METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN A NATIVE APPLICATION AND A SECOND APPLICATION

• US 20120227076A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McCoy, Charles, Wong, Ling Jun, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a native application and a second application. The second application may be launched in a mobile device for controlling an IPTV device. The method includes executing the native application that includes a first function to implement a device discovery process and a second function to designate a discovered device as a selected device. The second application is executed according to settings of the native application. For example, the native application may be set as a parent and the second application may be set as a child. The second application and the native application may be synchronized such that second application includes functions for controlling the selected device. Additionally, the native device may transmit information about the selected device to the second application.

Claims

1. A method, executed by a processor, for controlling a native application and a second application the second application being launched in a second device for controlling a first device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a first device discovery process to designate a particular first device as a selected first device;

executing the second application according to settings of the native application; and

synchronizing the second application and the native application,

wherein the second application includes functions for controlling the selected first device, and

wherein the native device transmits information about the selected first device to the second application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device discovery process:

identifies more than one reachable first devices; and

presents an inquiry for a user to select one reachable first device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device discovery process:

communicates an availability of a plurality of first devices to the second application; and

the second application identifies a particular first device to target from the plurality of first devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second application:

controls IPTV functionalities associated with the selected first device; and

executes communication between the second device and the selected first device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the selected first device includes an identifier of the selected first device and a list of functionalities associated with the selected first device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second application executes functions different from the native application.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application transmits user authentication information to the second application.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application transmits a user profile to the second application.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application defaults to a last selected first device as a selected first device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a single first device is discovered, the native application designates that single first device as the selected first device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application defaults to a most often used first device as a selected first device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein synchronizing the second application and the native application occurs when a change occurs in the native application, the second application, or a platform of the second device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device discovery process defaults to a first device that has the most capabilities as a selected first device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device discovery process defaults to a most recently used first device as a selected first device.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected first device is selected by a default setting set by a user and stored in a user profile associated with the user.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second application presents choices for alternate first devices to a user.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application presents choices for alternate first devices.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein choices for alternate first devices are presented by the second application based on information from the native application related to first device availability and first device reachability.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying device capabilities of one or more first devices; and

presenting the device capabilities of the one or more first devices to a user.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

determining user criteria for a particular user;

comparing the device capabilities of the one or more first devices to the user criteria; and

displaying a list of first devices, to a user, in a sequence that is a function of the comparing step.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the native application executes the first device discovery process.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second application executes the first device discovery process.