Method and system for exchanging data between computer systems and auxiliary displays

• US 7,634,780 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fuller, Andrew J., Rhoten, Matthew P., Polivy, Daniel J., Wynn, Roger H., Bernstein, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, QING YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/996,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20060130075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 719/324, 719/321, 719/310, 719/327, 345 11- 31, 709/201, 717/120, 717/121
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Described is a system and method by which application programs running on a main computer system communicate with an auxiliary display device (such as a cell phone, pocket-sized computer, alarm clock, television, digital picture frame and so forth) to provide viewable information on the device, remote control capabilities, and notifications. Via API calls, programs provide information in the same format regardless of the device capabilities and/or the connection type. An auxiliary display platform converts the information into a format understood by a device driver, which then filters the information as desired for its particular hardware device before the information is communicated. Return communications return data such as status and user interaction with the displayed information. Software vendors may thus write code once to output information on auxiliary displays, while hardware manufacturers can have their devices work as auxiliary displays, with little or no modification to existing hardware.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a main computer system comprising a principal electronic display device for displaying text and images received to a user, and comprising a program;

an auxiliary electronic display device which is secondary to the principal electronic display device and which has reduced display capabilities with respect to the principal electronic display device, and which is configured to display at least one of text or images received from the main computer system to the user, and wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is further configured to cache scheduled notification data for display to the user even when the program is not running; and

an auxiliary platform on the main computer system, the auxiliary platform including,

a) an application interface that receives calls from the program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to information to communicate to the secondary, auxiliary electronic display device, the information including content for display on the secondary, auxiliary electronic display device, the set of at least one parameter being independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware; and

b) a device driver interface that couples the auxiliary platform to a device driver associated with the auxiliary electronic display device, the device driver associated with the auxiliary electronic display device being capable of removing at least some of the content to communicate to the auxiliary electronic display device so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device, wherein the filtered set of content is scheduled notification data; and

wherein the auxiliary platform converts the content into a format understood by the device driver.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary electronic display device comprises a mobile communications device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary electronic display device comprises a device from among a set of device types containing:

a separate computer;

a secondary display screen with button actuators;

a watch;

a wall display;

a display screen;

a digital picture frame;

a clock;

a television;

a radio;

a media player;

a device embedded within or using the main display of a consumer electronics device;

automotive, transportation or other vehicular units;

keyboards or other input devices of the main computer system;

a pager;

or a personal digital assistant.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary electronic display device includes firmware capable of processing the information when received in a proprietary format.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary platform converts the information into a markup language-based format understood by the device driver or by firmware on the auxiliary electronic display device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the information corresponds to a notification.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the content corresponds to an image to display on the auxiliary electronic display device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the content corresponds to text to display on the auxiliary electronic display device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a second auxiliary device is connected to the computer system, and wherein the auxiliary platform maintains a data structure that contains data as to which auxiliary device or devices the information is to be routed for the program running on the main computer system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the call includes data that indicates that the information is to be routed to the second auxiliary device, wherein the second auxiliary device includes a corresponding device driver for the second auxiliary device, and wherein the auxiliary platform routes the information to the device driver for the second auxiliary device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is coupled to the device driver via a wireless connection to the main computer system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is coupled to the device driver via a wired connection to the main computer system.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the device driver sends return information to the auxiliary platform in response to the information forwarded for communication to the auxiliary electronic display device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the return information corresponds to user interaction with the auxiliary electronic display device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is configured to display at least one of text or images to the user when the main computer system is powered down.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is an enhanced auxiliary display compatible with any information that can be received via the auxiliary platform, and wherein the device driver is a generic device driver.

17. In a computing environment, a method comprising:

receiving calls from a computer program running on a main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one associated parameter that corresponds to information to communicate to an auxiliary electronic display device, the information including content for display on the auxiliary electronic display device and the set of at least one parameter being independent of any particular auxiliary electronic display device hardware, and wherein the main computer system includes a main electronic display device for displaying text and image content to a user, and wherein the main computer system is coupled to the auxiliary electronic display device having reduced display capabilities with regard to the main electronic display, such that the auxiliary electronic display device is secondary to the main electronic display device and capable of displaying at least one of text or image content received from the main computer system to the user;

accessing the information to communicate to the auxiliary electronic display device;

determining that the auxiliary electronic display device has reduced display capabilities and a device driver for the auxiliary electronic display device removing at least some of the content of the information so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device;

converting the filtered set of content to a format understood by the auxiliary electronic display device;

communicating data corresponding to the filtered set of content to the auxiliary electronic display device;

receiving return information from another auxiliary device, wherein the return information corresponds to a dismissal of a notification on the other auxiliary device; and

communicating additional data to the auxiliary electronic display device based on the return information, the additional information dismissing a corresponding notification on the auxiliary electronic display device based on dismissal of the notification on the other auxiliary device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, displaying the filtered set of content on the auxiliary electronic display device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the calls are received at an auxiliary platform, and further comprising, making the call to the auxiliary platform.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein converting the filtered set of content to a format understood by the auxiliary electronic display device comprises converting the filtered set of content into a markup language-based format.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein converting the filtered set of content to a format understood by the auxiliary electronic display device comprises converting the filtered set of content into a proprietary format.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein communicating data corresponding to the filtered set of content comprises sending notification data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the notification data is scheduled notification data, and wherein the method further comprises caching the scheduled notification data on the auxiliary electronic display device for display to the user even if the computer program is not running.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein converting the filtered set of content comprises changing image information.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein a second auxiliary device is connected to the main computer system, and further comprising, accessing routing information to determine whether to communicate the data corresponding to the filtered set of content to the second auxiliary device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data corresponding to the information is an event notification, the method further comprising:

displaying, to the user, the event notification on the auxiliary electronic display device;

receiving, at the auxiliary electronic display device, user input directing handling of an event corresponding to the event notification; and

sending to the main computer system, from the auxiliary electronic display device, information indicative of the user input directing how to handle the event.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user input directing handling of the event comprises receiving user input dismissing the event and wherein the method further comprises sending a dismissal to the second auxiliary device.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising, receiving return information from the auxiliary electronic display device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the return information corresponds to user interaction with the auxiliary electronic display device, and further comprising, communicating other data to the auxiliary electronic display device based on the user interaction therewith.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the device driver for the auxiliary electronic display device is a driver specific to the auxiliary electronic display device.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining that the main electronic display device is not operational and, in response, communicating the filtered set of content to the auxiliary electronic display device.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is a virtual auxiliary display within an area of the main electronic display device.

33. The method of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary electronic display device is incapable of displaying graphics, and wherein the device driver removing at least some of the content of the information so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device comprises removing all graphics from the content.

34. The method of claim 17, wherein removing at least some of the content of the information so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device comprises reducing an amount of text content which is presented to the user using the auxiliary electronic display device.

35. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed cause a computing environment to:

receive calls from a computer program running on a main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one associated parameter that corresponds to information to communicate to an auxiliary electronic display device, the information including content for display on the auxiliary electronic display device and the set of at least one parameter being independent of any particular auxiliary electronic display device hardware, and wherein the main computer system includes a main electronic display device for displaying text and image content to a user, and wherein the main computer system is coupled to the auxiliary electronic display device having reduced display capabilities with regard to the main electronic display, such that the auxiliary electronic display device is secondary to the main electronic display device and capable of displaying at least one of text or image content received from the main computer system to the user;

access the information to communicate to the auxiliary electronic display device;

determine that the auxiliary electronic display device has reduced display capabilities and cause a device driver for the auxiliary electronic display device to remove at least some of the content of the information so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device;

convert the filtered set of content to a format understood by the auxiliary electronic display device;

communicate data corresponding to the filtered set of content to the auxiliary electronic display device;

receive return information from another auxiliary device, wherein the return information corresponds to a dismissal of a notification on the other auxiliary device; and

communicate additional data to the auxiliary electronic display device based on the return information, the additional information dismissing a corresponding notification on the auxiliary electronic display device based on dismissal of the notification on the other auxiliary device.

36. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform a method, comprising:

receiving calls from a computer program running on a main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to information to communicate to an auxiliary electronic display device, the information including content for display on the auxiliary electronic display device and the set of at least one parameter being independent of any particular auxiliary electronic display device hardware, and wherein the main computer system includes a main electronic display device for displaying text and image content to a user, and wherein the main computer system is coupled to a plurality of auxiliary electronic display devices, the auxiliary electronic display devices having reduced display capabilities with regard to the main electronic display, such that the auxiliary electronic display devices are each secondary to the main electronic display device and capable of displaying at least one of text or images received from the main computer system to the user, wherein at least one of the auxiliary electronic display devices is positioned to display content independent of the main electronic display;

determining to which of a plurality of types of auxiliary electronic display devices the information should be communicated, and for each such auxiliary electronic display device;

a) accessing the information to communicate to the auxiliary electronic display device;

b) determining that the auxiliary electronic display device has reduced display capabilities and using a device driver specific to the auxiliary electronic display device to remove at least some of the content so as to produce a filtered set of content less than that produced by the computer program for display on the auxiliary electronic display device;

c) converting the filtered set of content to a format understood by that auxiliary electronic display device or by a device driver for that auxiliary electronic display device; and

d) communicating the filtered set of content to that auxiliary electronic display device, wherein the filtered set of content comprises scheduled notification data; and

caching the scheduled notification data on at least one auxiliary electronic display device for display to the user even if the computer program is not running.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein at least one of the auxiliary electronic display devices comprises an enhanced auxiliary display.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the enhanced auxiliary display includes a particular firmware stack, the particular firmware stack that includes a TinyCLR component and supports Tiny CLR object serialization.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein at least one of the auxiliary electronic display devices comprises a basic auxiliary display.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein at least one of the auxiliary electronic display devices comprises an enhanced auxiliary display and at least one other of the auxiliary electronic display devices comprises a basic auxiliary display.