Zero-click sharing of application context across devices

• US 8,386,563 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parks, Jason, Pelly, Nicholas Julian, Hamilton, Jeffrey William, Hamilton, Robert William, Hooft, Maarten W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/549,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709225-229, 709/231, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A first client device performs a handoff operation to a second client device by transmitting application information, associated with a first application, to the second client device when the first client device is positioned within a predefined proximity of the second client device. The first application has a first client device user interface state when the handoff operation is performed. Further, the first client device, in response to receiving from another client device application information associated with a second application executed by the other first client device, executes a third application corresponding to the second application with an initial user interface state corresponding to a user interface state of the other client device.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating transitioning use of an application by a user from a first client device or system to a second client device or system, comprising:

at the first client device or system under control of a respective user;

executing a first application;

performing a handoff operation, comprising;

when the first client device or system is positioned within a predefined proximity of the second client device or system, transmitting application information, associated with the first application, to the second client device or system;

wherein the first application has a first client device user interface state when the handoff operation is performed;

at the first client device or system, in response to receiving from another client device or system application information associated with a second application executed by the other client device or system;

executing a third application corresponding to the second application with an initial user interface state corresponding to a user interface state of the other client device or system,

wherein executing the third application, in response to receiving the application information associated with the second application, includes transitioning from a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is not executing as a foreground application to a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is executing as the foreground application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined proximity is no greater than four centimeters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application and third application are both email applications.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a particular message or conversation thread, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said particular message or conversation thread.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of an unsent draft message, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said unsent draft message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a first list of conversations corresponding to a user-specified search query, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a second list of conversations corresponding to the user-specified search query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second client device or system is the other client device or system.

8. A first client device or system, comprising:

one or more communication interfaces, including a near field communication transceiver;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to;

execute a first application;

perform a handoff operation, comprising;

when the first client device or system is positioned within a predefined proximity of a second client device or system, transmitting application information, associated with the first application, to the second client device or system, wherein the first application has a first client device user interface state when the handoff operation is performed;

in response to receiving, from another client device or system, application information associated with a second application executed by the other client device or system;

execute a third application corresponding to the second application with an initial user interface state corresponding to a user interface state of the other client device or system,

wherein executing the third application, in response to receiving the application information associated with the second application, includes transitioning from a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is not executing as a foreground application to a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is executing as the foreground application.

9. The first client device or system of claim 8, wherein the predefined proximity is no greater than four centimeters.

10. The first client device or system of claim 8, wherein the second application and third application are both email applications.

11. The first client device or system of claim 10, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a particular message or conversation thread, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said particular message or conversation thread.

12. The first client device or system of claim 10, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of an unsent draft message, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said unsent draft message.

13. The first client device or system of claim 10, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a first list of conversations corresponding to a user-specified search query, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a second list of conversations corresponding to the user-specified search query.

14. The first client device or system of claim 8, wherein the second client device or system is the other client device or system.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a first client device or system, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

execute a first application;

perform a handoff operation, comprising;

when the first client device or system is positioned within a predefined proximity of a second client device or system, transmitting application information, associated with the first application, to the second client device or system, wherein the first application has a first client device user interface state when the handoff operation is performed;

in response to receiving from another client device or system application information associated with a second application executed by the other client device or system;

execute a third application corresponding to the second application with an initial user interface state corresponding to a user interface state of the other client device or system,

wherein executing the third application, in response to receiving the application information associated with the second application, includes transitioning from a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is not executing as a foreground application to a system state in which the third application corresponding to the second application is executing as the foreground application.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the predefined proximity is no greater than four centimeters.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second application and third application are both email applications.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a particular message or conversation thread, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said particular message or conversation thread.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of an unsent draft message, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of said unsent draft message.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a first list of conversations corresponding to a user-specified search query, and the initial user interface state corresponding to the user interface state of the other client device or system comprises display of a second list of conversations corresponding to the user-specified search query.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second client device or system is the other client device or system.