Patent ID: 7536182

Claim:
A method for extending a capability of a handheld device capable of independent operation, the method comprising: detecting a helper device that provides a resource; requesting access to the resource from the helper device; transferring data to the helper device from the handheld device, if the helper device grants access to the resource; using the resource to process the data transferred from the handheld device at the helper device; sending an interface description from the helper device to the handheld device; using the interface description to construct and display a control interface at the handheld device; transferring a user interaction with the control interface from the handheld device to the helper device, and interpreting the user interaction based on the resource; wherein the resource is not adequately provided by the independent operation of the handheld device wherein if the helper device denies access to the resource, detecting another helper device that provides the resource wherein the handheld device operates the helper device based on the user interaction, and wherein adding a new resource or modifying an existing resource does not require modifying the handheld device.