US-20260126942-A1 - CROSS DEVICE INTERACTIONS

US20260126942A1US 20260126942 A1US20260126942 A1US 20260126942A1US-20260126942-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to engaging in cross device interactions. The method includes at a first device with a first display, while a second device having a second display is placed over a first region of the first display, detecting, via input devices of the first device, a first input. In response to detecting the first input and in accordance with a determination that the first input occurred while focus was directed to the second device, the method includes causing a response to the first input to be displayed on the second display. In response to detecting the first input and in accordance with a determination that the first input occurred while focus was directed to the first device, the method includes displaying, on the first display, a response to the first input without causing a response to the first input to be displayed on the second display.

Inventors

Tianjia Sun
Chang Zhang
Paul X. Wang
Aaron Wang

Assignees

APPLE INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260102

Claims (14)

1 . A method, comprising: at a first electronic device in communication with a display and one or more input devices: detecting, via the one or more input devices, that a second electronic device is in a first position that corresponds to a first portion of the display; and in response to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display: in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device satisfies one or more criteria for remote interaction, displaying, via the display, one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to one or more applications running on the second electronic device, wherein, prior to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display, the one or more affordances are not displayed via the display; and in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device does not satisfy the one or more criteria for remote interaction, forgoing displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to the one or more applications running on the second electronic device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria include a requirement that the second electronic device be within a threshold distance of the first electronic device in order for the one or more criteria to be satisfied.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria include a requirement that a signal strength between the first electronic device and the second electronic device be greater than a threshold signal strength in order for the one or more criteria to be satisfied.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria include a requirement that a focus of a user of the first electronic device be directed toward the second electronic device in order for the one or more criteria to be satisfied.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the focus of the user of the first electronic device is determined based on a gaze of the user.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: while displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances, detecting, via the one or more input devices, an input directed to the one or more affordances; and in response to detecting the input, displaying, via the display, content corresponding to an application running on the second electronic device.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: while displaying, via the display, the content corresponding to the application running on the second electronic device, detecting, via the one or more input devices, a second input directed to the content corresponding to the application running on the second electronic device; and in response to detecting the second input, causing the second electronic device to perform an operation corresponding to the second input.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more affordances are displayed at a first location of the display that is based on a location of the first portion of the display.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more affordances are displayed adjacent to the first portion of the display.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: while displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances, detecting, via the one or more input devices, that the second electronic device is in a second position, different from the first position, that corresponds to a second portion, different from the first portion, of the display; and in response to detecting that the second electronic device is in the second position: in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device satisfies the one or more criteria for remote interaction at the second position, continuing to display, via the display, the one or more affordances; and in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device does not satisfy the one or more criteria for remote interaction at the second position, ceasing to display, via the display, the one or more affordances.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein: while the second electronic device is in the first position, the one or more affordances are displayed at a first location of the display, and continuing to display, via the display, the one or more affordances in accordance with the determination that the second electronic device satisfies the one or more criteria for remote interaction at the second position includes: ceasing to display, via the display, the one or more affordances at the first location of the display, and displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances at a second location, different from the first location, of the display.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances includes displaying an identifier of the second electronic device.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device that is in communication with a display and one or more input devices, the one or more programs including instructions for performing a method comprising: detecting, via the one or more input devices, that a second electronic device is in a first position that corresponds to a first portion of the display; and in response to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display: in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device satisfies one or more criteria for remote interaction, displaying, via the display, one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to one or more applications running on the second electronic device, wherein, prior to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display, the one or more affordances are not displayed via the display; and in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device does not satisfy the one or more criteria for remote interaction, forgoing displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to the one or more applications running on the second electronic device.
14 . An electronic device that is in communication with a display and one or more input devices, the electronic device 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 performing a method comprising: detecting, via the one or more input devices, that a second electronic device is in a first position that corresponds to a first portion of the display; and in response to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display: in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device satisfies one or more criteria for remote interaction, displaying, via the display, one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to one or more applications running on the second electronic device, wherein, prior to detecting that the second electronic device is in the first position that corresponds to the first portion of the display, the one or more affordances are not displayed via the display; and in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device does not satisfy the one or more criteria for remote interaction, forgoing displaying, via the display, the one or more affordances that are selectable to cause display of content corresponding to the one or more applications running on the second electronic device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/893,844, filed Sep. 23, 2024, and published on Apr. 17, 2025 as U.S. Publication No. 2025-0123786, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/821,457, filed Aug. 22, 2022, and issued on Sep. 24, 2024 as U.S. Pat. No. 12,099,772, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/506,697, filed Jul. 9, 2019, and issued on Aug. 23, 2022 as U.S. Pat. No. 11,422,765, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/696,024, entitled “CROSS DEVICE INTERACTIONS,” filed on Jul. 10, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to computer user interfaces, and more specifically to techniques for engaging in cross device interactions. BACKGROUND A user sometimes interacts with multiple devices to access content stored on or accessible through the respective devices. However, some devices have or are connected to displays that are less optimal for viewing content. Further, the user is sometimes more comfortable with using certain input devices to interact with content. Exemplary user interface hierarchies include groups of related user interfaces used for: organizing files and applications; storing and/or displaying digital images, editable documents (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation documents), and/or non-editable documents (e.g., secured files and/or .pdf documents); recording and/or playing video and/or music; text-based communication (e.g., e-mail, texts, tweets, and social networking); voice and/or video communication (e.g., phone calls and video conferencing); and web browsing. A user will, in some circumstances, need to perform such user interface navigations within or between a file management program (e.g., Finder from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), an image management application (e.g., Photos from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a digital content (e.g., videos and music) management application (e.g., iTunes from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a drawing application, a presentation application (e.g., Keynote from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a word processing application (e.g., Pages from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), or a spreadsheet application (e.g., Numbers from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.). But methods for performing these navigations and animating the transition between related user interfaces in a user interface hierarchy are cumbersome and inefficient. In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices. Additionally, abrupt transitions between different user interfaces can be distracting and jarring for users, reducing the efficiency and enjoyment of the user when using the device. BRIEF SUMMARY Current methods for interacting with content displayed on electronic devices are outdated, time consuming, and inefficient. For example, some existing methods use complex and time-consuming user interfaces, which may include multiple key presses or keystrokes, and may include extraneous user interfaces. In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting 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 engaging in cross device interactions. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace other methods for engaging in cross device interactions. Such methods and interfaces reduce the number, extent, and/or nature of the inputs from a user, reduce the cognitive burden on the 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. Further, such methods and interfaces also streamline content interaction across multiple devices, which reduce unnecessary received inputs and improves user efficiency and output. The above deficiencies and other problems associated with user interfaces for electronic devices (e.g., with touch-sensitive surfaces) are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed devices. In some embodiments, the device is a desktop computer. In some embodiments, the device is portable (e.g., a notebook computer, tablet computer, or handheld device). In some embodiments, the device is a personal electronic device (e.g., a wearable electronic device, such as a watch). In some embodiments, the device has a touchpad. In some embodiments, the device has a touch-sensitive display (also known as a “touch screen” or “touch-screen display”). In some embodiments, the device has a graphical user interface (GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programs or sets of instructions stored in