DIRECTING DATA IN A WEB BROWSER FROM A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150201011A1
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: MURRETT, Martin J., SMYTH, Kevin R. G., ELSETH, Ian J., CAVE, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system for interacting with a web browser. During operation, the system establishes a network connection with the web browser from a portable electronic device. Next, the system provides data to the web browser using a web server on the portable electronic device. Finally, the system sends a set of control instructions from the web server to the web browser, wherein the control instructions direct the web browser to obtain and display the data.

Claims

1. A method for operating a transmitter device that facilitates sharing of media data, the method comprising:

at the transmitter device;

connecting to an input channel of a first computing device;

detecting a service being broadcast by a second computing device;

establishing, in response to detecting the service, a control channel with the second computing device;

receiving, via the control channel, a command from a web application executing on the second computing device, wherein the command corresponds to a request to display the media data;

receiving the media data from the second computing device; and

causing, in response to receiving the media data, the first computing device to display the media data.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the second computing device displays the media data simultaneous to the first computing device displaying the media data.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are connected to a common local area network.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the command is sent from the web application in response to a user selecting an image displayed at an interface of the web application.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the command corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the transmitter device is a remote device relative to the first computing device and the second computing device.

7. A system for sharing media data between devices, the system comprising:

a first computing device comprising a display;

a second computing device configured to run a web application and broadcast a service associated with the web application;

a transmitter device connected to both the first computing device and a control channel of the second computing device, the transmitter device configured to;

receive, via the control channel, a request to receive media data from the web application;

receive the media data from the second computing device; and

cause the first computing device to display the media data.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the second computing device displays the media data simultaneous to the first computing device displaying the media data.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein the media data includes a uniform resource locator (URL).

10. The system as in claim 7, wherein the request is sent from the web application in response to a user selecting an image displayed at an interface of the web application.

11. The system as in claim 7, wherein the request corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

12. The system as in claim 7, wherein the transmitter device is a remote device relative to the first computing device and the second computing device.

13. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in an apparatus that is in communication with a first computing device that is connected to a local area network, cause the apparatus to carry out steps that include:

detecting a service being broadcast by a second computing device that is connected to the local area network;

establishing a control channel with the second computing device;

receiving, via the control channel, a request to receive media data from a web application executing on the second computing device;

receiving the media data from the second computing device; and

causing the first computing device to display the media data.

14. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the second computing device displays the media data simultaneous to the first computing device displaying the media data.

15. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the media data includes a uniform resource locator (URL).

16. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the request is sent from the web application in response to a user selecting an image displayed at an interface of the web application.

17. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the request corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

18. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the apparatus is a remote device relative to the first computing device and the second computing device.

19. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 13, wherein the media data is associated with an image or video displayed at the second computing device.

20. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium as in claim 19, wherein the second computing device is a portable electronic device, and the steps further include receiving a command to change an orientation of a picture displayed at the first computing device.