Remote user interface in multiphone environment

• US 7,996,496 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hin, Rene, Haartsen, Jacobus
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US12/201,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/217, 709/231, 709/226, 709/230, 709/246, 709/237, 709/219, 709/218, 725/109, 725/59, 455/413, 707/732, 715/748, 715/738
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A method of operating a plurality of server devices within a user'"'"'s personal bubble includes accessing information available on the plurality of server devices. The information is output so as to appear that the information resides on a single device. The remote control device also may automatically configure the various devices within the personal bubble to communicate with other devices based on particular events, commands, etc.

Claims

1. A method of operating a plurality of server devices within a user'"'"'s personal bubble via a wireless personal area network, the personal bubble defined as a volume extending up to ten meters around the user, comprising:

using a remote control device to communicate with the plurality of server devices via the personal area network, the plurality of server devices located in the personal bubble; and

the remote control device

i) automatically accessing the plurality of server devices to obtain data indicative of content available to each of the plurality of server devices;

ii) combining the data indicative of content available to each of the plurality of server devices; and

iii) outputting the combined data on a display device corresponding to the remote control device, wherein the output combined data is arranged such that the content corresponding to the output combined data appears to reside on a single device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said personal bubble further includes at least one portable content interface device, the method further comprising:

selecting at least part of the output data; and

based on said selection, the remote control device automatically communicatively coupling the at least one content interface device to a server device of the plurality of server devices corresponding to the selected data.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising streaming content from the server device to the content interface device, said content corresponding to the selected data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the streamed content is at least one of media content stored on the plurality of server devices, or communication data specific to one of the plurality of server devices.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an incoming communication on one of the plurality of server devices that is not communicatively coupled to the content interface device; and

automatically communicatively coupling the content interface device to the one server device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said personal bubble further includes at least one content interface device, the method further comprising:

selecting at least part of the output data; and

based on said selection, the remote control device automatically communicatively coupling to the at least one content interface device and automatically communicatively coupling to at least one server device corresponding to the selected data, and transferring the selected data between the at least one content interface device and the at least one server device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting the data includes at least one of outputting a list of media content stored on each of the plurality of server devices, or outputting a list of incoming communications received by each of the plurality of server devices.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the incoming communication for output on the at least one content interface device; and

automatically communicatively coupling the at least one content interface device to the server device in which the incoming communication is being received.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting the data includes storing the data from each of the plurality of server devices in memory of the remote control device, and combining the stored data so as to form a single list.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server devices are at least one of a mobile phone, a computer, a media player, a gaming device, a pager, an electronic organizer, or a personal digital assistant, and the at least one content interface device is at least one of a wireless headset or a wireless display device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of server devices comprise at least one mobile phone, and the remote control device facilitates a connection between the at least one mobile phone and a content interface device located in the personal bubble.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the content interface device comprises a portable communications headset.

13. A system for operating electronic devices within a user'"'"'s personal bubble via a wireless personal area network, the personal bubble defined as a volume extending up to ten meters around the user, comprising:

a plurality of wireless server devices; and

at least one wireless remote control device, said remote control device communicatively couplable to said plurality of server devices and including a display device, wherein said remote control device is configured to

i) automatically access the plurality of server devices that are located within the personal bubble to obtain data indicative of content available to each of the plurality of server devices,

ii) combine the data indicative of content available to each of the plurality of server devices, and

iii) output the combined data on the display device, wherein the output combined data is arranged such that the content corresponding to the output combined data appears to reside on a single device.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising at least one wireless content interface device within the personal bubble, wherein said remote control device is communicatively couplable to said content interface device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the remote control device is configured as a master in a piconet, and the plurality of server devices and the at least one content interface device are configured as slaves in the piconet.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said remote control device is configured to configure one of the plurality of server devices as a master of the content interface device.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said remote control device is configured to configure the content interface device to communicate with the master server device.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said remote control device is configured to configure one of the plurality of server devices and the content interface device to be sniffing slaves in the remote control piconet.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said server devices are at least one of a mobile phone, a computer, a media player, a gaming device, a pager, an electronic organizer, or a personal digital assistant, and said content interface device is at least one of a wireless headset or a wireless display device.

20. A remote control device for operating a plurality of server devices and at least one content interface device, each device located within in a user'"'"'s personal bubble, the personal bubble defined as a volume extending up to ten meters around the user, the remote control device comprising:

a processor;

memory operatively coupled to said processor;

a display device operatively coupled to said processor;

a local wireless interface operatively coupled to said processor and configured to communicate with devices in a wireless personal area network; and

logic stored in said memory and executable by said processor, said logic including

logic configured to use the local wireless interface to automatically access the plurality of server devices that are located within the personal bubble to obtain data indicative of content available to each of the plurality of server devices,

logic configured to combine the data indicative of content available to the plurality of server devices, and

logic configured to output the combined data on the display device, wherein the output combined data is arranged such that the content corresponding to the output combined data appears to reside on a single device.