Enhanced interface for mobile phone
View Patent ↗A docking station may provide an enhanced user interface for mobile communication devices. In one particular implementation, a device may include a base unit configured to provide connections to one or more user interface devices and an interface for connecting to a mobile phone, where the base unit connects the mobile phone to the one or more user interface devices to provide an enhanced interface for the mobile phone.
1. A device comprising:
a base unit to provide one or more connections to one or more user interface devices, where the one or more user interface devices include a display, and where the device is associated with a set-top box coupled to the display; and
a processor to:
communicate with a mobile device,
identify at least one input/output device associated with the mobile device, and
automatically connect the mobile device to the one or more user interfaces devices based on the identified at least one input/output device,
where the processor, when connecting the mobile device to the one or more user interfaces devices, is further to:
enable a user to select, using the at least one input/output device, multimedia content, through the display, by the set-top box,
enable the user to request, using the at least one input/output device, the multimedia content, and
upload, through one or more connections and in response to the request, the multimedia content from the set-top box to the mobile device.
2. The device of claim 1 , where the base unit further includes:
a graphics accelerator to provide a video signal to the display.
3. The device of claim 1 , where the base unit includes a slot, and
where the base unit is further to:
automatically detect insertion of the mobile device into the slot of the base unit.
4. The device of claim 1 , where one or more of the user interface devices are integrated with the base unit.
5. The device of claim 1 , where the base unit is further to:
provide, to the mobile device, access to a connection to a wide area network.
6. The device of claim 1 , where the base unit is further to:
communicate operational features of the base unit to the mobile device.
7. A method, comprising:
identifying, using a base unit connected to a mobile device, at least one input/output device associated with the mobile device; and
connecting, using the base unit, the mobile device to one or more user interface devices based on the identified at least one input/output device, where the one or more user interface devices include a display, and where the base unit is associated with a set-top box coupled to the display, and
where the connecting the mobile device to the one or more user interfaces devices includes:
enabling a user to select, using the at least one input/output device, multimedia content presented, through the display, by the set-top box,
enabling the user to request, using the at least one input/output device, the multimedia content from the set-top box, and
uploading, in response to the request, the multimedia content from the set-top box to the mobile device.
8. The method of claim 7 , where connecting the mobile device to the one or more user interface devices comprises:
connecting the mobile device to the display.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
providing a video signal to the display via a graphics accelerator located in the base unit.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
automatically detecting, via the base unit, insertion of the mobile device into a slot in the base unit.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
integrating the one or more of the user interface devices into the base unit.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
connecting, via the base unit, the mobile device to a wide area network.
13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
communicating, via the base unit, operational features of the base unit to the mobile device.
14. A system, comprising:
a memory to store one or more instructions; and
a processor to execute the instructions to:
establish communications between a mobile device to a base unit;
identify at least one input/output device associated with the mobile device; and
connect the mobile device to one or more user interface devices based on the identified at least one input/output device,
where the processor, when connecting the mobile device to the one or more user interfaces devices, is further to:
enable a user to select, using the at least one input/output device, multimedia content presented, through a display, by a set-top box,
enable the user to request, using the at least one input/output device, multimedia content from the set-top box, and
upload, through one or more connections and in response to the request, the multimedia content from the set-top box to the mobile device.
15. The system of claim 14 , where the processor is further to:
communicate operational features of the mobile device to the base unit.
16. The system of claim 14 , where the base unit includes a graphics accelerator to provide a video signal to the display, and
where the processor is further to:
adjust, through the graphics accelerator, the video signal based on an input received through the mobile device.
17. The system of claim 14 , where the base unit includes a slot, and
where the processor is further to:
automatically detect insertion of the mobile device into the slot.
18. The system of claim 14 , where one or more of the user interface devices are integrated with the base unit.
19. The system of claim 14 , where the base unit includes a connection to a wide area network, and
where the processor is further to:
provide the mobile device with access to the connection to a wide area network.