IL310075A

IL310075A - Connectable mirroring screen and method

Info

Publication number: IL310075A
Application number: IL310075A
Authority: IL
Inventors: Levy Yodan
Original assignee: Levy Yodan
Priority date: 2024-01-10
Filing date: 2024-01-10
Publication date: 2025-08-01
Also published as: WO2025150049A1

Description

ATTACHABLE MIRRORING SCREEN AND METHOD TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to mobile telephone screens and in particular to a screen that can be attached to the back of a mobile phone and mirror the mobile phone screen.

BACKGROUND ART Mobile phones are popular personal communication devices that besides being able to place and receive phone calls, can also browse the Internet and take pictures and videos with their built-in cameras. Mobile phones have long become a common companion and users use their mobile phones for a growing number of tasks for both leisure and business. One popular activity of mobile phones users is using social media applications where users can watch, create and upload their own content, be it any combination of text, photos, graphics, effects, videos, sounds, etc. Mobile phones nowadays usually have one or more cameras at the back of the phone and one on the front of the phone, above or on top of the screen. The front camera is usually used to take ‘selfies", where the user points the front camera towards his face and takes a photo or a video. Since most of the photos and videos on a mobile phone are taken using the rear camera and there is more space at the back of the mobile phone to put more and larger camera sensors, in most cases the rear camera is of a higher quality and resolution compared to the front camera.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a mirroring display, comprising: (i) a screen; (ii) an attachment mechanism, adapted to detachably attach to the back of a mobile phone; (iii) a communication unit, adapted to communicate with said mobile telephone; and (iv) at least one memory communicatively coupled to at least one processor comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor run a first mirroring software application adapted to communicate via said communication unit with a second mirroring software application residing on said mobile phone, such that the mobile phone screen can be displayed on said screen of said mirroring display, and an action on said mirroring display has the same effect as if the action had been performed on the mobile phone.

In some embodiments, the screen is a touch screen.

In some embodiments, the communication unit communicates wirelessly.

In some embodiments, the communication unit can communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth, and/or WiFi, and/or any other wireless communication technology or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the communication unit communicates via a wired connection.

In some embodiments, when the mobile phone's camera is used in any mobile application, the camera image on the mirroring display touch screen is a reversed mirror image of the image displayed on the screen of the mobile phone.

In some embodiments, the entire screen of the mobile phone is displayed on the mirroring display screen as a reverse (mirrored) image.

In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism comprises one or more of: magnets, clips, or any other detachable attachment device.

In some embodiments, the mirroring display further comprises one or more actionable hardware buttons.

In some embodiments, the one or more actionable hardware buttons can be activated by one or more of actions of: pressing, double-pressing or any other type or combination of button manipulation, switching from one predetermined location to another predetermined location, and turning a dial.

In some embodiments, the mirroring display further comprises a wireless connection to connect to headphones, speakers or other wireless devices. 25 In some embodiments, the one or more actionable buttons are not hardware buttons, but are icons displayed on said touch screen and programmed to perform one or more actions when activated.

In some embodiments, the one or more actions comprise taking a photograph, starting a video capture, pausing a video capture, ending a video capture and reversing the image displayed on said touch screen.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a computing system comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computing system to implement a method of activating an application of a mobile phone via an attached mirroring display, the method comprising: (i) detachably attaching a mirroring display to the back of a mobile phone; (ii) establishing a communication channel between said mobile phone and said mirroring display; (iii) connecting via said communication channel a first mirroring software application residing on said mobile phone with a second mirroring software application residing on said mirroring display, such that the mobile phone screen can be displayed on said screen of said mirroring display, and any user action on said touch screen of said mirroring display has the same effect as if the action had been performed on the mobile phone screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a mirroring display of the invention comprising a touch screen, an attachment unit, a communication unit, mirroring software and one or more optional physical buttons. 25 Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a mirroring display of the invention attached to the back of a mobile phone. Fig. 3A shows an embodiment of a mirroring display of the invention attached to the back of a mobile phone by pressure, Fig. 3B shows the back of the mirroring display.

Fig. 4A shows an embodiment of a mirroring display of the invention attached to the back of a mobile phone by two individual clips.

Fig. 4B shows the two clips separately.

Fig. 5A shows an embodiment of a mirroring display of the invention attached to the back of a mobile phone by sliding unto rails, Fig. 5B shows the rails on the back of a smartphone or a smartphone case.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method of performing an action on Mirroring Display and reproducing the action on a mobile phone.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the following detailed description of various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced.

It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a mirroring display device adapted to enable a user to use any application on his mobile phone, while looking at and manipulating the touch screen of the mirroring display device. In addition, the user can open the mobile phone rear camera (from the mobile phone or from the mirroring display) and then by looking at the mirroring display, make sure that the captured image or video fit the scene he wished to capture. The mirroring display device of the invention comprises a touch screen, an attachment mechanism to detachably attach to the back of a mobile phone, a communication unit so that a mirroring software application on the mirroring display can communicate with a mirroring software application on the mobile phone.

Any action performed by the user on the touch screen of the mirroring display including but not limited to opening an application, clicking or double-clicking anywhere on the touch screen, dragging an image, typing text, swiping to any direction, enlarging or reducing an image, all these user actions have the effect as if being performed on a connected mobile phone.

Similarly, all user actions performed on the mobile phone are mirrored on the mirroring display. The mirroring display device and the mobile phone are connected via a wireless and/or wired connection.

In some embodiments, only part of the mobile phone screen is reproduced on the mirroring display screen, for example, the camera application.

In some embodiments, mirroring the display of the mobile phone onto the screen of the mirroring display is adapted to the special features of the mirroring display screen, including but not limited to the size and resolution of the mirroring display screen.

One example where the mirroring device is very useful is when a user wishes to take a picture or a video of himself, a practice known as "selfie". The practice of "selfie" is very common in social networks, where users upload pictures or videos of themselves. Taking selfies can be achieved either by the user holding the phone away by hand or by placing the phone on a stick with a handle on one side and a mechanism to hold the phone on the other side (colloquially known as "selfie stick") or by placing the phone on a tripod or in any location such as on a table. Taking a selfie implies using the front camera of the mobile phone (the front camera is usually found centered on the top of the screen of the mobile phone).

The front camera of a mobile phone (sometimes referred to as "selfie camera") is typically of lower resolution and quality compared to the back camera, with which users normally take pictures and videos. Some people wish to take higher quality selfies (stills or video), for example, people who upload frequent content to social networks and earn revenues from followers and viewers. Such people sometimes prefer to use the back camera installed on a tripod or similar holding device, and then either use a timer and take position in front of the phone or activate the camera on 30 video, and then walk away to position themselves in front of the phone. The main problem with these approaches is that the user in front of the phone cannot see himself on the phone screen, and thus cannot be sure if the photo or video shows him correctly as he intended to. Sometimes, such users need multiple takes before one photo or video is to their satisfaction, in terms of capturing the user in the right frame or the right pose.

Fig. 1 illustrates a mirroring display device 10 comprising a screen 20 preferably a touch screen, an attachment mechanism 30 , a communication unit 40 , at least one processor and memory 50 comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor run a mirroring software application, and optionally one or more physical buttons 60 , of any type, including but not limited to pressure buttons, dials, sliders, and capacitive buttons.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 , the mirroring display device 10 is adapted to detachably connect to the back of a mobile phone 100 so the mobile phone’s back camera 110 can be used for taking selfies pictures or videos.

The mirroring display device 10 detachably connects to the back of a mobile phone 100 via an attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism can be implemented in many ways, and a person skilled in the art could easily devise other embodiments to the attachment mechanism.

Attachment mechanism example 1, using magnets - the mirroring display device 10 can detachably connect to the back of a mobile phone 100 via magnets. A first magnet at the back of the mobile phone 100 and a second magnet at the back of the mirroring display device 10 . The magnets can either be an integral part of the mobile phone 100 (as with the new iPhone™ models) or added afterwards via a sticker or similar adhesive options.

Attachment mechanism example 2, using integrated clipping sidewalls - the mirroring display device 10 can be made to include left and right sidewalls with some elasticity, that can envelop the mobile phone 100 and clasp to it via pressure. Fig. 3A illustrates such an embodiment showing the two sidewalls 300 enveloping (clipping) the mobile phone 100 on both sides. The sidewalls 300 are made to be elastic enough 30 that they can by pulled away slightly to clip or unclip (attach/detach) the mobile phone 100 . Thus, the mirroring display device 10 can thus detachably connect and disconnect from the mobile phone 100 by bending one or two sidewalls 300 open slightly to connect or release the mobile phone 100 . Fig. 3B illustrates the back of the mirroring display device 10 . In some embodiments, the mirroring display device 10 can be integrated into a mobile phone protective casing.

Attachment mechanism example 3, using separated clips – as illustrated in Fig. 4A , the mirroring display device 10 can be attached to the mobile phone 100 via two separated clips 400 that clasp the two devices 10 , 100 together via pressure. The clips 400 are made to be elastic enough that they can by pulled away slightly to clip or unclip (attach/detach) the mobile phone 100 . Thus, the mirroring display device 10 can thus detachably connect and disconnect from the mobile phone 100 by bending each clip 400 open slightly to connect or release the mobile phone 100 . Fig. 4B illustrates the two clips 400 individually.

Attachment mechanism example 4, using rails - the mirroring display device can detachably connect to the back of a mobile phone 100 via rails. Fig. 5A shows an embodiment of an attachment mechanism where the mobile phone’s 100 back has left and right rails 500 into which the mirroring display device 10 can be inserted to and released from. The rails 500 can be implemented in many ways, for example, the rails 500 can be like a casing comprising one portion connected to the narrow side of the mobile phone 100 and another portion (perpendicular to the first portion) extending above the back of the mobile phone 100 , where the mirroring display device 10 is inserted underneath the second portion of the rail 500 . To better hold the mirroring display device 10 under the rail 500 , a protruding safety pin 510 (one or more) can be pressured in when the mirroring display device 10 is inserted into the rails, and retracted when reaching a matching opening 520(shown in Fig. 5B ) in the rail 500 , thus securing that the mirroring display device 10 does not move easily after insertion. Alternatives to the safety pin 510 can be implemented in many ways, for example, a gap that an elastic protrusion in the mirroring display device 10 can fit inside, and thus prevent sliding out of the mirroring display device 10 . 30 The mobile phone 100 and the mirroring display device 10 communicate via a communication channel established by the communication unit 40 . The communication channel is preferably wireless using one or more industry protocols including but not limited to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth™ or any other present or future wireless communication protocol. Alternatively, the communication channel established may be wired, or both wired and wireless.

The mirroring software application of the mirroring display device 10 communicates with another mirroring software application residing on the mobile phone 100 , over the established communication channel or channels. Mirroring software allows to replicate the content of the screen of one device on the screen of another device. Hence the contents of the screen of the mobile phone 100 are displayed on the touch screen 20 of the mirroring display device 10 .

The mirroring software application of the mirroring display device 10 of the invention does not only duplicate the mobile phone’s 100 screen on the touch screen of the mirroring display device 10 , but most importantly enables the user to use any application available on the mobile phone 100 by performing similar user actions on the touch screen 20 , for example, opening an application, clicking or double clicking on an icon or any other object on the screen, sliding, selecting, manipulating a physical button and other user actions.

Screen mirroring (also referred to at times as "casting") can be achieved via wireless or wired connections.

Known wireless mirroring technologies today include: (1) Wi-Fi Direct - A technology that enables devices to establish a direct Wi- Fi connection without the need for a traditional Wi-Fi network. Devices supporting Wi-Fi Direct can connect directly to each other, making it simple and convenient to print, share, sync, play games, and display content to another device.

Miracast is a standard for wireless display mirroring that uses Wi-Fi Direct.

Miracast enables seamless display of multimedia content between Miracast® devices. Miracast allows users to wirelessly share multimedia, including high- resolution pictures and high-definition (HD) video content between Wi-Fi devices, even if a Wi-Fi network is not available. (2) AirPlay is a proprietary protocol developed by Apple™. It allows iOS and macOS devices to wirelessly mirror their screens and stream media to an Apple TV™ or other AirPlay-enabled devices. (3) Google Cast (Chromcast) is a technology developed by Google™ that enables users to cast their screens or specific content from a mobile device or computer to a compatible display, such as a Chromecast-enabled TV. (4) Bluetooth™ - Though Bluetooth™ is more commonly used for audio devices, some screen mirroring solutions use Bluetooth™ for initial device pairing or connection setup.

Known wired mirroring technologies today include: (1) HDMI or USB-C - High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a common wired connection for screen mirroring. It requires an HDMI cable to connect the mobile device to a display that supports HDMI input.

USB-C: Some newer smartphones use USB-C ports that support video output. With a USB-C to HDMI or DisplayPort adapter, users can connect their phones directly to a display. (2) MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) is a standard that allows compatible smartphones and tablets to connect to HDTVs and displays using an MHL cable. It supports both audio and video transmission.

When the mobile telephone 100 camera is used in any mobile application, normally the image displayed on the touch screen 20 would be a reverse image of the image shown on the screen of the mobile phone 100 . In some embodiments, the camera image on the mirroring display touch screen 20 is automatically reversed to show a reverse mirror image of the image displayed on the screen of the mobile telephone 100 , so that the user can see on the touch screen 20 the reversed image shown on the screen of the mobile phone 100 , so he can have a mirrored image similar to the image shown using the front facing camera.

In some embodiments, the mirroring display 10 comprises one or more actionable physical hardware buttons that their manipulation can trigger a predetermined action, for example, taking a photograph, starting a video, pausing a video, stopping a video etc. The one or more actionable hardware buttons can be activated by one or more actions of: pressing, double-pressing, or any other type or combination of button manipulation, switching from one predetermined location to another predetermined location, and turning a dial.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of activating an application of a mobile phone via an attached mirroring display, as is shown in Fig. 6 . In step 600 the process starts. In step 610 the mirroring display device 10 is connected (attached) to the back of a mobile phone 100 . In step 620 a communication channel is established between the mirroring display device 10 and the mobile phone 100 . The communication channel may be wireless, wired or both. In step 630 a first mirroring software application residing on the mobile phone 100 connects with a second mirroring software application residing on said mirroring display. Once the two mirroring software applications are connected information can be shared between the mobile phone 100and the mirroring display device 10 . In step 640 any user action on the mirroring display device 10 is reproduced as if it occurred on the mobile phone 100 , and the screen of the mobile phone is duplicated to be shown on the touch screen .

In some embodiments, the user can detach the mirroring display device 10 from the mobile phone 100 and use the mirroring display device 10 as a remote control for operating the mobile phone 100 . For example, the user might place the mobile phone on a tripod (or stabilize it on any location) and then stand in front of the phone. The user uses the mirroring display device 10 both to observe what is captured by the phone's camera 110and to take a photograph or start/pause/end a video.

In some embodiments, touch screen 20 displays one or more actionable icons to assist the user in certain actions. For example, one icon can take a photo when pressed, another icon can start or pause or end a video capture, while another icon can reverse the image displayed on the touch screen 20 . Although the invention has been described in detail, nevertheless changes and modifications, which do not depart from the teachings of the present invention, will be evident to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are deemed to come within the purview of the present invention and the appended claims.

It will be readily apparent that the various methods and algorithms described herein may be implemented by, e.g., appropriately programmed general purpose computers and computing devices. Typically, a processor (e.g., one or more microprocessors) will receive instructions from a memory or like device, and execute those instructions, thereby performing one or more processes defined by those instructions. Further, programs that implement such methods and algorithms may be stored and transmitted using a variety of media in several manners. In some embodiments, hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of various embodiments. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

A "processor" means any one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or like devices.

The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) which may be read by a computer, a processor or a like device. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes the main memory. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to the processor.

Transmission media may include or convey acoustic waves, light waves and electromagnetic emissions, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and 30 infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying sequences of instructions to a processor. For example, sequences of instruction (i) may be delivered from RAM to a processor, (ii) may be carried over a wireless transmission medium, and/or (iii) may be formatted according to numerous formats, standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, TDMA, CDMA, 3G.

Where databases are described, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that (i) alternative database structures to those described may be readily employed, and (ii) other memory structures besides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations or descriptions of any sample databases presented herein are illustrative arrangements for stored representations of information. Any number of other arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by, e.g., tables illustrated in drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary information only; one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the number and content of the entries can be different from those described herein. Further, despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats (including relational databases, object-based models and/or distributed databases) could be used to store and manipulate the data types described herein. Likewise, object methods or behaviors of a database can be used to implement various processes, such as the described herein. In addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be stored locally or remotely from a device which accesses data in such a database.

The present invention can be configured to work in a network environment including a computer that is in communication, via a communications network, with one or more devices. The computer may communicate with the devices directly or 30 indirectly, via a wired or wireless medium such as the Internet, LAN, WAN or Ethernet, Token Ring, or via any appropriate communications means or combination of communications means. Each of the devices may comprise computers, such as those based on the Intel.RTM. Pentium.RTM. or Centrino.TM. processor, that are adapted to communicate with the computer. Any number and type of machines may be in communication with the computer.

Claims

1. A mirroring display, comprising: (i) a screen; (ii) an attachment mechanism, adapted to detachably attach to the back of a mobile phone; (iii) a communication unit, adapted to communicate with said mobile telephone; and (iv) at least one memory communicatively coupled to at least one processor comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor run a first mirroring software application adapted to communicate via said communication unit with a second mirroring software application residing on said mobile phone, such that the mobile phone screen can be displayed on said screen of said mirroring display, and user actions on said mirroring display have the same effect as if the action had been performed on the mobile phone.

2. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein said screen is a touch screen.

3. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit communicates wirelessly.

4. The mirroring display according to claim 3, wherein said communication unit can communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth, WiFi, any other wireless communication technology or any combination thereof.

5. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit communicates via a wired connection.

6. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein when the mobile phone's camera is used in any mobile application, the camera image on the mirroring display 25 screen is a reversed mirror image of the image displayed on the screen of the mobile phone.

7. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein the mirroring display screen shows a mirror image of the mobile phone’s screen.

8. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein said attachment mechanism comprises one or more: magnets, clips, or any other detachable attachment device.

9. The mirroring display according to claim 1, further comprising one or more actionable hardware buttons.

10. The mirroring display according to claim 9, wherein the one or more actionable hardware buttons can be activated by one or more of actions: pressing, double- pressing or any other type or combination of button manipulation, switching from one predetermined location to another predetermined location, and turning a dial.

11. The mirroring display according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless connection to connect to headphones, speakers or other wireless devices.

12. The mirroring display according to claim 1, wherein one or more actionable icons are displayed on said touch screen and programmed to perform one or more actions when activated.

13. The mirroring display according to claim 12, wherein said one or more actions comprise taking a photograph, starting a video capture, pausing a video capture, ending a video capture and reversing the image displayed on said screen.

14. A computing system comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computing system to implement a method of activating an 25 application of a mobile phone via an attached mirroring display, the method comprising: (i) detachably attaching a mirroring display comprising a screen to the back of a mobile phone; (ii) establishing a communication channel between said mobile phone and said mirroring display; (iii) connecting via said communication channel a first mirroring software application residing on said mobile phone with a second mirroring software application residing on said mirroring display, such that the mobile phone screen can be displayed on said screen of said mirroring display, and any user action on said screen of said mirroring display has the same effect as if the action had been performed on the mobile phone screen.

15. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein said screen of said mirroring display is a touch screen.

16. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein said communication unit communicates wirelessly.

17. The computing system according to claim 16, wherein said communication unit can communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth, WiFi, any other wireless communication technology or any combination thereof.

18. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein said communication unit communicates via a wired connection.

19. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein when the mobile phone's camera is used in any mobile application, the camera image on the mirroring display touch screen is a reversed mirror image of the image displayed on the screen of the mobile phone.

20. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein the mirroring display screen shows a mirror image of the mobile phone’s screen.

21. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein said attachment mechanism comprises one or more: magnets, clips, or any other detachable attachment device.

22. The computing system according to claim 14, further comprising one or more actionable hardware buttons.

23. The computing system according to claim 22, wherein the one or more actionable hardware buttons can be activated by one or more of actions of: pressing, double-pressing or any other type or combination of button manipulation, switching from one predetermined location to another predetermined location, and turning a dial.

24. The computing system according to claim 14, further comprising a wireless connection to connect to headphones, speakers or other wireless devices.

25. The computing system according to claim 14, wherein one or more actionable icons are displayed on said screen and programmed to perform one or more actions when activated.

26. The computing system according to claim 25, wherein said one or more actions comprise taking a photograph, starting a video capture, pausing a video capture, ending a video capture and reversing the image displayed on said mirroring display screen.