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In accordance with one aspect, a portable computing device determines a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked. The portable computing device identifies, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device, and configures the user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration. In accordance with another aspect, a car stereo includes a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked. The car stereo also includes an input/output (I/O) component that allows the car stereo to communicate with the handheld computer when the handheld computer is docked in the docking station of the car stereo. In accordance with another aspect, an appliance in which a portable computing device can be docked is an integrated vehicle stereo and portable computing device docking station.

Inventor: Stephen Russell Falcon
Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
Primary Examiner: Glenn A. Auve
Attorney: Lee & Hayes, PLLC
Current U.S. Classification: 710/303; 381/86; 381/87

View patent at USPTO
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Citations

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Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US7222207Dec 19, 2005May 22, 2007Microsoft CorporationPortable computing device-integrated appliance
US7529080Jan 24, 2008May 5, 2009Fujitsu Ten LimitedElectronic device and electronic system
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Claims

1. A portable computing device comprising:

means for determining a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked;

means for identifying, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device;

means for configuring a user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration;

means for saving a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the appliance; and
means for retrieving the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the appliance.

2. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the type of the appliance comprises a vehicle stereo.

3. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the state comprises a current song being played.

4. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the state comprises both a current song being played and a current temporal location in the song.

5. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for determining the type of the appliance comprises means for receiving, from the appliance, a data packet including a type identifier for the appliance.

6. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the user interface configuration comprises means for receiving, from the appliance, information describing the user interface configuration for the portable computing device.

7. A portable computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the user interface configuration comprises:

means for accessing a record of appliance types;

means for identifying an appliance type in the record that matches the determined type; and

means for using, as the user interface configuration, a user interface description associated with the identified appliance type.

8. A portable computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor, to store instructions that cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
determining a type of an appliance in which the portable computing device is docked;
identifying, based on the type of the appliance, a user interface configuration for the portable computing device;
configuring a user interface of the portable computing device in accordance with the identified user interface configuration;
saving a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the appliance; and
retrieving the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the appliance.

9. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the type of the appliance comprises a vehicle stereo.

10. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the state comprises a current song being played.

11. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein the state comprises both a current song being played and a current temporal location in the song.

12. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein determining the type of the appliance comprises receiving, from the appliance, a data packet including a type identifier for the appliance.

13. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein identifying the user interface configuration comprises receiving, from the appliance, information describing the user interface configuration for the portable computing device.

14. A portable computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein identifying the user interface configuration comprises:

accessing a record of appliance types;

identifying an appliance type in the record that matches the determined type; and

using, as the user interface configuration, a user interface description associated with the identified appliance type.

15. A portable computing device comprising:

means for sensing an appliance that the portable computing device is docked to; and

means for identifying a type of the appliance and determining an appropriate user interface for the portable computing device based at least in part on the identified type of the appliance, wherein the means for identifying and determining farther comprises means for saving a state of the portable computing device when the portable computing device is undocked from the appliance, and means for retrieving the saved state when the portable computing device is again docked in the appliance.

16. A portable computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for identifying and determining further comprises means for receiving, through an I/O component, a data packet from the appliance identifying the type of the appliance.

17. A portable computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for sensing further comprises means for sending control information to the appliance to control the operation of the appliance based on user input via the user interface.

Drawings