IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,176,651
Granted Patent B2
US 9,176,651 · App. 14/039,557 · Granted Nov 3, 2015

Pushing a user interface to a remote device

Inventors: Emily Clark Schubert (San Jose, CA); Peter T. Langenfeld (Belmont, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/04842G06F3/048G06F3/0482G06F3/0484G06F9/4445H04L67/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,176,651
App. No.
14/039,557
Granted
Nov 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device can receive a request from an accessory to provide a user interface to be displayed by the accessory. The electronic device can determine whether an accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices or a second set of one or more user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a first user interface configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a second user interface, different from the first user interface, the second user interface configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

Claims (108)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

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:

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory:

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

2. The device of claim 1 , including instructions for, while the device is coupled to the accessory, determining one or more input devices of the accessory.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a plurality of hardware buttons; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a touchscreen display.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein:

the first user interface includes a description for display adjacent to a button of the plurality of hardware buttons that indicates that the button, when activated, will cause the device to perform a first operation; and

the second user interface includes a selectable affordance for display on the touchscreen display of the accessory that, when selected by a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location of the selectable affordance, will cause the device to perform the first operation.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first user interface and the second user interface each include a set of representations of the same selectable content.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a first type of touch-sensitive surface with first touch-sensing capabilities; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a second type of touch-sensitive surface with second touch sensing capabilities that are different from the first touch-sensing capabilities.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein:

a touch-sensitive surface with the first touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect a single contact at a time and is not configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time; and

a touch-sensitive surface with the second touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time.

8. The device of claim 1 , including instructions for, prior to providing the user interface to the accessory, receiving from the accessory input-device information that enables the device to determine a set of controls that are available at the accessory and generate the user interface so that the functionality can be controlled by the controls that are available at the accessory.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the input-device information includes:

information indicating how many input devices are associated with the accessory; and

a location of one or more input devices associated with the accessory.

10. The device of claim 1 , including instructions for:

prior to providing the first interface or the second user interface to the accessory, receiving, from the accessory, display-dimension information that indicates dimensions of the accessory display; and

after receiving the display-dimension information, generating the first user interface or the second user interface at the device in accordance with the dimensions of the accessory display.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein providing the first user interface or the second user interface to the accessory includes providing a first image that corresponds to a first state of the user interface to the accessory for display on the accessory display.

12. The device of claim 11 , including, after providing the first image to the accessory:

receiving, from the accessory, input information indicative of an input received by the accessory while the first image is displayed on the accessory display; and

in response to receiving the input information:

generating a second image that corresponds to a second state of the user interface; and

providing the second image to the accessory.

13. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory:

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory:

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, cause the device to:

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input device, receive a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory:

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, provide a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices different from the first set of user input devices, provide a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

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:

while the device is coupled to an accessory that includes an accessory display and an accessory input control, receiving a request from the accessory to provide a user interface for a functionality for display at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the request from the accessory:

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input controls, providing a first user interface to the accessory, wherein the first user interface is configured to be controlled with the first set of user input controls; and

in accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input controls different from the first set of user input controls, providing a second user interface, different from the first user interface, to the accessory, wherein the second user interface is configured to be controlled with the second set of user input controls.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, while the device is coupled to the accessory, determining one or more input devices of the accessory.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a plurality of hardware buttons; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a touchscreen display.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

the first user interface includes a description for display adjacent to a button of the plurality of hardware buttons that indicates that the button, when activated, will cause the device to perform a first operation; and

the second user interface includes a selectable affordance for display on the touchscreen display of the accessory that, when selected by a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location of the selectable affordance, will cause the device to perform the first operation.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first user interface and the second user interface each include a set of representations of the same selectable content.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a first type of touch-sensitive surface with first touch-sensing capabilities; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a second type of touch-sensitive surface with second touch sensing capabilities that are different from the first touch-sensing capabilities.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:

a touch-sensitive surface with the first touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect a single contact at a time and is not configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time; and

a touch-sensitive surface with the second touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, prior to providing the user interface to the accessory, receiving from the accessory input-device information that enables the device to determine a set of controls that are available at the accessory and generate the user interface so that the functionality can be controlled by the controls that are available at the accessory.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the input-device information includes:

information indicating how many input devices are associated with the accessory; and

a location of one or more input devices associated with the accessory.

24. The method of claim 13 , further comprising,

prior to providing the first interface or the second user interface to the accessory, receiving, from the accessory, display-dimension information that indicates dimensions of the accessory display; and

after receiving the display-dimension information, generating the first user interface or the second user interface at the device in accordance with the dimensions of the accessory display.

25. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing the first user interface or the second user interface to the accessory includes providing a first image that corresponds to a first state of the user interface to the accessory for display on the accessory display.

26. The method of claim 25 , including, after providing the first image to the accessory:

receiving, from the accessory, input information indicative of an input received by the accessory while the first image is displayed on the accessory display; and

in response to receiving the input information:

generating a second image that corresponds to a second state of the user interface; and

providing the second image to the accessory.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising, while the device is coupled to the accessory, determining one or more input devices of the accessory.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a plurality of hardware buttons; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a touchscreen display.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28 , wherein:

the first user interface includes a description for display adjacent to a button of the plurality of hardware buttons that indicates that the button, when activated, will cause the device to perform a first operation; and

the second user interface includes a selectable affordance for display on the touchscreen display of the accessory that, when selected by a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location of the selectable affordance, will cause the device to perform the first operation.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the first user interface and the second user interface each include a set of representations of the same selectable content.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein:

the first set of one or more user input devices includes a first type of touch-sensitive surface with first touch-sensing capabilities; and

the second set of one or more user input devices includes a second type of touch-sensitive surface with second touch sensing capabilities that are different from the first touch-sensing capabilities.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31 , wherein:

a touch-sensitive surface with the first touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect a single contact at a time and is not configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time; and

a touch-sensitive surface with the second touch sensing capabilities is configured to detect multiple contacts at the same time.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to providing the user interface to the accessory, receiving from the accessory input-device information that enables the device to determine a set of controls that are available at the accessory and generate the user interface so that the functionality can be controlled by the controls that are available at the accessory.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 33 , wherein the input-device information includes:

information indicating how many input devices are associated with the accessory; and

a location of one or more input devices associated with the accessory.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising,

prior to providing the first interface or the second user interface to the accessory, receiving, from the accessory, display-dimension information that indicates dimensions of the accessory display; and

after receiving the display-dimension information, generating the first user interface or the second user interface at the device in accordance with the dimensions of the accessory display.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein providing the first user interface or the second user interface to the accessory includes providing a first image that corresponds to a first state of the user interface to the accessory for display on the accessory display.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 36 , including, after providing the first image to the accessory:

receiving, from the accessory, input information indicative of an input received by the accessory while the first image is displayed on the accessory display; and

in response to receiving the input information:

generating a second image that corresponds to a second state of the user interface; and

providing the second image to the accessory.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2013
From: SCHUBERT, EMILY CLARK; LANGENFELD, PETER T.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 031532/0595 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 13175581 · Jul 1, 2011
Continuation In Part 12683218 · Jan 6, 2010
Continuation In Part 12119960 · May 13, 2008
Related Publication 20140033059A1 · Jan 30, 2014