Distributed display functionality on multiple mobile devices

• US 9,071,603 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sirqul, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sirqul, Inc.
• Inventors: Frederick, Robert, Yu, Justin, Arruda, Justin, Austin, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US13/725,531
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing functionality to users of mobile devices, including coordinating the inter-connection of multiple mobile devices, such as for multiple mobile devices of multiple distinct types, and optionally using multiple different types of inter-connections. In some situations, the described techniques include performing matchmaking operations to determine whether and/or how a group of multiple inter-connected mobile devices will provide functionality to each other and/or will access functionality from one or more remote server computing systems, including to select a host mobile device for the group. In addition, in some situations, the described techniques include providing a distributed display canvas functionality, by using the displays of multiple inter-connected mobile devices of a group to display some or all of the graphical user interface (“GUI”) of an application, such as by displaying on each mobile device a distinct portion of the GUI specific to that mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a configured computing system, information about an application to be executed for multiple users in a distributed manner for multiple mobile devices, wherein each of the multiple mobile devices has an associated user that is one of the multiple users and has a display screen for displaying information to the associated user;

determining, by the configured computing system, information for an interactive GUI (“

graphical user interface”

) of the application to be displayed in a distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, the determining including selecting a distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices;

providing, by the configured computing system, the determined information for the interactive GUI to the multiple mobile devices in a manner to cause each of the multiple mobile devices to display the selected subset of the interactive GUI for that mobile device on the display screen of that mobile device, so that the multiple users each receive displayed information for the application that is different from information for the application displayed to other of the multiple users; and

in response to receiving an indication of an interaction by one of the multiple users with the selected subset of the interactive GUI displayed on one of the multiple mobile devices, providing, by the configured computing system, updated information for the interactive GUI of the application to cause at least some of the multiple mobile devices to each update information for the application that is displayed on the display screen of that mobile device, so that at least some of the multiple users receive updated displayed information for the application based on the interaction by the one user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple mobile devices are part of a defined group, and wherein the method further comprises, after the providing of the updated information for the interactive GUI of the application:

determining a change in which mobile devices are part of the defined group; and

adjusting the displayed interactive GUI of the application to reflect the mobile devices that are part of the defined group after the determined change, the adjusting of the displayed interactive GUI including modifying which subset of the interactive GUI is displayed on at least one of the multiple mobile devices that remains part of the defined group after the determined change.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the determined change includes adding an additional mobile device to the group, and wherein the adjusting of the displayed interactive GUI includes initiating displaying, on a display device of the additional mobile device, at least some of the selected subset of the interactive GUI that was previously displayed on one of the multiple mobile devices before the determined change.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the determined change includes removing one of the multiple mobile devices from the group, and wherein the adjusting of the displayed interactive GUI includes initiating displaying, on a display device of one of the multiple mobile devices other than the removed one mobile devices, at least some of the selected subset of the interactive GUI that was previously displayed on the removed one mobile device before the determined change.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically selecting a first mobile device of the multiple mobile devices to act as a host device to manage display of the interactive GUI of the application in the distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, and wherein the providing of the determined information for the interactive GUI to the multiple mobile devices includes, under control of the first mobile device, sending one or more communications to the multiple mobile devices other than the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, after the providing of the determined information for the interactive GUI to the multiple mobile devices, selecting a second mobile device of the multiple mobile devices to replace the first mobile device as the host device for managing the display of the interactive GUI of the application in the distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, and wherein the providing of the updated information for the interactive GUI of the application includes, under control of the second mobile device, sending one or more additional communications to the multiple mobile devices other than the second mobile device.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the configured computing system is the first mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the updated information for the interactive GUI of the application includes:

determining, by the configured computing system, and for each of the at least some mobile devices, one or more updates to the selected subset of the interactive GUI for that mobile device that are caused by the interaction by the one user; and

causing, by the configured computing system, and for each of the at least some mobile devices, the mobile device to display the determined one or more updates for that mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices is a distinct horizontal slice of a visual display for a determined state of the interactive GUI.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices is a distinct vertical slice of a visual display for a determined state of the interactive GUI.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices corresponds to a distinct time in a changing visual display for the interactive GUI.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of at least some of the multiple mobile devices includes an overlapping portion with the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of one or more other of the multiple mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices, when combined, forms an entirety of a visual display for the interactive GUI.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is a game application, and wherein the interaction by the one user includes manipulating a displayed element of the game.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is a collaborative software application that enables the multiple users to work together towards a common goal, and wherein the interaction by the one user includes a contribution by the one user towards the common goal.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the providing of the updated information for the interactive GUI of the application:

receiving information about an event generated by the application; and

providing additional updated information for the interactive GUI of the application based on the event to cause at least one of the multiple mobile devices to update information for the application that is displayed on the display screen of the at least one mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting of the distinct subset of the interactive GUI for at least some of the multiple mobile devices is based at least in part on determined relative locations of the at least some mobile devices to each other.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting of the distinct subset of the interactive GUI for at least one of the multiple mobile devices is based at least in part on a determined orientation of the at least one mobile device.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the determined information for the interactive GUI to the multiple mobile devices includes determining differences in capabilities of two or more of the multiple mobile devices, and adjusting interactions with at least one of the two or more mobile devices to reduce the determined differences, the adjusting of the interactions including adjusting how the providing of the determined information is performed for the at least one mobile device or adjusting what information is included in the determined information for the at least mobile one device.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the determined information for the interactive GUI to the multiple mobile devices includes determining differences in abilities of two or more of the multiple users, and adjusting interactions with at least one of the two or more users to reduce the determined differences, the adjusting of the interactions including adjusting how the providing of the determined information is performed for a mobile device of the at least one user or adjusting what information is included in the determined information for the mobile device of the at least one user.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple mobile devices are part of a defined group, and wherein the method further comprises selecting one or more of the multiple mobile devices to be part of the group based at least in part on capabilities of the selected one or more mobile devices.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple mobile devices are part of a defined group, and wherein the method further comprises selecting one or more of the multiple users so that mobile devices of the selected one or more users are part of the group, the selecting of the one or more users being based at least in part on determined abilities of the selected one or more users.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising, under control of a first mobile device of the at least some mobile devices:

displaying information for the interactive GUI of the application on the display screen of the first mobile device based on the provided updated information for the interactive GUI;

predicting additional information that will be received to cause a further update to the displayed information for the interactive GUI of the application on the display screen of the first mobile device; and

in response to the predicting, updating the display screen for the first mobile device to reflect the predicted additional information.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the configured computing system is part of a distributed functionality provider server that interacts with the multiple mobile devices over one or more networks.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is provided by a first entity, and wherein the method further comprises obtaining promotional information from at least one second entity distinct from the first entity, and initiating display of the obtained promotional information on at least one of the multiple mobile devices as part of the interactive GUI of the application.

26. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a configured computing system of a distributed functionality provider server system, information about a defined group of multiple mobile devices in use by multiple users and about a game application to be played by the multiple users together in a distributed manner on the multiple mobile devices, wherein each of the multiple mobile devices has an associated user that is one of the multiple users and has a display screen for displaying information to the associated user, wherein the multiple mobile devices are inter-connected via one or more wireless connections, and wherein two or more of the multiple mobile devices each has capabilities to participate in an additional connection to the configured computing system;

determining, by the configured computing system, a current state of an interactive GUI (“

graphical user interface”

) of the game application to be simultaneously displayed in a distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, the determining including selecting a distinct subset of the interactive GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices;

selecting, by the configured computing system, one of the two or more mobile devices to act as a host device for the group to manage communications between the configured computing system and the multiple mobile devices of the group, the selecting being based at least in part on the capabilities of the selected one mobile device to participate in the additional connection; and

exchanging, by the configured computing system, multiple communications with the multiple mobile devices of the group via the selected one mobile device, the exchanging of the multiple communications including sending one or more communications to the selected one mobile device that include specified information to be forwarded to other mobile devices of the group, the specified information including, for each of the other mobile devices of the group, information to cause the mobile device to display the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for that mobile device on the display screen for that mobile device, so that the multiple users each receive displayed information for the application that is different from information for the application displayed to other of the multiple users, and wherein a combination of the selected distinct subsets displayed on the multiple mobile devices includes all of the current state of the interactive GUI.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising, in response to receiving an indication of an interaction by one of the multiple users with the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI that is displayed on one of the multiple mobile devices with which the one user is associated:

providing, by the configured computing system, updated information for the interactive GUI of the application to cause at least some of the multiple mobile devices to each update the displayed selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI that is displayed on the display screen for that mobile device, so that at least some of the multiple users receive updated displayed information for the application based on the interaction by the one user.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising, after the exchanging of the multiple communications with the multiple mobile devices of the group via the selected one mobile device:

selecting, by the configured computing system, a new host device for the group from the two or more mobile devices, the selected new host device being distinct from the selected one mobile device; and

continuing, by the configured computing system, interactions between the configured computing system and the multiple mobile devices of the group to maintain the interactive GUI of the game application being simultaneously displayed in the distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, the continuing of the interactions including exchanging multiple additional communications with the multiple mobile devices of the group via the selected new host device.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising, under control of one of the other mobile devices of the group:

receiving information forwarded from the selected one mobile device;

displaying, based on the received forwarded information, the selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI for the one other mobile device on the display screen for the one other mobile device;

predicting additional information that will be received to cause an update to the displayed selected distinct subset of the interactive GUI on the display screen for the one other mobile device; and

before receiving the additional information forwarded from the selected one mobile device, updating the display screen for the one other mobile device to reflect the predicted additional information.

30. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a computing device; and

one or more modules that are configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, manage interactions for a group that includes multiple mobile devices by;

receiving information about an application to be executed for multiple users in a distributed manner for the group, wherein each of the multiple mobile devices has an associated user that is one of the multiple users and has a display screen for displaying information to the associated user;

determining to act as a host device for the group to manage execution of the application for the group;

determining information for a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) of the application to be displayed in a distributed manner on the display screens of the multiple mobile devices, the determining including selecting a distinct subset of the GUI for each of the multiple mobile devices; and

providing, based on the determining to act as the host device, the determined information for the GUI to the multiple mobile devices in a manner to cause each of the multiple mobile devices to display the selected subset of the GUI for that mobile device on the display screen of that mobile device, so that the multiple users each receives displayed information for the application that is different from information for the application displayed to other of the multiple users.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the managing of the interactions for the group further includes:

in response to receiving an indication of an interaction by one of the multiple users with the selected subset of the GUI displayed on one of the multiple mobile devices with which the one user is associated, providing updated information for the GUI to cause at least some of the multiple mobile devices to each update information on the display screen of that mobile device, so that at least some of the multiple users receive updated displayed information based on the interaction by the one user.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the managing of the interactions for the group further includes receiving communications from one or more remote server computing systems, the received communications including at least some of the determined information for the GUI.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the computing device is one of the multiple mobile devices, and wherein the one or more modules include software instructions for execution by the at least one processor.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the one or more modules consists of one or more means for performing the managing of the interactions for the group.