Patent Application
20140358990
This application is directed, in general, to communications and, more specifically, to a communications system, a method of operating a communications system and a method of fulfilling mobile applications.
The latest advances in mobile and wireless technologies have enabled mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets (i.e., computer tablets), to provide a wider range of new uses and interoperability between electronic devices. A typical example is the ability of a mobile device to stream content from a personal computer associated with watching a movie or playing a game on the mobile device. This capability extends the ease of use and enhances the quality of user experiences by offering increased mobility for these applications. Further enhancements to these capabilities would prove beneficial to the art.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communications system, a method of operating a communications system and a method of fulfilling mobile applications.
In one embodiment, the communications system includes a mobile device that is coupled to a network and has a mobile application requiring fulfillment, and a personal computer that is coupled to the network and has computer data entry and display capabilities. Additionally, the communications system includes a mobile applications processor that is coupled to the personal computer and provides a mobile device interaction, wherein the mobile device interaction includes fulfillment of the mobile application with the computer data entry and display capabilities.
In another aspect, the method of operating a communications system includes coupling a network to a mobile device having a mobile application requiring fulfillment and coupling the network to a personal computer having computer data entry and display capabilities. The method also includes providing a mobile device interaction with a mobile applications processor coupled to the personal computer, wherein the mobile device interaction includes fulfilling the mobile application employing the computer data entry and display capabilities.
In yet another aspect, the method of fulfilling mobile applications includes providing a mobile device application requiring fulfillment to a network and coupling the mobile device application from the network to computer data entry and display capabilities. The method also includes fulfilling the mobile device application employing the computer data entry and display capabilities.
The foregoing has outlined preferred and alternative features of the present disclosure so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the disclosure that follows. Additional features of the disclosure will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure.
Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the present disclosure allow a personal computer user to access a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a computer tablet, from the computer and interact with the mobile device. Advantages include providing mobile device application formats, information or notifications that may be fulfilled through display and data entry capabilities associated with the personal computer. For purposes of the present disclosure, a personal computer is defined as a computer employing general purpose computing capabilities that may be a desktop or notebook computer, wherein these capabilities make it broadly and directly operable by a user to fulfill software applications, which may include word processing, databases, spreadsheets, presentations, Internet browsing, e-mail and gaming, for example. Additionally, the personal computer may employ wired or wireless connections to local networks that include a local area network (LAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN or WI-FI network).
The system CPU 201 is coupled to the system memory 202 and the GPU 203 and provides general computing processes and control of operations. The system memory 202 includes long term memory storage (e.g., a hard drive) for computer applications and random access memory (RAM) to facilitate computation by the system CPU 201. The GPU 203 is further coupled to the frame memory 204 and provides monitor display and frame control of a monitor, such as the monitor 109 of
The mobile applications processor 210 is generally indicated as coupled to the general purpose computer 200. In one embodiment, the mobile applications processor 210 is a software module and may operationally reside in the system memory 202, the frame memory 204 or in portions of both. Alternately, the mobile applications processor 210 may be implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware.
The mobile applications processor 210 is coupled within the general purpose computer 200 to provide a mobile device interaction, wherein the mobile device interaction includes fulfillment of the mobile application with the computer data entry and display capabilities indicated with respect to
Referring again to
Examples of establishing the wireless connections to the network 115 include establishing a peer-to-peer connection employing the WI-FI network or using a streaming protocol with the LAN, where both the personal computer 105 and the mobile device 120 are logged onto the network 115. For the peer-to-peer connection, a standard such as the Miracast Wireless Display Specification may be employed. The Miracast Wireless Display Specification is an open, wireless display specification developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which facilitates sharing photos, replaying high definition video content or playing 3D computer games by streaming them to an external display from a resident computer. The specification relies on the Wi-Fi direct stack to establish the peer to peer connection between the personal computer 105 and the mobile device 120 without the need to go through a WI-FI access point or router. This approach requires that both the personal computer 105 and the mobile device 120 be Miracast enabled.
The communications system 100 also includes first and second mobile device icons 110A, 110B on the display of the monitor 109 that may be employed to initiate or conclude mobile device interactions with the smartphone or tablet, respectively. Of course, other icons may be employed that correspond to other mobile devices, or a universal icon may be employed, where appropriate.
The communications system 100 further includes a connections menu 112 that lists steps in a connection process between the personal computer 105 and the mobile device 120. In one example, the connections menu 112 is minimized until an appropriate mobile device icon is activated. Upon activation, the connections menu 112 is maximized on the display to provide user instructions.
An example sequence of steps is described in the following.
Correspondingly, in the communications system 330, the mobile device 120 is a computer tablet also having a touch screen used for mobile data entry and display capabilities. The computer tablet is displaying an e-mail message 332 and the monitor 109 is displaying an e-mail message representation 334 of the e-mail message 332. The e-mail message representation 324 is employed to fulfill this mobile application for the computer tablet. As noted, TEXT and e-mail messages are just examples of mobile applications requiring fulfillment, and additional current or future mobile applications requiring fulfillment or mobile device interactions are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
In one embodiment, providing the mobile device interaction includes one selected from the group consisting of initiating or terminating contact with the mobile device and accessing or providing mobile device information.
Correspondingly, providing the mobile device interaction includes employing an icon on the personal computer display. In another embodiment, fulfilling the mobile application includes one selected from the group consisting of an e-mail interaction and a Short Message Service (SMS) interaction.
In yet another embodiment, coupling the network includes coupling to a local area network. Alternately, coupling the network includes coupling to a Wi-Fi network. Correspondingly, coupling to the Wi-Fi network includes forming a peer-to-peer network connection between the mobile device and the personal computer. Accordingly, the mobile device and the personal computer conform to the Miracast Wireless Display Specification. The method 400 ends in a step 425.
In one embodiment, fulfilling the mobile device application includes providing and coupling the mobile device application to a local area network or a Wi-Fi network. In another embodiment, fulfilling the mobile device application includes forming a peer-to-peer network connection between the mobile device application and the computer data entry and display capabilities. Correspondingly, the mobile device application and the computer data entry and display capabilities respectively correspond to a mobile device and a personal computer that conform to the Miracast Wireless Display Specification. The method 500 ends in a step 525.
While the methods disclosed herein have been described and shown with reference to particular steps performed in a particular order, it will be understood that these steps may be combined, subdivided, or reordered to form an equivalent method without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless specifically indicated herein, the order or the grouping of the steps is not a limitation of the present disclosure.
Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments.
