Service activity user interface

Abstract

Described are techniques and systems for providing a user interface which provides information about one or more activities being performed by services available among affiliated devices. The information is based on activity data which may be obtained through a subscription-publication mechanism with the affiliated devices. The user interface may also provide activity controls to modify the one or more activities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A local device comprising:
 a communication interface comprising a transceiver configured to send and receive data;   a display device;   a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the display device, and the memory, the processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 access local activity data indicative of operation of a service executing at least in part on the processor to perform an activity associated with content, the activity comprising one or more of:
 presenting video content, 
 presenting audio content, 
 presenting an electronic book, or 
 executing a game; 
 
 subscribe, using the communication interface, to one or more remote devices for delivery of remote activity data from the one or more remote devices, wherein the remote activity data comprises information indicative of operation of a service executing at least in part on the one or more remote devices to perform an activity associated with content; 
 receive, using the communication interface, remote activity data from the one or more subscribed to remote devices; 
 determine a request to present the user interface on the display device; 
 access at least a portion of the remote activity data from the one or more subscribed remote devices; and 
 present, with the user interface:
 information about one or more of the activities, and 
 a control configured to change the one or more activities, responsive to input. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
 receive input activating the control; and   send one or more service commands configured to instruct the service performing the activity to alter performance of the activity.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
 receive from one or more remote devices a subscription request, wherein the subscription request is configured to direct the local device to publish the local activity data to the one or more remote devices;   determine a change in the local activity data; and   publish at least a portion of the changed local activity data to the subscribed one or more remote devices.   
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented method executable on a device, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to access a user interface;   accessing activity data indicative of operation of one or more services, wherein the services are configured to perform an activity associated with content; and   presenting at least a portion of the activity data and one or more controls configured to control the activity in the user interface.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , the user interface comprising one or more activity tiles such that each activity has an activity tile, wherein each activity tile has a predefined height and width within the user interface and the activity data for the activity is presented within the predefined height and width. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the activity tile further comprises an activity detail control;
 receiving input activating the activity detail control;   responsive to the activation of the activity detail control, providing an activity detail view comprising one or more of:
 a progress indicator indicative of position of the activity within the content, 
 a permission control configured to accept input to set one or more permissions associated with the activity, 
 a device selection control, or 
 an application invocation control. 
   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a uniform resource locator (“URL”) from the one or more services;   retrieving one or more additional user interface elements using the URL; and   presenting the one or more additional user interface elements with the user interface.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more controls are configured to control the activity by discontinuing the activity on a local device and initiating performance of the activity on a remote device. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more controls are configured to invoke an application associated with the content. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , the one or more services comprising applications for performing one or more of:
 managing digital rights management credentials of content,   storing and retrieving content, or   rendering content for presentation on an output device.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the activity comprises one or more of presenting or executing the content, and wherein the content comprises one or more of:
 video data,   audio data,   electronic book data, or   an application program.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 sending a request for activity data to one or more remote devices; and   receiving activity data from at least a portion of the one or more remote devices.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the device and the one or more remote devices are affiliated with one another using one or more of:
 an account,   geographic location,   connection to a common network, or   connection to a common device.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a request for activity data from one or more remote devices; and   sending activity data to at least a portion of the one or more remote devices.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more controls include a permission control configured to accept input, the method further comprising:
 receiving input using the permission control; and   setting one or more permissions for the activity, wherein the permissions are configured to affect one or more of:
 publication of activity data to other devices, or 
 control of the activity by one or more remote devices. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , the activity data further indicative of one or more services unassociated with content activities; and the method further comprising:
 providing a notification view interface configured to present at least a portion of the activity data of the one or more services unassociated with content activities.   
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method executable on a local device, the method comprising:
 determining one or more affiliated remote devices;   sending a request for delivery of remote activity data to at least a portion of the one or more remote devices;   receiving the remote activity data, wherein the remote activity data comprises information indicative of operation of a service executing at least in part on the one or more remote devices to perform a remote activity;   accessing local activity data indicative of operation of a local service, wherein the local activity data comprises information indicative of operation of a service executing locally to perform a local activity;   receiving, using the communication interface, remote activity data from the one or more remote devices; and   storing activity data comprising at least a portion of the local activity data and the remote activity data.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the local device and the one or more remote devices are communicatively coupled in a peer-to-peer configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 accessing the activity data; and   presenting, with the user interface, at least a portion of the activity data and one or more controls configured to control the remote activity or the local activity, wherein the user interface comprises one or more graphical user interface elements.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more controls are configured to control the activity by discontinuing the activity on a remote device and initiating performance of the activity on a local device.