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AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsMarc J. Krochmal, Christopher S. Linn, John J. Iarocci, Geoffrey G. Stahl, Jaques P. Gasselin de Richebourg, Alexander R. Ledwith
Estimating the term…
The described embodiments augment an activity performed in a first application at a source electronic device using a controller at a companion electronic device. The source electronic device receives controller information describing a controller that the activity performed in the first application accepts controller data from, determines a controller identifier for the controller information, and broadcasts a controller advertisement comprising the controller identifier. Upon receiving the controller advertisement, the companion electronic device determines whether a second application that can provide the controller data is available at the companion electronic device. If the second application is available, the companion electronic device establishes a cooperative-activity communication channel with the source electronic device. The companion electronic device uses the cooperative-activity communication channel to provide controller data to the source electronic device. The source electronic device provides the controller data to the first application to cause a corresponding action to be performed.
1-20. (canceled)
A method, comprising:
The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative-activity virtual communication channel and the first virtual communication channel use a wireless network interface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a microphone.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a camera.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a thumbprint reader.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a keyboard, a touch screen, a game controller, an accelerometer, a remote control, or a network controller.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) channel.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a LAN channel.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a peer-to-peer networks channel.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual channel comprises an internet channel.
A companion electronic device comprising:
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the cooperative-activity virtual communication channel and the first virtual communication channel use a wireless network interface.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a microphone.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a camera.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a thumbprint reader.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first application accepts the controller data from a keyboard, a touch screen, a game controller, an accelerometer, a remote control, or a network controller.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a LAN channel.
The companion electronic device claim 11, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a LAN channel.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first virtual channel comprises a peer-to-peer networks channel.
The companion electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first virtual channel comprises an internet channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.