Method and system for exchanging data between computer systems and auxiliary displays
First Claim
1. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device coupled thereto, a system comprising:
- an auxiliary platform on the main computer system, the auxiliary platform including, a) an application interface that receives calls from a program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to information to communicate to the auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware; and
a device driver interface that couples the auxiliary platform to a device driver associated with the auxiliary device; and
wherein the auxiliary platform converts the information into a format understood by the device driver such that the device driver forwards the information for communication to the auxiliary device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a system and method by which application programs running on a main computer system communicate with an auxiliary display device (such as a cell phone, pocket-sized computer, alarm clock, television, digital picture frame and so forth) to provide viewable information on the device, remote control capabilities, and notifications. Via API calls, programs provide information in the same format regardless of the device capabilities and/or the connection type. An auxiliary display platform converts the information into a format understood by a device driver, which then filters the information as desired for its particular hardware device before the information is communicated. Return communications return data such as status and user interaction with the displayed information. Software vendors may thus write code once to output information on auxiliary displays, while hardware manufacturers can have their devices work as auxiliary displays, with little or no modification to existing hardware.
117 Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device coupled thereto, a system comprising:
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an auxiliary platform on the main computer system, the auxiliary platform including, a) an application interface that receives calls from a program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to information to communicate to the auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware; and
a device driver interface that couples the auxiliary platform to a device driver associated with the auxiliary device; and
wherein the auxiliary platform converts the information into a format understood by the device driver such that the device driver forwards the information for communication to the auxiliary device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device coupled thereto, a method comprising:
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receiving calls from a computer program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one associated parameter that corresponds to information to communicate to the auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware;
accessing the information to convert the information to a format understood by the auxiliary device; and
communicating data corresponding to the information to the auxiliary device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform steps, comprising:
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receiving calls from a computer program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to information to communicate to an auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware;
determining to which of a plurality of types of auxiliary devices the information should be communicated, and for each such device;
a) accessing the information to convert the information to a format understood by that auxiliary device or by a device driver for that auxiliary device and b) communicating the information to that auxiliary device. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification