Apparatus and method for interacting with handheld carrier hosting media content

• US 8,417,779 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/686,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Improved techniques for interacting with one or more handheld carriers hosting media content are disclosed. The handheld carrier hosting media content may be sensed, and at least a portion of the media content may be integrated into operation of a media activity provided by a computing device, upon recognizing the media activity and the media content. The media activity provided by the computing device may involve creating or editing an electronic document. The integration of the media content into operation of the media activity may involve insertion or importation of the media content into the electronic document.

Claims

1. An apparatus that interacts with a handheld carrier device hosting media content, comprising:

a non-handheld base computing unit configured to support a media activity;

a user interface, coupled with the non-handheld base computing unit, where the user interface enables a user to control operation of the media activity being supported by the non-handheld base computing unit;

at least one sensor; and

control logic coupled with the at least one sensor and the non-handheld computing unit, the control logic being configured to;

detect a proximity of the handheld carrier device to the non-handheld base station;

when the proximity exceeds a proximity threshold of the handheld carrier device, recognize the media activity and media content actively hosted by the handheld carrier device; and

integrate at least a portion of the media content from the handheld carrier device into the operation of the media activity based upon the recognized media activity and the recognized media content.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said control logic together with the non-handheld base computing unit operate to automatically integrate at least a portion of the media content into the operation of the media activity based on the operation of the media activity and the proximity of the handheld carrier device.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a proximity sensor that senses proximity of the handheld carrier device to the non-handheld base computing unit.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device, and

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a proximity sensor that senses proximity of the handheld carrier device to the display device.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the control logic is coupled with the at least one sensor and inserts the media content into an electronic document, upon recognition of an electronic document editing activity and proximity of the handheld carrier device.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a notification that notifies a user that the handheld carrier device has crossed a proximity threshold.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a notification that notifies a user that the media content has been integrated into the operation of the media activity.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a haptic notification that notifies a user.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device, and wherein the media activity is displayed in an active display window on the display device.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a software sensor that senses an active display window produced by the media activity.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the control logic is coupled with the at least one sensor and integrates at least the portion of the media content into operation of the media activity in an active display window, upon recognition of the media activity in the active display window and the proximity of the media content.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device, and wherein the display device visually presents the media content in the operation of the media activity, upon recognition of the media activity and the media content.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:

a software sensor, a proximity sensor, near field communication electronics, Bluetooth™

electronics, an optical device, a webcam, a digital camera, a digital video camera, a touchscreen display, a transmitter, and a receiver.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic document editing interface that controls operation of an electronic document editing activity.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to insert the media content into operation of a media editing activity, upon recognition of the media editing activity and the media content.

16. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the media activity is an electronic document editing activity, and wherein the control logic inserts the media content into an electronic document during the electronic document editing activity with respect to the electronic document.

17. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the control logic inserts the media content into an electronic document, upon recognition of the media content and recognition of where the media content is to be inserted into the electronic document.

18. A computer-implemented method for interacting with a handheld carrier hosting media content, said method comprising:

controlling operation of a media activity through a user interface coupled with a non-handheld base unit;

detecting a proximity of the handheld carrier to the non-handheld base unit;

responsive to the detected proximity exceeding a proximity threshold, sensing, at the non-handheld base unit via at least one sensor coupled to a control logic, at least one currently accessed media content of the media content of the handheld carrier;

detecting one or more media activities in an active window; and

the control logic integrating at least a portion of the media content into the operation of the media activity, upon recognizing the one or more media activities of the active window and recognizing the currently accessed media content.

19. A computer-implemented method for interacting with a handheld carrier hosting media content, said method comprising:

controlling operation of an activity window through a user interface coupled with a non-handheld base unit, the activity window being presented on a display device associated with the non-handheld base unit;

detecting a proximity of the handheld carrier;

responsive to the detected proximity exceeding a proximity threshold, requesting a media activity for the activity window associated with at least one sensor coupled to a control logic of the non-handheld base unit;

receiving media content from the handheld carrier to participate in the media activity; and

the control logic integrating the media content from the handheld carrier into the activity window presented on the display device associated with the non-handheld base unit;

wherein a location of the integrated media content is based at least in part on a location of the detected proximity of the handheld carrier with respect to the display device.

20. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein said receiving of the media content is a wireless data transfer from the handheld carrier to the non-handheld base unit.

21. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 20, wherein the wireless data transfer is automatically initiated when the handheld carrier is provided proximate to the non-handheld base unit.

22. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein the media activity is an import operation.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least one computer program code stored thereon to interact with a handheld carrier hosting media content, the computer program code, that when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

control operation of a media activity through a user interface coupled with a non-handheld base unit;

detect a proximity of the handheld carrier to the non-handheld base unit; and

responsive to the detected proximity exceeding a proximity threshold;

sense at least a content type of active media content of the handheld carrier with at least a first sensor coupled to a control logic;

sense a type of media activity of an active display window with at least a second sensor coupled to the control logic; and

where the control logic integrates at least a portion of the active media content into the operation of the media activity, upon recognizing the type of media activity of the active display window and at least the content type of the active media content.