PUSHING A USER INTERFACE TO A REMOTE DEVICE

• US 20140033059A1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schubert, Emily Clark, Langenfeld, Peter T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

An electronic device can receive a request from an accessory to provide a user interface to be displayed by the accessory. The electronic device can determine whether an accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices or a second set of one or more user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a first user interface configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a second user interface, different from the first user interface, the second user interface configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory;

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

2. The device of claim 1, including instructions for, while the device is coupled to the accessory, determining one or more input devices of the accessory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a plurality of hardware buttons; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a touchscreen display.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the first user interface includes a description for display adjacent to a button of the plurality of hardware buttons that indicates that the button, when activated, will cause the device to perform a first operation; and

the second user interface includes a selectable affordance for display on the touchscreen display of the accessory that, when selected by a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location of the selectable affordance, will cause the device to perform the first operation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface and the second user interface each include a set of representations of the same selectable content.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a first type of touch-sensitive surface with first touch-sensing capabilities; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a second type of touch-sensitive surface with second touch sensing capabilities that are different from the first touch-sensing capabilities.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein:

a touch-sensitive surface with the first touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect a single contact at a time and is not configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time; and

a touch-sensitive surface with the second touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time.

8. The device of claim 1, including instructions for, prior to providing the user interface to the accessory, receiving from the accessory input-device information that enables the device to determine a set of controls that are available at the accessory and generate the user interface so that the functionality can be controlled by the controls that are available at the accessory.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the input-device information includes:

information indicating how many input devices are associated with the accessory; and

a location of one or more input devices associated with the accessory.

10. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

prior to providing the first interface or the second user interface to the accessory, receiving, from the accessory, display-dimension information that indicates dimensions of the accessory display; and

after receiving the display-dimension information, generating the first user interface or the second user interface at the device in accordance with the dimensions of the accessory display.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface or the second user interface to the accessory includes providing a first image that corresponds to a first state of the user interface to the accessory for display on the accessory display.

12. The device of claim 11, including, after providing the first image to the accessory:

receiving, from the accessory, input information indicative of an input received by the accessory while the first image is displayed on the accessory display; and

in response to receiving the input information;

generating a second image that corresponds to a second state of the user interface; and

providing the second image to the accessory.

13. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory;

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory;

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, cause the device to:

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receive a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory;

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, provide a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, provide a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input control, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory;

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input controls, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input controls; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input controls different from the first set of user input controls, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input controls.