Continuity of applications across devices

• US 10,866,731 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 12/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Lawrence Y., Coffman, Patrick L., Federighi, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/641,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 715738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

At an electronic device, detecting a compatible external device, where the external device is executing or has executed a first application. The detection may be made wirelessly. The electronic device also receives usage information regarding the first application from the external device. Display an affordance for user selection based on the received information. When the affordance is selected, launch a second application on the electronic device, the second application corresponding to the first application. In some examples, the second application is a different version of the first application. Launching the second application may additionally include bringing the second application to the same state as the first application. For example, if e-mail is being drafted on the external device, the electronic device may launch an e-mail editor showing the draft. In this way, a user can seamlessly transition from the use of one electronic device to another electronic device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display screen and an input device, cause the device to:

detect an external device, based on the external device being within a proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, and wherein the external device is executing an external application, the external application in a state;

display, in a portion of the display screen, a plurality of application icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device, wherein the plurality of application icons are being displayed in a row on the display screen;

while the electronic device is in an unlocked state, and while displaying, in the portion of the display screen, the plurality of applications icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device;

in response to receiving information indicating recent use of the external application at the external device and based on the external device being within the proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, initially display, adjacent to the plurality of application icons, a local application icon for launching a local application corresponding to the external application, wherein the local application icon is being displayed in the row on the display screen, and wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the external application is a first external application that has executed on the external device more recently than a second external application, the local application icon is a first local application icon corresponding to a first local application; and

in accordance with a determination that the external application is the second external application that has executed on the external device more recently than the first external application, the local application icon is a second local application icon corresponding to a second local application, wherein the second local application is different from the first local application and the second local application icon is different from the first local application icon;

detect, via the input device, an input directed to a location corresponding to the displayed local application icon; and

in response to detecting the input;

in accordance with the local application icon being the first local application icon, launch the first local application, wherein the state of the first local application corresponds to the state of the external application; and

in accordance with the local application icon being the second local application icon, launch the second local application, wherein the state of the second local application corresponds to the state of the external application.

2. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon for launching the local application are arranged horizontally across the portion of the display screen.

3. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the local application icon for launching the local application is a left-most affordance adjacent to the plurality of application icons.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the external application was used on the external device within a predetermined amount of time prior to a current time.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the external application and the local application have at least one application feature in common.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a position in a navigation hierarchy of the external application.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a location in a document displayed in the external application.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to whether a feature of the external application is active.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the external application and the local application are versions of the same application.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprises:

receiving, by the electronic device, application data of the external application; and

displaying the application data via the local application.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the application data represents a portion of a message displayed by the external application, and wherein the one or more programs further comprises:

displaying the portion of the message in the local application.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the application data represents a portion of a web-page, and wherein the one or more programs further comprises:

displaying the portion of the web-page via the local application.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein at least one application feature is accessible only from one of the external application and the local application.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the external application performs at least one application feature, and wherein launching the local application comprises:

displaying an affordance for invoking, wirelessly from the local application executing on the electronic device, an application feature of the external application executing on the external device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are displayed proximate to the bottom edge of the display screen.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are substantially the same size.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a display screen;

an input device;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

detecting an external device, based on the external device being within a proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, and wherein the external device is executing an external application, the external application in a state;

displaying, in a portion of the display screen, a plurality of application icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device, wherein the plurality of application icons are being displayed in a row on the display screen;

while the electronic device is in an unlocked state, and while displaying, in the portion of the display screen, the plurality of applications icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device;

in response to receiving information indicating recent use of the external application at the external device and based on the external device being within the proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, initially displaying, adjacent to the plurality of application icons, a local application icon for launching a local application corresponding to the external application, wherein the local application icon is being displayed in the row on the display screen, and wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the external application is a first external application that has executed on the external device more recently than a second external application, the local application icon is a first local application icon corresponding to a first local application; and

in accordance with a determination that the external application is the second external application that has executed on the external device more recently than the first external application, the local application icon is a second local application icon corresponding to a second local application, wherein the second local application is different from the first local application and the second local application icon is different from the first local application icon;

detecting, via the input device, an input directed to a location corresponding to the displayed local application icon; and

in response to detecting the input;

in accordance with the local application icon being the first local application icon, launching the first local application, wherein the state of the first local application corresponds to the state of the external application; and

in accordance with the local application icon being the second local application icon, launching the second local application, wherein the state of the second local application corresponds to the state of the external application.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon for launching the local application are arranged horizontally across the portion of the display screen.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the local application icon for launching the local application is a left-most affordance adjacent to the plurality of application icons.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the external application was used on the external device within a predetermined amount of time prior to the current time.

21. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the external application and the local application have at least one application feature in common.

22. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a position in a navigation hierarchy of the external application.

23. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a location in a document displayed in the external application.

24. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to whether a feature of the external application is active.

25. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the external application and the local application are versions of the same application.

26. The electronic device of claim 17, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving, by the electronic device, application data of the external application; and

displaying the application data via the local application.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the application data represents a portion of a message displayed by the external application, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

displaying the portion of the message in the local application.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the application data represents a portion of a web-page, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

displaying the portion of the web-page via the local application.

29. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein at least one application feature is accessible only from one of the external application and the local application.

30. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the external application performs at least one application feature, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

displaying an affordance for invoking, wirelessly from the local application executing on the electronic device, an application feature of the external application executing on the external device.

31. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are displayed proximate to the bottom edge of the display screen.

32. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are substantially the same size.

33. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device coupled with a display screen and an input device;

detecting an external device, based on the external device being within a proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, and wherein the external device is executing an external application, the external application in a state;

displaying, in a portion of the display screen, a plurality of application icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device, wherein the plurality of application icons are being displayed in a row on the display screen;

while the electronic device is in an unlocked state, and while displaying, in the portion of the display screen, the plurality of applications icons for launching a plurality of applications on the electronic device;

in response to receiving information indicating recent use of the external application at the external device and based on the external device being within the proximity of the electronic device wherein the proximity is within a threshold range, initially displaying, adjacent to the plurality of application icons, a local application icon for launching a local application corresponding to the external application, wherein the local application icon is being displayed in the row on the display screen, and wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the external application is a first external application that has executed on the external device more recently than a second external application, the local application icon is a first local application icon corresponding to a first local application; and

in accordance with a determination that the external application is the second external application that has executed on the external device more recently than the first external application, the local application icon is a second local application icon corresponding to a second local application, wherein the second local application is different from the first local application and the second local application icon is different from the first local application icon;

detecting, via the input device, an input directed to a location corresponding to the displayed local application icon; and

in response to detecting the input;

in accordance with the local application icon being the first local application icon, launching the first local application, wherein the state of the first local application corresponds to the state of the external application; and

in accordance with the local application icon being the second local application icon, launching the second local application, wherein the state of the second local application corresponds to the state of the external application.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon for launching the local application are arranged horizontally across the portion of the display screen.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the local application icon for launching the local application is a left-most affordance adjacent to the plurality of application icons.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the external application was used on the external device within a predetermined amount of time prior to the current time.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the external application and the local application have at least one application feature in common.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a position in a navigation hierarchy of the external application.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to a location in a document displayed in the external application.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the state of the external application corresponds to whether a feature of the external application is active.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the external application and the local application are versions of the same application.

42. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving, by the electronic device, application data of the external application; and

displaying the application data via the local application.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the application data represents a portion of a message displayed by the external application, the method further comprising:

displaying the portion of the message in the local application.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the application data represents a portion of a web-page, the method further comprising:

displaying the portion of the web-page via the local application.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one application feature is accessible only from one of the external application and the local application.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein the external application performs at least one application feature, and wherein launching the local application comprises:

displaying an affordance for invoking, wirelessly from the local application executing on the electronic device, an application feature of the external application executing on the external device.

47. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are displayed proximate to the bottom edge of the display screen.

48. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of application icons and the local application icon are substantially the same size.