The US Patent & Trademark Office has published a patent application from Apple on Thursday, May 23rd, which revealed that users will be able to operate the next gen AirPlay in a two-way manner because it will offer content interactivity. Besides this, the latest patent filed by Apple also indicated that two different devices of the Cupertino-based company including the Apple Television and TV could be combined in order to produce a single internet-enabled television.
At this point in time, AirPlay just provides one-way communication with the assistance of an intermediary device or television. Currently users watching the television cannot command back to an iPad or iPhone to interact with the running application. However, the next gen AirPlay that was found in the recent patent application of Apple may generate a second UI that is to be presented on a second display device like a TV, whereas the first UI is to be offered on the first display device.
“The communication between the application and the intermediate device/television is one way–a user viewing the television cannot provide, though an input interface of the television or the intermediate device, commands back to the computing device for interacting with the application. Rather, the application must be controlled via an input interface of the computing device. Certain embodiments of the present invention overcome this limitation and can allow users of both the computing device and the intermediate device/television to simultaneously control/interact with the application via respective input interfaces.”
In addition to this, the latest filing also hints towards a possible Apple television:
“Apple distinctly states that “Although digital media receiver 208 (Apple’s current Apple TV box) and television 210 are shown as separate devices, in certain embodiments they can the combined into a single device (e.g., an Internet-enabled television).
Apple states that in one set of embodiments, the television viewer can assign a particular rating to the photo, such as “like,” dislike,” or a star rating. These ratings can be mapped to particular buttons on remote control, such that the assignment process can be carried out by activating a single button.”
At this point in time, it cannot be said with surety that Apple will be able to develop a AirPlay that could communicate both ways or an internet-enabled television, as the California-based company files several patents each year, but majority of them do not materialize into new products.
Source: iPhoneinCanada
Photo: PatentlyApple
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