Apple Inc.

Bob Bradley

Marc Jason Krochmal

Thomas M Alsina

Michael Jason Giles

Alexander D Sanciangco

Graham R Clarke

Johannes P Schmidt

Arun Godfrey Mathias

Joe S Abuan

Kevin P McLaughlin

Anush G Nadathur

Craig P Dooley

Vijay Sundaram

William M Bumgarner

Srinivas Rama

Gregg J Golembeski, Jr

Andrew W Burks

Taylor Gerard Carrigan

Nicholas V King

Matthew Elliot Shepherd

Akshay Mangalam Srivatsa

Robert Dale Newberry, Jr

Imran A Chaudhri

Scott James Forstall

Jeffrey L Robbin

David Chance Graham

Pedro Mari

Scott M Herz

Jorge S Fino

Donald Walter Pitschel

Emily Clark Schubert

Sriram Hariharan

Joshua H Shaffer

Alan Cannistraro

Daniel Trent Preston

Rudolph Van Der Merwe

Lucas Christopher Newman

Andrew Roger Whalley

Richard Michael Powell

Justin Edward Santamaria

Julien Lerouge

Nicholas James Paulson

Daniel C Klingler

Kyle C Brogle

Eric A Allamanche

Aarti Kumar

Neil Gareth Crane

Amandeep S Jawa

Alex Tremain Nelson

James C Grandy

Daniel De Rocha Rosario

Eric S Lee

Jai Chulani

Natalia A Fornshell

John Owen Louch

Robert D Watson

John Joseph Iarocci

Benjamin S Phipps

Alexander R Ledwith

Kevin James Van Vechten

Vincent M Lane

Christopher C Jensen

Nicholas John Shearer

Ariane Cotte

Christopher N Ryan

Karl Ferdinand Schramm

Per Love Hornquist Astrand

Bryan Hansen

Chen Ganir

Sarang S Ranade

Jaireh Tecarro

Anjali S Sandesara

Andrew J Sinesio

Patrick L Coffman

Yong Liu

Robert William Mayor

Su Khiong Yong

Daniel Ben Pollack

Anthony Joseph Guetta

John Harper

Giovanni M Agnoli

Brent Michael Ledvina

Christopher S Linn

Craig Alan Marciniak

Cyril De La Cropte De Chanterac

Nicholas Joseph Circosta

John Samuel Bushell

Jonathan Anderson Bennett

Gokul P Thirumalai

Paul W Salzman

Kartik R Venkatraman

Deepak R Iyer

Welly Kasten

Astrid Yi

Dmitry V Belov

Michael D Ford

Joshua R Ford

Christopher G Skogen

Varaprasad V Lingutla

Joseph E Meyer

Embodiments described herein provide a communication mechanism that enables electronic device to perform device to device communication using a secure, encrypted, peer-to-peer data connection. The communication mechanism can also be used as a general-purpose communication mechanism that enables smart home device to exchange data, including configuration data. In one embodiment, the general-purpose communication mechanism can be leveraged to enable intercom-like transmission of audio or video data between electronic devices that are connected to the communication mechanism.

Media intercom over a secure device to device communication channel

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for pairing two proximate devices. An advertisement message associated with an accessory device may be received by a host device (e.g., a smart phone). The advertisement message may be communicated using a Bluetooth protocol (e.g., BLE). Payload data may be extracted from the advertisement message and utilized to obtain a media asset (e.g., an image, a video, an icon, etc.) associated with the accessory device. The media asset may be presented via a user interface at the host device. Input may be received indicating a request and/or an approval to perform a pairing procedure with the accessory device. In accordance with the input, the host device may execute the pairing procedure with the accessory device.

Proximity pairing techniques for an accessory device

A device in a payment transaction handoff system may include at least one processor configured to receive a request to perform a payment transaction and identify, using a first communication protocol, a respective device identifier of each of a plurality of proximate devices. The at least one processor is configured to select, based at least in part on a payment factor, a default payment device from the plurality of proximate devices. The at least one processor is configured to transmit, via a second communication protocol, a message to perform the payment transaction, the message comprising the device identifier of the default payment device. In one or more implementations, a first device of the plurality of proximate devices may be associated with a first user account and a second device of the plurality of proximate devices may be associated with a second user account, different from the first user account.

Payment handoff system

A uniform protocol can facilitate secure, authenticated communication between a controller device and an accessory device that is controlled by the controller. An accessory and a controller can establish a pairing, the existence of which can be verified at a later time and used to create a secure communication session. The accessory can provide an accessory definition record that defines the accessory as a collection of services, each service having one or more characteristics. Within a secure communication session, the controller can interrogate the characteristics to determine accessory state and/or modify the characteristics to instruct the accessory to change its state.

Uniform communication protocols for communication between controllers and accessories

A method and apparatus of a device that endorses a proximity authorization for an authorization requesting device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a proximity authorization request from the authorization requesting device, wherein the authorization requesting device is in proximity with the authorization endorsing device. The device additionally presents a local authorization request to a user of the authorization endorsing device and receives a set of user credentials for the local authorization request. The device further performs a local authorization on the device using at least the set of user credentials. In addition, the device sends a server authorization request to an identity management server, receives an authorization response from the identity management server, and returns the authorization response.

Systems and methods for proximity single sign-on

Embodiments described herein provide a network system to enable content playback on multiple devices. An electronic device can receive information associated with media playback request and resolve a media item and intended playback device for the media request based on a set of available media items and player devices. The device can then transmit, via the data interface, a request to play the media item at the player device via a secure device to device communication system.

Network system for content playback on multiple devices

A device implementing dynamic controller selection may include a processor configured to generate a connectivity graph based on a scan for accessory devices, the connectivity graph including a connectivity metric value for a discovered accessory device. The processor may be configured to broadcast the connectivity graph and receive another connectivity graph broadcasted by another electronic device that includes another connectivity metric value for the accessory device. The processor may be configured to receive a request to provide an instruction to the accessory device and determine which of the electronic devices will provide the instruction based on the connectivity metric values. The processor may be further configured to, when the electronic device is determined, provide the instruction for transmission to the accessory device, and when the other electronic device is determined, provide, for transmission to the other electronic device, the instruction to be provided to the accessory device.

Dynamic controller selection for a local area network

A device providing temporary pairing for wireless devices may include a memory and at least one processor configured to receive a request to temporarily pair with a wireless device. The at least one processor may be further configured to pair with the wireless device, wherein the pairing comprises generating a link key for connecting to the wireless device. The at least one processor may be further configured to connect to the wireless device using the link key. The at least one processor may be further configured to initiate a timer upon disconnecting from the wireless device. The at least one processor may be further configured to automatically and without user input, delete the link key when the timer reaches a timeout value without having reconnected to the wireless device using the link key.

Temporary pairing for wireless devices

The systems described herein provide a remote keyboard service for a media device on a computing device without having to invoke an application or unlock the computing device. The computing device can receive a message indicating that a text input field on the other device is selected and present a notification to the user prompting the user to invoke the virtual keyboard on the computing device to provide text input to the selected text input field. The computing device can receive user input selecting the notification and present a virtual keyboard for providing text input to the other device. The computing device can receive keyboard input from the user selecting characters and send the characters to the other device. The other device can then user the characters as text input to the selected text input field.

Providing a remote keyboard service

The embodiments set forth a technique for enabling a computing device to securely configure a peripheral computing device. According to some embodiments, the method can include the steps of (1) approving a request received from the peripheral computing device to engage in a setup procedure for the peripheral computing device, (2) receiving, from the peripheral computing device: (i) an audio signal that encodes a password and timing information, and (ii) a light signal. Additionally, the method can involve, in response to identifying that the timing information correlates with the light signal: (3) extracting the password from the audio signal, and (4) establishing a communication link with the peripheral computing device based on the password. In turn, the method can involve (5) providing configuration information to the peripheral computing device over the communication link.

Techniques for verifying user intent and securely configuring computing devices

A system and method for routing communication to a common audio output device connected to each of two or more audio signal source devices. For each of the two or more audio signal source devices, a set of inputs are assessed. The set of inputs include: an operational state of the audio signal source device, an activity the audio signal source device, an audio-producing application being executed by the audio signal source device, and a degree of user activity with the audio-producing application being executed by the audio signal source. At a point in time, an audio routing score is generated for each of the two or more audio signal source devices according to a weighted calculation of the set of inputs based on the assessing. Finally, an audio signal routing decision is made, to route an audio signal from one of the two or more audio signal source devices to the audio output device, based on the audio routing score for each of the two or more audio signal source devices.

Smart routing for audio output devices

Disclosed herein is a technique for managing permissions associated with the control of a host device that are provided to a group of wireless devices. The host device is configured to pair with a first wireless device. In response to pairing with the first wireless device, the host device grants a first level of permissions for controlling the host device to the first wireless device. Subsequently, the host device can receive a second request from a second wireless device to pair with the host device. In response to pairing with the second wireless device, the host device can grant a second level of permissions for controlling the host device to second wireless device, where the second level of permissions is distinct from the first level of permissions.

Managing permissions for different wireless devices to control a common host device

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bob Bradley