Patent Publication Number: US-2002002707-A1

Title: System and method to display remote content

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
     [0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/215,169 filed Jun. 29, 2000, Attorney Reference No. RKMH-1-1001. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] This invention relates generally to remote control devices and, more specifically, to microprocessor-based devices for controlling the display of remote content.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] There have been numerous advances in the ability to conduct multimedia presentations using computers. It is becoming increasingly possible to include graphics, animation, video, and music in a computer-based presentation. Such content can be presented on a computer monitor, flat screen display, LCD projector, or other display device.  
       [0004] In addition, it is now possible to produce and store rich content containing animation, video, sound, and other complex elements on a computer remote from the presentation location. The Internet and other networking systems allow communication between a computer at the presentation location and a remote computer storing the presentation content.  
       [0005] While advances in the ability to create, store, and deliver rich content have been steady, the ability to control it in a presentation environment has lagged. Today, computer-based presentations are typically controlled using a notebook or other computer directly wired to a projector or other display device. The notebook computer is directly wired to the display and to a network port or telephone jack. The size and weight of the computer and the many wires involved combine to restrict the mobility of the presenter. Consequently, there is a need for an improved device capable of remotely controlling content to be presented on a display, including content retrieved from a remote computer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The present invention comprises a system for remotely controlling the presentation of content using a computer. In one form, the system includes a controller having a microprocessor, memory, user interface, and display. The controller also includes a transceiver allowing it to communicate with a remote display. Accordingly, the controller can send content from the controller for presentation on the remote display.  
       [0007] In accordance with further aspects of the invention, an additional transceiver enables the controller to access a remote computer over a network such as the Internet. The controller is able to access the remote computer to obtain the content, which it then sends to the remote display for presentation. In this fashion, the controller is able to retrieve any visual or audio content accessible over the Internet and send it to a remote display for presentation.  
       [0008] In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the controller is preferably a hand-held device. In one embodiment, a personal digital assistant is used for the controller.  
       [0009] In accordance with still further aspects of the invention, the content is displayed on the controller display substantially contemporaneously with the presentation on the remote display.  
       [0010] In accordance with yet other aspects of the invention, the controller display may not be capable of presenting the content in its entirety if the content includes video, animation, or other complex subject matter. In such embodiments, the controller presents a portion of the content on the controller display. The “portion” of the content may mean a reduction in size, a selection of particular components, or a simplified representation of the full content.  
       [0011] In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the content is sent wirelessly from the controller to the display. While any format may be used, in one embodiment it is sent using a Bluetooth standard protocol.  
       [0012] In accordance with still further aspects of the invention, the content may be sent to more than one display at once. Alternatively, the content may include audio data that is sent to an MP3 player, computer, stereo, or other device capable of playing audio files.  
       [0013] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the content may be created on the controller in addition to, or instead of, retrieving it from a remote computer. Accordingly, characters or other text may be typed into or drawn on a touch-sensitive screen on the controller. The data entered on the controller is substantially contemporaneously sent to the remote display for presentation. If the entered data is the only content, the controller serves as a mobile interface for a “virtual” whiteboard. If additional content is used, a user can select, hi-light, or otherwise mark-up the content being presented on the display. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0014] The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.  
     [0015]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the remote display control invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a preferred controller in accordance with this invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a display and display processor in accordance with this invention; and  
     [0018]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a remote display control system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0019]FIG. 1 depicts a remote controller arranged in accordance with the preferred embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a controller  10  is configured to communicate over a first wireless connection  40  with one or more remote computers over a network  20 . The controller  10  is also configured to communicate over a second wireless connection  50  with a display  30 . In general, the controller  10  retrieves content from the network  20  for presentation on the display  30 . The display  30  is “remote” from the controller in that it is not the principal display attached to the controller  10 . Though the display  30  may also be somewhat distant from the controller  10 , it is not necessarily so.  
     [0020] The Controller  
     [0021] The controller includes a microprocessor, memory, and power source (not shown). In an actual embodiment, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is used as the controller. PDAs are readily available from companies such as Compaq, Palm®, and MiTAC International. As best shown in FIG. 2, the PDA-based controller  10  includes a touch-sensitive display screen  11  capable of displaying graphical and text information. The operation of the controller  10  is determined by the user&#39;s interaction with the graphical interface that is presented on the controller display screen  11 . Thus, by touching the stylus  12  to icons, radio buttons, URLs, or other depictions on the display screen  11 , the user causes the controller to perform one or more operations based upon commands stored in the controller memory. A PDA is a particularly good choice for the controller  10 , because most PDAs include a graphical keyboard and number pad that can be displayed on the screen  11 . Numbers, letters, or other symbols are entered by using the stylus to touch the letters or symbols on the keyboard or the numbers on the number pad. Alternatively, software provided with the PDA interprets hand-written characters drawn on the screen  11  using the stylus  12 . In addition to, or instead of, the stylus and touch screen, the user interface may comprise a mouse, trackball, keyboard, or any other device.  
     [0022] One or more buttons  13  on the housing of the controller  10  generally adjacent the perimeter of the screen  11  are also provided. In an off the shelf PDA, these buttons typically are pre-programmed to cause the PDA to display stored contact lists, to-do lists, calendars, or other data. The buttons can alternatively be used to start an Internet browser or other application software. In addition, a scroller  14  is provided. The scroller causes the content shown on the display screen  11  to scroll up or down. As shown, the scroller  14  comprises an up button and a down button for scrolling up and down, respectively. Alternatively, the scroller  14  can be in the form of a wheel, joystick, or other structure.  
     [0023] The controller  10  includes a transponder, antenna and other circuitry (not shown) to enable it to communicate wirelessly with other devices such as the display  30 . Preferably, the wireless connection  50  to the display  30  uses Bluetooth wireless technology, a de facto standard and specification for small-form factor, low-cost, short range radio links between mobile PCs, mobile phones, and other portable devices. Bluetooth is preferred because Bluetooth components are readily available for use with a variety of devices, including PDAs. One commercially available Bluetooth PDA is made by MiTAC International Corp. of Fremont, Calif.. While Bluetooth is the preferred communication standard, other formats and frequency ranges could also be used.  
     [0024] The controller  10  is also configured to enable it to communicate wirelessly over the Internet  20 . PDAs containing an antenna  15 , Internet browser software, and other associated components are readily available from companies such as Palm, Inc. The wireless connection  40  to the Internet is preferably via a cell phone network and therefore differs from the shorter wireless connection  50  between the controller  10  and the display  30 .  
     [0025] Although a PDA is preferred for use as a controller because PDAs are readily available and can be programmed to perform tailored functions, the controller could alternatively be constructed specifically for use as a controller. Consequently, any microprocessor-based device will suffice so long as it can connect to a network and to a remote display. Likewise, wireless connections are preferred because they allow unrestrained mobility of the controller. Nonetheless, the controller  10  could communicate with the network  20  and the display  30  using wired, rather than wireless, connections. Thus, for example, the controller  10  could take the form of a notebook computer configured with a Bluetooth PCMCIA card and a modem, Ethernet card, or other connection to the Internet.  
     [0026] The Display  
     [0027] The display  30  presents multimedia or other content under the control of the controller. Signals sent from the controller  10  are received by a display processor  60 . As shown in FIG. 3, the display processor  60  includes an antenna  62 , a transceiver  64 , a microprocessor  66 , and a memory  68 . The display  30  is a CRT, flat panel LCD screen, LCD projection, or other device coupled to the processor  66  and capable of presenting images.  
     [0028] In an actual embodiment, the display processor  60  is a notebook computer. The notebook computer is equipped with a PCMCIA card and associated software stored in the memory  68  that enables the computer to communicate with the controller  10 . Bluetooth qualified hardware interfaces and supporting software are available commercially. A listing of such hardware and software is provided on the Bluetooth Internet site. The notebook computer processes instructions and data received by the Bluetooth PC card and causes the display  30  to present desired content. In this embodiment, the display  30  is an LCD screen included with the notebook computer. The notebook computer also includes external ports to drive a monitor, LCD projector, or other devices capable of presenting the computer images. If such external devices are connected to the appropriate port, any of them can serve as the display  30 .  
     [0029] The display processor  60  need not include all of the components typically found in a notebook computer. Rather, it can include fewer components, such as those shown in FIG. 3. This can be advantageous when the display  30  is a television. Although a computer can be configured to generate an output signal that can be displayed on a television, using a computer for that purpose may be inefficient. In an alternate embodiment, the display processor  60  is specifically constructed as a set-top box or other such device that can receive signals from the controller  10  and present them on the display  30 . In another alternate embodiment, the components of the display processor  60  are contained within the display  30 , rather than in an external box or other housing. In yet another embodiment, the display  30  is an additional PDA or other hand-held device.  
     [0030] Display Content  
     [0031] The content presented on the display  30  can comprise any graphical, text, multimedia, or other content that may be displayed on a computer monitor, television, or other form of display. In the preferred embodiment, the content is retrieved from a remote computer over the network  20  in a manner described in detail below. In an alternative embodiment, the display content is stored in the memory associated with the controller  10  and sent to the display  30  in a session that does not require access to the network  20 . In yet another embodiment, the content is stored in the memory  68  associated with the display processor  60  and presented on the display in response to commands from the controller  10 .  
     [0032] The content presented on the controller display  11  is a duplicate of the content presented on the remote display  30 . Consequently, a user can remotely see the images on the display  30  and use the controller  10  to control them. Depending on the screen size, processing power and other variables associated with the controller  10 , the controller may not be able to present an exact copy of the content on the display  30 . Instead, the controller display  11  will present a simplified representation of the rich content version presented on the display  30 . Any of a variety of techniques are used to present content on the controller screen  11 , such as avoiding the display of graphics, sound, animation, or objects larger than a specified size. Some alternative techniques presently employed to present simplified content on PDA screens are provided in commercially available products such as the PalmOS clipping representation or a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) representation. WAP is a communications protocol and application environment that can be built on any operating system including PalmOS, EPOC, Windows CE, FLEXOS, OS/9, JavaOS, and others.  
     [0033] Remote Display Controller Operation  
     [0034]FIG. 4 illustrates the operation of this invention in the embodiment in which the controller  10  obtains and forwards content to the display  30 . In general, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are entered into the controller  10  by the user and forwarded to the display processor  60 . The display processor makes Internet requests using standard browser software. The requests are passed back to a proxy server within the controller  10 , which forwards the requests over the controller connection  40  to the network  20 .  
     [0035] In order to begin a session for displaying Internet content on the display  30 , the process begins by entering a URL into the controller  10 . The controller  10  includes a user interface  102  that allows a URL to be entered in any of several different ways, such as by typing it, selecting it from stored favorites, or clicking a link.  
     [0036] After the URL is entered, application software within the controller  10  causes the URL to be sent to the display processor  60  using sockets or a virtual Corn port via a wireless communication link  50 .  
     [0037] The URL is received by a browser host application  602 . The browser host  602  serves as an interface to a browser  604  to control operation of the browser  604 . Browser software typically includes a variety of components, such as menus, toolbars, status bars, and other user interface features. These components are not required in the display processor because the user interface is placed in the controller  10 . By imposing a browser host, these unnecessary are either removed, not used, or not displayed on the display  30 . In an alternate embodiment, the browser host does nothing more than receive the URL or other commands from the controller  10  and passes them to the browser  604  in a manner that allows the browser  604  to understand them. In such an embodiment, all typical browser features remain and are presented on the display  30 , even if they are not used.  
     [0038] The browser  604  receives the URL from the browser host  602 , and processes it to make requests for Internet protocols as necessary to establish a connection over the network  20  to the remote computer associated with the particular URL. The Internet requests generated by the browser  604  are sent back to the controller  10  where they are received by a proxy server  106 . The proxy server  106  receives the Internet requests and forwards them along to the network  20 .  
     [0039] The Internet requests ultimately establish communication between the controller  10  and the remote computer associated with the entered URL. Once a link to the remote computer is establish, content is forwarded to the controller  10  in the form of HTML presentations, JAVA applets, or any other format that may be delivered over the network  20 . The proxy server  106  receives the incoming content and forwards it to the user interface  102  where it is evaluated for possible presentation on the controller screen  11 . Depending on the content received, the capabilities of the controller  10 , and the techniques employed by the user interface  102 , the display screen  11  will present some, all, or none of the incoming content. Preferably, Internet links contained within the incoming content are retained and presented on the display screen  11  so that the user can select them to obtain additional content.  
     [0040] A local memory  104  within the controller  10  stores user preferences and other client information commonly referred to as “cookies.” After the connection to the remote computer is established, the controller  10  retrieves the cookies or other stored preferences from the memory  104  and uses them to create a dynamic web page. The cookies and the dynamic web page are then sent to the display processor  60 , which causes the content to be presented on the display  30  under control of the browser  604 . Accordingly, the controller  10  receives content from a remote computer over the network  20 , and presents it on the display  30  while presenting the same or a simplified version of the content on the controller screen  11 .  
     [0041] Storing user preferences and cookies on the controller  10  provides advantages over storing them in a memory associated with the display  30  or display processor  60 . By maintaining them in the controller  10 , a user can take the controller to any remote location, establish communication with the network  20 , and send content to a display  30 , all while maintaining pre-established user preferences.  
     [0042] As described above, the controller  10  can be used to access any content on a remote computer accessible over a network, and present the content on a remote display  30  as well as the controller display screen  11 . Thus, the controller  10  can be used to remotely control a network-based multimedia presentation on a display. It may also be used to “surf” the Internet or retrieve any other content over a network.  
     [0043] In addition to retrieving and presenting content, the controller  10  can control other aspects of the display  30 . Thus, stored program instructions within the display memory  104  allow the user interface  102  to present a variety of possible commands for monitoring the display. For example, a user can enter commands into the controller to instruct the display to adjust its volume, color, contrast, brightness, input source, or any other function such as those typically monitored by a multimedia remote. In addition, Bluetooth or other local wireless protocols enable the controller  10  to command other devices in addition to the display  30 . Thus, by entering appropriate commands into the user interface of the controller  10 , a user can use the controller  10  to control the operation of a video recorder, printer, stereo, or other electronic device.  
     [0044] Many of the functions described above with reference to FIG. 4 could be moved from the controller  10  to the display processor  60  or vice versa. For example, the proxy server could be moved from the controller to the display processor. In such an embodiment, the controller issues commands that are processed generally as described above, but the communication link to the network does not go through the controller  10 . In addition, the incoming content is processed through the browser  604  in the first instance and sent to the controller  10  to prepare a simplified version for display on the controller screen  11 .  
     [0045] As another alternative, the browser functions are moved entirely to the controller  10 . In such an embodiment, the controller sends to the display (or the display processor, as appropriate) a signal for presentation on the display  30  without requiring a browser. Such an embodiment may be useful, for example, when the display  30  is a standard television. In order to facilitate such an embodiment, either the controller  10  or the display processor  60  will include additional hardware or software for converting the digital computer signals to an NTSC or other television format.  
     [0046] In the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, the content presented on the display  30  is retrieved from a remote computer over a network  20 . In an alternate embodiment, the content is stored in the controller memory  104  or is created on the controller  10 .  
     [0047] Broadcast Operation  
     [0048] The controller  10  can also interact with other devices in addition to or instead of the display  30 . In accordance with a standard Bluetooth protocol, in response to an input provided by the user, the controller  10  requests all other Bluetooth devices within range to provide an address. The controller  10  then sends a connection request to a user-specified device and waits for an answer. When the answer is received, connection is established. The controller  10  is then able to send content to the remote device. In accordance with this embodiment, the controller  10  can, for example, obtain a music data file from a remote computer and direct that it be played on a Bluetooth-enabled computer, stereo, MP3 player, or other device. In addition, the controller  10  can send content to multiple devices at the same time.  
     [0049] Remote White Board Operation  
     [0050] In yet another embodiment, the display  30  can display content contemporaneously created on the controller  10 , rather than obtained from a remote computer on the network  20 . The stylus or other input device is used to create content within the controller that is contemporaneously sent to the display  30  in the same wireless manner as with other content.  
     [0051] Thus, in this manner, the controller  10  can be used as a remote “white board” controller, reproducing on the display  30  the sketches, characters, or other information entered by the user. The controller can also be used in this manner to allow the controller to draw over the top of a presentation being delivered from the network  20 . Accordingly, the user can circle, hi-light, line-through, or otherwise add markings to other multimedia content being presented on the display  30 .  
     [0052] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment, but rather should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.