Abstract:
A mobile telephone docking station that makes use of a TV as a display and that allows use of a standard keyboard and mouse to have a faster, more comfortable means to control the phone. Access to all of the cell phone&#39;s functions is allowed through the docking station/TV.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to mobile telephone docking stations for TVs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mobile telephones have become much more powerful in recent years, including capabilities for web browsing, email, and many other applications. As understood herein however, text entry, screen size, and so forth are very limited. When portability is required it is convenient to have the increased telephone capability but when at home, for instance, the present invention recognizes that it would be advantageous to exploit improved interfaces with which to work. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As understood herein, it would be advantageous to provide a docking station to enable use of a TV display with mobile telephone computing applications. 
     Accordingly, a system includes a TV with a TV display and a dock communicating with the TV and configured to receive a mobile telephony device. The dock communicates with the mobile telephony device such that demanded images from the mobile telephony device, including demanded images associated with placing and/or receiving telephone calls, are presented on the TV display. 
     The dock may include a keyboard, keypad, or may communicate with a keyboard/keypad through a wired or wireless interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, game console interface, infrared or radiofrequency interface for, e.g., Bluetooth, etc. In one vision of the invention the dock provides any human interface devices (remote control keyboard, mouse) that are available to interface with the TV, not just those attached to the dock, available to control the telephone. The dock may also include a point and click input device. The demanded images may be associated with one or more computer applications such as but not limited to graphic user interfaces (GUI) which are executable by the mobile telephony device. 
     The TV includes a tuner and the system can include a switch operable to select input to the TV between at least the tuner and the dock. The switch can be configured to send input from the dock to the TV display automatically when the mobile telephony device is mechanically engaged with the dock in a predetermined docking position. Or, the switch can be configured by use of a user interface presentable on the TV display. Yet again, the switch can be configured by manipulation of a key on the dock or TV. Still further, the switch can be configured by manipulation of a key on a TV remote control. 
     In another aspect, a system includes a TV display, a TV tuner configured to provide TV signals to the TV display, and a dock configured to hold a mobile telephony device. A switch has a first configuration in which signals from the TV tuner are sent to the TV display and a second configuration in which telephony device signals from the dock are sent to the TV display. 
     In another aspect, a method includes providing instructions to engage a dock with a TV. The method further includes providing instructions to engage a mobile telephony device with the dock, and presenting content from the telephony device on the TV. 
     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with present principles; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example switching system to enable a TV to present demanded images from a mobile telephone; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an example user interface presentable on a TV to enable selection of a mobile telephone dock input; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of example logic that may be used in connection with a mobile telephone dock for a TV. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a system  10  includes a TV system  12  that in one implementation includes a TV chassis  14  holding a TV display  16  such as a standard definition and/or high definition display, e.g., a matrix-type flat panel display, with or without associated audio speakers. The display  16  under control of a TV processor  18  in the chassis  14  presents signals from a TV tuner  20  in the chassis  14 , it being understood that the above components may be implemented in concert with, e.g., a set-top box. 
     The processor  18  accesses a computer-readable medium  22  such as solid state storage or disk-based storage. The processor  18  can receive, via a wireless IR or RF or other wireless receiver  24 , wireless user command signals generated by a hand-held remote control  26 . In some embodiments an Internet interface  28  may be included in the TV chassis  14  to enable programming from the Internet to be displayed in the TV system  12 , it being understood that one or more of the TV components may be implemented by a separately housed set-top box. Without limitation the TV interface may be a wired or wireless modem. 
     In the non-limiting example embodiment shown the remote control  26  may include a “TV mode” select key  30 , a “disk or other input” mode select key  32 , and a “dock” mode select key  34 . When a mode select key  30 ,  32 ,  34  is selected, the TV is configured to display input from the associated source, respectively, the tuner  20 , a disk player, and the below-described mobile telephone dock. 
     Alternatively or in addition, a mode select toggle key  36  may be included on the TV  12 . The toggle key  36  may be toggled to cycle between the above-mentioned example input sources for display on the TV system  12 . 
     A mobile telephone dock  38  may communicate with the TV system  12  through a wired or wireless link  40 , for example using a communication interface that seamlessly integrates phone functionality into the user interface of the TV. While a dock  38  that is physically separate from the TV is shown, in other embodiments the dock  38  may be embedded in the TV housing, i.e., the dock  38  may be part of the chassis of the TV. 
     As shown, the dock  38  includes a bay  42  that in example embodiments may be configured complementarily to a mobile telephone  44 , i.e., the bay  42  may have the same contour as the mobile telephone  44  and may have substantially the same volume as the mobile telephone  44 , such that the telephone  44  fits snugly in the bay  42 . A contact  46  may be provided in the bay  42  as shown such that when the telephone  44  is disposed as intended in the bay  42 , the contact  46  generates a “dock mode” signal that causes the TV system  12  to switch to using signals from the dock (and, hence, from the telephone  44  as described further below) as input for the TV display  16 . 
     As understood herein, the mobile telephone  44 , which includes a wireless telephony transceiver  48  controlled by a telephone processor  50  accessing instructions on a computer readable medium  52 , typically has a relatively small display  54  that is smaller than the TV display  16 . Also, the telephone  44  typically has a relatively small keyboard or keypad  56  that is smaller than (i.e., has keys of smaller area and/or fewer keys) than a keyboard or keypad  58  that in some example embodiments may be provided on the dock  38  or near the dock  38  and connected thereto by a wired or wireless link as described above. In some embodiments the dock  38  may further include a pointing and clicking device  59  such as a mouse or joystick. In some implementations the dock keyboard or keypad  58  is a conventional QWERTY arrangement although other arrangements can be made. In any case, the dock  38  may include a dock processor  60  accessing instructions on a computer readable medium  62 . 
     In other implementations the telephone  44  may not mechanically engage the dock  38 , but instead may be placed near the dock  38  and may communicate therewith through a wired or wireless link such as a USB link, a Bluetooth link, a 60 GHz wireless link, or other link. 
     When the telephone  44  is engaged with the dock  38  as intended in the example shown in  FIG. 1 , output from the telephone processor  50  is presented through the dock  38  on the TV display  16 , while input to the telephone processor  50  may be made through the dock keyboard or keypad  58  and/or pointing and clicking device  59 . To this end, the dock processor  60 , when provided, can cooperate with the telephone processor  50  and as mentioned above may communicate with the dock processor  60  through a wired or wireless link or through direct contact between exposed connectors on the phone and dock. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates that in some implementations the input to the TV display  16  may be selected by means of a switch  64  under control of the TV processor  18 . The switch  64 , which may be physically implemented in a set-top box of the TV system  12  or within the TV chassis  14  by hardware or software or a combination thereof, may have a first position in which signals from the TV tuner  20  are sent to the TV display  16  for presentation. The switch  64  may have a second position in which signals from an auxiliary source such as a video disk player  66  are sent to the TV display  16 , and a third position in which signals from the dock  38  and, hence, telephone  44  are sent to the TV display  16 . It is to be understood that while for convenience a video TV display is referred to, audio signals from the telephone  44  including a caller&#39;s voice may likewise be presented on speakers of the TV system  12  in accordance with present principles. Telephone output signals can be presented on the TV by means of the dock for applications in addition to sending and receiving calls, e.g., receiving voice mail, reviewing text messages, writing text messages, address book manipulation, speed dialing configuration, or whatever else a user of the telephone might have a more comfortable experience doing using the TV displays than the telephone displays. Indeed, other applications executable by the telephone may be supported such as business presentations, word processing, spreadsheets, etc. 
     As may now be appreciated from the above disclosure, the switch  64  may be configured in the third position to send telephone  44  signals to the TV display  16  by any one or more of the dock contact  46  sensing engagement of the telephone  44  with the dock  38 , the toggle key  36  on the TV chassis  14  being appropriately toggled, and the dock mode select key  36  on the remote  26  being manipulated. Additionally, as shown in.  FIG. 3  user interface  68  may be presented on the TV display  16  when the TV system  12  is in, e.g., a set up mode in which a user may appropriately manipulate the remote control  26  to select an input for the TV display  16 , including the dock  38  (and, hence, telephone  44 ) input  69  as shown. 
       FIG. 4  shows logic that may be stored on one or more the computer readable media herein for execution by one or more the processors described herein. Commencing at block  70 , a dock select signal is received in accordance with any one or more of the mechanisms described above. In response, at block  72  demanded images from the mobile telephone  44  are sent through the dock  38  for presentation on the TV display  16  by means of, e.g., appropriately configuring the switch  64 . Also, input is received by the telephone processor  50  at block  74  from the dock keyboard or keypad  58 , for permitting user control of the telephone  44  in executing applications thereon. 
     For example, the following telephone  44  applications, by way of example and not limitation, may be executed through the dock  38 : email, word processing, presentation, browsing, etc. The dock  38  makes it more comfortable to access the applications, both visually and physically, allowing the user to have all his telephone  44  functionality when away from the dock  38  and with a better UI experience when using the dock  38 . 
     In addition to the above, the dock  38  may provide power to the mobile telephone  44 , for both charging and running. As understood herein, providing increased power through the dock  38  can allow the phone processor  50  and memory  52  to run at much higher speeds than they otherwise would when being powered solely by the telephone battery. 
     Furthermore, in some implementations the phone processor  50  may cooperate with the dock processor  60  to assist in processing and memory management. 
     In any case, it may now be appreciated that with the mobile telephone  44  engaged with the dock  38 , telephony calls may be made in consonance with the TV system  12 , e.g., demanded images from the telephone processor  50  related to incoming and outgoing telephony calls can be presented on the TV display  16 , while input including numbers to be called may be made into the telephone  44  using the dock keyboard or keypad  58 . Likewise, audio and video related to other telephone  44  applications can be presented on the TV system  12 . 
     While the particular MOBILE PHONE DOCK FOR TV is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.