Providing a remote keyboard service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12175071-B2
Application number	US-202318510134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2023
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a user device, a state advertisement message broadcast from a media device;
based on the state advertisement message, determining, by the user device, a text input control on the media device is currently selected;
in response to determining that the text input control on the media device is currently selected, presenting, by the user device, a first graphical notification associated with the text input control;
detecting, by the user device, movement of the user device; and
responsive to detecting the movement of the user device:
presenting, on a display of the user device, a virtual keyboard for providing input to the text input control selected on the media device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graphical notification prompts the user to invoke the virtual keyboard on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual keyboard is provided by a software system of the user device that is distinct from any user application on the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing, by the user device, a connection with the media device;
receiving, by the user device, a first user input selecting one or more characters to the virtual keyboard; and
sending, by the user device, the first user input to the media device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graphical notification includes application data from the media device and an instruction to activate the virtual keyboard.

6. 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:
receiving, by a user device, a state advertisement message broadcast from a media device;
based on the state advertisement message, determining, by the user device, a text input control on the media device is currently selected;
in response to determining that the text input control on the media device is currently selected, presenting, by the user device, a first graphical notification associated with the text input control;
detecting, by the user device, a movement of the user device; and
responsive to detecting the movement of the user device:
presenting, on a display of the user device, a virtual keyboard for providing input to the text input control selected on the media device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first graphical notification prompts the user to invoke the virtual keyboard on the user device.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the virtual keyboard is provided by a software system of the user device that is distinct from any user application on the user device.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes:
establishing, by the user device, a connection with the media device;
receiving, by the user device, a first user input selecting one or more characters to the virtual keyboard; and
sending, by the user device, the first user input to the media device.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first graphical notification includes application data from the media device and an instruction to activate the virtual keyboard.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes:
receiving, by a user device, a state advertisement message broadcast from a media device;
based on the state advertisement message, determining, by the user device, a text input control on the media device is currently selected;
in response to determining that the text input control on the media device is currently selected, presenting, by the user device, a first graphical notification associated with the text input control;
detecting, by the user device, a movement of the user device; and
responsive to detecting the movement of the user device:
presenting, on a display of the user device, a virtual keyboard for providing input to the text input control selected on the media device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first graphical notification prompts the user to invoke a virtual keyboard on the user device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the virtual keyboard is provided by a software system of the user device that is distinct from any user application on the user device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:
establishing, by the user device, a connection with the media device;
receiving, by the user device, a first user input selecting one or more characters to the virtual keyboard; and
sending, by the user device, the first user input to 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

• H04W4/00

  Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor · CPC title