Internet-phone or smart phone with applications for managing and playing digital content, and a mobile device operating system supporting application programming interface

• US 8,285,802 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• 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): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Lin
• Application Number:
  US12/907,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 : Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 : Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 : Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 : Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

An Internet-Phone as a smart phone may include a touch sensitive screen, an operating system, a graphical user interface, an image acquisition application, a messaging application, a document application, an e-mail application, an Internet browsing application, and an application for playing audio content. The Internet-Phone may provide an application programming interface (API) to support applications. A user of the Internet-Phone can install additional applications. The Internet-Phone may further include one or more wireless communication units with a radio frequency controller compatible to IEEE802.11 and Bluetooth® standards. In some examples, the Internet- Phone may include wireless synchronization of data or software with other wireless devices on a common network. In other examples, the Internet-Phone may include streaming or transferring of digital content to a wireless controller box, a wireless TV, or a wireless printer over the air. Still other examples include connecting the Internet-Phone to a Bluetooth® or IEEE802.11 audio output device.

Claims

1. An Internet-Phone system having one or more applications with access to digital content, said Internet-Phone system being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone system comprising:

a voice communication function;

a messaging application;

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition;

an audio application;

a digital imaging application;

a touch sensitive screen;

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the touch sensitive screen;

a processing unit;

a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the digital content;

a document creation application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application each installed or included in the Internet-Phone system;

an operating system in the Internet-Phone system providing an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate at least one of said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, and said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application interfacing device management applications in the Internet-Phone;

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone system and one or more wireless output controller devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone system; and

an output manager in the Internet-Phone system for managing transfer of at least part of the digital content to the one or more wireless output controller devices;

wherein, the Internet-Phone system has means for establishing wireless communication connection with a selected one of the one or more wireless output controller devices that includes;

searching, over a radio frequency wireless communication and through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Phone system, for one or more wireless output controller devices,

discovering, with the wireless communication unit, one or more wireless output controller devices subsequent to the wireless search,

selecting a wireless output controller device from among the one or more discovered wireless output controller devices,

obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone system,

establishing a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output controller device for transfer of at least part of the digital content to the selected wireless output controller device employing at least in part the authentication or security information; and

wherein, the output manager in the Internet-Phone system for managing the transfer of at least part of the digital content to the selected wireless output controller device being operable for;

receiving, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, from one or more applications that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application, at least part of the digital content, the receiving of the at least part of the digital content being facilitated at least in part by the operating system in the Internet-Phone system and over the object model or the application programming interface (API);

generating, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, output data from the at least part of the digital content received from the one or more applications, the generated output data being in accordance at least in part to at least one of a format, a standard, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output controller device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection, and said generating the output data from the at least part of the digital content includes one or more of an encoding operation, an encryption operation, and a compression operation, individually or in any combination; and

sending, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone system, the output data over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection with the wireless communication unit;

whereby, the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone system is able to transfer at least part of the digital content from at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application, individually or in any combination, included in the Internet-Phone system to the selected wireless output controller device over the restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection established between the Internet-Phone system and the selected wireless output controller device.

2. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the selected wireless output controller device is included internally in an output device and the selected wireless output controller device is the output device, and the output device being at least one of a music playing device, a sound output device, a video output device, an image display device, a television, a projection device, and a printing device, individually or in any combination.

3. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the selected wireless output controller device is a wireless server or a control point over a network, the control point maintains a record of output devices that are within the same network;

and the Internet-Phone contacts the wireless server or a control point for connecting to an output device.

4. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the output manager is further operable for receiving one or more software components or data from the selected wireless output controller device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection.

5. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which subsequent to discovering the one or more wireless output controller devices, the Internet-Phone further having means for:

displaying through the graphical user interface, over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone system, the one or more discovered wireless output controller devices, and

receiving from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen from the user an indication associated with the selected wireless output controller device from among the one or more discovered wireless output controller devices.

6. The Internet-Phone system of claim 1 in which the selected wireless output controller device is a wireless controller box connected externally to an output device over a wired connection, the output device being at least one of a television, a display device, a projection device, a music playing device, a sound output device, an audio output device, and a printing device, individually or in any combination, and the wireless controller box being operable for:

receiving the at least part of the output data associated with the at least part of the digital content;

applying one or more of a decoding operation, a decryption operation, and a decompressing operation, individually or in any combination, on the at least part of the output data for rendering at the output device.

7. A method for transferring digital content from an Internet-Phone to an output device over wireless communication, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to the Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone including:

a voice communication function,

a messaging application,

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition,

a digital imaging application,

an audio application,

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

a document creation application, an e-mail application,

an Internet browsing application,

an operating system providing an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate one or more applications that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application interfacing device management applications at the Internet-Phone,

output manager software for managing at least part the digital content, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone, the method comprising;

discovering, at the Internet-Phone over the radio frequency wireless communication, the one or more wireless output devices;

receiving, over the graphical user interface of the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone, at least an indication related to a selected wireless output device from among the one or more wireless output devices discovered over the radio frequency wireless communication;

obtaining authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone;

establishing a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the one or more wireless output devices for transferring at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Phone to the one or more wireless output devices, the establishing of the restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the one or more output devices being related to the authentication or the security information obtained at the Internet-Phone;

receiving at least an indication of a selected digital document or digital content over the graphical user interface of the Internet-Phone from the user with the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

passing at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from the one or more applications in the Internet-Phone that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said document creation application, said digital imaging application, and said Internet browsing application to the output manager software in the Internet-Phone, the passing of the at least part of the selected digital document or digital content being facilitated at least in part by the object model or the application programming interface (API) provided by the Internet-Phone operating system;

conforming, by the output manager software in the Internet-Phone, output data from the at least part of the selected digital document or digital content received from the one or more applications, the output data being in accordance at least in part to at least one of a format, a standard, a language or an instruction suitable for transferring to the selected wireless output device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection; and

transferring, through the wireless communication unit of the Internet-Phone and over the restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection, at least part of the output data to the selected wireless output device;

whereby, at least part of the selected digital document or digital content from at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application, individually or in any combination, included in the Internet-Phone are transferred from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving from the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone, at least an indication associated with one or more of a password, a personal identification number (PIN), an ID number, a signature, a digital security key, a biometric information, individually or in any combination.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising wireless receiving at the Internet-Phone and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data received from the selected wireless output device being related to one or more of a data, a software component, a software application, a partial software application, a user interface, an identification information associated with the selected wireless output device, individually or in any combination thereof.

10. The method claim 7 in which establishing a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the one or more wireless output devices includes the Internet-Phone contacting a wireless output controller for connecting to the one or more wireless output devices, the wireless output controller being a wireless server or a control point in the same network.

11. The method of claim 7 in which the selected wireless output device is a wireless output controller box connected to an output device, the output device is at least one of a television, a display device, a music playing device, a sound output device, an audio output device, a printer, or a projector, individually or in any combination, the connection between the wireless output controller box and the output device being a wired connection, and the method further comprising:

receiving, at the wireless output controller box, at least part of the output data corresponding to the at least part of the digital content from the Internet-Phone over the restricted radio frequency wireless connection;

storing at least part of the received output data corresponding to the at least part of the digital content in a memory or storage component of the wireless output controller box;

applying at least one of a decoding, a decrypting, or a decompressing operation on at least part of the received output data; and

delivering at least part of the decoded, or decrypted, or decompressed output data to the output device for output of the at least part of the digital content.

12. An Internet-Phone including Internet-Phone system software containing a program of commands executable by a processor in the Internet-Phone to facilitate transfer of digital content from the Internet-Phone to a wireless output device, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone including:

a voice communication function,

a messaging application,

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition,

a digital imaging application,

an audio application,

a touch sensitive screen,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

a document creation or document editing application, an e-mail application, and an Internet browsing application,

output manager software that when executed by the processing unit provides for one or more functions related to at least one of a decoding, a decrypting, an encrypting, a compressing, a decompressing, and an encoding, individually or in any combination, on the digital content,

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication between the Internet-Phone and one or more wireless output devices that are distinct devices from the Internet-Phone, the Internet-Phone system software being further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to facilitate the Internet-Phone to;

discover, at the Internet-Phone, the one or more wireless output devices via wireless communication with the wireless communication unit;

receive from the graphical user interface at least an indication of a selected one of the one or more wireless output devices from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

obtain authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone;

establish a restricted radio frequency wireless connection from the Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device that includes authentication or security procedures;

provide an object model or application programming interface (API) to one or more applications in the Internet-Phone that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application;

receive from the graphical user interface at least an indication of a selected digital content from the user through the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

provide the indication of the at least part of the selected digital content to the one or more applications that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application over the object model or the application programming interface;

pass at least part of the selected digital content from the one or more applications that includes at least one of said audio application, said e-mail application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, and said Internet browsing application to the output manager software for conforming an output data from the at least part of the selected digital content, the output data being in accordance at least in part to at least one of a format, a standard, a language or an instruction suitable for sending to the selected wireless output device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection; and

transfer, over the restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection through the wireless communication unit, the output data to the selected wireless output device;

whereby, the Internet-Phone system software enables one or more applications in the Internet-Phone to transfer at least part of the selected digital content from the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone to the selected wireless output device over the restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection established between the Internet-Phone and the selected wireless output device.

13. The Internet-Phone of claim 12, wherein the Internet-Phone system software is further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to:

receive, at the Internet-Phone from the digital image application or the audio application, at least part of image data or audio data;

generate, at the Internet-Phone, an output data that includes applying at least one of a decoding operation, an encryption operation, a compression operation, or an encoding operation on the image data or audio data; and

send, by the Internet-Phone, the output data for output of the image data or audio data at the selected wireless output device over the established restricted radio frequency wireless communication connection with the wireless communication unit.

14. The Internet-Phone of claim 12, wherein the Internet-Phone system software is further executable by the processor at the Internet-Phone to receive at the Internet-Phone and over said established restricted radio frequency wireless connection one or more components or data from the selected wireless output device, the one or more components or data being related to one or more of data, a software component, a software application, a partial software application, a user interface, identity information, and a device dependent parameter, individually or in any combination.

15. In an Internet-Phone, an output manager for managing transfer of digital content to a wireless output device, said Internet-Phone being an Internet enabled smart phone with access to Internet and being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, the Internet-Phone includes:

a voice communication function,

a messaging application,

a touch sensitive screen,

an image acquisition function for image data acquisition,

a graphical user interface for interacting with a user over the said touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit,

a memory or storage unit for storing at least part of the digital content,

an Internet-Phone operating system having an object model or an application programming interface (API) for interfacing with one or more applications at the Internet-Phone, and

a wireless communication unit that includes a radio frequency controller for establishing radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Phone and the wireless output device that is a distinct device from the Internet-Phone, the output manager in the Internet-Phone comprising;

software for communicating with the operating system of the Internet-Phone over the object model or the application programming interface (API) provided by the Internet-Phone operating system;

software for providing, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone, via the graphical user interface, at least an indication related to the wireless output device to the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

software for obtaining, by the output manager, authentication or security information at the Internet-Phone for accessing service,

software for receiving, by the output manager, from the graphical user interface, at least an indication related to a selected digital content from the user over the touch sensitive screen of the Internet-Phone;

software for obtaining, by the output manager in the Internet-Phone, at least part of the selected digital content from the memory or storage unit in the Internet-Phone;

software for receiving, by the output manager at the Internet-Phone, one or more components or data from the wireless output device;

software for conforming, by the output manager, at least part of the selected digital content into output data, the output data being in accordance at least in part to at least one of a format, a standard, a language, or an instruction suitable for transferring to the wireless output device over the established radio frequency wireless communication connection, and said conforming the output data from the selected digital content includes at least one of an encoding operation, a decoding operation, an encryption operation, a decryption operation, a decompression operation, or a compression operation, individually or in any combination; and

software for transferring, by the output manager over the radio frequency wireless communication connection to the wireless output device, at least part of the output data;

whereby, the output manager software included in the mobile and wireless Internet-Phone, when executed by the processing unit, enables the user to transfer at least part of the selected digital content from the Internet-Phone to the wireless output device over the established wireless communication radio frequency connection between the Internet-Phone and the wireless output device.

16. The output manager of claim 15 in which the authentication or security information includes one or more of a password, a personal identification number (PIN), an ID number, a signature, a digital security key, and biometric information, individually or in any combination.

17. The output manager of claim 15 in which the Internet-Phone further includes software for receiving, by the output manager, information related to one or more wireless output devices discovered over wireless communication with the wireless communication unit, and software for receiving, at the Internet-Phone, from the user, a selected wireless output device from among the one or more discovered wireless output devices at the Internet-Phone.

18. The output manager of claim 15 in which the wireless output device is one or more of a video display device, a projection device, an audio output device, a music playing device, a wireless output controller, individually or in any combination.

19. The output manager of claim 15 in which the one or more components or data includes one or more of a software component, data, identity information related to the wireless output device, status information, an application software, a partial application software, and device dependent parameters associated with wireless output device, individually or in any combination.

20. The output manager of claim 15 in which establishing a radio frequency wireless communication connection between the Internet-Phone and the wireless output device includes establishing a radio frequency wireless communication connection with a wireless output controller, the wireless output controller being a wireless server or a control point, the control point maintaining a record of devices that are within the same network;

and the Internet-Phone contacts the wireless output controller for connecting to the wireless output device.

21. The output manager of claim 15 further comprising software associated with accessing the Internet.