Remote application control interface
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsRoss David Heeter, Jason Robert Tuck, Cyrus Kanga, Anthony Joseph Giardini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide an active-application interface on a companion device that allows a user to control an application running on a primary device. The active-application interface may describe state information for a plurality of applications running on the primary device and allow the user to manipulate the application through one or more contextual controls. The active-application interface may be used to control applications running out-of-control focus on the primary device, including applications that do not presently have a visible viewport.
Claims20
A method of using a control application on a companion device to control media applications running on a primary device, the method comprising:
- outputting for display on the companion device, an active-application interface that identifies a plurality of media applications running on the primary device, wherein the plurality of media applications comprise a first media application and a second media application;
- detecting, at the companion device, a user interaction that triggers a control interface to open;
- determining that a targeting of the control application is on the second media application;
- in response to the user interaction, outputting for display on the companion device the control interface that includes a plurality of virtual controls for the second media application;
- receiving a user interaction with a virtual control on the control interface;
- and
- communicating, from the companion device to the primary device, a control command consistent with the user interaction with the virtual control.
One or more computer storage media comprising computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, performs a method for using a control application on companion device to manipulate an application operating on a primary device, the method comprising:
- determining that a plurality of media applications are running on the primary device, wherein the plurality of media applications comprise a first media application and a second media application, and wherein a targeting of the control application on the companion device is on the first media application;
- determining that the first media application is engaged with a first media title;
- and
- outputting for display on the companion device an active-application interface that comprises an application identification portion that identifies media titles running on the primary device that can be controlled by the companion device through the control application and a media detail portion that identifies a media title engaged by an application the control application is targeting, wherein the application identification portion displays a first application indication identifying the first media application and a second application indication identifying the second media application, wherein the media detail portion identifies the first media title because the targeting is on the first media application.
A method for using a companion device to manipulate a graphical user interface generated by a control application operating on a primary device, the method comprising:
- at the primary device with a first media application running out-of-control focus and a second media application running in a control focus, receiving a control instruction from the companion device to manipulate the first media application;
- and
- manipulating the first media application in a manner consistent with the control instruction without interrupting the second media application and without interrupting a viewport generated by the second media application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.