Mobile information apparatus for wireless search and data transfer

• US 8,184,324 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US12/606,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 358/1.1, 358/1.6, 358/1.9, 358/1.2, 358/1.5, 358/1.11, 358/400, 358/401, 358/407, 358/468, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/437, 358/438, 358/439, 347/2, 347/3, 347/5, 347/14, 347/23, 399/1, 399/8, 455/3.01, 455/557, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1258 by updating job settings at the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 : in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 : Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 : Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/181 : Receiving print data characterized by its formatting, e.g. particular page description languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1836 : Rasterization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 : Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 : with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 : Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 : the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 : providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 : Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00938 : Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications program loading in general G06F9/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32534 : details of interfacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32582 : Output interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 : involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 : using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 : Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 : using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mobile information apparatus for wireless digital media transfer and sharing in a wireless digital home or a wireless digital enterprise are disclosed. In a wireless ecosystem, the mobile Information apparatus may be smart phones, Internet Pads or information Pads. Other wireless devices maybe televisions, display screens, smart media players or controllers, printers, or other information apparatus. The disclosed mobile information apparatus may include a wireless communication unit or a graphical user interface, and may provide searching and discovering wirelessly other wireless devices, selecting by a user a discovered wireless device. Once a wireless connection is established with a discovered wireless device, wireless streaming, wireless display, or wireless printing to the selected wireless device may be enabled. Authentication using security keys may be added for digital security. The digital content may be compressed before transmitting to the selected wireless device over the wireless connection.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless information apparatus with access to content for rendering at a wireless output device, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device and including a wireless communication unit for wireless communication and a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless information apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of a content and displaying at least part of the content over the graphical user interface to the user;

means for opening, at the wireless information apparatus, a wireless communication channel;

means for receiving, at the wireless information apparatus via the wireless communication unit, at least an indication related to a wireless output device;

means for selecting, at the wireless information apparatus, a selected wireless output device based, at least in part, on the received indication;

means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images, the one or more output images being encoded with one or more image layers;

means for generating, at the wireless information apparatus, device independent intermediate output data that includes said one or more output images, at least one image layer including data encoded with compression, and the device independent intermediate output data conforming to a predefined or standard format, language, or compression;

means for establishing a wireless connection between the wireless information apparatus and the selected wireless output device; and

means for transmitting in one or multiple sessions, over the wireless connection, the device independent intermediate output data from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device for rendering of the at least part of the content.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for searching wirelessly based at least in part on one or more searching criteria, at the wireless information apparatus, for wireless moutput devices available for wireless communication that satisfy at least in part the one or more searching criteria, and means for discovering one or more wireless output devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for establishing a wireless connection with the selected wireless output device further comprises means for authenticating wireless access to the selected wireless output device, including sending, over the wireless communication channel, one or more of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, a signature, a physical or digital security key, a biometric, a fingerprint, and a voice, individually or in any combination.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the generated device independent intermediate output data is encoded at least partly with a predefined proprietary format, language, or compression, or with a standard format language, or compression;

and the device independent intermediate output data includes one or more of audio data, video data, and image data, individually or in any combination.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting, over the wireless connection from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device, payment information as payment for rendering of the content at the selected wireless output device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each image layer of the one or more image layers is encoded at least partly with a different encoding technique.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the wireless information apparatus is one or more of a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, a digital camera, and a PDA, individually or in any combination.

8. A mobile wireless information apparatus with access to at least a part of content for rendering at a wireless output device, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device and including a wireless communication unit for wireless communication and a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless information apparatus comprising:

means for opening a wireless communication channel between the wireless information apparatus and the wireless output device;

means for receiving, via wireless communication, at least an indication associated with the wireless output device;

means for authenticating wireless access to the wireless output device by sending, over the wireless communication channel, one or more security keys, and, if the authentication associated with the wireless output device is successful, establishing a secure wireless connection from the wireless information apparatus to the wireless output device;

means for obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images and encoding the one or more output images into one or more image layers, at least one image layer including data being encoded with a compression operation;

means for generating, at the wireless information apparatus, a device independent intermediate output data that includes said one or more output images, the device independent intermediate output data conforming at least partly to a predefined proprietary or standard format, language or compression method; and

means for delivering, in one or multiple sessions, the device independent intermediate output data over the secured wireless connection to the wireless output device for rendering of the at least part of the content.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means for searching wirelessly, at the wireless information apparatus, for wireless output devices available for wireless communication;

means for discovering one or more wireless output devices; and

means for selecting a wireless output device found in the search based, at least in part, on the received indication from the one or more wireless output devices over the wireless communication channel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means for obtaining user preferences over the graphical user interface of the wireless information apparatus, the user preferences relating to parameters for rendering of the content at the wireless output device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means for transmitting payment information over the secure wireless connection as payment for rendering of the content at the wireless output device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 in which said one or more security keys comprise one or more of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, signatures, a physical or digital security key, a biometric, a fingerprint, and a voice, individually or in any combination.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the wireless output device includes one or more of a display device, a projection device, a printing device, a television, and an audio output device, individually or in any combination.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images includes at least one of a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, an interpolation operation, a decoding operation, an encoding operation, a color correction operation, a color space transformation, a color matching operation, a halftoning operation, an image processing operation, an image enhancement, a segmentation, a digital watermark, a conversion operation, a smoothing operation, an anti-aliasing operation, and a compression operation.

15. A mobile wireless information apparatus with access to at least a part of content for rendering at a wireless output device, wherein the wireless information apparatus includes at least one wireless communication unit for wireless communication and a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device, the wireless information apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

means for obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

means for opening a wireless communication channel;

means for discovering wirelessly one or more wireless output devices that are available for wireless connection;

means for receiving, over the wireless communication channel, an attribute corresponding to each discovered wireless output device, the attribute including at least one of a name, an identity, a device type, an address, and an indication of a supported output device profile;

means for selecting a wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices based, at least in part, on the received attribute;

means for obtaining a security key at the wireless information apparatus, the security key enabling wireless data transfer to the selected wireless output device;

means for sending at least part of the security key over the wireless communication channel and requesting the selected wireless output device to open a secured wireless connection for data transfer;

means for receiving, over the wireless communication channel, a response related to an authentication; and

, if the received response is positive, establishing a secure wireless connection between the wireless information apparatus and the selected wireless output device;

means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into an output data encoded with a format or language for transmitting to the selected wireless output device; and

means for transmitting, in one or multiple sessions, the output data from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device over the secured wireless connection for rendering of the at least part of the content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the wireless information apparatus is at least one of a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, a digital camera, and a PDA.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 in which said security key comprises at least one of an identity of the wireless information apparatus, a user name, a password, an ID number, signatures, a physical or digital security key, biometrics, fingerprints, and a voice.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the output data includes compressed data and the compressed data includes one or more of audio data, video data, and image data, individually or in any combination.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into an output data includes conforming the at least part of the content into a device dependent output data that is related, at least in part, to the attribute received over the wireless communication channel and from the selected wireless output device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 in which conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into an output data includes conforming the at least part of the content into device independent output data that is related, at least in part, to a predefined proprietary format or language, or to a standard format or language.

21. A mobile wireless information apparatus with access to at least a part of content for rendering at a wireless output device, the content being at least partly accessible with the wireless information apparatus, the wireless information apparatus being a distinct device from the wireless output device and including a wireless communication unit for wireless communication and a graphical user interface for interacting with a user, the wireless information apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, over a wireless communication channel, at least a device dependent attribute associated with one or more wireless output devices, the device dependent attribute including at least one of a name, an identity, a device type, an address, and an indication of a supported output device profile;

means for selecting a wireless output device based, at least in part, on the received device dependent attribute;

means for opening the wireless communication channel directly between the wireless information apparatus and the selected wireless output device;

means for obtaining, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content;

means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images;

means for generating, at the wireless information apparatus, a device dependent intermediate output data that includes said one or more output images, the device dependent intermediate output data related, at least partly, to the device dependent attribute received over the wireless communication channel; and

means for transmitting, in one or multiple sessions, the device dependent intermediate output data over the wireless communication channel for rendering of the at least part of the content.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for authenticating wireless access to one or more wireless output devices by sending or obtaining over the wireless communication channel, one or more security keys.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for searching wirelessly, at the wireless information apparatus, for wireless output devices available for wireless communication;

and means for discovering one or more wireless output devices.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising transmitting, over a wireless connection from the wireless information apparatus to the selected wireless output device, payment information as payment for rendering of the content at the selected wireless output device.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the means for conforming, at the wireless information apparatus, at least part of the content into one or more output images includes a compression operation.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the one or more output images includes two or more image layers, and each image layer includes data being encoded at least partly with a distinct encoding technique.