Mobile wireless display for accessing data from a host and method for controlling

• US 9,116,340 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Jeffrey J., Pombo, Stephen A., Parkinson, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US12/152,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20090117890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,659 Days
• Field of Search: 455/565, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal

Abstract

An apparatus includes a monocular display with a wireless communications interface, a user input device, a transmitter, and a controller. The monocular display is positioned relative to the user'"'"'s eye to display images to the user while occluding less than half of the user'"'"'s maximum viewing space. The apparatus can incorporate a wireless communication controller that not only provides a video link to a host device, but also provides for control and management of a host device and other more devices. In this context, a host device may be any appropriate device that sources audio, video, text, office functionality and other information, such as a cell phone, personal computer, laptop, media player, and/or the like. The apparatus and the host may support Microsoft Windows SideShow, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), and Virtual Network Computing (VNC).

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a portable, miniature display configured to display a graphical output of an application running on a host computing device based on received data in a generic format, the generic format being independent from a format of the host computing device;

an input device configured to receive a control signal including a request to control the application running on the host computing device; and

a wireless interface configured to;

(i) establish a wireless connection between the device and the host computing device,

(ii) convert the received control signal into a reformatted control signal having a control format that the host computing system can receive;

(iii) transmit the reformatted control signal over the wireless connection to the host computing device, wherein the reformatted control signal controls the application running on the host computing device and

(iv) receive data representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device in the format of the host computing device, the application being remotely controlled by the received control signal,

wherein the portable, miniature display is further configured to reformat the data using a device driver associated with the host computing device, such that the data is always presented to the portable, miniature display in the generic format independent from the format of the host computing device, and the data is representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device from the generic format to the graphical output in an expected format of the portable, miniature display and further configured to remotely display the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device further supports Microsoft Windows Sideshow, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), or Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocols.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device is configured to poll the host computing device when in a sleep mode for updated graphical output, and returning the host computing device to the sleep mode.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth™

physical layer with a Bluetooth™

proxy to implement a packet switching gateway.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the display is configured to be positioned in a peripheral field of vision of a user and occlude less than half of a normal field of vision of the user.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising an input device configured to wirelessly communicate with the host computing device.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface is configured to support one or more of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi™

), IEEE 802.15 (Bluetooth™

), Wireless Universal Serial Bus (WUSB), Ultra Wide band (UWB), Wireless High Definition (WirelessHD), Wireless High Definition Multimedia Interface (WHDMI), or cellular protocols.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface is configured to establish a first wireless communication path with a first host computing device of the host computing device and a second wireless communication path with a second host computing device of the host computing device.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the wireless interface is further configured to establish the first and second wireless communication paths employing protocols, standard or modified, providing simultaneous communication over a plurality of channels with a variable bit rate and a variable buffer.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the graphical output provided from the host computing device is selected from at least one of:

broadcast video, broadcast television, broadcast radio, Internet access, audio, video, text, images, satellite service, or closed circuit communications.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the host computing device is at least one of a laptop computer, desktop computer, mobile telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), radio, satellite receiver, music player, video player, multimedia player, global positioning system (GPS) device, diagnostic computing device, and smart phone.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive the data representative of the graphical output by receiving a markup language as the data in the generic format, and

wherein the display is further configured to convert the data representative of the graphical output, including the markup language, to the graphical output of the application for displaying.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the host computing device is further configured to operate a utility to provide the graphical output to the device at a time of operation of the host computing device in a state of power of on, off, or reduced-power sleep mode, and wherein the display is further configured to access the utility of the host computing device to receive the graphical output.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the utility operates remotely without requiring user interaction with the host computing device through protocols, such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), and commercial services, such as GoToMyPC.

15. A display method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a device and a host computing device;

generating, based on an input device, a control signal including a request for graphical output of an application running on a host computing device based on received data in a generic format, the generic format being independent from a format of the host computing device;

converting the control signal into a reformatted control signal having a control format that the host computing system can receive;

transmitting the reformatted control signal from the device to the host computing device, the reformatted control signal controlling the application running on the host computing device;

receiving data representative of the graphical output of the application running on host computing device in the format of the host computing device, the application being remotely controlled by the received control signal;

reformatting the data using a device driver associated with the host computing device, such that the data is always presented to a portable, miniature display of the device in the generic format independent from the format of the host computing device, and the data is representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device from the generic format to the graphical output in an expected format of the portable, miniature display; and

remotely displaying, at the portable, miniature display of the device, the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device supports Microsoft Windows SideShow, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), or Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocols, the method further comprising displaying the graphical output according to the protocols.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

polling the host computing device when in a sleep mode for updated graphical output; and

returning the host computing device to the sleep mode.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth™

physical layer with a Bluetooth™

proxy, the method further comprising implementing a packet switching gateway employing to the Bluetooth™

proxy.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the portable, miniature display is configured to be positioned in a peripheral field of vision of a user and occlude less than half of a normal field of vision of the user.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising controlling the host computing device wirelessly via an input device.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising supporting communications over the wireless interface employing one or more of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi™

), IEEE 802.15 (Bluetooth™

), Wireless Universal Serial Bus (WUSB), Ultra Wide band (UWB), Wireless High Definition (WirelessHD), Wireless High Definition Multimedia Interface (WHDMI), or cellular protocols.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein establishing the wireless connection between the device and host computing device includes establishing a first wireless communication path with a first host computing device of the host computing device and a second wireless communication path with a second host computing device of the host computing device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein establishing the first and second wireless communication paths includes employing protocols, standard or modified, providing simultaneous communication over a plurality of channels with a variable bit rate and a variable buffer.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the graphical output displayed is selected from a group consisting of:

broadcast video, broadcast television, broadcast radio, Internet access, audio, video, text, images, satellite service, or closed circuit communications.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the host computing device is a laptop computer, desktop computer, mobile telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), radio, satellite receiver, music player, video player, multimedia player, global positioning system (GPS) device, diagnostic computing device, or smartphone.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a markup language specification instruction the device how to display the graphical output.

27. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing graphical output to the device at a time of operation of the host computing device in a state of power of on, off, or reduced-power sleep mode.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the host computing device provides graphical output to the device without requiring user interaction with the host computing device through protocols, such as Remote Desktop protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), and commercial services, such as GoTo MyPC.

29. A system comprising:

a device including;

(a) a portable, miniature display configured to display graphical output of an application running on a host computing device based on received data in a generic format, the generic format being independent from a format of the host computing device,

(b) an input device configured to receive a control signal including a request to control the application running on the host computing device, and

(c) a first wireless interface configured to;

(i) establish a wireless connection between the device and the host computing device,

(ii) convert the received control signal into a reformatted control signal having a control format that the host computing system can receive;

(iii) transmit the reformatted control signal to the host computing device wherein the reformatted control signal controls the application running on the host computing device, and

(iv) receive data representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device in the format of the host computing device, the application being controlled by the received control signal;

wherein the host computing device includes a host display interface and a second wireless interface, the second wireless interface configured to (i) establish the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device, (ii) receive the control signal from device, and (iii) transmit the data representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device, wherein the host computing device is configured to control the application with the received control signal and provide the data representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device, the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device being additionally reformatted by the host display interface using a device driver associated with the host computing device, such that the data is always presented to the portable, miniature display in an expected format independent from the format of the host computing device, and the data is from the generic format to the graphical output in an expected format and displayed at the host display interface.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device further supports Microsoft Windows SideShow, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), or Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocols.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the wireless connection between the device and the host computing device is further configured to poll the host computing device when in a sleep mode for updated graphical output and returning the host computing device to the sleep mode.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface are a Bluetooth™

physical layer with a Bluetooth™

proxy to implement a packet switching gateway.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the display is configured to be positioned in a peripheral field of vision of the user and occlude less than half of a normal field of vision of the user.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein the device further includes an input device configured to wirelessly communicate with the host computing device.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the wireless interface is configured to support one or more of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi™

), IEEE 802.15 (Bluetooth™

), Wireless Universal Serial Bus (WUSB), Ultra Wide band (UWB), Wireless High Definition (WirelessHD), Wireless High Definition Multimedia Interface (WHDMI), or cellular protocols.

36. The system of claim 29 further comprising a first host computing device and a second host computing device of the host computing device, the first wireless interface configured to establish a first wireless communication path with the second wireless interface of the first host computing device and a second wireless communication path with a third wireless interface of the second host computing device.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the first wireless interface is further configured to establish the first and second wireless communication paths employing protocols, standard or modified, providing simultaneous communication over a plurality of channels with a variable bit rate and a variable buffer.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein the graphical output provided from the host computing device is selected from at least one of:

broadcast video, broadcast television, broadcast radio, Internet access, audio, video, text, images, satellite service, or closed circuit communications.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein the host computing device is a laptop computer, desktop computer, mobile telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), radio, satellite receiver, music player, video player, multimedia player, global positioning system (GPS) device, diagnostic computing device, or smartphone.

40. The system of claim 29 wherein the first wireless interface is further configured to receive the data representative of the graphical output by receiving a markup language as the data, and

wherein the display is further configured to convert the data representative of the graphical output, including the markup language, to the graphical output of the application for displaying.

41. The system of claim 29 wherein the host computing device is further configured to operates a utility to provide graphical output to the device at a time of operation of the host computing device in a state of power of on, off, or reduced-power sleep mode, and therein the display is further configured to access the utility of the host computing device to receive the graphical output.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the utility operates remotely without requiring user interaction with the host computing device through protocols, such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), and commercial services, such as GoToMyPC.

43. A monocular display device configured to communicate with a host computing system that includes a host processor, a host memory, and a host bus, the host bus coupled to the host processor and the host memory, the host bus further coupled to a host wireless communication interface, the monocular display device comprising:

a monocular display configured to be worn by a wearer so the monocular display is located in substantially a peripheral vision of an eye of the wearer and occludes less than half of a normal vision of the wearer when worn;

a monocular display device controller connected to the monocular display;

an input device connected to the monocular display device controller to provide a control signal;

a converter for converting the control signal into a reformatted control signal having a control format that the host computing system can receive;

a monocular display device wireless communications interface configured to communicate with the host wireless communication interface;

wherein the monocular display device controller is further configured to control the host computing system by sending the control signal to the host wireless communication interface over a bi-directional communication link;

the host wireless interface configured to receive the control signal from the monocular display device wireless communication interface;

the host computing system running an application, on the host processor, that receives the control signal to control the application; and

the host computing system configured to transmit data representative of a graphical output of the application running on the host processor based on received data in a format of the host computing device that is independent from a generic format expected by the monocular display along the bidirectional communication path to the monocular display the monocular display further configured to reformat the data using a converter, such that the data is always presented to a portable, miniature display of the monocular display in an expected format independent from the format of the host computing device, and the data is representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing system from the generic format to the graphical output in an expected format of the portable, miniature display and further configured to remotely display the graphical output of the application running on the host processor.

44. A monocular display device configured to wirelessly interface with two or more host devices in a substantially simultaneous manner over at least two independent wireless communication paths, the two or more host devices including a first computing device and a second computing device, the monocular display device comprising:

a monocular display configured to be worn by a wearer, the monocular display configured to be located in a peripheral vision of a wearer and to occlude less than half of a normal vision of the wearer; and

a wireless interface coupled with the monocular display, the wireless interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the first and the second computing devices along the communication paths;

wherein the monocular display device is further configured (a) as a central hub between the first and the second computing devices, (b) to control an application running on the first or second computing devices by sending a control signal having a control format that at least one of the host devices can receive, (c) to display a graphical output of an application running on a host computing device based on received data in a format of the host computing device, (d) to reformat the data using a device driver associated with the host computing device, such that the data is always presented to a portable, miniature display of the monocular display in a generic format independent from the format of the host computing device, and the data is representative of the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device from the generic format to the graphical output in an expected format of the portable, miniature display and (e) to remotely display the graphical output of the application running on the host computing device.