Remotely configured media device

• US 10,536,336 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marriott, Greg, Hodge, Andrew Bert
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/761,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/084 Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Improved techniques for controlling operation of a portable electronic device are disclosed. Portable electronic devices which interact with a host electronic device can have their operational settings (e.g., configurations or preferences) remotely controlled. As a result, a host electronic device can offer a more sophisticated user interface and portable electronic devices need less local user interface features because these operational settings can be remotely controlled. The remotely-controlled (i.e., host controlled) operational settings are transferred to the portable electronic devices, whereby the portable electronic devices can thereafter operate in accordance with such settings.

Claims

1. A host device comprising:

a communications interface establishing a communicative coupling between the host device and a client device storing media including video and client device information; and

at least one processor to;

in response to a determination that data exchange between the host device and the client device is enabled, generate, at the host device, a user-interface configured to display and alter client settings, the client settings corresponding to operational settings supported by the client device, wherein the client device includes a user-interface configured to alter fewer of the client settings with respect to the user-interface of the host device, wherein the client settings are configurations or preferences of the client device;

present, on the user-interface of the host device, an operational interface element for adjusting the client settings that are supported by the client device;

receive, at the operational interface element, a user selection of an option to copy at least one host operational setting in use at the host device to the client device, wherein the at least one host operational setting corresponds to at least one of the client settings that is alterable via the host device, but is not alterable via the user-interface of the client device; and

send the at least one host operational setting to the client device via the communicative coupling, the at least one host operational setting causing the client device to run using the at least one host operational setting on the client device.

2. The host device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to terminate the communicative coupling once the host device has determined that the client device is persistently running using the at least one host operational setting.

3. The host device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive the client device information from the client device, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify the operational settings that are supported by the client device based on the client device information.

4. The host device of claim 3, wherein the client device information pertains to software features available at the client device, hardware features available at the client device, a type indication for the client device, or a combination thereof.

5. The host device of claim 1, wherein the at least one host operational includes at least one of equalizer settings, shuffle settings, and menu configuration settings.

6. The host device of claim 1, wherein the option to copy the at least one host operational setting in use at the host device to the client device corresponds to an option to copy at least one equalization setting in use at the host device to the client device.

7. The host device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate and store a host identifier at the host device; and

transmit the host identifier for storage at the client device.

8. The host device of claim 7, wherein the host identifier is generated in response to receiving a request, from the client device, to lock the client device to the host device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a host device, cause the host device to:

in response to a determination that data exchange between the host device and a client device is enabled, generate, at the host device, a user-interface configured to display and alter client settings, the client settings corresponding to operational settings supported by the client device, wherein the client device includes a user-interface configured to alter fewer of the client settings with respect to the user-interface of the host device, wherein the client settings are configurations or preferences of the client device, the client device storing media including video and client device information;

present, on the user-interface of the host device, an operational interface element for adjusting the client settings that are supported by the client device;

receive, at the operational interface element, a user selection of an option to copy at least one host operational setting in use at the host device to the client device, wherein the at least one host operational setting corresponds to at least one of the client settings that is alterable via the host device, but is not alterable via the user-interface of the client device;

establish a communication link between the host device and the client device by the host device; and

send the at least one host operational setting on the client device over the communication link, the at least one host operational setting causing the client device to run using the at least one host operational setting.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, the instructions further causing the host device to:

receive the client device information from the client device; and

identify the operational settings that are supported by the client device based on the client device information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the client device information pertains to software features available at the client device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the client device information pertains to hardware features available at the client device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the client device information includes a type indication for the client device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one host operational setting includes at least one of equalizer settings, shuffle settings, and menu configuration settings.

15. A method for remotely providing operational settings from a host device to a client device comprising:

in response to determining that data exchange between the host device and the client device is enabled, generating, at the host device, a host interface configured to display and alter client settings, the client settings corresponding to operational settings supported by the client device, wherein the client device includes a user-interface configured to alter fewer of the client settings with respect to the host interface of the host device, wherein the client settings are configurations or preferences of the client device, the client device storing media including video and client device information;

displaying, in a host interface, an operational interface element for adjusting the client settings supported by the client device;

receiving, at the host device, a selection of an option to copy at least one host operational in use at the host device to the client device, wherein the at least one host operational setting corresponds to at least on of the client settings that is alterable via the host device, but is not alterable via the user-interface on the client device;

establishing a communication link between the host device and the client device by the host device; and

sending the at least one host operational setting to the client device over the communication link, thereby causing the client device to run using the at least one host operational setting.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the supported operational settings include at least one of equalizer settings, shuffle settings, and menu configuration settings.

17. A system for controlling a multimedia client device comprising:

a client device storing digital media including multimedia content and client device information; and

a host device in operable communication with the client device, the host device including at least one processor to;

in response to a determination that data exchange between the host device and the client device is enabled, generate and present user-interface elements for selecting client settings, the client settings corresponding to operational settings that affect operations of the client device, wherein the operational settings are not definable using a user-interface of the client device and are configurations or preferences of the client device;

receive, at the user-interface elements, a selection of an option to copy at least one host operational setting in use at the host device to the client device, wherein the at least one host operational setting corresponds to at least one of the client settings that is alterable via the host device, but is not alterable via the user-interface of the client device; and

transmit the at least one host operational setting to the client device, via a communication coupling, thereby causing the client device to operate in accordance with the at least one host operational setting.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multimedia content includes audio and video, wherein the client device information defines software or hardware features available at the client device and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an operational setting supported by the client device based on the software or hardware features defined in the client device information, the operational setting recognizable by the client device; and

wherein the user-interface elements are generated and presented based on the operational setting supported by the client device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one host operational setting includes at least one of equalizer settings, shuffle settings, and menu configuration settings.