Digital picture frame having communication capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9286027-B2
Application number	US-93723408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2008
Priority date	Apr 11, 2008
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A digital display device for displaying content associated with multiple sets of sources of content is described herein. The digital display device includes a display configured to provide at least a first display region and a second display region. The digital display device further includes a communication component configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a telecommunications network and a storage component configured to store a mapping of sources of content to the first and second display regions. The digital display device also includes a routing component that automatically routes content associated with the first and second sets of sources for display on at least one of the first and second display regions. The first and second display regions display the content substantially simultaneously.

First claim

We claim:

1. A digital display device for the display of content associated with a plurality of content sources, the digital display device comprising:
a display configured to provide a plurality of display regions for displaying content from a plurality of content sources,
wherein each content source is an electronic device,
wherein the content includes digital images, audio or video, and
wherein at least two of the plurality of content sources have an individual associated with each content source;

a communication component configured to receive signals from a telecommunication network,
wherein the signals contain content associated with the plurality of content sources;

a storage component configured to store associations as a mapping between the content sources and the display regions,
wherein each of the content sources is associated with at least one display region, and
wherein display of content from the at least one content source can be rotated or moved among display regions associated with the at least one content source; and

a routing component coupled to the communication component, the storage component, and the display, wherein the routing component is configured for:
analyzing received content to identify a source of the received content;
accessing the storage component to determine a display region associated with the identified source of the received content; and
routing the received content to the determined display region for display,
wherein the content of each of the determined display regions is displayed, and
wherein the received content is displayed automatically in the determined display region that is mapped to the identified content source,

the communication component further being configured so that, in response to a user selection of a first display region, the communication component:
initiates a real-time communication session with a first individual who is associated with the content source of the selected first display region, and
while the real-time communication session is active with the first individual, and in response to a subsequent user selection of a second display region apart from the first display region, the communication component adds a second individual who is associated with the content source of the selected second display region to the active real-time communication session,
such that the first individual and the second individual share the same real-time communication session with the user.

2. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the storage component is further configured to store the received content.

3. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the received content includes at least one of a still image, a moving image, and text.

4. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the communication component is further configured to receive wireless signals from a telecommunication network.

5. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the digital display device is associated with an identifier, and wherein the received content is sent by the sources of content to the identifier.

6. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein at least one source of content is associated with a subscriber of the telecommunication network.

7. The digital display device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface component configured to allow a user to specify at least one content source of the plurality of content sources.

8. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a first display panel corresponding to the first display region and a second display panel corresponding to the second display region.

9. A digital display device for displaying content associated with a plurality of content sources, the digital display device comprising:
a touchscreen display configured to provide a plurality of display regions,
wherein each of the display regions is configured to display content from an associated content source,
wherein each content source is an electronic device, and
wherein the content includes digital images, audio or video;

a communication component configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a telecommunication network from the plurality of content sources;
a storage medium configured to store a mapping of content sources to associated display regions,
wherein each of the content sources is associated with at least one of the display regions;

a router coupled to the communication component, the storage medium, and the touchscreen display, the router configured to:
analyze received content to identify a content source;
access the storage medium to determine a display region that is mapped to the identified content source; and
automatically route the received content to the determined display region, wherein the received content is displayed automatically in the determined display region that is mapped to the identified content source; and

a real-time communication component coupled to the communication component and configured to establish a multi-way real-time communication session with the multiple individuals in response to a selection of the display region associated with the at least one content source associated with multiple individuals.

10. The digital display device of claim 9 , wherein the content associated with the plurality of content sources includes at least one of an image, a moving image, and text.

11. The digital display device of claim 9 , further comprising a camera configured to capture at least one of an image and moving images and provide at least one of the image and the moving images to the communication component for transmittal by signals to the telecommunication network.

12. The digital display device of claim 9 , wherein the communication component is further configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over the telecommunication network.

13. The digital display device of claim 9 , further comprising a user interface component that is configured to allow a user to specify at least one of the plurality of content sources.

14. The digital display device of claim 9 , wherein the touchscreen display comprises a touchscreen display panel corresponding to one of the display regions.

15. The digital display device of claim 9 , further comprising:
an audio input component coupled to the communication component and configured to capture sound for transmittal by signals to the telecommunication network; and
an audio output component coupled to the communication component and configured to generate sound corresponding to signals received from the telecommunication network,
wherein the real-time communication session includes a voice communication session that includes the captured and generated sound.

16. The digital display device of claim 9 , further comprising:
an audio input component coupled to the communication component and configured to capture sound for transmittal by signals to the telecommunication network;
an audio output component coupled to the communication component and configured to generate sound corresponding to signals received from the telecommunication network, and
a camera coupled to the communication component and configured to capture at least one of an image and moving images and provide at least one of the image and the moving images to the communication component for transmittal by signals to the telecommunication network,
wherein the real-time communication session includes a video communication session that includes at least one of the image and the moving images.

Assignees

• Carney Patrick
• Temple Sinclair
• Small Andrea
• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Carney Patrick
• Temple Sinclair
• Small Andrea

Classifications

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• H04N1/00453

  arranged in a two dimensional array · CPC title

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title