Method and system for synchronizing data between at least one mobile interface device and an interactive terminal

• US 5,831,664 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast MO Group Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation), U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Robertson, Scott P., Wharton, Cathleen S., Ashworth, Catherine A., Franzke, Marita
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/572,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 348/10, 348/11, 348/12, 348/13, 348/7, 348/6, 348/8, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 345/1, 345/2, 345/3, 345/156, 345/158, 345/173, 345/179
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and system for synchronizing display of data relating to a predetermined application between an interactive terminal and at least one mobile interface device having a display. The at least one mobile interface device receives a user input signal and transmits the user input signal for synchronization with the interactive terminal. A set-top transceiver device is operatively coupled to the interactive terminal and receives the user input signal from the at least one mobile interface device. The set-top transceiver device also transmits a synchronization signal to the at least one mobile interface device and the interactive terminal. A central processing unit having a database is operatively coupled to the set-top transceiver device for receiving and processing the user input signal based on the database to obtain the synchronization signal for receipt by the set-top transceiver device. The synchronization signal includes a first display control signal for controlling the display of the at least one mobile interface device and a second display control signal for controlling the display of the interactive terminal.

Claims

1. For use with an interactive terminal having a display and a predetermined application associated therewith, a method for synchronizing display of data relating to the predetermined application between the interactive terminal and at least one mobile interface device having a display, the method comprising:

providing each of the at least one mobile interface device with a user input receiving means for receiving a user input signal, the at least one mobile interface device for transmitting the user input signal for synchronization with the interactive terminal;

providing a set-top transceiver device operatively coupled to the interactive terminal and in communication with the at least one mobile interface device for receiving the user input signal from the at least one mobile interface device and for transmitting a synchronization signal to the at least one mobile interface device and the interactive terminal; and

providing a remote central processing unit having a database stored therein corresponding to the predetermined application and operatively coupled to the set-top transceiver device for receiving and processing the user input signal based on the database to obtain the synchronization signal for receipt by the set-top transceiver device, the synchronization signal including a first display control signal and a second display control signal, the first display control signal for controlling the display of the at least one mobile interface device and the second display control signal for controlling the display of the interactive terminal so as to allow the at least one mobile interface device to be dynamically reconfigured in response to the user input signal to display data corresponding to the predetermined application associated with the interactive terminal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the set-top transceiver device includes the step of providing a database and a processor associated therewith and wherein the set-top transceiver device processes the user input signal to obtain the synchronization signal.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile interface device includes a plurality of mobile interface devices and wherein the step of transmitting the synchronization signal includes the step of broadcasting the synchronization signal to the plurality of mobile interface devices.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user input receiving means is a touch screen.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the touch screen includes virtual buttons adapted to dynamically reconfigure in response to the first display control signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user input receiving means is a keyboard.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user input receiving means is a voice recognizer.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the mobile interface device is a personal digital assistant.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile interface device transmits the user input signal using wireless communications.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the wireless communications is infrared communications.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile interface device transmits the user input signal using wireline communications.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined application is a real estate application.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of providing each of the at least one mobile interface device further includes the step of providing each of the at least one mobile interface device with a memory and a processor for storing and processing the data at the mobile interface device.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the interactive terminal is a television receiver.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the interactive terminal is a computer terminal.

16. For use with an interactive terminal having a display and a predetermined application associated therewith, a method for synchronizing display of data relating to the predetermined application between the interactive terminal and at least one mobile interface device having a display, the method comprising:

providing each of the at least one mobile interface device with an input receiving means for receiving a user input signal;

providing a set-top transceiver device operatively coupled to the interactive terminal and in communication with the at least one mobile interface device for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the at least one mobile interface device;

providing a remote central processing unit having a memory containing data corresponding to the predetermined application and operatively coupled to the set-top transceiver device for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the set-top transceiver device;

receiving the user input signal at the at least one mobile interface device;

transmitting the user input signal to the set-top transceiver device to obtain a data signal;

transmitting the data signal to the central processing unit;

processing the data signal based on the database to obtain a synchronization signal having a first display control signal and a second display control signal, the first display control signal for controlling the display of the at least one mobile interface device and the second display control signal for controlling the display of the interactive terminal; and

transmitting the synchronization signal to the interactive terminal and the at least one mobile interface device so as to allow the at least one mobile interface device to be dynamically reconfigured in response to the user input signal so as to synchronize display of data between the interactive terminal and the at least one mobile interface device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of providing the set-top transceiver device further includes the step of providing a memory and a processor associated therewith and wherein the set-top transceiver device processes the user input signal to obtain the synchronization signal.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the at least one mobile interface device includes a plurality of mobile interface devices and wherein the step of transmitting the synchronization signal includes the step of broadcasting the synchronization signal to the plurality of mobile interface devices.

19. The method as recited claim 16 wherein the input receiving means is a touch screen.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the touch screen includes a plurality of virtual buttons adapted to dynamically reconfigure in response to the first display control signal.

21. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the input receiving means is a keyboard.

22. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the user input receiving means is a voice recognizer.

23. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the mobile interface device is a personal digital assistant.

24. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of transmitting the user input signal to the set-top transceiver device is performed using wireless communications.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 wherein the wireless communications is infrared communications.

26. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of transmitting the user input signal to the set-top transceiver device is performed using wireline communications.

27. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the predetermined application is a real estate application.

28. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of providing the at least one mobile interface device further includes the step of providing each of the at least one mobile interface devices with a memory and a processor for storing and processing the data at the at least one mobile interface device.

29. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive terminal is a television receiver.

30. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive terminal is a computer terminal.

31. For use with an interactive terminal having a display and a predetermined application associated therewith, a system for synchronizing display of data relating to the predetermined application between the interactive terminal and at least one mobile interface device having a display, the system comprising:

the at least one mobile interface device further including a user input receiving means for receiving a user input signal, the at least one mobile interface device for transmitting the user input signal for synchronization with the interactive terminal;

a set-top transceiver device operatively coupled to the interactive terminal and in communication with the at least one mobile interface device for receiving the user input signal from the at least one mobile interface device and for transmitting a synchronization signal to the at least one mobile interface device and the interactive terminal; and

a remote central processing unit having a database stored therein corresponding to the predetermined application and operatively coupled to the set-top transceiver device for receiving and processing the user input signal based on the database to obtain the synchronization signal for receipt by the set-top transceiver device, the synchronization signal including a first display control signal and a second display control signal, the first display control signal for controlling the display of the at least one mobile interface device and the second display control signal for controlling the display of the interactive terminal so as to allow the at least one mobile interface device to be dynamically reconfigured in response to the user input signal so as to synchronize display of data between the interactive terminal and the at least one mobile interface device.

32. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the set-top transceiver device includes a database and a processor associated therewith and wherein the set-top transceiver device processes the user input signal to obtain the synchronization signal.

33. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the at least one mobile interface device includes a plurality of mobile interface devices and wherein the set-top transceiver device is further provided for broadcasting the synchronization signal to the plurality of mobile interface devices.

34. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the user input receiving means is a touch screen.

35. The system as recited in claim 34 wherein the touch screen includes virtual buttons adapted to dynamically reconfigure in response to the first display control signal.

36. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the user input receiving means is a keyboard.

37. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the user input receiving means is a voice recognizer.

38. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the at least one mobile interface device is a personal digital assistant.

39. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the at least one mobile interface device transmits the user input signal using wireless communications.

40. The system as recited in claim 39 wherein the wireless communications is infrared communications.

41. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the at least one mobile interface device transmits the user input signal using wireline communications.

42. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the predetermined application is a real estate application.

43. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the at least one mobile interface device further includes a memory and a processor for storing and processing the data at the at least one mobile interface device.

44. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the interactive terminal is a television receiver.

45. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein the interactive terminal is a computer terminal.