Sending notifications to auxiliary displays

• US 20060164324A1
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fuller, Andrew J., Rhoten, Matthew P., Polivy, Daniel J., Wynn, Roger H., Bernstein, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,581,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Described is a system and method by which application programs running on a main computer system communicate with an auxiliary display device (such as a cell phone, pocket-sized computer, alarm clock, television, digital picture frame and so forth) to provide viewable information on the device, remote control capabilities, and notifications. Via API calls, programs provide information in the same format regardless of the device capabilities and/or the connection type. An auxiliary display platform converts a notification into a format understood by a device driver, which then filters the notification as desired for its particular hardware device before the notification is communicated. Return communications return data such as status and user interaction with the displayed information. Software vendors may thus write code once to output notifications on auxiliary displays, while hardware manufacturers can have their devices work as auxiliary displays, with little or no modification to existing hardware.

Claims

1. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device coupled thereto, a method comprising:

on the main computer system, formatting a notification parameter set for displaying a notification on the auxiliary device; and

calling an interface with the notification parameters to request that the notification be displayed on the auxiliary device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting the notification parameter set comprises specifying text data to appear in association with the notification.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein specifying text data comprises providing text data to appear in a header of the notification.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein specifying text data comprises providing text data to appear in a body of the notification.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting the notification parameter set comprises specifying image data to appear in association with the notification.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting the notification parameter set comprises specifying sound data to appear in association with the notification.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting the notification parameter set comprises specifying a set of at least one control to appear in association with the notification.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein formatting the notification parameter set comprises specifying a property that associates an object with a control of the set.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising, receiving information indicating that a control of the set was selected, and in response, performing an action.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the set comprises at least one button.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein calling the interface comprises calling a send function of a notification API of an auxiliary platform.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, calling the interface to attempt to revoke the notification.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising, calling the interface to determine if a current user context allows the notification to be displayed.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, calling the interface to request that notifications requested by other callers to the interface be suppressed.

15. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

16. In a computing environment having a main computer system, a method comprising:

receiving a call from a computer program running on the main computer system, including a call having notification parameter data that corresponds to a notification to communicate to an auxiliary device coupled to the main computer system; and

accessing the notification parameter data to communicate data corresponding to the notification parameter data to the auxiliary device to request output of a corresponding notification.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, filtering at least some of the notification data based on capability information for the auxiliary device.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising, receiving a call from the computer program requesting that the notification data be revoked.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising, receiving a response from the auxiliary device and returning data corresponding to the response to the computer program.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein a plurality of auxiliary devices are coupled to the main computer system, and further comprising, determining which one or ones of the auxiliary devices to which the data corresponding to the notification parameter data is to be communicated.

21. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 16.

22. In a computing environment, a method comprising:

at an auxiliary device coupled to a main computer system;

receiving notification data from the main computer system; and

processing the notification data to output a notification on the auxiliary device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein processing the notification data comprises outputting text data to a display as at least part of the notification.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein processing the notification data comprises outputting image data to a display as at least part of the notification.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein processing the notification data comprises outputting sound data as at least part of the notification.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein processing the notification data comprises outputting a control to a display as at least part of the notification.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising, detecting that the control was selected, and in response, performing an action.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein performing the action comprises returning information to the main computer system indicating that the control was selected.

29. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 22.

30. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device coupled thereto, a system comprising:

an auxiliary platform on the main computer system, the auxiliary platform including,

a) a notification interface that receives calls from a program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one notification parameter corresponding to a notification to communicate to the auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware;

a device driver interface that couples the auxiliary platform to a device driver associated with the auxiliary device; and

wherein the auxiliary platform converts the notification into notification data in a format understood by the device driver such that the device driver forwards the notification data for communication to the auxiliary device.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the auxiliary device comprises a mobile communications device.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the auxiliary device comprises a device from among a set of device types, the set containing:

a separate computer;

a mobile communications device;

a secondary display screen with actuators;

a watch;

a wall display;

a display screen;

a digital picture frame;

a clock;

a television;

a radio;

a media player;

a device embedded within or using the main display of a consumer electronics device;

automotive, transportation or other vehicular units;

keyboards or other input devices of the main computer system;

a pager; and

a personal digital assistant.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the device driver filters at least some of the notification data based on capabilities of its associated auxiliary device.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein a second auxiliary device is connected to the computer system, and wherein the auxiliary platform maintains a data structure that contains data as to which auxiliary device or devices the notification data is to be routed for the program running on the main computer system.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the data indicates that the notification data is to be routed to the second auxiliary device, wherein the second auxiliary device includes a corresponding device driver for the second auxiliary device, and wherein the auxiliary platform routes the notification data to the device driver for the second auxiliary device.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the device driver sends return information to the auxiliary platform in response to the information forwarded for communication to the auxiliary device.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the return information corresponds to user interaction with the auxiliary device.

38. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform steps, comprising:

receiving calls from a computer program running on the main computer system, including a call having a set of at least one parameter corresponding to notification data to communicate to an auxiliary device, the set of at least one parameter independent of any particular auxiliary device hardware;

determining to which of a plurality of types of auxiliary devices the notification data should be communicated, and for each such device;

a) accessing the notification data to convert the notification data to a format understood by that auxiliary device or by a device driver for that auxiliary device and

b) communicating the notification data to that auxiliary device.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the main computer system is coupled to a plurality of auxiliary displays, and at least one of the auxiliary displays comprises an enhanced auxiliary display.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the main computer system is coupled to a plurality of auxiliary displays, and at least one of the auxiliary displays comprises a basic auxiliary display.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the main computer system is coupled to a plurality of auxiliary displays, and at least one of the auxiliary displays comprises an enhanced auxiliary display and at least one other of the auxiliary displays comprises a basic auxiliary display.