EFFICIENT HANDLING OF DIFFERENT REMOTE CONTROLLERD USING A SINGLE MEDIA APPLICATION RULE SYSTEM DEVICE BY A USER ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20170060264A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dexter, Ross R., Gasselin de Richebourg, Jacques P., Wang, Norman N., Sommer, Bruno M.
• Application Number:
  US14/834,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060264A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for enabling efficient control of a media application at a media electronic device by a user electronic device are provided.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. A method for a media electronic device enabling a user electronic device to control a media application processing module running a media application, wherein the user electronic device comprises a plurality of enabled input components, wherein the media application is associated with a plurality of input component types and a rule system comprising a plurality of rules, and wherein each rule of the plurality of rules is associated with at least one input component type of the plurality of input component types and at least one event of a plurality of events, the method comprising:

at the media electronic device;

mapping each enabled input component of the user electronic device to a respective input component type of a proper subset of input component types of the plurality of input component types, such that each input component type of the proper subset is mapped to a particular enabled input component, and such that each input component type of the plurality of input component types not of the proper subset is not mapped to any enabled input component;

after the mapping, receiving from the user electronic device new user control data indicative of any new input component data from each enabled input component of the plurality of enabled input components;

after the mapping, receiving from the media application processing module new media event system notification data indicative of at least one new event of the media application;

identifying a particular rule of the plurality of rules, wherein each event of the at least one event associated with the identified particular rule is indicated by the at least one new event of the received new media event system notification data, and wherein at least one input component type of the at least one input component type associated with the identified particular rule is not mapped to any enabled input component of the plurality of enabled input components;

supplementing the received new user control data with simulated new input component data for each one of the at least one input component type of the at least one input component type associated with the identified particular rule that is not mapped to any enabled input component of the plurality of enabled input components; and

sharing the supplemented new user control data with the media application processing module.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein:

each rule of the plurality of rules is associated with at least one action; and

the simulated new input component data is operative to instruct the media application processing module to carry out each action of the at least one action that is associated with the identified particular rule.

63. The method of claim 61, further comprising, at the media electronic device, prior to the mapping, receiving from the user electronic device user device functionality data indicative of the plurality of enabled input components.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein:

the media application is associated with at least one required input component type;

the plurality of input component types comprises each one of the at least one required input component type; and

the method further comprising, at the media electronic device, prior to the receiving the new user control data, confirming that each one of the at least one required input component type is mapped to a particular enabled input component.

65. The method of claim 61, wherein the media application processing module is unable to detect the composition of the plurality of enabled input components.

66. The method of claim 61, wherein the identified particular rule is associated with at least two input component types of the plurality of input component types.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein at least one input component type of the at least two input component types is mapped to a particular enabled input component.

68. The method of claim 61, wherein one input component type of the at least one input component type associated with the identified particular rule that is not mapped to any enabled input component of the plurality of enabled input components comprises a directional controller input component type.

69. A system for enabling interaction between a media application processing module running a media application that defines a rule system comprising a plurality of rules, a device application processing module running a device application, and a controller application processing module running a controller application on a controller electronic device comprising at least one enabled input component, the system comprising:

a media electronic device comprising;

a processor comprising the device application processing module; and

a communications component, wherein the device application processing module is operative to;

receive media event system notification data from the media application processing module, wherein the received media event system notification data is indicative of a new state of the media application;

identify a particular rule of the plurality of rules of the rule system, wherein the identified particular rule is associated with a particular input component type that is not correlated with an enabled input component of the at least one enabled input component, and wherein each event associated with the identified particular rule is satisfied by the received media event system notification data; and

simulate new input component data for the particular input component type associated with the identified particular rule.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the device application processing module is further operative to share the simulated new input component data with the media application processing module.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the shared simulated new input component data is operative to control execution of the media application.

72. The system of claim 70, wherein:

the identified particular rule is associated with at least one action of the media application; and

the simulated new input component data is operative to instruct the media application processing module to carry out each action of the at least one action that is associated with the identified particular rule.

73. The system of claim 69, wherein:

the device application processing module is further operative to receive, via the communications component, new user control data from the controller application processing module; and

the new user control data is indicative of any new input component data from each enabled input component of the at least one enabled input component.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the device application processing module is further operative to share both the simulated new input component data and the received new user control data with the media application processing module.

75. The system of claim 73, wherein the communications component is operative to receive the new user control data using a low energy wireless protocol.

76. The system of claim 69, wherein the processor further comprises the media application processing module.

77. The system of claim 69, wherein the particular input component type associated with the identified particular rule comprises a directional controller input component type.

78. A method for developing a media application, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of optimal input component types;

defining a plurality of events; and

defining a rule system comprising a plurality of rules, wherein;

each rule of the plurality of rules is defined to be associated with at least one event of the plurality of events; and

each rule of the plurality of rules is defined to be associated with at least one input component type of the plurality of input component types.

79. The method of claim 78, further comprising enabling the media application to share at least a portion of the defined rule system with a device application processing module when the media application is being executed.

80. The method of claim 78, further comprising enabling the media application to share media event system notification data indicative of at least one event of the plurality of events with a device application processing module when the media application is being executed.