Method and system for integrating a computer mouse function in a mobile communication device

• US 8,150,455 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Chung, Chien-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US11/945,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20090137269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558, 345/158, 345/163, 345/168
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method and system are implemented for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen of a remote host device with a mobile communication device. The method comprises establishing a communication link between the mobile communication device and the selected remote host device, detecting an amount of displacement of the mobile communication device, converting the detected amount of displacement into displacement data of the cursor in a coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host device, and transmitting the displacement data to the remote host device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a motion sensor;

a transceiver configured for long-range communication;

a short-range wireless communication module; and

a processing unit configured to operate in conjunction with the short-range wireless communication module and further configured to;

determine whether the mobile communication device is to operate in a desktop mode or a projector mode;

when in the desktop mode;

establish via the short-range wireless communication module a communication link with a selected remote host device having a display screen adapted to visualize a cursor,

convert amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device in a first direction and a second direction detected via the motion sensor into displacement data of the cursor in a two-dimensional coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the remote host device, and

transmit via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the remote host device; and

when in the projector mode;

establish via the short-range wireless communication module a communication link with a selected remote host device having a display screen adapted to visualize a cursor and coupled to a projector that projects images from the display screen to a vertical board,

convert amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device detected in the first direction and a third direction via the motion sensor into displacement data of the cursor in the coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the remote host device, and

transmit via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the remote host device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication module implements a Bluetooth communication protocol.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect displacements of the mobile communication device in a 3-dimensions space.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone; and

a speaker.

5. The device of claim 1, being configured as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a like handheld mobile device.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to establish via the short-range wireless communication module a second communication link with a headset device, and wherein a physical radio channel set by the short-range wireless communication module is divided into alternated time slots respectively allocated for exchanging the displacement data between the mobile communications device and the host computer device and for exchanging voice communication data between the mobile communications device and the headset device such that the displacement data and the voice communication data may be processed in parallel by the mobile communication device.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein both the displacement data and the voice communication data are exchanged via a Bluetooth communication protocol.

8. A method for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen of a host device with a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

determine whether the mobile communication device is to operate in a desktop mode or a projector mode; and

when in desktop mode;

establishing a communication link via a short-range wireless communication module between the mobile communication device and a selected remote host device, wherein the host device has a display screen adapted to visualize a cursor,

detecting amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device in a first direction and a second direction,

converting the detected amounts of displacement into displacement data of the cursor in a two-dimensional coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host device, and

transmitting via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the host device; and

when in projector mode;

establishing a communication link via a short-range wireless communication module between the mobile communication device and a selected remote host device having a display screen adapted to visualize a cursor and coupled to a projector that projects images from the display screen to a vertical board,

detecting amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device in the first direction and a third direction,

converting the detected amounts of displacement into displacement data of the cursor in the two-dimensional coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host device, and

transmitting via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the host device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the short-range wireless communication module implements a Bluetooth communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting an amount of displacement of the mobile communication device comprises detecting displacements of the mobile communication device in a 3-dimensions space.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a like handheld mobile devices.

17. The method of claim 8 further comprising establishing via the short-range wireless communication module a second communication link with a headset device, wherein a physical radio channel set by the short-range wireless communication module is divided into alternated time slots respectively allocated for exchanging the displacement data between the mobile communications device and the remote host device and for exchanging voice communication data between the mobile communications device and the headset device such that the displacement data and the voice communication data may be processed in parallel by the mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein both the displacement data and the voice communication data are exchanged via a Bluetooth communication protocol.

12. A system comprising:

a host computer device having a display screen adapted to visualize a cursor; and

a mobile communication device, comprising;

a motion sensor;

a transceiver configured for long-range communication;

a short-range wireless communication module;

a processing unit configured to operate in conjunction with the short-range wireless communication module and further configured to;

determine whether the mobile communication device is to operate in a desktop mode or a projector mode;

when in the desktop mode;

establish via the short-range wireless communication module a communication link with the host computer device,

convert amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device in a first direction and a second direction detected via the motion sensor into displacement data of the cursor in a two-dimensional coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host computer device, and

transmit via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the host computer device; and

when in the projector mode;

establish via the short-range wireless communication module a communication link with the host computer device coupled to a prosector that projects images from the display screen to a vertical board,

convert amounts of displacement of the mobile communication device detected in the first direction and a third direction via the motion sensor into displacement data of the cursor in the coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host computer device, and

transmit via the short-range wireless communication module the displacement data to the host computer device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a microphone and a speaker.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect displacements of the mobile communication device in a 3-dimensions space.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further configured to establish via the short-range wireless communication module a second communication link with a headset device, and wherein a physical radio channel set by the short-range wireless communication module is divided into alternated time slots respectively allocated for exchanging the displacement data between the mobile communications device and the remote host device and for exchanging voice communication data between the mobile communications device and the headset device such that the displacement data and the voice communication data may be processed in parallel by the mobile communication device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein both the displacement data and the voice communication data are exchanged via a Bluetooth communication protocol.