A newly-published Apple patent application discusses an interactive AirPlay update—one that lets a single AirPlay-enabled app simultaneously show multiple, different user interfaces on multiple display devices, coordinating separate interactivity with each display. User input through any display can make changes to the central app and/or modify the app’s data. In short, an app running on an iOS device could also be controlled via the second screen it’s displaying on, rather than just the iOS device itself.
This new AirPlay implementation appears to contemplate a more sophisticated Apple TV or iTV product: Apple’s invention would enable two-way communication between the TV and the Apple TV, such that their separate remote controls—simple or sophisticated—could actually interact with both devices. A TV with integrated Apple TV functionality is also referenced in the application. [via Patently Apple]
