Audio compression in a wireless remote interface tablet

• US 6,963,783 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Packard Bell NEC
• Inventors: Voegeli, Derick W., Bi, Depeng, Gladwin, S. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US08/784,141
• Time in Patent Office: 3,219 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/2, 381/120, 381/28, 381/79, 364/400.01, 700/94, 345/156, 345/179, 345/163, 709/227
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system which includes a personal computer or a server adapted to be connected by way of a radio link to one or more wireless interface devices. Each of the wireless interface devices is configured to support multimedia applications and may include a speaker, as well as a microphone, for audio input. Audio input data is compressed and transmitted over a radio link to a remote computer or server.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more host computers each having a processor, a storage device for running and storing programs, at least one of said host computers including a radio interface and means for wirelessly connecting to one or more wireless interface devices in response to a manual selection by said wireless interface device;

one or more wireless interface devices, each wireless interface device including a microphone for receiving audio input data and an audio processing system for sampling and compressing said audio input data at one of predetermined time periods and whenever the amplitude of the audio input data drops below a predetermined value defining sampled audio data in a buffer, and compressing said sampled audio data defining compressed audio data and means for transmitting said compressed audio data to one of said one or more host computers by way of a radio link, said wireless interface device including a digitizer responsive to a passive styles and including means for monitoring pen down events of said passive stylus in a mouse mode and emulating the movement of a mouse and the clicking of a mouse button, means for translating pen events into mouse data packets in a mouse mode and means for translating pen events into pen data packets in a pen mode said wireless interface device including means for switching between a pen mode, and a mouse mode.

2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said host is connected to a local area network (LAN).

3. The computer system as recited in claim 2, wherein said LAN is a wired LAN.

4. The computer system as recited in claim 2, wherein said LAN is a wireless LAN.

5. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further including means for processing said audio input data.

6. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said host is a server, which includes means for simulating that the audio input data is directly received by the server.

7. The computer system as recited in claim 5, wherein said audio processing means includes a filter for passing audio signals in a predetermined frequency range.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 5, wherein said audio processing means includes an amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter.

9. The computer system as recited in claim 8, wherein said amplifier is selected to maximize the range of said analog-to-digital converter.

10. The computer system as recited in claim 5, wherein said audio processing means includes a digital signal processor.

11. A wireless interface device for use in a computer system which includes one or more remote host computers, each of said remote host computers having a processor and a storage device for running and storing one or more programs, means for receiving data, and means for generating video data, and at least one of said remote host computers including a radio interface, the wireless interface device comprising:

a display;

a system for displaying available remote host computers for connection and enabling a user to manually select one of said available remote host computers for connection and establishing a connection thereto;

a microphone for receiving audio input data;

an audio processing system for processing audio input data said audio processing system including a system sampling said audio input data at predetermined time periods and whenever the amplitude of the audio input data falls below a predetermined value, defining sampled audio data, storing said sampled audio data and compressing said sampled audio data defining compressed audio data;

a system for transmitting said compressed audio data to said remote host computer by way of a radio link;

an input device for receiving user input data;

means for transmitting said user input data to said remote host computer; and

means for receiving said video data from said host computer and displaying it on said display, said wireless interface device including means responsive to a passive stylus for monitoring pen down events of said passive stylus in a mouse mode and emulating the movement of a mouse and the clicking of a mouse button, means for translating pen events into mouse data packets in a mouse mode and means for translating pen events into pen data packets in a pen mode said wireless interface device including means for switching between a pen mode, and a mouse mode.

12. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 11, further including means for processing said audio input data.

13. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 12, wherein said audio processing means includes a filter for passing audio signals in a predetermined frequency range.

14. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 12, wherein said audio processing means includes an amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter.

15. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 14, wherein said amplifier is selected to maximize the range of said analog-to-digital converter.

16. The wireless interface device as recited in claim 11, further including means for simulating that said audio input data is directly received by said remote computer device.