# US 11,029,831 B2 · Providing complications on an electronic watch

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- Number: US 11,029,831 B2
- Document ID: US11029831B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/911,242
- Filed: 2020-06-24
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-05
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Eliza C. Block; David A. Schimon; Eric Lance Wilson; Joshua H. Shaffer; Paul W. Salzman; Christopher C. Jensen; Timothy C. Lee; Daniel B. Pollack; Alexander Ledwith; Kevin Will Chen; Lawrence Y. Yang; Alan C. Dye
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029831B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units}
- G06F 9/445: Program loading or initiating (bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57)
- G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces
- G06F 40/186: Templates
- G09G 5/005: {Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal}
- G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
- G09G 2340/145: related to small screens
- G09G 2370/022: Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

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

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for configuring a user interface to display data on a wearable device, the method comprising, at a companion device:
providing a user interface for a user to configure the data to be displayed in one or more style windows in combination with a time on a display of the wearable 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 wearable 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;
providing the first list of applications to the user;
receiving a selection of a first application from the first list of applications for display in the first style window;
responsive to the first application being assigned to 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 the first template to the wearable device for use to display the one or more first data items.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from the user, 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, providing the modified first list of applications to the user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the companion device:
transmitting, from a companion device, 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 companion device based on a state of the wearable device and a number of updates.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

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 wearable 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;
providing the second list of applications to the user;
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 wearable device according to the second template.

### Claim 8

A mobile device, comprising
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform operations including:
provide a user interface for a user to configure data to be displayed in one or more style windows in combination with a time on a display of a wearable 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 wearable 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;
provide the first list of applications to the user;
receive a selection of a first application from the first list of applications for display in the first style window;
responsive to the first application being assigned to 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 the first template to the wearable device for use to display the one or more first data items.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
receive, from the user, 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, provide the modified first list of applications to the user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
send, to a wearable device, refresh preferences for obtaining new data for the first style window;
receive new data for the wearable device; and
use the new data to generate the first data object.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
transmit, from the mobile device, refresh preferences for the mobile device 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 mobile device based on a state of the wearable device and a number of updates.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, 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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the first template includes an image whose display is dependent on a number provided in the first data object.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
receive a second window selection of a second style window of the display of the wearable 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 template;
retrieve the second template; and
display the one or more second data items in the second style window on the display of the wearable device according to the second template.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
provide a user interface for a user to configure data to be displayed in one or more style windows in combination with a time on a display of a wearable 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 wearable 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;
provide the first list of applications to the user;
receive a selection of a first application from the first list of applications for display in the first style window;
responsive to the first application being assigned to 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 the first template to the wearable device for use to display the one or more first data items.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
receive, from the user, 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, provide the modified first list of applications to the user.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
send, to a wearable device, refresh preferences for obtaining new data for the first style window;
receive new data for the wearable device; and
use the new data to generate the first data object.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
transmit, from the mobile device, refresh preferences for the mobile device 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 mobile device based on a state of the wearable device and a number of updates.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, 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.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising additional instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform further operations including:
receive a second window selection of a second style window of the display of the wearable 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 template;
retrieve the second template; and
display the one or more second data items in the second style window on the display of the wearable device according to the second template.