Multi-screen computing device applications

• US 9,047,244 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Puppin, Diego
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUQ, FARZANA B
• Application Number:
  US13/610,099
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/224, 709/227, 455/457, 701/201, 701/208, 701/400, 701/408, 701/412, 701/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for executing a software program on a plurality of computing devices are disclosed. A first computing device executes a software program and displays data related to that program. A second computing device displays data related to the program and to location data regarding a physical location of the second computing device related to the first computing device. Display data can be updated based on changes in relative position and/or changes made on one of the devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a first computing device, location data corresponding to a physical location of the first computing device;

outputting, by the first computing device, for display on a display screen associated with the first computing device, a first portion of display data associated with a first application executing on the first computing device;

transmitting, by the first computing device, to a second computing device, an instruction to output, for display on a display screen associated with the second computing device, a second portion of the display data associated with the first application executing on the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being selected based on location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being different from the first portion of the display data;

responsive to a change in the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device, updating, by the second computing device, the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device; and

changing, by the second computing device, based on the updated location data, the second portion of the display data that is output for display on the display screen associated with the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining, by the second computing device, an initial location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device while the first computing device and second computing device are in a defined physical relationship, and wherein the second portion of the display data is selected based on the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device and the initial location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein defining the initial location comprises:

outputting, by the first computing device, for display on the display screen associated with the second computing device, a user interface, the user interface indicating that the first computing device and second computing device are in the defined physical relationship; and

responsive to receiving, at the second computing device, an indication of a user input indicating that the first computing device and second computing device are in the defined physical relationship, defining the initial location based on the defined physical relationship.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial location is defined in response to the first computing device detecting a physical contact with the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sensing, by a location-sensing device associated with the second computing device, the physical location of the second computing device, wherein the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device is generated based on the initial location and the sensed physical location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, from the second computing device, the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device; and

wherein outputting, for display, the first portion of the display data comprises;

outputting, by the first computing device, for display on the display screen associated with the first computing device, the first portion of the display data based at least in part on the location data received at the first computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing, by the first computing device, the first portion of the display data that is output for display on the display screen associated with the first computing device;

updating, by one or more of the first computing device and second computing device, the changed first portion of the display data while executing the first application on the first computing device to produce updated data for the second computing device; and

transmitting, by the first computing device, the updated display data to the second computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether at least a portion of the changed display data that is output for display on the display screen associated with the first computing device is associated with data to be displayed on the display screen of the second computing device;

determining whether the data to be output for display on the display screen associated with the second computing device is currently being output for display; and

updating the display screen associated with the second computing device to display the data to be output for display.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating, by the second computing device, the display screen associated with the second computing device based on the updated display data and the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a first computing device including;

a first memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the first computing device to;

execute a first application; and

output, for display on a first display screen, a first portion of display data associated with the first application executing on the first computing device; and

a second computing device including;

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the second computing device to;

receive, from the first computing device, an instruction to output, for display on a second display screen, a second portion of the display data associated with the first application executing on the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being selected based on location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being different from the first portion of the display data;

output, for display on the second display screen, the second portion of the display data;

responsive to a change in the physical location of the second computing device relative to first computing device, update the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device; and

change, based on the updated location data, the second portion of the display data that is output for display on the second display screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second computing device is a mobile computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a network connecting the first computing device and second computing device for communication therebetween.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second display screen is a touch screen configured to receive user input, and wherein the processor of the second computing device is configured to determine the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device by:

outputting, for display on the second display screen a user interface, the user interface indicating that the first computing device and second computing device are in a defined physical relationship; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a user input indicating that the first computing device and second computing device are in the defined physical relationship, defining an initial location based on the defined physical relationship.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the first computing device and second computing device includes a respective location-sensing device, and wherein the processor of the first computing device is configured to determine the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device by:

generating the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device based on the physical location of the second computing device, as sensed by the location-sensing device of the second computing device, the physical location of the first computing device as sensed by the location-sensing device of the first computing device, and the initial location.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second computing device includes a location-sensing device, and wherein the processor of the second computing device is configured to determine the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device by:

generating the location data indicating the location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device based on the physical location of the second computing device as sensed by the location-sensing device of the second computing device, the physical location of the first computing device, transmitted to the second computing device from the first computing device, and an initial location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor of the second computing device is configured to:

receive, from the first computing device, an instruction to update the second display screen based on the location data responsive to the first computing device or second computing device being moved relative to the other of the first computing device or second computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor of the second computing device is configured to:

update the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device based on at least one of a change in physical location of the first computing device from a respective initial position and a change in physical location of the second computing device from a respective initial position; and

change the second portion of the display data that is output for display on the second display screen based on the updated location data.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first display screen is a touch screen configured to receive user input,

wherein the processor of the first computing device is configured to change data that is output for display on the first display screen responsive to receiving an indication of user input being received and transmit an indication of the change to the second computing device, and

wherein the processor of the second computing device is configured to update the second portion of the display data that is output for display on the second display screen based on the change and the location data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to:

determine whether at least a portion of the changed data that is output for display on the first display screen is associated with data to be output for display on the second display screen;

determine whether the data to be output for display on the second display screen is currently being output for display; and

updating the second display screen to display the data to be output for display.

20. A non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

determine location data corresponding to a physical location of a first computing device;

output, for display on a display screen associated with the first computing device, a first portion of display data associated with a first application executing on the first computing device;

transmit, to a second computing device, instructions to output, for display on a display screen associated with the second computing device, a second portion of the display data associated with the first application executing on the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being selected from the display data based on location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device, the second portion of the display data being different from the first portion of the display data;

responsive to a change in the physical location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device, update the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device; and

change, based on the updated location data, the second portion of the display data that is output for display on the display screen associated with the second computing device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to:

initialize the location data indicating the physical location of the first computing device by initializing the physical location of the second computing device relative to the physical location of the first computing device;

receive an indication of the physical location of the second computing device; and

determine the location data indicating the physical location of the second computing device to the initialized location data.