Context sensitive remote device

• US 9,021,354 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Helms, Jan-Hinnerk
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIXON, MARY E
• Application Number:
  US12/757,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 715/740, 715/702
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user can make selections of one or more items, defined as a context, in a graphical user interface on a computer running software. The computer sends data to a connected wireless device, and the data is representative of the context. The wireless touch screen device displays one or more commands corresponding to the received context data and the commands can control the program on the computer. The wireless touch screen device then receives a user input on the wireless touch screen device to execute one of the one or more commands. The wireless touch screen device then sends the user command to the computer, wherein the computer executes the command and controls the program according to the user command. For example, this can allow remote control of a DAW, video-editing software, photo-editing software, and word processing software by a coupled wireless touch screen device.

Claims

1. A method for using a handheld wireless touch screen device as an input device for a computer comprising:

receiving, at the device, context data from the computer running an audio computer software program, the context data indicating a context defined by a first selection of a first user interface element that represents a first audio digital multimedia content item of a first type and a second selection of a second user interface element that represents a second digital multimedia content item of a second type that is different from the first type, wherein the first user interface element and the second user interface element are displayed in a graphical user interface by the computer in response to running the audio computer software program; and

selecting, by the device, one or more commands corresponding to the received context data defined by the first selection and the second selection, wherein the selected one or more commands are executable by the computer to control the first audio digital multimedia content item of the first type and the second digital multimedia content item of the second type, respectively, wherein the selected commands include at least the most frequently chosen commands by a user for the indicated context and at least one available command for the indicated context is excluded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of a real instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and one region on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and two regions on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a real instrument track and one region in an arrange window, and a real instrument track and multiple regions in an arrange window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio computer software program comprises a digital audio workstation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of one or more notes in an editor window and first selection and the second selection in a software instrument track info edit window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, at the device, one or more commands in a frequently selected command list in memory for the received context.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the selected one or more commands on the touch screen included in the device, wherein the commands control the audio computer software program on the computer;

receiving a user input on the touch screen to execute one of the one or more commands; and

sending the user input to the computer, wherein the computer executes the command and controls the program according to the user input.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type includes a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data that play through a software instrument, and the second type includes recording of real audio.

6. A device comprising:

a processor configured to receive context data from a computer running an audio computer software program, wherein the context data includes a first selection of a first user interface element that represents a first audio digital multimedia content item of a first type and a second selection of a second user interface element that represents a second digital multimedia content item of a second type that is different from the first type, wherein the first user interface element and the second user interface element are made in a graphical user interface displayed by the computer in response to running the audio computer software program; and

the processor configured to select one or more commands corresponding to the received context data, wherein the selected one or more commands are executable by the computer to control the first audio digital multimedia content item of the first type and the second digital multimedia content item of the second type, respectively, wherein the selected commands include only the most frequently chosen commands by a user for the first selection and the second selection.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of a real instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and one region on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and two regions on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a real instrument track and one region in an arrange window, and a real instrument track and multiple regions in an arrange window.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of one or more notes in an editor window and first selection and the second selection in a software instrument track info edit window.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface on the computer corresponds to the audio computer software program comprising an audio editing application.

21. The device of claim 6, wherein:

the processor configured to display the selected commands, on a touch screen display included in the device, wherein the commands control the program on the computer;

the processor configured to receive a user command on the touch screen included in the device to execute one of the one or more commands; and

the processor configured to send the user command to the computer, wherein the computer executes the command and controls the program according to the user command.

22. The device of claim 6, wherein the first type includes a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data that play through a software instrument, and the second type includes recording of real audio.

10. A system comprising:

a computer configured to perform operations comprising;

running an audio computer software program,

displaying a graphical user interface including a first user interface element and a second user interface element in response to running the program,

receiving, in the graphical user interface, a first selection of a first user interface element that represents a first audio digital multimedia content item of a first type and a second selection of a second user interface element that represents a second digital multimedia content item of a second type that is different from the first type, and

sending context data representative of the first selection and the second selection; and

a wireless touch screen device communicatively coupled to the computer, the wireless touch screen device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving the context data representative of the first selection and the second selection from the computer,

selecting one or more commands corresponding to the received context data, wherein the selected one or more commands are executable by the computer to control the first audio digital multimedia content item of the first type and the second digital multimedia content item of the second type, respectively, wherein the selected commands include at least the most frequently chosen commands by a user for the first selection and the second selection and at least one available command for the first selection and the second selection is excluded, and

displaying the selected commands corresponding to the received data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is further configured to perform operations comprising receiving a user input to execute one of the displayed commands and sending a signal to the computer, and wherein the computer is configured to perform operations comprising executing the received command.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of a real instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and one region on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and two regions on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a real instrument track and one region in an arrange window, and a real instrument track and multiple regions in an arrange window.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of one or more notes in an editor window and first selection and the second selection in a software instrument track info edit window.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the audio computer software program comprises a digital audio workstation.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein the first type includes a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data that play through a software instrument, and the second type includes recording of real audio.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for displaying commands on a wireless touch screen device, the instructions comprising:

receiving context data from a computer running an audio computer software program, the context data indicating a first selection of a first user interface element that represents a first audio digital multimedia content item of a first type and a second selection of a second user interface element that represents a second digital multimedia content item of a second type that is different from the first type, wherein the first user interface element and the second user interface element are displayed in a graphical user interface by the computer in response to running the audio computer software program;

selecting one or more commands corresponding to the received data, wherein the selected one or more commands are executable by the computer to control the first audio digital multimedia content item of the first type and the second digital multimedia content item of the second type, respectively, wherein the selected commands include at least the most frequently chosen commands by a user for the first selection and the second selection and at least one available command for the first selection and the second selection is excluded;

displaying the selected commands corresponding to the received data on the wireless touch screen device;

receiving a user command on the wireless touch screen device to execute one of the selected commands; and

sending the user command to the computer.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of a real instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and one region on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a software instrument track and two regions on the software instrument track in an arrange window, a real instrument track and one region in an arrange window, and a real instrument track and multiple regions in an arrange window.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first selection and the second selection are selected from a group consisting of one or more notes in an editor window and one or more selections in a software instrument track info edit window.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the audio computer software program comprises an audio editing application.

24. The medium of claim 15, wherein the first type includes a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data that play through a software instrument, and the second type includes recording of real audio.