Providing complications on an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11327640-B2
Application number	US-202117341240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices can allow applications to provide complication data to be displayed in display of an electronic device. A client application can create a data object according to a template to efficiently select how the data object is to be displayed. For example, a complication controller on the electronic device can receive new data and determine which template to use. The data object can be sent to a display manager that can identify the selected template and display the data according to the template.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising, at a companion device:
providing a user interface for a user to configure data to be displayed in one or more style windows on a display of an electronic device, wherein the one or more style windows correspond to a portion of the display;
receiving a first window selection of a first style window of the display of the electronic device, the first style window associated with a first plurality of templates for displaying the data;
identifying a first list of applications designated as supporting the first style window, the first list of applications being determined from data provided by companion applications;
presenting the first list of applications;
receiving a selection of a first application from the first list of applications for display in the first style window;
receiving, from the first application, a first data object specifying a first template of the first plurality of templates and one or more first data items for displaying according to the first template;
retrieving the first template; and
transmitting, via a wireless communication protocol, the first data object specifying the first template to the electronic device for use to display the one or more first data items.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving one or more removal commands for removing one or more applications from the first list of applications;
removing the one or more applications from the first list of applications to obtain a modified first list of applications; and
upon a subsequent selection of the first style window, presenting the modified first list of applications.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, to the electronic device, refresh preferences for obtaining new data for the first style window;
receiving new data for the electronic device; and
using the new data to generate the first data object.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, refresh preferences for the companion device to provide new data for the first style window, the new data to be used to generate the first data object; and
receiving a request for the new data from the electronic device based on a state of the electronic device and a number of updates.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data object includes one or more pieces of data, wherein the one or more pieces of data include one or more types of data, the one or more types of data being selection from a group including text, image, and numbers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first template includes an image whose display is dependent on a number provided in the first data object.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the companion device:
receiving a second window selection of a second style window of the display of the electronic device, the second style window associated with a second plurality of templates;
identifying a second list of applications designated as supporting the second style window;
presenting the second list of applications;
receiving a second application selection of a second application from the second list of applications;
receiving, from the second application, a second data object specifying a second template of the second plurality of templates and including one or more data second items for displaying according to the second template;
retrieving the second template; and
displaying the one or more second data items in the second style window on the display of the electronic device according to the second template.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display of the electronic device includes other data in addition to the data the first style window.

9. A system, comprising
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including:
provide a user interface for a user to configure data to be displayed in one or more style windows on a display of an electronic device, wherein the one or more style windows correspond to a portion of the display;
receive a first window selection of a first style window of the display of the electronic device, the first style window associated with a first plurality of templates for displaying the data;
identify a first list of applications designated as supporting the first style window, the first list of applications being determined from data provided by companion applications;
present the first list of applications;
receive a selection of a first application from the first list of applications for display in the first style window;
receive, from the first application, a first data object specifying a first template of the first plurality of templates and one or more first data items for displaying according to the first template;
retrieve the first template; and
transmit, via a wireless communication protocol, the first data object specifying the first template to the electronic device for use to display the one or more first data items.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform further operations including:
receive one or more removal commands for removing one or more applications from the first list of applications;
remove the one or more applications from the first list of applications to obtain a modified first list of applications; and
upon a subsequent selection of the first style window, present the modified first list of applications.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform further operations including:
send, to the electronic device, refresh preferences for obtaining new data for the first style window;
receive new data for the electronic device; and
use the new data to generate the first data object.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform further operations including:
transmit, from the system, refresh preferences for the system to provide new data for the first style window, the new data to be used to generate the first data object; and
receive a request for the new data from the system based on a state of the electronic device and a number of updates.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first data object includes one or more pieces of data, wherein the one or more pieces of data include one or more types of data, the one or more types of data being selection from a group including text, image, and numbers.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first template includes an image whose display is dependent on a number provided in the first data object.

15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform further operations including:
receive a second window selection of a second style window of the display of the electronic device, the second style window associated with a second plurality of templates;
identify a second list of applications designated as supporting the second style window;
provide the second list of applications to the user;
receive a second application selection of a second application from the second list of applications;
receive, from the second application, a second data object specifying a second template of the second plurality of templates and including one or more data second items for displaying according to the second templat

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Block Eliza C
• Schimon David A
• Wilson Eric Lance
• Shaffer Joshua H
• Salzman Paul W
• Jensen Christopher C
• Lee Timothy C
• Pollack Daniel B
• Ledwith Alexander
• Chen Kevin Will
• Yang Lawrence Y
• Dye Alan C

Classifications

• G09G2340/145

  related to small screens · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F9/445 Primary

  Program loading or initiating (bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title