Hardware Live Tile Triggering Application Client Launch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for displaying status information from applications on devices lack efficient methods for interacting with these devices, particularly for low-cost, low-resource hardware live tiles that cannot run application clients, limiting their ability to provide dynamic updates and user interactions.
Innovation Solution
A system where a proxy server pushes status information to both capable computing devices and low-resource hardware live tiles, allowing user interactions to trigger the launch of application clients on computing devices, even when the application client is not currently running, using a trigger signal and association method to link devices with application IDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If status information is displayed on low-resource hardware live tiles, then resource consumption is reduced and device cost is lowered, but the ability to run application clients and provide full interaction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the application functionality into two segments: the hardware live tile handles only status information display and user input, while the application client runs separately on capable computing devices. This segmentation allows low-resource devices to display status information without needing to run full application clients, resolving the contradiction between reducing device cost and maintaining interaction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication mechanism acts as an intermediary between the hardware live tile and capable computing devices. When a user interacts with status information on the live tile, a trigger signal is sent to capable devices, which then launch or activate the corresponding application client. This intermediary enables full application interaction while allowing the live tile itself to remain resource-minimal.
2Adaptability or versatility
If application clients are run on all devices displaying status information, then full interaction capability is maintained, but resource consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing only capable computing devices to run application clients, while hardware live tiles focus exclusively on displaying status information. This differentiation means that energy-intensive application execution is localized to devices with the necessary resources, while low-resource devices consume minimal energy by performing only display functions.
3Ease of operation
If status information requires opening the application to access, then application functionality is fully accessible, but user convenience and quick access are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by displaying status information in advance on hardware live tiles before the user needs to access the full application. Key status updates are pushed to the live tile, allowing users to quickly view information without opening the application. When users need full functionality, they can interact with the live tile to trigger the application client on capable devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for displaying dynamic status information on a plurality of devices and enabling interactions between these devices are described. In an embodiment, a trigger signal is sent to one or more computing devices to trigger the launch of an application client on the computing device. The trigger signal is generated on another device in response to a user interacting with the displayed status information. This other device may be an impoverished device which displays status information for an application but is not capable of running the application client. In various embodiments, the status information is displayed in the form of a GUI element called a tile and this status information may be pushed to the device by a proxy server. The trigger signal may be sent to multiple devices or in some embodiments, a computing device may be selected to receive the trigger signal.