Methods and user interfaces for initiating communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025159074-A1
Application number	US-202519025851-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 16, 2025
Priority date	Aug 31, 2021
Publication date	May 15, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and user interfaces for establishing communications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer system configured to communicate with a display generation component and one or more input devices, comprising:
one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
detecting, via the one or more input devices, a user input corresponding to a request to communicate via satellite communication;
in response to detecting the user input:
displaying, via the display generation component, an alignment element, including:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is not aligned properly for communication with one or more satellites, displaying the alignment element with a first alignment appearance that indicates the computer system is not aligned properly for communication with the one or more satellites and includes a graphical indication;

while displaying the alignment element, displaying the alignment element with an animation that includes:
a graphical representation of a satellite;
a graphical representation of the computer system; and
a graphical representation of a signal moving over time;

while displaying the alignment element with the first alignment appearance, detecting a change in orientation of a predetermined portion of the computer system; and
in response to detecting the change in orientation of the predetermined portion of the computer system, changing an appearance of the alignment element.

2 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein changing the appearance of the alignment element includes changing a color of the alignment element.

3 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein displaying the alignment element with the animation includes displaying the alignment element with the animation in accordance with a determination that the computer system is connected with a satellite of the one or more satellites.

4 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
in response to detecting the user input:
displaying a satellite availability element, including:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is in a first availability state relative to the one or more satellites, displaying the satellite availability element with a first appearance that indicates the first availability state; and
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is in a second availability state relative to the one or more satellites, displaying the satellite availability element with a second appearance that indicates the second availability state, wherein the second appearance is different from the first appearance.

5 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein changing the appearance of the alignment element includes:
displaying the alignment element with a second appearance that is based on the change in orientation of the predetermined portion of the computer system, wherein the second appearance is different from the first alignment appearance.

6 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein changing the appearance of the alignment element includes changing the appearance of the alignment element based on a magnitude of the detected change in orientation of the predetermined portion of the computer system, a direction of the change in orientation of the predetermined portion of the computer system, and/or movement of the one or more satellites.

7 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein:
the determination that the computer system is not aligned properly for communication with the one or satellites includes a determination that the computer system is not aligned properly in an azimuth direction for communication with the one or more satellites; and the first alignment appearance of the alignment element includes instructions to adjust the orientation of the computer system in the azimuth direction.

8 . The computer system of claim 7 , wherein displaying the alignment element includes concurrently displaying:
a graphical representation of a location of the one or more satellites; and a graphical representation of a communication window.

9 . The computer system of claim 7 , wherein:
the alignment element includes a graphical representation of the one or more satellites; and changing the appearance of the alignment element includes moving the graphical representation of the one or more satellites.

10 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
while the computer system is in a low-bandwidth communication mode:
displaying, via the display generation component, a visual indication of a connection status of the computer system with the one or more satellites.

11 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
after detecting the user input, in accordance with a determination that the computer system is aligned properly for communication with the one or more satellites, sending a message via the one or more satellites that includes content corresponding to the request to communicate via satellite communication.

12 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
after detecting the user input corresponding to the request to communicate via satellite communication:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is aligned properly for communication with one or more satellites, displaying an indication that the computer system is connecting to the one or more satellites; and
after displaying the indication that the computer system is connecting to the one or more satellites:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is connected to the one or more satellites, displaying an indication that the computer system is connected to the one or more satellites, wherein the indication that the computer system is connected to the one or more satellites is different from the indication that the computer system is connecting to the one or more satellites.

13 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
after detecting the user input corresponding to a request to communicate via satellite communication, initiating transmission of, via the one or more satellites, a message; and after initiating transmission of the message:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is connected for communication with one or more satellites, displaying a user interface of a messaging application.

14 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
after detecting the user input, displaying a user interface element, wherein displaying the alignment element includes displaying the alignment element in the user interface element.

15 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein:
the request to communicate via satellite communication includes a request to communicate via a first communication protocol; and the communication via the terrestrial communication includes communication via a second communication protocol, different from the first communication protocol.

16 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the communication via the terrestrial communication includes a real-time communication.

17 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment appearance includes a direction indicator prompting the user to rotate a predetermined portion of the computer system in

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Caro Pablo F
• Apodaca Gregory M
• Canavan Kristin M
• Coon Kaely
• Easley Iii William B
• Federighi Craig M
• Jones Travis
• Karunamuni Chanaka G
• Kramar Vitalii
• Shlyapnikov Aleksey
• Stack Caelan G
• Van Os Marcel

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title

• H04W52/0267

  by controlling user interface components · CPC title

• H04M1/72418

  for supporting emergency services · CPC title

• H04W4/90

  Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] · CPC title