Systems and methods for a supplemental display screen

• US 10,346,122 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dryad LLC
• Original Assignee: Dryad LLC
• Inventors: Morgan, Brent Foster
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US16/164,341
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for using a supplemental display device in conjunction with a first device. The first device, hosting a communication and synchronization application, determines an indication as to a protocol used to perform mirroring. A packet is generated and transmitted from the first device to the supplemental device. A user selection of a second application hosted by the first device is detected. A determination is made as to whether the second application is to be executed by the supplemental device or by the first device. If the second application is to be executed by the first device, the second application is executed using the first device and the user interface of the second application is mirrored to the supplemental device using the protocol. If the second application is to be executed by the supplemental device, a command is transmitted from the first device to the supplemental device to execute the second application.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

computing hardware;

one or more wireless networking interfaces;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the computing hardware cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

determining, using a first application hosted by the computer system, configuration data for the computer system, the configuration data comprising at least an indication as to a protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring;

wirelessly transmitting via a first of the wireless network interfaces, the indication as to the protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring, to a remote display device;

detecting, using the first application, a user selection of a second application, wherein an instantiation of the second application is hosted by the computer system;

automatically determining, using the first application, whether the second application is to be executed by the remote display device or by the computer system;

if the determination is that the second application is to be executed by the computer system, executing the second application and mirroring user interfaces of the second application to the remote display device using the protocol; and

if the determination is that the second application is to be executed by the remote display device, transmitting a command to the remote display device to execute the second application.

2. The computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the indication as to the protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring comprises an identification of an operating system version of the computer system.

3. The computer system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising executing the second application using the remote display device, wherein the remote display device receives streaming video content from a content server that is displayed on the remote display device using the second application, wherein the video content is not relayed by the computer system to the remote display device.

4. The computer system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising inhibiting the remote display device from responding to touch commands received via a touchscreen of the remote display device.

5. The computer system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

while the second application is executed by the remote display device, providing for display on touchscreen of the computer system, using the second application, a virtual track pad user interface;

receiving via the virtual track pad a user touch input;

generating, by the second application, a data packet comprising data corresponding to the user touch input;

wirelessly transmitting, using the computer system, the generated packet to a third application hosted on the remote display device, the third application configured to control the second application using the data corresponding to the user touch input.

6. The computer system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second application is configured to request, receive, and display streaming video content.

7. The computer system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising automatically causing the remote display device to receive and mirror a display of the computer system upon pairing of the computer system and the remote display device.

8. The computer system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising:

displaying, using the first application, a menu of applications that are to be executed by the remote display device,

wherein the user selection of the second application hosted by the computer system is received via the menu of applications that are to be executed by the remote display device.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining by a first device, hosting a communication and synchronization application, configuration data for the first device, the configuration data comprising at least an indication as to a protocol used by the first device to perform mirroring;

generating and wirelessly transmitting a packet, comprising at least the indication as to the protocol used by the first device to perform mirroring, from the first device to a supplemental display device;

detecting, by the first device using the communication and synchronization application, a user selection of a second application hosted by the first device;

automatically determining whether the second application is to be executed by the supplemental display device or by the first device;

if the determination is that the second application is to be executed by the first device, executing the second application using the first device and mirroring user interfaces of the second application to the supplemental display device using the protocol; and

if the determination is that the second application is to be executed by the supplemental display device, transmitting a command from the first device to the supplemental display device to execute the second application.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the indication as to the protocol used by the first device to perform mirroring comprises an identification of an operating system version of the first device.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, the method further comprising executing the second application using the supplemental display device, wherein the supplemental display device receives streaming video content from a content server that is displayed on the supplemental display device using the second application, wherein the video content is not relayed by the first device to the supplemental display device.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, the method further comprising inhibiting the supplemental display device from responding to touch commands received via a touchscreen of the supplemental display device.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, the method further comprising:

while the second application is executed by the supplemental display device, providing for display on the first device, by the communication and synchronization application hosted on the first device, a virtual track pad user interface;

receiving via the virtual track pad a user touch input;

generating, by the communication and synchronization application, a data packet comprising data corresponding to the user touch input; and

wirelessly transmitting, using the first device, the generated packet to third application hosted on the supplemental display device, the third application configured to control the second application using the data corresponding to the user touch input.

14. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the second application is configured to request, receive, and display streaming video content.

15. The method as defined in claim 9, the method further comprising automatically causing the supplemental display device to receive and mirror a display of the first device upon pairing of the first device and the supplemental display device.

16. The method as defined in claim 9, the method further comprising:

displaying, using the communication and synchronization application hosted on the first device, a menu of applications that are to be executed by the supplemental display device,

wherein the user selection of the second application hosted by the first device is received via the menu of applications that are to be executed by the supplemental display device.

17. Non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by a computing system cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

determining configuration data for the computer system, the configuration data comprising at least an indication as to a protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring;

wirelessly transmitting via a first of the wireless network interfaces, the indication as to the protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring, to a remote display device;

detecting a user selection of a first application;

automatically determining whether the first application is to be executed by the remote display device or by the computer system;

if the determination is that the first application is to be executed by the computer system, executing the first application and mirroring user interfaces of the first application to the remote display device using the protocol; and

if the determination is that the first application is to be executed by the remote display device, transmitting a command to the remote display device to execute the first application.

18. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the indication as to the protocol used by the computer system to perform mirroring comprises an identification of an operating system version of the computer system.

19. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising executing the first application using the second device, wherein the remote display device receives streaming video content from a content server that is displayed on the second device using the first application, wherein the video content is not relayed by the computer system to the second device.

20. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising transmitting a packet to the remote display device which inhibits the remote display device from responding to touch commands received via a touchscreen of the remote display device.

21. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising:

while the first application is executed by the remote display device, providing for display on the computer system a virtual track pad user interface;

receiving via the virtual track pad a user touch input;

generating a data packet comprising data corresponding to the user touch input; and

wirelessly transmitting the generated packet to a second application hosted on the remote display device, the second application configured to control the first application using the data corresponding to the user touch input.

22. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, wherein the first application is configured to request, receive, and display streaming video content.

23. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising automatically causing the remote display device to receive and mirror a display of the computer system upon pairing of the computer system and the remote display device.

24. The non-transitory memory as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising:

displaying a menu of applications that are to be executed by the remote display device,

wherein the user selection of the first application is received via the menu of applications that are to be executed by the remote display device.