Pushing a Graphical User Interface to a Remote Device with Display Rules Provided by the Remote Device

• US 20110246891A1
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schubert, Emily, Toprani, Shyam, Huang, Szu-Wen, Alsina, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) can be presented on a remote control accessory device that has user input and display devices. The portable media device can provide the accessory with a GUI image to be displayed. The accessory can specify the configuration of the remote GUI image and send that information to the portable media device. The portable media device can generate a GUI image based on the configuration and send the GUI image to the accessory. The accessory can display the GUI image on one part of its display and other information on another part of its display. The portable media device can define different GUI image types for use with different types of input controls of the accessory. Based on which input control is currently active, the portable media device can send the corresponding GUI image to the accessory for display on the accessory display.

Claims

1. A method for operating a portable media device, the method comprising, by the portable media device:

establishing communication with an accessory having a display;

receiving instructions from the accessory defining a remote graphical user interface image, the instructions including one or more parameters defining dimensions of the remote graphical user interface image, wherein the one or more parameters are based on dimensions of the display of the accessory;

generating the remote graphical user interface image using the one or more parameters; and

communicating the remote graphical user interface image to the accessory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise one or more of:

size information associated with a character to be displayed in the remote graphical user interface image;

number of lines of text to be displayed in the remote graphical user interface image;

type of information to be displayed in the remote graphical user interface image; and

information about an image element to be displayed in the remote graphical user interface image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the remote graphical user interface image includes sending a video signal to the accessory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more parameters define a location of the remote graphical user interface image within a display area of the display of the accessory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote graphical user interface image occupies a first portion of the display of the accessory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein if a value associated with any one of the one or more parameters that define the remote graphical user interface image is below a predetermined minimum value, defining, by the portable media device, the remote graphical user interface image using default parameters.

7. A portable media device comprising:

a processor; and

an accessory interface coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, via the accessory interface, screen information for defining a display window for displaying information on a display of an accessory;

generate video information including a user interface element configured to fit within the display window; and

send the video information to the accessory.

8. The portable media device of claim 7 wherein the screen information comprises one or more of:

information about a location of the display window in relation to the display of the accessory;

information about a screen resolution of the display of the accessory; and

information about dimensions of a font to be used for displaying text within the display window.

9. An accessory comprising:

a controller; and

a media device interface coupled to the controller,

wherein the controller in conjunction with the media device interface is configured to;

send a screen information token to a portable media device, wherein the screen information token includes a specification for a display window to be placed on a display associated with the accessory;

receive a video signal based at least in part on the screen information token;

render the display window on the display; and

display information included in the video signal within the display window.

10. The accessory of claim 9 wherein the specification further comprises one or more of:

a type of information to be displayed in the display window;

a number of lines of text to be displayed in the display window;

or

an image element to be displayed in the display window.

11. The accessory of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to place another display window adjacent to the display window provided by the portable media device and to display information from a second source other than the portable media device within the other display window.

12. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the second source is the accessory.

13. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the other display window occupies a remaining portion of the display of the accessory not occupied by the display window provided by the portable media player.

14. A method comprising:

sending, by an accessory, configuration information for a graphical user interface image to a portable media device, the configuration information specifying a size for the graphical user interface image and a location of the graphical user interface image within a display area of a display of the accessory;

receiving, by the accessory, from the portable media device, the graphical user interface image conforming to the configuration information; and

displaying, by the accessory, the graphical user interface image on the display of the accessory at the specified location.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

displaying, by the accessory, another graphical user interface image adjacent to the graphical user interface image received from the portable media device.

16. A method for operating an accessory that is operable using a first control mechanism or a second control mechanism, the method comprising:

receiving, by the accessory, from a portable media device, a first user interface image associated with the first control mechanism;

detecting, by the accessory, activation of the second control mechanism;

communicating, by the accessory to the portable media device, information indicating that the second control mechanism was activated; and

in response to activation of the second control mechanism, receiving, by the accessory from the portable media device, a second user interface image associated with the second control mechanism.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first control mechanism and the second control mechanism comprises one of a mechanical control device, a touchscreen, or a voice-based input device.

18. A method of operating an accessory, the method comprising:

sending, by a portable media device to the accessory, a first graphical user interface image associated with a first input control mechanism of the accessory;

receiving, by the portable media device, a first command from the accessory, the first command being in response to a first input provided to the accessory using the first input control mechanism;

receiving, by the portable media device, information indicating activation of a second input control mechanism associated with the accessory, the second input control mechanism being distinct from the first input control mechanism;

based on the received information, sending, by the portable media device to the accessory, a second graphical user interface image associated with the second input control mechanism; and

receiving, by the portable media device, a second command from the accessory, the second command being in response to a second input provided to the accessory using the second input control mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein receiving the information comprises receiving a signal from the accessory indicative of activation of the second input control by a user.

20. An accessory comprising;

a first control mechanism;

a second control mechanism distinct from the first control mechanism;

a display;

a media device interface; and

a controller coupled with the first control mechanism, the second control mechanism, the display, and the media device interface,

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive a first graphical user interface image from a portable media device, the first graphical user interface image being associated with the first control mechanism;

detect activation of the second control mechanism;

send a signal to the portable media device indicative of the activation of the second control mechanism;

receive an input via the second control mechanism;

send a command to the portable media device in response to the input; and

receive a second graphical user interface image from the portable media device in response to the command, the second graphical user interface image being associated with the second control mechanism and reflecting results from operation of the command by the portable media device.

21. The accessory of claim 20 further comprising a first sensor associated with the first control mechanism and a second sensor associated with the second control mechanism,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a first signal from the first sensor indicative of activation of the first control mechanism by a user; and

receive a second signal from the second sensor indicative of activation of the second control mechanism by the user.

22. The accessory of claim 21 wherein the first sensor or the second sensor comprises one or more of:

a pressure sensor, a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, or an acoustic sensor.

23. The accessory of claim 20 wherein the controller is further configured to concurrently send the signal to the portable media device indicating activation of the second control mechanism and the command to the portable media device.

24. A portable media device comprising;

a processor; and

an accessory interface coupled with the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

send a first user interface image to an accessory, the first user interface image being associated with a first input control mechanism of the accessory;

receive information indicating activation of a second input control mechanism of the accessory; and

in response to receiving the information, send a second user interface image to the accessory, the second user interface image being associated with the second input control mechanism.

25. The portable media device of claim 24 wherein the second user interface image provides substantially the same information as that provided in the first user interface image.