Associating a captured screenshot with application-specific metadata that defines a session state of an application contributing image data to the captured screenshot

Abstract

In an embodiment, a UE detects a request to capture a screenshot of image data being output on a display screen, obtains application-specific metadata that is configured to facilitate recreation of characteristics of a session state of an application that is contributing at least a portion of the image data being output on the display screen when the request is detected. The UE selectively captures the screenshot of the image data being output on the display screen in response to the request, and stores the obtained application-specific metadata. The same or different UE may obtain some or all of the application-specific metadata (and optionally the screenshot, if captured), and recreates some or all of the characteristics using the same or different application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
 detect a request from a user to capture a screenshot of image data being output on a display screen; 
 obtain, in response to the request from the user, application-specific metadata that is configured to facilitate recreation of one or more characteristics of a session state of an application that is contributing at least a portion of the image data being output on the display screen when the request from the user is detected; 
 selectively capture the screenshot of the image data being output on the display screen in response to the request from the user, wherein the captured screenshot is a full-screen screenshot that includes all of the image data being output on the display screen, or wherein the captured screenshot is a partial-screen screenshot that includes less than all of the image data being output on the display screen; and 
 store the obtained application-specific metadata, wherein the at least one processor being configured to store comprises the at least one processor being further configured to store the captured screenshot in association with the obtained application-specific metadata. 
   
     
     
         2 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor being configured to obtain comprises the at least one processor being configured to obtain the application-specific metadata from:
 (i) the application,   (ii) an operating system of the UE,   (iii) the image data being output on the display screen,   (iv) an external device, or   (v) any combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the display screen is part of the UE, or   the display screen is part of another UE, and the at least one processor being configured to selectively capture comprises the at least one processor being configured to captures the screenshot as a snapshot of the display screen of the another UE that is captured by a camera of the UE.   
     
     
         4 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 update the application-specific metadata and/or the captured screenshot that is captured in response to the request after the application-specific metadata is stored.   
     
     
         5 . The UE of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor being configured to update comprises the at least one processor being configured to:
 remove some of the application-specific metadata associated with a cropped portion of the captured screenshot, or   add new application-specific metadata in response to supplemental information provided by a user, or   delete the captured screenshot while maintaining the stored application-specific metadata, or   add new application-specific metadata associated with one or more informational objects identified in the image data.   
     
     
         6 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the application is one of a plurality of applications contributing some portion of the image data being output on the display screen. 
     
     
         7 . The UE of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 obtain additional application-specific metadata that defines at least one additional session state of at least one additional application that is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen when the request is detected,   wherein the at least one processor being configured to store comprises the at least one processor being configured to store both the obtained application-specific metadata for the application and the obtained application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application.   
     
     
         8 . The UE of  claim 6 , wherein:
 at least one additional application is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen in a section that is outside of a target screenshot area, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not stored.   
     
     
         9 . The UE of  claim 6 , wherein:
 at least one additional application is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen in a section that is inside of a target screenshot area,   the at least one additional application does not permit sharing of application-specific metadata, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not stored.   
     
     
         10 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the application-specific metadata includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in combination with secondary information indicating a manner in which the URL should be processed. 
     
     
         11 . The UE of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary information includes:
 a time point at which to begin playback of a video associated with the URL,   one or more application identifiers of one or more applications for loading the URL,   one or more object of focus within a web site associated with the URL, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         12 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
 detect a request from a user to capture a screenshot of image data being output on a display screen; 
 obtain, in response to the request from the user, application-specific metadata that is configured to facilitate recreation of one or more characteristics of a session state of an application that is contributing at least a portion of the image data being output on the display screen when the request from the user is detected; 
 selectively capture the screenshot of the image data being output on the display screen in response to the request from the user; 
 store the obtained application-specific metadata; and 
 update, after the obtained application-specific metadata is stored, the application-specific metadata and/or a captured screenshot that is captured in response to the request from the user, wherein the at least one processor being configured to update comprises the at least one processor being configured to remove some of the application-specific metadata associated with a cropped portion of the captured screenshot. 
   
     
     
         13 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor being configured to obtain comprises the at least one processor being configured to obtain the application-specific metadata from:
 (i) the application,   (ii) an operating system of the UE,   (iii) the image data being output on the display screen,   (iv) an external device, or   (v) any combination thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the display screen is part of the UE, or   the display screen is part of another UE, with the selectively capturing captures the screenshot as a snapshot of the display screen of the another UE that is captured by a camera of the UE.   
     
     
         15 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the at least one processor being configured to selectively capture comprises the at least one processor being configured to capture the screenshot, and   the at least one processor being configured to store comprises the at least one processor being further configured to store the captured screenshot in association with the obtained application-specific metadata.   
     
     
         16 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor being configured to selectively capture comprises the at least one processor being configured to capture the screenshot, and wherein:
 the captured screenshot is a full-screen screenshot that includes all of the image data being output on the display screen, or   the captured screenshot is a partial-screen screenshot that includes less than all of the image data being output on the display screen.   
     
     
         17 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein the application is one of a plurality of applications contributing some portion of the image data being output on the display screen. 
     
     
         18 . The UE of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 obtain additional application-specific metadata that defines at least one additional session state of at least one additional application that is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen when the request is detected,   wherein the at least one processor being configured to store comprises the at least one processor being configured to store both the obtained application-specific metadata for the application and the obtained application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application.   
     
     
         19 . The UE of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least one additional application is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen in a section that is outside of a target screenshot area, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not stored.   
     
     
         20 . The UE of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least one additional application is contributing at least one other portion of the image data being output on the display screen in a section that is inside of a target screenshot area,   the at least one additional application does not permit sharing of application-specific metadata, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not stored.   
     
     
         21 . The UE of  claim 12 , wherein the application-specific metadata includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in combination with secondary information indicating a manner in which the URL should be processed. 
     
     
         22 . The UE of  claim 21 , wherein the secondary information includes:
 a time point at which to begin playback of a video associated with the URL,   one or more application identifiers of one or more applications for loading the URL,   one or more object of focus within a web site associated with the URL, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         23 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
 obtain application-specific metadata that is configured to facilitate recreation of one or more characteristics of a session state of a first application that contributed at least a portion of image data output on a display screen when a screenshot capture request from a user was issued; 
 obtain a captured screenshot that was captured at a given UE in response to the screenshot capture request, wherein the captured screenshot is a full-screen screenshot that includes all of the image data output on the display screen, or wherein the captured screenshot is a partial-screen screenshot that includes less than all of the image data output on the display screen; 
 detect a request to load the session state of the first application based on the application-specific metadata and the captured screenshot; and 
 process, by a second application in response to the request, the application-specific metadata to recreate the one or more characteristics of the session state of the first application. 
   
     
     
         24 . The UE of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 detect an application requirement specified in the application-specific metadata; and   in response to the application requirement, install a new application or update an existing application at the UE to obtain the second application.   
     
     
         25 . The UE of  claim 23 , wherein the application-specific metadata is further configured to facilitate recreation of at least one additional session state of at least one additional application that contributed image data within the display screen when the screenshot capture request was issued. 
     
     
         26 . The UE of  claim 23 , wherein the first application is one of a plurality of applications that contribute some portion of the image data output on the display screen. 
     
     
         27 . The UE of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 obtain additional application-specific metadata that defines at least one additional session state of at least one additional application that contributes at least one other portion of the image data output on the display screen when the request is detected.   
     
     
         28 . The UE of  claim 26 , wherein:
 at least one additional application contributes at least one other portion of the image data output on the display screen in a section that is outside of a target screenshot area, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not obtained.   
     
     
         29 . The UE of  claim 26 , wherein:
 at least one additional application contributes at least one other portion of the image data output on the display screen in a section that is inside of a target screenshot area,   the at least one additional application does not permit sharing of application-specific metadata, and   application-specific metadata for the at least one additional application is not obtained.   
     
     
         30 . The UE of  claim 23 , wherein the application-specific metadata includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in combination with secondary information indicating a manner in which the URL should be processed.