Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02646868 2008-12-17
1855
HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND DIGITAL
PHOTO FRAME WIRELESS SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a hand-held electronic device and digital photo
frame
wireless receiver system, particularly for the wireless transmission and
reception of data in
the form of digital images by a digital photo frame. The system does not
require the device
and station to be in physical contact during the wireless transfer. The
invention includes the
device per se and the receiver station er se.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic handheld devices and accessories for the wireless receipt and/or
transmission of data messaging servicing through a wireless data network are
well-known.
For example, iPod Touch and iPhone music playing devices (Registered
Trademarks of
Apple Inc.) can interface with docking stations for the playback of music.
However, there is
no solution on the market today that allows for electronic handheld devices to
send data,
particularly still images, to a digital photo frame, henceforth, herein known
as a DPF.
A so-called DPF is, in its most simple form, a device that displays digital
still images.
The DPF usually receives the images through a removable storage medium that is
physically
connected to the DPF. This requires the user to load the images from another
digital image
repository, such as a personal computer or, directly, from the handheld
device, into a
removable storage means. This is a cumbersome process and is one of the
primary reasons
why DPF devices have not been readily accepted by consumers.
The need to physically transfer the images through a plurality of devices in
order to
get it to the DPF prevents users from sharing photographs and the like,
easily, to whomever
they want, whenever they want, regardless of the locations of the senders and
receivers, in
real time, for visual display.
Further, the functionality and utility of the prior art is limited to
controlling, say, the
enabling of a slideshow to view multiple images and possibly selecting a
transition between
images such fading or sliding out.
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Yet further, there is, to-date, no ability to display other graphical images
on the DPF
in combination with the digital image, such as, for example, humourous
"doodles" added to
the image before being displayed on the DPF.
There is, therefor, a need for an improved handheld device which allows the
user to
remotely edit and sent the data to the DPF.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved handheld
device which
enables a user to wirelessly distribute remotely from the handheld device to a
digital photo
frame which does not require a physical connection between the DPF and the
handheld
device.
It is a further object to provide aforesaid handheld camera system which
allows the
user to also edit and change the image prior to transmission.
The invention, thus, provides a multi-tasking handheld camera system.
Thus, the present invention enables a user to wirelessly transmit data,
particularly
image data, through a Wi-Fi (internet) or cellular network.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides an electronic handheld
device
comprising
a housing; activation on-off means; display face; means for receiving and
transmitting
data; user controls and instructing means to enable the device to perfonn
tasks;
characterized in further comprising
device image data storage means for storing image data;
means for capturing said image data for storage in said storage means; and
means for operably wirelessly transmitting said image data to a receiving
station.
By the term "image data" in this specification and claims is meant digital
data that
when translated results in the display of images.
The invention provides a device as hereinabove defined comprising stored image
data.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a receiving station comprising,
means for
wirelessly receiving image data from a device, as hereinabove defined; and
translation means
for displaying the image data into an image.
The translation means further comprises display means.
The receiving station preferably comprises digital image data storage means.
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In a preferred aspect, the invention provides a transmitting and receiving
station
system comprising a receiving station, as hereinabove defined, in
communication with
display means external of said station, for example, a liquid crystal display
(LCD), TV,
plasma display, or cathode ray tube (CRT) based unit.
The means for receiving the image data for storage in the handset wireless
device
image data storage means, means for transmitting the stored image data to the
receiving
apparatus and translation thereof into and/or out of storage comprises
application software.
In preferred embodiments, the receiving station, herein comprises a DPF
comprising a
printed circuit board (PCB) in which resides a central processor unit (CPU)
connected to
input/output peripherals.
The DPF image data application software resides in the DPF and can display
directly
to the integrated display or to an external generic manufacturer's display
through industry
standard composite audio cables. The latter option allows the use to view the
images on much
larger displays and enhance the viewing pleasure.
There is one simple stage in setting up the interface connection between the
handheld
wireless device and the DPF. Image data application software is installed in
the handheld
device. This controls the interfacing of the wireless device and the DPF. This
can be done in
numerous way, but the preferred manner is to download it off of the internet
at a desired
website provided, for example, by the handset manufacturer or the DPF
manufacturer.
After the wireless connection has been created and software downloaded onto
the
handset wireless device, the user will either physically connect the handset
wireless device to
the receiving station in order to synchronize the two apparatus and set up the
wireless
connection or, preferably, may establish the connection through a webpage that
allows the
use to configure the docking station from the handheld device without the need
to physically
connect the device_ Once completed, the handset wireless device is wirelessly
connected to,
for example, the DPF and is now ready to transmit images, wirelessly, to the
DPF from the
retrievable data of the wireless handset device.
Should the DPF lose its connection to the internet, upon reconnection to the
internet it
will sent a wireless update to the handheld wireless device informing the
handheld device of
its new internet address such that the handheld device can correctly find and
transmit wireless
image data to the DPF.
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In a yet further aspect, the invention provides an image data wirelessly
transmittable
and receivable system comprising in combination a handheld device, as
hereinabove defined,
with a wirelessly receivable DPF as hereinabove defined. Thus, the present
invention allows
a user to overcome the shortcomings of existing digital photo frames by
removing the need to
physically transfer image data from the handheld device to the DPF through
storage media.
This is done by adding wireless support to the DPF, by integrating the
technology directly
into the DPF. The present invention provides wireless support, and also
preferably offers
numerous processes, such as, to ensure quality of service over networks with
fluctuating
bandwidths; to ensure protocols and procedures are in place should the
connection between
the receiving station and the wireless device be lost; to manage multiple
wireless devices
potentially connected to the DPF at the same time, to support multiple DPFs
from one
wireless handset, to support multiple wireless handset manufacturers;
notwithstanding each
have different software operating systems, to minimize wireless handset power
dissipation;
and to minimize complexity of installation or use.
Solutions from other organizations such as the Digital Living Network Alliance
(DLNA) differentiate electronic devices into two categories, namely, masters
and clients.
DLNA compliant consumer electronic devices, such as digital media servers act
as a master,
or controller, of other instruction-receiving DLNA compliant devices, known as
clients, that
are a part of the same wireless local area network (LAN) and can instruct them
to perform
tasks such as downloading or printing data wirelessly.
The invention also provides the advantage that the wireless handset device can
remain
with the user and allows the device to, simultaneously, perform other tasks
while transmitting
the image data, such as, surfing the web, checking email, updating schedules
or contact
information or download any number of potential other applications for an
virtual infinite set
of uses.
Further, the invention does not require a master device to instruct the
wireless
handheld device to transmit images to the digital photo frame. In addition,
handheld device of
the invention acts independently from any wirelessly controlled
infrastructure, such that it is
not necessarj to be a part of the digital home network or even the same LAN as
the DPF in
order to function. However, in order to ensure support for existing industry
standards and to
allow users the flexibility with how they want to manage their data of the
invention may, in
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the future, become compliant with organizations such as the DLNA, although
this is not a
necessary for the present invention to function properly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment
will
now be described by way of example only wherein
Fig. 1 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a handheld device
according
to the prior art;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a receiving digital
photo
frame with a handheld device in a system according to the invention;
Fig. 3 is a software flowchart representing the operational relationship
within and
between a handheld device and receiving digital photo frame system according
to the
invention;
Fig. 4 is a more detailed description of Fig. 2 representing the architecture
of a
handheld device according to the invention;
and wherein the same numerals denote like parts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a handheld device
according
to the prior art.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram representing the architecture of a receiving digital
photo
frame with a handheld device in a system according to the invention.
With reference to Fig. 4, this shows the architecture of a handheld device and
receiving digital photo frame relationship shown generally as 10 having a
central processing
unit and memory board 14 used to store instructions and data. A wireless modem
18 receives
a wireless signal from the handheld device. Received data from modem 18 is
sent to CPU 16
which sends it to data storage media 12.
Data is subsequently retrieved from storage media 12 by CPU 16 and sent to
display
output block 26 which is connected to either an integrated display or an
external display.
System control and display LEDs 20 are used for engineering testing whereas
the
LED display 20 is controlled by CPU 16 to denote when system 10 is in use.
External
interface port 22 permits connection to the internet, additional removable
storage media and
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the like. Smartphone docking interface 24 provides for interface with CPU 16
when
handheld device is physically remote from receiving digital photo frame and
wirelessly
transferring image data to the station. This interface 24 enables the handheld
device and
receiving station to be synchronized and "talk" to each other.
Fig. 3 represents a software flowchart representing the operation relationship
within
and between a handheld device and receiving digital photo frame system
according to the
invention wherein 100 is in respect of the receiving digital photo frame and
200 of the
handheld device.
The software application in operation instructs CPU 16 to transfer image data
from
memory to wireless modem 18 for transmission to the DPF while at the same time
allows the
CPU to perform other tasks that the user may want to initiate, ie. such as,
for example, email,
web browsing, gaming, and the like because the data transfer can run in the
background since
it does not require user input. This assumes that the CPU has sufficient
cycles to perform
these other tasks but this is rarely a limitation. For example, the CPU in
prior art handheld
devices can run at speeds up to 312Mhz allowing for numerous tasks to be
performed since
the transfer of data from the memory to the wireless modem would take only a
very small
percentage of the available CPU cycles.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments
of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted
to those particular
embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are
functional or
mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been
described
and illustrated.
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