Systems and methods for accessing an interaction state between multiple devices

• US 8,275,893 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chi, Liang-Yu (Tom), Mavinkurve, Sanjay, Gomez, Luis Ricardo Prada
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/461,301
• Time in Patent Office: 147 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/226, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

The present application discloses systems and methods for accessing digital content between multiple devices. The systems and methods may be directed to providing access to an interaction with a first application on a head-mounted display (HMD) to a second device. Contextual information relating information of the HMD and information associated with the interaction to describe an interaction state may be stored. A second device may be selected upon which the interaction state may be accessed and a determination of attributes of the second device may be made. The HMD may transfer to the second device the stored contextual information such that the second device may provide via the second application access to the interaction state. Information associated with a user input to the first application may also be transferred. In one example, the contextual information may describe an identified occurrence of digital content accessed via the first application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing contextual information that describes a state of a head-mounted device and an interaction with a first application on the head-mounted device;

based on the interaction with the first application, providing a notification to the head-mounted device of an opportunity to extend the interaction with the first application using a second device; and

in response to a received selection of the opportunity, providing to the second device the stored contextual information such that the second device is capable to extend the interaction with the first application on the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information further comprises information associated with a state of the first application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the second device capable to extend the interaction with the first application via a second application of the second device based on one or more devices registered with the head-mounted device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting the second device from the one or more devices registered with the head-mounted device based on the interaction with the first application and a determined functionality of the second device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the state of the head-mounted device comprises information about functionalities of the head-mounted device, and wherein the determined functionality of the second device is a functionality in addition to the functionalities of the head-mounted device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the stored contextual information to a server residing in a network; and

wherein the stored contextual information is provided to the second device by the server.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

storing contextual information that describes a state of a head-mounted device and an interaction with a first application on the head-mounted device;

based on the interaction with the first application, providing a notification to the head-mounted device of an opportunity to extend the interaction with the first application using a second device; and

in response to a received selection of the opportunity, providing to the second device the stored contextual information such that the second device is capable to extend the interaction with the first application on the second device.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the notification provided to the head-mounted device is displayed on a head-mounted display coupled to the head-mounted device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the stored contextual information further comprises information associated with a state of the first application.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions of:

determining the second device capable to extend the interaction with the first application via a second application of the second device based on one or more devices registered with the head-mounted device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions of:

selecting the second device from the one or more devices registered with the head-mounted device based on the interaction with the first application and a determined functionality of the second device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first application is a mobile version of the second application such that the first application has less functionality than the second application.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the interaction with the first application comprises starting a reply to a communication, and wherein the second device is capable to provide the reply within a second application based on the stored contextual information.

14. A head-mounted device comprising:

a memory; and

instructions stored in the memory and executable by a processor to perform functions comprising;

storing contextual information that describes a state of the head-mounted device and an interaction with a first application on the head-mounted device;

based on the interaction with the first application, providing a notification to the head-mounted device of an opportunity to extend the interaction with the first application using a second device; and

in response to a received selection of the opportunity, providing to the second device the stored contextual information such that the second device is capable to extend the interaction with the first application on the second device.

15. The head-mounted device of claim 14, further comprising instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform functions comprising:

providing the stored contextual information to a server residing in a network; and

wherein the stored contextual information is provided to the second device by the server.

16. The head-mounted device of claim 14, wherein the stored contextual information is provided to the second device by the head-mounted device via a wired or wireless connection.

17. The head-mounted device of claim 14, further comprising instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform functions of:

selecting the second device from the one or more devices registered with the head-mounted device based on the interaction with the first application and a determined functionality of the second device.

18. The head-mounted device of claim 17, wherein the first application is a mobile version of the second application such that the first application has less functionality than the second application.

19. The head-mounted device of claim 17, wherein the first application and the second application are the same application.

20. The head-mounted device of claim 14, further comprising:

a head-mounted display (HMD) coupled to the head-mounted device; and

wherein the stored contextual information describes an occurrence of digital content accessed on the HMD using the first application.