Pushing a user interface to a remote device

Abstract

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a third-party application can be presented on accessory device that has user input and display devices. The GUI can be defined and managed by a portable media device. The portable media device can define one or more GUI image types for the third-party application. The accessory can choose one of the pre-defined GUI image types and receive a remote GUI image that conforms to the selected GUI image type from the portable media device. Alternatively, the accessory can specify the layout and contents of the GUI image that it needs, and the portable media device can generate and send a GUI image according to the accessory's specification.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An accessory comprising:
 a controller; and   a portable media device interface coupled to the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a list of graphical user interface image types available for a third-party application; 
 select an graphical user interface image type from the list of available graphical user interface image types; 
 send information about the selected graphical user interface image type to a portable media player, via the portable media device interface; and 
 receive a graphical user interface image conforming to the selected graphical user interface image type from the portable media player. 
   
     
     
         2 . The accessory of  claim 1  further comprising a display, wherein the controller is further configured to display the graphical user interface image on the display. 
     
     
         3 . The accessory of  claim 1  wherein the graphical user interface image includes the name of the third-party application. 
     
     
         4 . The accessory of  claim 1  wherein the graphical user interface image includes information associated with the media item. 
     
     
         5 . The accessory of  claim 1  wherein each of the graphical user interface image types is predefined by the portable media device. 
     
     
         6 . A portable media device comprising:
 a processor, and   an accessory interface coupled to the processor,   wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive configuration information from an accessory, the configuration information specifying one or more items of information to be included in a graphical user interface image associated with a third-party application resident on the portable media device; 
 generate the graphical user interface image based on the configuration information such that the graphical user interface image includes the one or more items of information; and 
 provide the graphical user interface image to the accessory. 
   
     
     
         7 . The portable media device of  claim 6  wherein the one or more items information comprise only a name of the third-party application. 
     
     
         8 . The portable media device of  claim 6  wherein the one or more items of information comprise information about a media item being played by the third-party application. 
     
     
         9 . The portable media device of  claim 6  wherein the third-party application is a media player application.