Cell computer is a mobile communications platform that provides the full PC functionality using the combination of two displays with a touch-screen UI on the second display and implementing synergy with the capabilities of networked processors and displays.
Introduction
The concept of the Cell PC project is based on the idea of using a standard hardware platform for the development of the Mobile Internet - a wireless segment of the future Net that provides users with a ubiquitious access. To achieve this goal, the Cell PC solution has a unique dual display configuration with a touch-sensitive control that enables an easy interaction with software applications and the Internet by showing the toolbars and menus on the second display.
This approach to a user's interface implementation provides a better presentation of detailed information on the main display - the logo and sections of a website are in a document window of the main display and the menu of the website is on the second display.
By using the benefits of the dual display solution, a cell computer model allows to develop advanced tools for the system and program interfaces of a mobile device by implementing standard APIs of desktop applications. For example, a configurable RSS reader with the menu and sections containing news headings located on the second display is used for a quick preview and opening the news articles in a document window of the main display. The same goes for the comfort reading of your e-mail messages.
The second display of the Cell PC also serves as a "personal advertising screen" without affecting the private space of the main display. The full-screen advertising banners received in a "context-aware mode" are shown on the second display (320x480 promo slides on the top and a user menu in the bottom). Th� direct marketing materials of that kind could also be shown using a screen saver's gallery or before displaying the menu of a website while surfing the Internet, and the roles of the displays may alternate. In addition, these options are used for the contextual ads shown for the Web search with a simultaneous displaying of the results in the document window of the main display - this means that helpful advertising information is to be at the fingertips of consumers.
Operating System
The development strategy for the Cell PC - connected user interfaces.
The System Dashboard is located on the second display at the startup. The items of the dashboard are the file manager (My computer - operations are performed using two displays), keyboard (invokes an application for making notes on the main display), control panel, programs menu, documents folder (My Documents), contacts, Web and local search, network, mail, camera and remote control.
The desktop is used as a Web browser with various ways of current information displaying. The top part of the screen is used for the title bar and the toolbar with a form for searching on the Internet and displaying a Web address or file system path.
The connected user interfaces of the Cell PC allow to implement such elements of Microsoft Office 2007 Fluent UI as Galleries which are located on the second display along with the menus and toolbars of the program interface, and Live Preview that is shown on the main display.
At the start of a particular program, the main menu of a program (Tabs) and a standard toolbar for file operations are displayed by default. At the opening of a particular file, the keyboard is displayed. As a part of a program interface, the Sys key of the keyboard invokes a main menu (the Tabs and a standard toolbar) of the program and when an object is selected in a document window the Sys key invokes a context menu.
The Tabs menu is used for displaying the lists of specific menu items (Groups). By default, each Group in a Tab menu has a standard toolbar for the most general and frequently used functions. The toolbar is located under the title of the Group. Also, each Group have the Dialog Box Launcher and special option for customizing the toolbar using the elements of the Group. The menu of a particular Group displays all the corresponding icons and Galleries.
Keyboard Operations
The key to the Cell PC solution is the Compact QWERTY Keyboard which supports the complete implementation of the US-International keyboard layout.
The benefits of the keyboard are easy one-hand typing together with control and navigation using menus (main and context ones and menus of websites), toolbars and standard key combinations. This enables a simple and convenient surfing of the Mobile Internet and implementation of standard program interfaces.
The control panel of the Cell PC has a central ring with arrow keys that are used for positioning a cursor in the text of the main display's document window. Within the ring, the Enter key of the keyboard is located. This key has an integrated optical mouse for positioning a cursor in the document window of the main display - when you make a double-press, the mouse control is on, and then, the second press is used for selecting like with the left button of a standard mouse. In addition, below the second display there are two buttons (located on the sides of the lower rim) used for making phone calls and a central key for switching to the system dashboard invoked on the second display.
The central ring is working as a two-button mouse with a scrolling wheel: pressing a central key - left-button click for cursor placing in the forms of a document window (main display) or selecting items in a context menu (second display); 'up and down arrows' - a scrolling wheel for browsing the content in the document window page by page; 'right arrow' - right-button click for showing a context menu on the second display and 'left arrow' invokes the keyboard on the second display.
For working in a document window of a Web browser, single pressing the Enter key allows to set the position in the text from where it can be selected by cursor movement, the next pressing of the key defines the borders of the selection. For advanced editing operations, selecting with the arrow keys in combination with control keys is used. When the text is selected, the context menu is displayed on the second display automatically.
The key combinations are pressed in sequence - each touch of a key is saved, and while the navigation is in the process, the second pressing of the same highlighted key is used for resetting.
The combinations of the Shift key with the arrow keys allow making a selection of text - by characters (right and left) and by paragraphs (up and down). The Shift and Ctrl keys pressed in a sequence in combination with the arrow keys allow to select whole words (right and left) and parts of the text in a document (up and down).
The combinations of the Ctrl key with the arrow keys allow navigating around the document - by paragraphs (right and left) and to the start or the end of the document (up and down). The combinations of the Alt key with the arrow keys allow navigating by words (right and left) and by pages (up and down).
The Alt key is used for switching between the languages in the localized versions of the system; the Ctrl+Shift key combination works as the Tab key using the central ring; the Ctrl+Shift+Sys key combination is used for switching tasks using the central ring; the Shift+Sys key combination works as the Esc key; the Shift+Alt key combination works as the CapsLock key; the Ctrl+Alt+Sys key combination invokes the Task Manager.
The Ctrl+C,V,X,Y,Z key combinations are used for editing; the Ctrl+A,F,G,H key combinations - Select All, Find, GoTo, Replace commands; the Ctrl+N,O,P,S key combinations - New, Open, Print, Save commands.
The functional keys (F1-F8) are designated for quick access to the software and hardware functions of the device. For example, this allows to use the cell PC as an ordinary clamshell phone working with the control panel and selecting contacts on the main display while the network operators benefit from a local advertising channel - broadcasting of SMS and MMS messages for showing them as slides on the second display.
Design and Functions
Platform: Intel's Moorestown
Connectivity: WiMAX
The Cell PC has a rugged case (53x103 mm). The earpiece is integrated into the top rim of the main display. The microphone is built into the bottom rim of the second display.
The main display (3.2", 800x480) and the second display (2.8", 640x480) use OLED technology. The second display uses transparent capacitive position sensing. The sensor controls for scrolling bars are integrated into the inner rims of the displays. The central ring and functional keys use capacitive force sensing.
The multimedia functions of the cell computer include taking photos and video recording with a high-resolution camera located on the back of the keyboard part of the device.
The cell computer has a function of a universal remote control displaying a preview of TV programs and various kinds of current information on the main display that also allows to work with the document window of software applications using a big TV screen while the second display of the device works as a keyboard and program interface.
