Mobile computer communication interface

• US 7,986,961 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Gasborro, Henry Frank, Frederking, Jay, Carpenter, Joseph Edwin, Bieber, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/312,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/457, 455/550.1, 455/566, 701/200, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method is provided for a mobile computer communication interface. One embodiment includes a mobile computer communication interface. The mobile computer communication interface comprises a transceiver operative to send and receive wireless communications to and from a host computer. The mobile computer communication interface may also comprise a touch-screen display, the touch-screen display being operative to receive inputs from a user and remotely display outputs provided by the host computer. The mobile computer communication interface may also comprise a controller operative to wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer in response to inputs from the touch-screen display.

Claims

1. A mobile computer communication interface comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver operative to receive location information corresponding to a physical location of the mobile computer communication interface;

a transceiver operative to send and receive wireless communications to and from a host computer, and to transmit situational awareness (SA) data associated with a user of the mobile computer communication interface to the host computer, the SA data associated with the user including the location information and at least one status condition associated with the user;

a touch-screen display operative to receive inputs from the user corresponding to at least one status condition associated with the user and to remotely display outputs provided by the host computer, the outputs including the SA data associated with the user and SA data associated with at least one additional user, the SA data associated with the at least one additional user including location information and at least one status condition associated with the at least one additional user; and

a controller operative to at least one of wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer in response to inputs from the touch-screen display.

2. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

3. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising a metallic exterior cover coupled to a negative voltage supply rail, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield the mobile computer communication interface from electro-magnetic interference.

4. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the touch-screen display is an organic LED.

5. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications are one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

6. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, wherein a map image is received by the transceiver from the host computer, the map image being an image of a geographical area comprising the physical location of the mobile computer communication interface.

7. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 6, wherein the touch-screen display is further operative to display the SA data superimposed on the map image.

8. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising one of a wrist-strap and a neck-strap, such that the user is capable of wearing the mobile computer communication interface.

9. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

10. The mobile computer communication interface system of claim 1, wherein the touch-screen display is configured to display the SA data as symbols corresponding to the mobile computer communication interface system and the at least one additional mobile computer communication interface system on a map image, the symbols being demonstrated on the map image in a different manner to indicate each of the corresponding at least one status condition associated with the user and the at least one additional user.

11. The mobile computer communication interface system of claim 1, wherein the inputs received from the user correspond to locations of potential obstacles relative to a physical location of the mobile computer communication interface system, the SA data associated with the user being transmitted to the at least one additional mobile computer communication interface via the host computer to indicate the locations of the potential obstacles to the respective at least one additional user.

12. The mobile computer communication interface of claim 6, wherein the map image is a real-time high-resolution video map acquired by a camera located on an observation vehicle and provided in one of composite and S-video format.

13. The mobile computer communication interface system of claim 1, wherein the at least one status condition is associated with at least one current status condition that corresponds to at least one of the user being alive, wounded, out of ammunition, and in distress.

14. The mobile computer communication interface system of claim 10, wherein the different manner to indicate each of the corresponding at least one status condition associated with the user and the at least one additional user comprises at least one of different colors and different symbols associated with the respective at least one status condition.

15. A wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver operative to receive location information corresponding to a physical location of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface;

a transmitter operative to wirelessly transmit situational awareness (SA) data to a host computer, the SA data including the location information;

a controller operative to at least one of wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer;

a receiver operative to wirelessly receive video data from the host computer, the video data being a real-time high-resolution video map image of a geographical area comprising the physical location of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface, the real-time high-resolution video map image being acquired by a camera located on an observation vehicle and being transmitted to the host computer;

a video decoder operative to decode the video data; and

a touch-screen display operative to receive inputs from the user and to display the SA data superimposed on the map image.

16. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

17. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, further comprising a metallic exterior cover coupled to a negative voltage supply rail, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface from electro-magnetic interference.

18. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the touch-screen display is an organic LED.

19. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the wireless SA data and the wireless video data are one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

20. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the transmitter and receiver wirelessly transmit and receive voice, video, and data information to and from the host computer.

21. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, further comprising at least one of an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

22. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the host computer is operative to wirelessly transmit and receive control, display, and information data to and from each of a plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces being operative to transmit situational awareness (SA) data to the host computer, the SA data including the location information, and being further operative to receive a map image from the host computer, the map image being a geographical area comprising the physical location of each of the respective wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces and including the SA data associated with each of the plurality wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces.

23. The wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interface of claim 15, wherein the decoder is configured to decode the video data acquired by a camera located on an observation vehicle and in one of composite or S-video format.

24. A mobile communication system comprising:

a plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprising an organic LED touch-screen display and a GPS receiver, the GPS receiver being operative to receive location information corresponding to a physical location of a respective one of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces; and

a host computer operative to wirelessly transmit and receive control, display, and information data to and from each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces being operative to input and transmit situational awareness (SA) data to the host computer, the SA data including the location information and a physical location of potential obstacles, and being further operative to receive the map image from the host computer, the map image being a geographical area comprising the physical location of each of the respective wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces and including the SA data associated with each of the plurality wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces superimposed over the map image.

25. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprise a controller operative to at least one of wirelessly access and remotely control the host computer.

26. The mobile communication system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further operative to at least one of launch applications, input data to, and download data from the host computer, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

27. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprises a metallic exterior cover coupled to a negative voltage supply rail, the metallic exterior cover being operative to act as a heat-sink and to shield each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces from electro-magnetic interference.

28. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the control, display, and information data are wirelessly transmitted on one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

29. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the map image is one of a real-time video map, a still photograph map, and a graphical representation map.

30. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the SA data includes at least one status condition associated with respective users of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile communication interfaces, and wherein the touch-screen display of each of the plurality of wrist-mounted mobile communication interfaces is configured to display the location information of each of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces as symbols on the map image in a different manner to indicate each of the corresponding the at least one status condition of the respective users.

31. The mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the host computer is located in a vehicle.

32. A method comprising:

receiving location information of each of a plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces, each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces being worn by a respective one of a plurality of users, the location information corresponding to a physical location of the respective one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces that is receiving the location information;

receiving at least one of location information associated with potential obstacles relative to the physical location of the respective one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces and status condition information corresponding to at least one status condition associated with at least one of the plurality of users from a respective at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces based on inputs provided by the respective at least one of the plurality of users;

transmitting situational awareness (SA) data from each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces to a host computer, the SA data including the location information of each of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces, the location information associated with the potential obstacles, and the status condition information;

transmitting a map image on which the SA data associated with each of the plurality of users is superimposed to at least one of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces; and

displaying the map image on a touch-screen display of the at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising at least one of wirelessly accessing and controlling the host computer via at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising at least one of launching applications, inputting data to, and downloading data from the host computer via the at least one of the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces, such that the received touch inputs on the touch-screen display simulate at least one of keyboard and mouse inputs on the host computer.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the transmitting SA data and video data further comprises utilizing one of WiFi, Bluetooth, and MeshNetwork communication standards.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the transmitting the map image further comprises transmitting a real-time video map image acquired by a camera located on an observation vehicle and encoded in one of composite and S-video formats.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the plurality of mobile computer communication interfaces are each wrist mounted devices.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

acquiring the map image via a camera located in an observation vehicle;

transmitting the map image to the host computer; and

superimposing the SA data onto the map image via the host computer;

wherein transmitting the map image to the at least one of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces comprises transmitting the map image to the at least one of the wrist-mounted mobile computer communication interfaces via the host computer.