Patent Reveals Apple’s a Next-Generation iOS Remote App System

A new Apple patent filing published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office titled “Browsing remote content using a native user interface” has revealed a brand new, next-generation iOS Remote app system that interprets media content from Apple TV and reproduces a GUI native to an iPhone or iPad display, AppleInsider is reporting.

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The source details that Apple’s proposed method allows for “a much richer user experience” that moves beyond the existing digital reproduction of remote control hardware. For example, the app can display a full Apple TV interface — or icon matrix — remotely, including media descriptions, posters, ratings, purchasing options and more (see above). Apple also outlines two possible embodiments for the remote app, one active and one passive.

“With the active version, users interact with an Apple TV or other host device in real time, meaning any selections made on the iOS device are immediately be reflected on the larger television screen. Most of the document deals with the above described active mode, though mention is made of passive operation in which a client device stores user input, then pushes that data to the host device when instructed to do so. Passive mode can, for instance, let one user browse through a host’s media catalog without disturbing other viewers.

This method is also a starting point for streaming media from an iOS device to a host Apple TV, a capability already offered with AirPlay”.

Apple’s patent application for a next-generation remote app was first filed for in March 2013.

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