PUSHING A USER INTERFACE TO A REMOTE DEVICE

• US 20110265003A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Langenfeld, Peter T., Schubert, Emily Clark
• Granted Patent: US 9,870,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a third-party application can be presented on accessory device that has user input and display devices. The GUI can be defined and managed by a portable media device. The portable media device can define one or more GUI image types for the third-party application. The accessory can choose one of the pre-defined GUI image types and receive a remote GUI image that conforms to the selected GUI image type from the portable media device. Alternatively, the accessory can specify the layout and contents of the GUI image that it needs, and the portable media device can generate and send a GUI image according to the accessory'"'"'s specification.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a portable media device using an accessory, the method comprising:

requesting, by the accessory, from the portable media device, a list of graphical user interface image types available for a third-party application resident on the portable media device;

receiving, by the accessory, from the portable media device, the list of graphical user interface image types available for the third-party application;

selecting, by the accessory, a graphical user interface image type, from among the list of graphical user interface image types;

communicating, by the accessory, the selection to the portable media device;

receiving, by the accessory, from the portable media device, a graphical user interface image conforming to the selected graphical user interface image type; and

displaying, by the accessory, the received graphical user interface image on a display device of the accessory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the list of graphical user interface image types include:

a first graphical user interface image type wherein the displayed information includes only a name of the third-party application; and

a second graphical user interface image type wherein the displayed information includes one or more metadata items associated with a media item being played by the third-party application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selection of the graphical user interface image type is based at least in part on the capabilities of the accessory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessory is an automobile audio/video system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the third-party application is a media player application.

6. A method comprising:

sending, by an accessory, a request to a portable media device, the request including an indication of one or more information items to be included in a graphical user interface image to be generated for a third-party application resident on the portable media player;

receiving, by the accessory, the graphical user interface image from the portable media device, the graphical user interface image including the one or more information items requested by the accessory; and

displaying, by the accessory, the graphical user interface image on a display device of the accessory.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more information items to be included in the graphical user interface image includes a name of the third-party application but no other information about a media item being played by the third-party application.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more information items to be included in the graphical user interface image include one or more metadata items associated with a media item being played by the third-party application.

9. An accessory comprising:

a controller; and

a portable media device interface coupled to the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive a list of graphical user interface image types available for a third-party application;

select an graphical user interface image type from the list of available graphical user interface image types;

send information about the selected graphical user interface image type to a portable media player, via the portable media device interface; and

receive a graphical user interface image conforming to the selected graphical user interface image type from the portable media player.

10. The accessory of claim 9 further comprising a display, wherein the controller is further configured to display the graphical user interface image on the display.

11. The accessory of claim 9 wherein the graphical user interface image includes the name of the third-party application.

12. The accessory of claim 9 wherein the graphical user interface image includes information associated with the media item.

13. The accessory of claim 9 wherein each of the graphical user interface image types is predefined by the portable media device.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, by a portable media device, a request from an accessory to provide information about a plurality of graphical user interface image types defined for a third-party application resident on the portable media device;

sending, by the portable media device, information about the plurality of graphical user interface image types to the accessory;

receiving, by the portable media device, a response specifying selection of a graphical user interface image type from among the plurality of graphical user interface image types; and

executing, by the portable media device, the third-party application; and

during execution of the third-party application, communicating, by the portable media device, a graphical user interface image conforming to the selected graphical user interface image type to the accessory.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of graphical user interface image types are predefined by the portable media device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the graphical user interface image includes an indication that the third-party application is currently running without any information about a media item being currently played by the third-party application.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected graphical user interface image includes information comprising metadata associated with a media item being played by the third-party application.

18. A portable media device comprising:

a processor; and

an accessory interface coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive configuration information from an accessory, the configuration information specifying one or more items of information to be included in a graphical user interface image associated with a third-party application resident on the portable media device;

generate the graphical user interface image based on the configuration information such that the graphical user interface image includes the one or more items of information; and

provide the graphical user interface image to the accessory.

19. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the one or more items information comprise only a name of the third-party application.

20. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the one or more items of information comprise information about a media item being played by the third-party application.

21. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the third-party application is a media player application.