Accessory device operation with user mobile device over network connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10592187-B2
Application number	US-201514837336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

An accessory device application executes on an accessory device of limited resources. The accessory device application includes an accessory device stub application and an interface definition. When a user interacts with the accessory device application, display changes are generated in response, in accordance with the interface definition, and are sent to a companion extension at an associated companion device. The companion extension receives the changes, and generates updated display values for the accessory device display. The updated display values are sent from the companion device daemon to the daemon of the accessory device, which displays the updated display values at the accessory device display. The functionality and operation of the accessory device application permit an accessory device of limited resources to leverage data processing and computational power of the companion device, to provide a more involving user experience at the accessory device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an accessory device that is in communication with a companion device over a network connection, the method comprising:
receiving, by the accessory device from the companion device, an interface definition, wherein the interface definition comprises a display specification defining a display of data on the accessory device;
installing the interface definition received from the companion device on the accessory device;
detecting a display change to be displayed at a display of the accessory device;
generating a display message at the accessory device for an application that is installed at the accessory device and that is identified by an application identifier, in response to the detected display change;
sending the generated display message with the application identifier from an accessory device daemon to a companion device daemon over the network connection, in response to the detected display change;
receiving an updated display message from the companion device daemon at the accessory device daemon;
determining one or more display values from the updated display message for the application identified by the application identifier, wherein the one or more display values are in accordance with the interface definition that defines a display of one or more elements on the accessory device; and
displaying the one or more display values at the display of the accessory device in accordance with the interface definition for the accessory device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application identifier corresponds to an identifier of an application at the companion device that can process the display message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application identifier is utilized by the companion device daemon for directing communication of the display message to a corresponding companion device extension that can process the display message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the display change comprises detecting a user interaction with the display of the accessory device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the display change comprises detecting a system notification for display at the display of the accessory device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the display message is performed in accordance with display parameters specified by a stored framework and the interface definition.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
producing the updated display message with output of a companion application that receives the generated display message and that is installed at the companion device, in accordance with a framework stored at the companion device and accessed by the companion application.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a confirmation message from the accessory device to the companion device upon installation of an accessory device application and the interface definition at the accessory device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessory device is a wearable computer device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending an accessory device application package from the companion device to the accessory device, the accessory device application package including programming code that, when executed by the accessory device, provides an accessory device application and the interface definition.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the companion device is a mobile device and the accessory device is a wearable device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessory device and the companion device are a same type of device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements are artifacts, and wherein an artifact includes one of a display button, a window, a text box, a background, and wallpaper.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface definition comprises device framework data for the accessory device.

15. A method of operating a companion device that is in communication with an accessory device over a network connection, the method comprising:
sending, by the companion device to the accessory device, an interface definition, wherein the interface definition comprises a display specification defining a display of data on the accessory device;
receiving a generated display message over the network connection at a companion device daemon from an accessory device daemon installed at the accessory device, the generated display message identifying a display change to be displayed at a display of the accessory device for an application that is installed at the accessory device and that is identified by an application identifier;
producing an updated display message with output of a companion application that receives the generated display message and that is installed at the companion device, in accordance with a framework stored at the companion device and accessed by the companion application, wherein the display message comprises one or more display values in accordance with the interface definition that defines a display of one or more elements on the accessory device; and
sending the generated updated display message from the companion device daemon to the accessory device daemon over the network connection.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the application identifier corresponds to an identifier of an application at the companion device that can process the generated display message.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the application identifier is utilized by the companion device daemon for directing communication of the display message to a corresponding companion device extension that can process the display message.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the identified display change is identified in response to detecting a user interaction with the display of the accessory device.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the identified display change is identified in response to detecting a system notification for display at the display of the accessory device.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the generated display message is generated in accordance with display parameters specified by a stored framework and the interface definition.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
producing the updated display message with the output of the companion application that receives the generated display message and that is installed at the companion device, in accordance with the framework stored at the companion device and accessed by the companion application.

22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sending a confirmation message from the accessory device to the companion device upon installation of an accessory device application and the interface definition at the accessory device.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the accessory device is a wearable computer device.

24. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
sending an accessory device application package from the companion device to the accessory device, the accessory device application package including programming code that, when executed by the accessory device, provides an accessory device application and the interface definition.

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein the display message includes an accessory device application identifier that is utilized by the companion device daemon for directing communication of the display message to a corresponding companion device application.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Marcos Paul D
• Platzer Andrew E

Classifications

• G06F13/385 Primary

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G09G5/12

  Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players · CPC title

• G09G2370/16

  Use of wireless transmission of display information · CPC title