Invocation of accessory-specific user experience

• US 8,719,112 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Carpenter, Todd L., Tantos, Andras, Chiloyan, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US12/917,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.63
• US Class Current: 705/26.63
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

An accessory-specific user experience can be invoked at a mobile host device attached to an accessory device. The mobile device can receive accessory device information from the accessory and transmit the accessory device information to an online marketplace. The mobile device can receive information indicating accessory-specific goods or services available from the online marketplace and display the received information as part of the invoked user experience. The accessory device information can comprise accessory usage categories as well as additional information about the accessory. A marketplace can select accessory-specific goods or services based on the received accessory device information based on matching between accessory attribute values associated with the goods and services and accessory attributes values contained in the received accessory device information. The accessory device can be a docking station connected to additional accessories and the accessory device information can comprise information pertaining to the additional accessories.

Claims

1. A method of invoking an accessory-specific user experience at a mobile host device, comprising:

receiving accessory device information from an accessory device connected to the mobile host device, the accessory device information comprising one or more suggested accessory usage categories;

selecting one of the one or more suggested accessory usage categories as an accessory usage category for the accessory device;

transmitting the accessory device information to an online marketplace over a wireless communication network;

receiving information indicating one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace over the wireless communication network based in part on the transmitted accessory device information; and

invoking the accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, the accessory-specific user experience comprising displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace, wherein the accessory-specific user experience further comprises displaying proximity information for at least one provider of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory device information comprises a product identifier and/or a manufacturer identifier, and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services approved by an independent software vendor or a manufacturer identified by the product identifier and/or the manufacturer identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more accessory-specific goods or services comprises one or more accessory-specific software applications, the method further comprising:

selecting at least one of the one or more accessory-specific software applications;

downloading the selected at least one accessory-specific software application;

installing the selected at least one accessory-specific software application; and

optionally executing one of the selected at least one accessory-specific software application at the mobile host device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected accessory usage category for the accessory device is a vehicle dock category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the accessory device information comprises accessory device capabilities.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the mobile host device entering a vehicle mode of operation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein entering the vehicle mode of operation comprises executing a vehicle navigation application.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile host delivers notifications based on driving conditions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory-specific user experience comprises enabling a voice interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile host device comprises at least one display and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information on the at least one display at an increased font size relative to information displayed on the at least one display prior to invoking the accessory-specific user experience.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received from the online marketplace comprises a firmware upgrade for the accessory device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory device comprises an audio-visual component, wherein the information received from the online marketplace further comprises a firmware upgrade for the audio-visual component, the method further comprising:

selecting the firmware upgrade associated with the accessory device;

downloading the firmware upgrade from the online marketplace; and

installing the firmware upgrade on the accessory device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the accessory device information comprises a suggested accessory usage category selected from a plurality of accessory usage categories available for the accessory device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the accessory device information with at least one metadata information associated with the accessory device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the received information is based at least in part on the transmitted accessory device information and the at least one metadata information.

11. A mobile host device, the mobile host device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a display;

a wireless communication connection; and

one or more storage media storing instructions for causing the mobile host device to perform a method of invoking an accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, comprising;

receiving accessory device information from an accessory device connected to the mobile host device, the accessory device information comprising one or more suggested accessory usage categories;

selecting one of the one or more suggested accessory usage categories as an accessory usage category for the accessory device;

transmitting the accessory device information to an online marketplace over a wireless communication network;

receiving information indicating one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace over the wireless communication network based in part on the transmitted accessory device information; and

invoking the accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, the accessory-specific user experience comprising displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace, wherein the accessory-specific user experience further comprises displaying proximity information for at least one provider of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services.

12. The mobile host device of claim 11, wherein the accessory device information comprises a product identifier and/or a manufacturer identifier, and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services approved by an independent software vendor or a manufacturer identified by the product identifier and/or the manufacturer identifier.

13. The mobile host device of claim 11, wherein the one or more accessory-specific goods or services comprises one or more accessory-specific software applications, the method further comprising:

selecting at least one of the one or more accessory-specific software applications;

downloading the selected at least one accessory-specific software application;

installing the selected at least one accessory-specific software application; and

optionally executing one of the selected at least one accessory-specific software application at the mobile host device.

14. The mobile host device of claim 11, wherein the selected accessory usage category for the accessory device is a vehicle dock category.

15. The mobile host device of claim 14, wherein the accessory device information comprises accessory device capabilities.

16. The mobile host device of claim 14, further comprising the mobile host device entering a vehicle mode of operation.

17. The mobile host device of claim 16, wherein entering the vehicle mode of operation comprises executing a vehicle navigation application.

18. A computer readable memory storing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile host device to perform a method of invoking an accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, comprising:

receiving accessory device information from an accessory device connected to the mobile host device, the accessory device information comprising one or more suggested accessory usage categories;

selecting one of the one or more suggested accessory usage categories as an accessory usage category for the accessory device;

transmitting the accessory device information to an online marketplace over a wireless communication network;

receiving information indicating one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace over the wireless communication network based in part on the transmitted accessory device information; and

invoking the accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, the accessory-specific user experience comprising displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace, wherein the accessory-specific user experience further comprises displaying proximity information for at least one provider of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services.