Providing a remote keyboard service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11204695-B2
Application number	US-202016851351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

The systems described herein provide a remote keyboard service for a media device on a computing device without having to invoke an application or unlock the computing device. The computing device can receive a message indicating that a text input field on the other device is selected and present a notification to the user prompting the user to invoke the virtual keyboard on the computing device to provide text input to the selected text input field. The computing device can receive user input selecting the notification and present a virtual keyboard for providing text input to the other device. The computing device can receive keyboard input from the user selecting characters and send the characters to the other device. The other device can then user the characters as text input to the selected text input field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by a media device, that a text input control is currently selected;
broadcasting, by the media device, a state advertisement message, the state advertisement message comprising state information indicating that the text input control is selected;
subsequent to broadcasting the state advertisement message, establishing, by the media device, a bidirectional communication channel with a user device;
receiving, by the media device from the user device, user input to the text input control using the bidirectional communication channel; and
providing, by the media device, the user input to the text input control.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining that the text input control is currently selected comprises receiving, by the media device, indication from an application operating on the media device that the text input control is currently selected.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the state advertisement message comprises state information indicating a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, prior to receiving the user input, receiving, by the media device, a message indicating that the user device will provide a remote keyboard for entering text for the text input control.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising, in response to receiving the message indicating that the user device will provide the remote keyboard: sending, by the media device, information to the user device, the information describing any of an application requesting the text input control, the media device, and a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the user input is received by the media device via the bidirectional connection established by the user device with the media device.

7. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes:
determining, by a media device, that a text input control is currently selected;
broadcasting, by the media device, a state advertisement message, the state advertisement message comprising state information indicating that the text input control is selected;
subsequent to broadcasting the state advertisement message, establishing, by the media device, a bidirectional communication channel with a user device;
receiving, by the media device from the user device, user input to the text input control using the bidirectional communication channel; and
providing, by the media device, the user input to the text input control.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the instructions that cause determining that the text input control is currently selected further cause receiving, by the media device, indication from an application operating on the media device that the text input control is currently selected.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the state advertisement message comprises state information indicating a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

10. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause, prior to receiving the user input: receiving, by the media device, a message indicating that a user device will provide a remote keyboard for entering text for the text input control.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause, in response to receiving the message indicating that the user device will provide the remote keyboard:
sending, by the media device, information to the user device, the information describing any of an application requesting the text input control, the media device, and a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the user input is received by the media device via the bidirectional connection established by the user device with the media device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes:
determining, by a media device, that a text input control is currently selected;
broadcasting, by the media device, a state advertisement message, the state advertisement message comprising state information indicating that the text input control is selected;
subsequent to broadcasting the state advertisement message, establishing, by the media device, a bidirectional communication channel with a user device;
receiving, by the media device from the user device, user input to the text input control using the bidirectional communication channel; and
providing, by the media device, the user input to the text input control.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13 , wherein the instructions that cause determining that the text input control is currently selected further cause receiving, by the media device, indication from an application operating on the media device that the text input control is currently selected.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13 , wherein the state advertisement message comprises state information indicating a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause, prior to receiving the user input: receiving, by the media device, a message indicating that a user device will provide a remote keyboard for entering text for the text input control.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause, in response to receiving the message indicating that the user device will provide the remote keyboard: sending, by the media device, information to the user device, the information describing any of an application requesting the text input control, the media device, and a purpose of the currently selected text input control.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , wherein the user input is received by the media device via the bidirectional connection established by the user device with the media device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sanciangco Alexander D
• Bradley Bob
• Krochmal Marc
• Clarke Graham

Classifications

• H04N21/41265

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• H04M1/72412 Primary

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04N21/42212

  Specific keyboard arrangements · CPC title