According to the patent, a controlling device (e.g., a telephony device) can remotely control various tasks associated with a controlled device (e.g., a personal computer), including the navigation of user interfaces associated with applications or an operating system associated with the controlled device. A task can be controlled at the controlled device by mapping user input received at the controlling device to control commands suitable for execution at the controlled device.
Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "Most computer systems include input devices for receiving user input (e.g., mouse, keyboard, etc.). Typically, input devices are local to the computer system and are connected to the computer system by wired or wireless connections. A user can use an input device to navigate a graphical user interface with a cursor or other pointing device, launch applications and interact with the launched applications.
"Users often desire to interact with home or office computer systems from remote locations. If the user has access to a remote computer system with a display screen, then the user can control the home or office computer over a network (e.g., Internet, Ethernet, etc.) using a terminal emulation program (e.g., Telnet) or other publicly available remote control application. These publicly available remote control applications display an image of the user's desktop, which allows the user to remotely navigate and interact with their home or office computer system. For some users, however, a remote computer system having a display device may not be available.
"The deficiencies described above or overcome by the disclosed implementations of systems, method and devices for remotely controlling electronic devices.
"A first device ("the controlling device") can remotely control various tasks associated with a second device ("the controlled device"), including the navigation of user interfaces associated with applications or an operating system residing on the second device. A task can be controlled at the controlled device by mapping user input received at the controlling device to control commands suitable for controlling the task at the controlled device. Some examples of tasks include navigating user interfaces and/or file systems, executing and controlling functions or features associated with applications or an operating system, collecting information (e.g., system configuration information, state information, etc.).
"In some implementations, the controlling device can be a telephony device (e.g., smart phone, etc.). The controlling device can establish communication with the controlled device through a network access device (e.g., a modem). After communication is established, the user can remotely control the controlled device using, for example, the keypad of the phone. If the controlling device is a touchtone phone, then the controlled device can detect Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) digits (also referred to as 'tones') that are transmitted by the controlling device. The tones can be mapped to control commands or operating system events for controlling the controlled device.
"In some implementations, a cursor can be navigated around a user interface associated with a controlled device using a controlling device. As the cursor traverses the user interface the contents of files, documents, web pages, mail messages, word processing files, links, controls and the like are converted into audible descriptions. The audible descriptions are transmitted back to the controlling device and provide audible feedback to a user of the controlling device, so that the user can navigate and control the user interface without a display screen. This feature provides an advantage over conventional telephony systems where, for example, keys or tones are tied or hardwired to specific commands which can not be changed.
"In some implementations, a method of remotely controlling an electronic device includes: establishing communication between a controlling device and a controlled device; receiving input from the controlling device; mapping the input to control commands; and executing the control commands at the controlled device.
"In some implementations, a method includes: determining a first spatial position in relation to a plurality of objects on a user interface; receiving through a network an input from a device; determining a second spatial position on the user interface in response to the input; and outputting an audio segment related to the second spatial position.
"In some implementations, a method includes: determining a first state of a device to be controlled; receiving through a network an input from a remote device; determining a second state of the device; and outputting an audio segment related to the second state.
"In some implementations, a method includes: receiving an input from a controlling device; using the input to control a user interface associated with a controlled device, the user interface having a plurality of objects, wherein controlling the user interface, includes: directionally stepping through the plurality of objects in the user interface to select an object of interest; activating the object of interest in the user interface; and producing an output associated with the activation of the object of interest in the user interface."
The inventors are John O. Louch, Eric Seymour and Michael Shebanek. The graphic below is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for remote control of electronic devices.
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