Apple Inc.

John Joseph Iarocci

Marc Jason Krochmal

Alexander R Ledwith

Christopher S Linn

Keith Stattenfield

Wade Benson

Jerrold Von Hauck

Mitchell David Adler

Yannick L Sierra

Michael Brouwer

Darren S Litzinger

Daniel Ben Pollack

Jeremy A Wyld

Joshua V Graessley

Amit K Vyas

Christopher C Jensen

David Alex Carter

Jonathan M Grynspan

Scott M Marshall

Jiten L Mehta

Yan J Arrouye

Gregory B Novick

Pavel Cisler

Christopher Brooke Sharp

Darin Benjamin Adler

Keith Walter Rauenbuehler

Geoffrey Grant Stahl

Simon P Cooper

Nicholas M Fraioli

Ziv Wolkowicki

Richard F Murphy

Daniel M Vinegrad

Mikhail Gonodanov

Jaques P Gasselin De Richebourg

Christopher C Jensen, Jr

Scott James Forstall

Gary Ian Butcher

Lawrence Yuan Yang

John Owen Louch

Kevin M Lynch

Bob Bradley

Gaurav Kapoor

Justin N Wood

Cahya Adiansyah Masputra

Gregory R Chapman

Gordon J Freedman

Matthew Elliot Shepherd

Ray Ling Chang

David Michael Chan

Conrad Sauerwald

Jonathan Jay Andrews

Richard Warren Schreyer

Kevin James Van Vechten

Kit-Man Wan

David Rahardja

Neil Gareth Crane

Matthew Scott Klahn

Damien Pascal Sorresso

Anand Ramadurai

Henry Graham Mason

Lucia Elena Ballard

Phillip Stanley-Marbell

Christopher N Ryan

Libor Sykora

Curtis Rothert

Noah Witherspoon

Christopher Marcellino

Charles Srisuwananukorn

Michael Van Milligan

Stephen C Peters

Lee Russell

David B Myszewski

Steven Douglas Parker

Brittany D Hughes

Andrew M Matuschak

Kevin S Perry

Douglas R Edmonson

Andrew C Lam

Eric Albert

David William Goodwin

Joseph Sokol

Matthew G Waston

Thomas Brogan Duffy

Patrick L Coffman

Jeffrey L Robbin

Dallas Blake De Atley

Jason Clay Beaver

Curtis Galloway

Toby Paterson

Jared S Grubb

Kelly B Jacklin

Joao Pedro Lacerda

Joseph E Meyer

Russell T Williams

Jacob S Klapper

Chiraag Sumanth

Jiri Margaritov

Alex D Sanciangco

Christopher Scott Linn

Techniques are disclosed for selecting a leader device from a cluster of user devices. In one example, a user device determines a series of metrics specifying capabilities of the user device. The user device can obtain a number of user identifiers (UIDs) from other user devices in the cluster providing respective series of metrics specifying capabilities of the other user devices in the cluster. The user device can select a leader device based on a comparison of metrics for each user device as provided in the UIDs for the user devices. The user device can then notify the other user devices in the cluster of the selected leader device.

Techniques for electing a leader device in a network of user devices

A method of unlocking a second device using a first device is disclosed. The method can include: the first device pairing with the second device; establishing a trusted relationship with the second device; authenticating the first device using a device key; receiving a secret key from the second device; receiving a user input from an input/output device; and transmitting the received secret key to the second device to unlock the second device in response to receiving the user input, wherein establishing a trusted relationship with the second device comprises using a key generated from a hardware key associated with the first device to authenticate the device key.

Method of using one device to unlock another device

Techniques are disclosed for generating device cluster capability information for a cluster of devices in a network environment. Capability information can specify capabilities of the devices in the cluster. A first user device can generate device capabilities for the first user device and obtain device capabilities for other devices in the cluster. The first user device can generate cluster capability information providing an intersection of the first set of device capabilities and device capabilities of the other user devices in the cluster. The first user device can obtain cluster capability information for other clusters in the network environment and receive a request from a service user device to perform a specific task. The first user device can transmit cluster capability information relating to a selected cluster that corresponds with the request.

Techniques for sharing device capabilities over a network of user devices

Techniques are disclosed for coordinating state information between devices in a network of devices. In one example, a first user device can obtain event information identifying an event (e.g., triggering of an alarm) associated with another user device and state information identifying a state of the other device. The first user device can report the state and event information to devices in the network. Observers corresponding to each user device can identify the occurrence of the event corresponding to the event information for each user device. An action (e.g., output an audio chime) can be performed by each device with an observer that identifies the occurrence of the event corresponding to the event information for each user device.

Techniques for reacting to device event state changes that are shared over a network of user devices

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for a trusted (or originator) device to modify the security state of a target device (e.g., unlocking the device) based on a securing ranging operation (e.g., determining a distance, proximity, etc.). The method of some embodiments exchanges messages as a part of a ranging operation in order to determine whether the trusted and target devices are within a specified range of each other before allowing the trusted device to modify the security state of the target device. In some embodiments, the messages are derived by both devices based on a shared secret and are used to verify the source of ranging signals used for the ranging operation. In some embodiments, the method is performed using multiple different frequency bands.

Modifying security state with secured range detection

Content objects may be selected for sharing and shared across devices using a sharing routine and suggestion engine to provide suggestions of target applications to share the content objects and recipients with whom the content objects may be shared. A sharing routine may receive and analyze a sharing request and invoke a suggestion engine configured to generate application suggestions and/or recipient suggestions. The sharing routine may receive sets of application suggestions and/or recipient suggestions from a suggestion engine, modify and/or select subsets of the suggestions to be provided to user via a sharing user interface. In response to a user selection of applications and/or recipient via the user interface, the sharing routine may invoke the selected application for sharing, and provide the content object to the selected application.

Sharing routine for suggesting applications to share content from host application

Messaging between a companion device and an accessory device is controlled such that different modes of communication may be utilized. The different modes can implement different messaging strategies, each of which is intended for efficient power management, in view of the limited electrical power that is typically available at the accessory device. A received request message for sending from the companion device to the accessory device is sent if predetermined conditions apply, and similarly for messages from the accessory device to the companion device.

Network messaging for paired devices

According to one embodiment, a computing device may conduct an active telephone conversation and a proximity of the computing device to a second computing device may be determined to be within a predetermined distance. Moreover, a determination of a capability of the second computing device to conduct a telephone conversation may be made, and in response to such determinations, the active telephone conversation may be transferred from the computing device to the second computing device. In an example, when a user holding a telephone conversation moves near a smart speaker, the telephone conversation may be transferred to the smart speaker from the user's mobile device, should the user desire such a transfer. Moreover, as the user moves around, the telephone conversation may move with the user from device to device, enabling a seamless and intuitive telephone conversation experience for the user.

Transferring an active telephone conversation

In some embodiments, a first device performs ranging operations to allow a user to perform one or more operations on the first device without providing device-access credentials. For example, when a second device is within a first distance of the first device, the first device determines that the second device is associated with a first user account that is authorized to perform operations on the first device. In response to the determination, the first device enables at least one substitute interaction (e.g., a password-less UI interaction) to allow the operations to be performed on the first device to be accessed without receiving access credentials through a user interface. In response to detecting an occurrence of the substitute interaction, the operation is authorized on the first device.

Remote interaction with a device using secure range detection

In some embodiments, a first device performs ranging operations to allow a user to access the first device under one of several user accounts without providing device-access credentials. For example, when a second device is within a first distance of the first device, the first device determines that the second device is associated with a first user account under which a user can access (e.g., can log into) the first device. In response to the determination, the first device enables at least one substitute interaction (e.g., a password-less UI interaction) to allow the first device to be accessed without receiving access credentials through a user interface. In response to detecting an occurrence of the substitute interaction, the user is allowed to access the first device under the first user account. In some embodiments, the substitute interaction occurs while the first device is logged into under a second user account.

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

John Joseph Iarocci