Communications device processor peripheral
View Patent ↗A communications device, such as a cellphone, functions as a peripheral for a processor, such as a laptop computer. The cellphone and the laptop are directly coupled via a communications link that is not the cellular network. Audio, still images, video data, and/or user interaction options are provided to the cellphone by the laptop via the communications link. The audio data is rendered by the cellphone via the cellphone's speakers or by a headset. The still image or video data is rendered by a display on the cellphone. User interaction prompts are rendered by a display, audio, or tactile feedback on the cellphone. The user input/responses are made through the keypad or other input method (e.g. wheel) and are provided back to the processor. The communications link is a Bluetooth compatible link. Utilizing the cellphone to render video data preserves the life of the batteries in the laptop.
1. A system for using a communications device as a peripheral for a processor, said system comprising:
said communications device, wherein said communications device is configured to:
directly receive data from said processor via a communications link;
render said received data; and
directly transmit data to said processor via said communications link; and
said communications device is configured to communicate with a plurality of communications devices independent of said processor and said communication link; and
said processor, wherein:
said processor is independent of and separate from said communications device;
said processor is directly coupled to said communications device via said communications link and
said processor is configured to concurrently process a plurality of applications and concurrently transmit data associated with each of said plurality of applications, respectively, to selected ones of said plurality of communications devices; and
each of said selected ones of said plurality of communications devices is configured to render data received from said processor.
2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein transmission of data to said communications device by said processor is initiated by said processor.
3. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications device comprises a voice communications device.
4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications device comprises a cellular telephone.
5. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications link is a wired communications link.
6. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications link is a wireless communications link.
7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , said communications link is compatible with a Bluetooth communications standard.
8. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications link comprises an optical link.
9. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications link comprises a radio frequency (RF) link.
10. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications link is compliant with a universal serial bus (USB) standard.
11. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of audio information.
12. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of video information.
13. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of multimedia information.
14. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said data transmitted by said communications device is indicative of a user interaction.
15. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said data transmitted by said communications device is indicative of a message.
16. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
said processor is coupled to a network via a network link; and
said communications device is capable of communicating with said network via said processor.
17. A system in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said network link is compatible with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
18. A system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a headset comprising a microphone and at least one speaker, wherein:
said headset is coupled to said communications device;
said headset is capable of:
receiving data indicative of audio information from said communications device and rendering said audio information via said at least one speaker; and
receiving audio information via said microphone and transmitting data indicative of said microphone audio information to said communications device.
19. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of applications comprises a plurality of multimedia sessions and each of said selected ones of said plurality of communications devices renders received multimedia data.
20. A system in accordance with claim 1 , said communications device comprising:
a communications device receiver for directly receiving data from said processor via said communication link; and
a communications device transmitter for directly transmitting data to said processor.
21. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said communications device is configured in a peripheral mode for functioning as a peripheral of said processor.
22. A system in accordance with claim 21 , wherein said peripheral mode is activated and deactivated by at least one of said communications device and said processor.
23. A communications device processor peripheral comprising:
a receiver for directly receiving data from a processor via a communications link; and
a transmitter for directly transmitting data to said processor via said communications link; wherein:
said communications device is configured to communicate with a plurality of communications devices independent of said processor and said communication link; and
at least one transducer for rendering data received from said processor, wherein:
said processor is processing configured to concurrently process a plurality of applications and concurrently transmit data associated with each of said plurality of applications, respectively, to selected ones of said plurality of communications devices; and
each of said selected ones of said plurality of communications devices is configured to render data received from said processor.
24. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications device is configured in a peripheral mode for functioning as a peripheral of said processor.
25. A communications device in accordance with claim 24 , wherein said peripheral mode is activated and deactivated by at least one of said communications device and said processor.
26. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications device comprises a voice communications device.
27. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications device comprises a cellular telephone.
28. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications link is a wired communications link.
29. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications link is a wireless communications link.
30. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , said communications link is compatible with a Bluetooth communications standard.
31. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications link comprises an optical link.
32. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications link comprises a radio frequency (RF) link.
33. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said communications link is compliant with a universal serial bus (USB) standard.
34. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of audio information.
35. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of video information.
36. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said data received by said communications device from said processor is indicative of multimedia information.
37. A communications device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein:
said communications device is coupled to a headset; and
said headset is capable of:
receiving data indicative of audio information from said communications device and rendering said audio information via at least one speaker; and
receiving audio information via a microphone and transmitting data indicative of said microphone audio information to said communications device.
38. A method for rendering data from a processor with a communications device, said method comprising:
directly receiving data via a communications link by said communications device from said processor, wherein said data is indicative of at least one of audio information and video information; and
rendering at least one of said audio information and said video information with said communications device, wherein said communications device is configured to communicate with a plurality of communications devices independent of said processor and said communication link, wherein:
said processor is configured to concurrently process a plurality of applications and concurrently transmit data associated with each of said plurality of applications,
respectively, to selected ones of said plurality of communications devices; and
each of said selected ones of said plurality of communications devices is capable of rendering data received from said processor.
39. A method in accordance with claim 38 , wherein said communications device is configured in a peripheral mode for performing said acts of receiving and rendering.
40. A method in accordance with claim 39 , wherein said peripheral mode is activated and deactivated by at least one of said communications device and said processor.
41. A method in accordance with claim 38 , wherein said communications device comprises a voice communications device.
42. A method in accordance with claim 38 , wherein said communications device comprises a cellular telephone.
43. A method in accordance with claim 38 , wherein said communications link is at least one of a wired communications link, a wireless communications link, a Bluetooth compatible link, an optical link, a radio frequency (RF) link, and a universal serial bus (USB) compatible link.
44. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer program code for directing a computer processor to render data from a processor with a communications device, said program code comprising:
a receive code segment for causing said computer processor to directly receive data via a communications link by said communications device from said processor, wherein said data is indicative of at least one of audio information and video information; and
a render code segment for causing said computer processor to render at least one of said audio information and said video information with said communications device, wherein:
said communications device is configured to communicate with a plurality of communications devices independent of said processor and said communication link;
said processor is configured to process a plurality of applications and concurrently transmit data associated with each of said plurality of applications, respectively, to selected ones of said plurality of communications devices; and
each of said selected ones of said plurality of communications devices is configured to render data received from said processor.
45. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 44 , wherein said communications device is configured in a peripheral mode for performing said acts of receiving and rendering.
46. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 45 , wherein said peripheral mode is activated and deactivated by at least one of said communications device and said processor.
47. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 44 , wherein said communications device comprises a voice communications device.
48. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 44 , wherein said communications device comprises a cellular telephone.
49. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 44 , wherein said communications link is at least one of a wired communications link, a wireless communications link, a Bluetooth compatible link, an optical link, a radio frequency (RF) link, and a universal serial bus (USB) compatible link.