Changing an application between a single-user session and a multi-user session

• US 9,985,999 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lan-Dai T
• Application Number:
  US14/611,638
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 709204, 709227, 709222, 709223, 709201, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Functionality is disclosed herein for changing an application between a single-user session and multi-user session. An application enters a multi-user session in response to additional users being detected and authorized. The application may enter the multi-user session in response to another user being detected as being in proximity to a first user. Data indicating that an application is to switch between the single-user session and the multi-user session may be provided by a network-based multi-user service or another application. The application may communicate and send and receive data via an API. During the multi-user session, the application uses one or more preferences associated with users of the multi-user session instead of using just the preferences of a first user. One or more displays associated with the application might also be updated to reflect the multi-user session.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to change execution of an application from a single-user session to a multi-user session in response to detecting a presence of another computer in a vicinity, the method comprising:

launch a first instance of the application on a first mobile computer in a single-user session in accordance with first profile data related to the first mobile computer;

receive first data, via an application programming interface (API), the first data indicating that a second mobile computer is within the vicinity of the first mobile computer and indicating to add the second mobile computer to the multi-user session;

receive, from a multi-user service, second profile data related to the second mobile computer;

change the execution of the first instance of the application from the single-user session to the multi-user session to take into account preferences identified by the second profile data;

generate a multi-user view for display based, at least in part, on the second profile data and the first profile data;

display the multi-user view on a display of the first mobile computer; and

at least one of send the multi-user view to the second mobile computer, or send the multi-user view to a non-mobile display device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to also receive the first data from a network-based multi-user service.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to also receive the first data from a second instance of the application executing on the second mobile computer.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to utilize functionality of the API to send data to the multi-user service, receive data from the multi-user service, send data to an instance of the application, receive data from an instance of the application, and modify a display of content associated with one or more of the first user or the second user.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to access the multi-user service via a service provider network.

6. A method, comprising:

launching, on a first mobile computer, a first instance of an application in a single-user session;

receiving, at the first mobile computer, first data instructing the first instance of the application to enter a multi-user session, wherein the first data indicates that a second instance of the application is executing on a second mobile computer in a vicinity of the first mobile computer executing the first instance of the application;

causing the first instance of the application to enter the multi-user session that includes the first mobile computer and the second mobile computer;

receiving, at the first mobile computer, second data that identifies a data associated with the second mobile computer, the data associated with the second mobile computer being utilized by the first instance of the application in the multi-user session;

generating a multi-user view display output based, at least in part, on output from the first instance of the application using the data associated with the first mobile computer and the data associated with the second mobile computer; and

providing the multi-user display output to a display of the first mobile computer and to the second mobile computer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising changing the multi-user session to the single-user session in response to one or more of the second mobile computer leaving the vicinity of the first mobile computer executing the first instance of the application, or the second instance of the application stopping execution.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first data is received from a network-based multi-user service that is separate from the first mobile computer and the second mobile computer.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the second data comprises receiving profile data from a multi-user service, the profile data being generated based, at least in part, on data collected by the multi-user service.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first instance of the application utilizes an application programming interface (API) to send and receive data relating to the multi-user session.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing the API to change at least a portion of a view displayed on a display associated with a second mobile computer in response to entering the multi-user session.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the first data occurs in response to detection of the second instance of the application executing on the second mobile computer and wherein the second data is requested from the second mobile computer in response to entering the multi-user session.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, from a network-based multi-user service, third data that identifies a preference associated with the second mobile computer based, at least in part, on data maintained by the network-based multi-user service.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more computing devices including one or more processors configured to provide a multi-user service, the one or more processors configured to,

receive, from a first mobile computer, first data indicating execution of a first instance of an application by the first mobile computer;

receive, from a second mobile computer, second data indicating execution of a second instance of the application by the second mobile computer in a vicinity of the first mobile computer;

send, to the first mobile computer, third data instructing the first instance of the application to enter a multi-user session that includes the first mobile computer and the second mobile computer;

send, to the first mobile computer, fourth data associated with the second mobile computer and the application;

receive, from the first mobile computer, fifth data output by the first instance of the application providing the multi-user session, the fifth data output generated at least in part on the fourth data, the fifth data output providing a multi-user view; and

send the multi-user view to one or more of the first mobile computer, the second mobile computer, or a non-mobile display device, for display.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein send, to the first mobile computer, the third data instructing the application to change to the multi-user session occurs in response to a determination that the second mobile computer is authorized to participate in the multi-user session with the first mobile computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the change to the multi-user session occurs in response to a determination that the second mobile computer is located within the vicinity as the first mobile computer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to access the multi-user service via a service provider network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein send, to the first mobile computer, the fourth data comprises to send profile data associated with the second mobile device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first instance of the application and the second instance of the application communicate with a network-based multi-user service using an application programming interface (API), wherein the API includes functionality for determining one or more of what type of mobile computer is being used, a first location of the first mobile computer, or a second location of the second mobile computer.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send, to the first mobile computer, an instruction to change the first instance of the application from the multi-user session to a single-user session in response to detecting that the second mobile computer is no longer in the vicinity of the first mobile computer.