Providing static or dynamic data to a device in an event-driven manner

• US 9,723,086 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlakman, Eric D., Mears, Ryan K., Jett, Ronald L., Fallon, Andrew M., Kawashima, Ieyuki, Lai, Yen, Dean, Andrew T., Liu, Yang, Mhatre, Ameya A., Sanchez-Sandoval, Miguel S., Eguiluz, Hernan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US15/080,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 455557, 4555501, 4555562, 4555561, 455566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A dual-device tutorial system can facilitate user learning about a “primary” device by providing explanatory information on a “supporting” device while the user interacts with the primary device. The primary and supporting devices can be devices of different types. From a user perspective, the primary device can operate exactly as it would in normal (non-tutorial) use and can send event messages and/or other signals to the supporting device. Based on the event messages and/or other signals, the supporting device can provide explanatory information responsive to user interactions with the primary device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a supporting device, an event message from a primary device, the event message identifying an event type from a plurality of event types;

determining, by the supporting device, based at least in part on the identified event type, whether event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

in response to determining that event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

determining, by the supporting device, based at least in part on the identified event type, whether the event-related data is static data or dynamic data;

in response to determining that the event related data is static data, retrieving the event-related data from a local storage subsystem of the supporting device;

in response to determining that the event related data is dynamic data, retrieving the event related data from a remote source via a wireless network; and

providing the retrieved event-related data to the primary device; and

presenting information at a user interface of the supporting device based at least in part on the identified event type.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the information includes selecting the information to be presented based in part on the identified event type and in part on an event history including one or more previously received event messages.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the information includes displaying information on a display of the supporting device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the event-related data is determined to be static data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for personal information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the event-related data is determined to be dynamic data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for non-personal information that is variable with time.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to receiving the event message, updating state information including a history of received event messages,

wherein presenting the information at the user interface of the supporting device is based at least in part on the updated state information.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a primary device interface configured to communicate with a primary device;

a network interface to communicate with a remote data source via a network;

a local user interface;

a local storage subsystem to store static data; and

a processor coupled to the primary device interface, the network interface, the local user interface, and the local storage subsystem, the processor being configured to;

receive an event message from the primary device via the primary device interface, the event message identifying an event type from a plurality of event types;

determine, based at least in part on the identified event type, whether event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

in response to determining that event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

determine whether the event-related data is static data or dynamic data;

in response to determining that the event related data is static data, retrieve the event-related data from the local storage subsystem;

in response to determining that the event related data is dynamic data, retrieve the event related data from the remote data source via the network interface; and

provide the retrieved event-related data to the primary device via the primary device interface; and

present information at the local user interface based at least in part on the identified event type.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the primary device interface includes a wired interface.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the network interface is configured to connect to a wide area network.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the network interface includes a wireless interface.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to select the information to be presented at the local user interface based in part on the identified event type and in part on an event history including one or more previously received event messages.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured such that the event-related data is determined to be static data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for personal information.

13. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured such that the event-related data is determined to be dynamic data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for non-personal information that is variable with time.

14. A method comprising:

detecting, at a local user interface of a primary device, a first user input;

generating, by the primary device, an event message based at least in part on the first user input, the event message including an identification of an event type from a plurality of event types;

communicating, by the primary device, the event message to a supporting device;

determining, by the supporting device, based at least in part on the identified event type, whether event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

in response to determining that event-related data should be provided to the primary device;

determining, by the supporting device whether the event-related data is static data or dynamic data;

in response to determining that the event related data is static data, retrieving, by the supporting device, the event-related data from a local storage subsystem of the supporting device;

in response to determining that the event related data is dynamic data, retrieving, by the supporting device, the event related data from a remote source via a wireless network; and

communicating, by the supporting device, the retrieved event-related data to the primary device via the primary device interface;

presenting event-relevant information at a local user interface of the supporting device based at least in part on the identified event type; and

presenting, at the local user interface of the primary device, a response to the first user input, wherein presenting the response includes;

determining, by the primary device, based at least in part on the identified event type, whether event-related data should be received from the supporting device;

in the event that event-related data should be received from the supporting device, presenting the response after receiving the retrieved event-related data from the supporting device, the response based at least in part on the retrieved event-related data; and

in the event that event-related data should not be received from the supporting device, presenting the response without waiting for event-related data from the supporting device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in response to receiving the event message, updating, by the supporting device, state information including a history of received event messages,

wherein presenting the information at the local user interface of the supporting device is based at least in part on the updated state information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the event-related data is determined to be static data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for personal information.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the event-related data is determined to be dynamic data in response to the identified event type corresponding to a request for non-personal information that is variable with time.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the communication between the primary device and the supporting device is performed via a wired point-to-point connection between the primary device and the supporting device.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein presenting the response to the user input at the primary device is independent of whether the retrieved event-related data is static data or dynamic data.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

detecting, at the local user interface of the supporting device, a second user input; and

presenting, by the supporting device, a response to the second user input at the local user interface of the supporting device,

wherein the primary device is agnostic to the second user input.