INVOCATION OF ACCESSORY-SPECIFIC USER EXPERIENCE

• US 20110125601A1
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chiloyan, John H., Tantos, Andras, Carpenter, Todd L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

An accessory-specific user experience can be invoked at a mobile host device attached to an accessory device. The mobile device can receive accessory device information from the accessory and transmit the accessory device information to an online marketplace. The mobile device can receive information indicating accessory-specific goods or services available from the online marketplace and display the received information as part of the invoked user experience. The accessory device information can comprise accessory usage categories as well as additional information about the accessory. A marketplace can select accessory-specific goods or services based on the received accessory device information based on matching between accessory attribute values associated with the goods and services and accessory attributes values contained in the received accessory device information. The accessory device can be a docking station connected to additional accessories and the accessory device information can comprise information pertaining to the additional accessories.

Claims

1. A method of providing accessory-specific information to a mobile host device from an online marketplace, the method comprising:

at the online marketplace, receiving accessory device information from the mobile host device over a wireless communication network, the mobile host device being connected to an accessory device;

selecting one or more accessory-specific goods or services based on the accessory device information; and

transmitting accessory-specific information indicating the selected one or more accessory-specific goods or services to the mobile host device over the wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the accessory device information comprises one or more accessory attribute values; and

the online marketplace comprises a database, the database comprising a plurality of entries, respective of the entries comprising information indicating a good or service and one or more associated accessory attribute values, at least one of the one or more accessory attribute values associated with each of the selected one or more accessory-specific goods or services matching at least one accessory attribute value of the accessory device information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more accessory attribute values of the accessory device information comprises an accessory usage category value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more accessory attribute values of the accessory device information comprises a product identifier and/or a manufacturer identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one or more accessory-specific goods or service comprises at least one software application.

6. A method of invoking an accessory-specific user experience at a mobile host device, comprising:

receiving accessory device information from an accessory device connected to the mobile host device, the accessory device information comprising one or more suggested accessory usage categories;

selecting one of the one or more suggested accessory usage categories as an accessory usage category for the accessory device;

transmitting the accessory device information to an online marketplace over a wireless communication network;

receiving information indicating one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace over the wireless communication network based in part on the transmitted accessory device information; and

invoking the accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, the accessory-specific user experience comprising displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessory device information comprises a product identifier and/or a manufacturer identifier, and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services approved by an independent software vendor or a manufacturer identified by the product identifier and/or the manufacturer identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more accessory-specific goods or services comprises one or more accessory-specific software applications, the method further comprising:

selecting at least one of the one or more accessory-specific software applications;

downloading the selected at least one accessory-specific software application;

installing the selected at least one accessory-specific software application; and

optionally executing one of the selected at least one accessory-specific software application at the mobile host device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessory device information comprises one or more media player characteristics, and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information relating to media content adapted for playback at a media player possessing the one or more media player characteristics.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying proximity information for at least one provider of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting one of the at least one providers of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services; and

transmitting the accessory device information to the selected provider of the one or more accessory-specific goods and services.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the selected accessory usage category for the accessory device is a vehicle dock category.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the accessory device information comprises accessory device capabilities.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the mobile host device entering a vehicle mode of operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein entering the vehicle mode of operation comprises executing a vehicle navigation application.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile host delivers notifications based on driving conditions.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessory-specific user experience comprises enabling a voice interface.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile host device comprises at least one display and the accessory-specific user experience comprises displaying information on the at least one display at an increased font size relative to information displayed on the at least one display prior to invoking the accessory-specific user experience.

19. A method of invoking an accessory-specific user experience at a mobile host device, comprising:

detecting connection of the mobile host device to an accessory adapter;

at the mobile host device, receiving accessory device information about an accessory device connected to the accessory adapter;

transmitting the accessory device information to an online marketplace over a wireless communication network;

receiving information indicating one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace over the wireless communication network based in part on the transmitted accessory device information; and

invoking the accessory-specific user experience at the mobile host device, the accessory-specific user experience comprising displaying information relating to the one or more accessory-specific goods or services from the online marketplace.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the accessory device is separable from the accessory adapter.