Multiple user wireless docking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014172-A1
Application number	US-201414767026-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A host device ( 200 ) for wireless communication with multiple dockee devices ( 220,221,230 ) is coupled to peripherals ( 210,211 ) for rendering audio or video (AV) data. The host has a docking processor for docking dockee devices for providing access to the peripherals. The dockee device has a dockee processor arranged for docking, as a dockee device, with the host device for getting access to the peripherals. The docking processor is arranged for docking at least one primary dockee device ( 230 ) and at least one secondary dockee device ( 220,221 ). Thereby, to the primary dockee device, control is provided over the peripherals for determining the AV data to be rendered. To the secondary dockee device is transferred the AV data to be rendered via the peripherals. For example a primary dockee device, presenter P, is enabled to control and determine the AV contents that are rendered, whereas secondary devices, attendees A, are enabled to monitor the AV data.

First claim

1 . A host device for wireless communication with multiple dockee devices, the host device being arranged for coupling to at least one peripheral for rendering audio or video data, the host device comprising:
a host communication unit configured for accommodating said wireless communication; a docking processor configured for docking at least one dockee device for providing access to the at the least one peripheral for the dockee device, the dockee device comprising a dockee communication unit configured for accommodating said wireless communication; a dockee processor configured for docking, as the dockee device, with the host device for getting access to the at least one peripheral, the docking processor being configured for docking at least one primary dockee device and at least one secondary dockee device, providing, to the primary dockee device, control over the at least one peripheral for determining the AV data to be rendered, and transferring, to the secondary dockee device, at least part of the AV data to be rendered, and the docking processor being configured for, upon instruction of the primary dockee device, controlling the secondary dockee device by at least one of: sending a signal to trigger docking of the secondary dockee device; controlling a disturbance level of the secondary dockee device; activating an application on the secondary dockee device; the dockee processor of the secondary dockee device being configured for being controlled by the primary dockee device via the docking processor by, respectively, at least one of: receiving the signal to trigger docking as a secondary dockee, and upon receiving the signal initiating one or more actions to dock to the host device; upon docking, enabling controlling the disturbance level of the secondary dockee device; upon docking, enabling activating an application on the secondary dockee device.

2 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is configured for providing, to the primary dockee device, write access to the at least one peripheral for said determining the AV data to be rendered, and for providing, to the secondary dockee device, read access to the at least one peripheral for transferring the at least part of AV data to be rendered.

3 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is configured for docking the dockee device that establishes the wireless communication with the host device, as at least one of:
a primary or secondary dockee device without prior identification data or a user pairing action; a primary or secondary dockee device based on prior identification data or a user pairing action; a primary dockee device that communicates an identification code corresponding to a primary verification code in the host device; a secondary dockee device upon a permission from a primary dockee device; multiple secondary dockee devices upon a single permission from a primary dockee device; a primary or secondary dockee device based on identification with an identification token.

4 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is configured for managing a meeting of participants based on docking a multitude of dockee devices as dockee devices coupled to participants, the multitude comprising at least one primary dockee device.

5 . The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the docking processor is configured for at least one of:
counting a number of participants to the meeting based on the number of dockee devices; registering a participant to the meeting based on data received from the dockee device; registering at least one presenter corresponding to the primary dockee device; distributing meeting data to the participants of the meeting; distributing meeting data as controlled by the at least one primary dockee device.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is arranged for docking multiple primary dockee devices, and, at least one of:
providing, to the multiple primary dockee devices, shared control over the at least one peripheral for determining the AV data to be rendered; managing shared AV output for the multiple primary dockee devices by providing at least one of split screen, overlaying, at least one window, video scaling, audio mixing.

8 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is configured for, upon instruction of a primary and/or secondary dockee device, at least one of:
transforming a secondary device into a primary dockee device, or a primary dockee device into a secondary device; accommodating direct communication between two dockee devices; assigning multiple dockee devices to a group and accommodating direct communication between dockee devices of the group; sharing of content or messages between all dockee devices; using local network broadcast; content scaling for transferring shared content to multiple dockee devices.

9 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the docking processor is configured for, upon instruction of a primary dockee device, undocking at least one, a group, or all, of the dockee devices.

10 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one peripheral comprises at least one of:
a beamer, a smartboard, a display screen, a loudspeaker system; mouse, keyboard, room control unit; a data storage unit.

11 . A dockee device for wireless communication to a host device, the host device being coupled to at least one peripheral for rendering audio or video data, the host device comprising:
a host communication unit configured for accommodating said wireless communication; a docking processor configured for docking at least one dockee device for providing access to the at the least one peripheral for the dockee device, the dockee device comprising a dockee communication unit configured for accommodating said wireless communication; a dockee processor configured for docking, as the dockee device, with the host device for getting access to the at least one peripheral, the dockee processor being configured for docking as a primary dockee device or a secondary dockee device, executing, as the primary dockee device, control over the at least one peripheral for determining the AV data to be rendered, and receiving and rendering, as the secondary dockee device, at least part of the AV data to be rendered, and the docking processor of the primary dockee device being configured for controlling the secondary dockee device by an instruction to the docking processor, to at least one of: send a signal to trigger docking of the secondary dockee device; control a disturbance level of the secondary dockee device; activate an application on the secondary dockee device; and the dockee processor of the secondary dockee device being configured for being controlled by the primary dockee device via the docking processor by, respectively, at least one of: receiving the signal to trigger docking as a secondary dockee, and upon receiving the signal initiating one or more actions to dock to the host device; upon docking, enabling controlling the disturbance level of the secondary dockee device; upon docking, enabling activating an application on the secondary dockee device.

12 . A method of wireless communication between a host device and multiple dockee devices, the host device being coupled to at least one peripheral for rendering audio or video data, the host device comprising a host communication unit for accommodating said wireless communication, the dockee device comprising a dockee communication unit for accommodating said wireless communication, the method comprising, in th

Assignees

• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Van De Laar Franciscus Antonius Maria
• Dees Walter

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• G06F2203/0384

  Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0383 Primary

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• H04L65/4038 Primary

  with floor control · CPC title