US-20260126900-A1 - TECHNIQUES AND USER INTERFACES FOR CONTROLLING ONE OR MORE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

US20260126900A1US 20260126900 A1US20260126900 A1US 20260126900A1US-20260126900-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to user interfaces and techniques for controlling one or more electronic devices and/or displaying one or more controls in accordance with some examples.

Inventors

Arian Behzadi
Christopher P. FOSS
Andrew S. Kim
David A. Krimsley
Christopher D. Matthews
Corey K. Wang
Gemma A. Roper

Assignees

APPLE INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251231

Claims (14)

1 . A method, comprising: at a computer system that is in communication with a display component and one or more input devices: detecting an intent to control a display; and in response to detecting the intent to control the display: in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, a first set of one or more controls in the first portion of the display without displaying a second set of one or more controls, wherein the first set of one or more controls includes a first control that, when selected, causes a first device that is associated with a first region and not a second region to perform a first operation; and in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a second portion of the display that is different from the first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, the second set of one or more controls in the second portion of the display without displaying the first set of one or more controls, wherein the second set of one or more controls includes a second control that, when selected, causes a second device that is associated with the second region and not the first region to perform a second operation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first operation and the second operation are a same operation.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the display is closer to the first region than the second portion of the display, and wherein the second portion of the display is closer to the second region than the first portion of the display.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of one or more controls includes a respective control, wherein the second set of one or more controls includes the respective control, and wherein the respective control is initially displayed as being selected when the first set of one or more controls is displayed and when the second set of one or more controls is displayed.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: while displaying the respective control, detecting an input directed to the respective control; and in response to detecting the input directed to the respective control, causing output of a respective device to change, wherein the respective device is associated with the first and the second region.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein displaying the respective control as being selected includes displaying, via the display component, the respective control with a first brightness level concurrently with displaying a non-selected control with a second brightness level that is lower than the first brightness level.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to detecting the intent to control the display and in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a third portion of the display that is different from the first portion and the second portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, a third set of one or more controls in the third portion of the display without displaying the first set of one or more controls and the second set of controls, wherein the third set of one or more controls includes a third control that, when selected, causes a third device that is associated with a third region and not the first region nor the second region to perform a third operation.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: after detecting the intent to control the display: in accordance with a determination that the intent to control the display has not been detected for a predetermined period of time, forgoing displaying the first set of one or more controls and the second set of one or more controls.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the intent to control the display includes detecting a gaze of a user that is directed to a second respective region.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the intent to control the display includes detecting a body part of a user that is directed to a second respective region.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the intent to control the display includes detecting an air gesture.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the intent to control the display includes detecting that a user is in a position.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computer system that is in communication with a display component and one or more input devices, the one or more programs including instructions for: detecting an intent to control a display; and in response to detecting the intent to control the display: in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, a first set of one or more controls in the first portion of the display without displaying a second set of one or more controls, wherein the first set of one or more controls includes a first control that, when selected, causes a first device that is associated with a first region and not a second region to perform a first operation; and in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a second portion of the display that is different from the first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, the second set of one or more controls in the second portion of the display without displaying the first set of one or more controls, wherein the second set of one or more controls includes a second control that, when selected, causes a second device that is associated with the second region and not the first region to perform a second operation.
14 . A computer system that is in communication with a display 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 an intent to control a display; and in response to detecting the intent to control the display: in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, a first set of one or more controls in the first portion of the display without displaying a second set of one or more controls, wherein the first set of one or more controls includes a first control that, when selected, causes a first device that is associated with a first region and not a second region to perform a first operation; and in accordance with a determination that the intent to control is directed to a second portion of the display that is different from the first portion of the display, displaying, via the display component, the second set of one or more controls in the second portion of the display without displaying the first set of one or more controls, wherein the second set of one or more controls includes a second control that, when selected, causes a second device that is associated with the second region and not the first region to perform a second operation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuing application of U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 18/896,500, entitled “TECHNIQUES AND USER INTERFACES FOR CONTROLLING ONE OR MORE ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” filed Sep. 25, 2024, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/587,112 entitled “TECHNIQUES AND USER INTERFACES FOR CONTROLLING ONE OR MORE ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” filed Sep. 30, 2023, to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/587,110 entitled “TECHNIQUES AND USER INTERFACES FOR DISPLAYING CONTROLS,” filed Sep. 30, 2023, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/587,111 entitled “USER INTERFACES AND TECHNIQUES FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION,” filed Sep. 30, 2023. The content of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to computer user interfaces, and more specifically to techniques for controlling electronic devices. BACKGROUND Computer systems are often in communication with external electronic devices and/or external computer systems. Computer systems often leverage the communication to control one or more operations of the external electronic devices and/or computer systems. SUMMARY Some techniques for controlling electronic devices using computer systems, however, are generally cumbersome and inefficient. For example, some existing techniques use a complex and time-consuming user interface, which may include multiple key presses or keystrokes. Existing techniques require more time than necessary, wasting user time and device energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices. Accordingly, the present technique provides electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for controlling electronic devices. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace other methods for controlling electronic devices. Such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges. In some embodiments, a method that is performed at a computer system that is in communication with a display component is described. In some embodiments, the method comprises: detecting that the computer system is being pointed in a direction of a first device for at least a predetermined period of time; in response to detecting that the computer system is being pointed in the direction of the first device for at least the predetermined period of time, displaying, via the display component, an indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device; while displaying the indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device, detecting that the computer system is being pointed in a second direction for at least the predetermined period of time, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction; and in response to detecting that the computer system is being pointed in the second direction for at least the predetermined period of time: in accordance with a determination that the second direction is a direction of a second device that can be controlled by the computer system and an input was detected by the computer system while the computer system was pointed in the first direction: displaying, via the display component, an indication that the computer system is configured to control the second device, wherein the second device is different from the first device; and ceasing display of the indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device; and in accordance with a determination that the second direction is not a direction of a respective device that can be controlled by the computer system and the input was detected by the computer system while the computer system was pointed in the first direction, continuing to display the indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computer system that is in communication with a display component is described. In some embodiments, the one or more programs includes instructions for: detecting that the computer system is being pointed in a direction of a first device for at least a predetermined period of time; in response to detecting that the computer system is being pointed in the direction of the first device for at least the predetermined period of time, displaying, via the display component, an indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device; while displaying the indication that the computer system is configured to control the first device, detecting that the computer system