to request that the mobile communication device initiate communication with the device that is identified by the contact information comprises message content for transmission in a message communication to the device that is identified by the telephone number; and

the data that causes the mobile computing device to initiate the communication causes the mobile computing device to transmit data that includes the message content through a wireless communication to the device that is identified by the telephone number.

20. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising:

receiving, by the removable computing device and from the computing system, an indication of user input received by the computing system to request a message communication to a recipient identified by an identifier, the indication comprising message content to be included in the message communication to the recipient identified by the identifier; and

in response to receiving the indication, transmitting, by the removable computing device through a wireless communication to a server, a message communication to the recipient identified by the identifier that includes the message content.