Wireless display that accesses remote resources for display data

• US 10,045,146 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer, Giaimo, III, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, SHIVANG I
• Application Number:
  US14/146,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20150187086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 345520
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Problems of bandwidth utilization and delay, with a computer having a wirelessly connected display, are addressed by having the computer instruct a display device to access content from remote resources and combine that content with content processed locally at the computer and sent to the display device. The display device includes a processor, or display computer, associated with a display. When the computer transmits data to the display device, the data includes information indicating the resource, such as a server accessible over a computer network, which stores the content to be displayed. The processor associated with the display uses this information to access the content directly from its resource. The processor associated with the display can be embedded in the housing for the display or can be housed in a separate housing that is electrically connected directly to the display.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a computer;

a display device; and

a wireless connection between the computer and the display device;

wherein the computer includes a first processor configured to;

identify, in display data to be transmitted to the display device, first content accessed from a first resource remote from the computer;

identify, in the display data, second content in storage locally connected to the computer;

locally render the identified second content to provide image data;

transmit packets at a beacon period, over the wireless connection to the display device, wherein each packet includes settings comprising a resource identifier for the first content, display coordinates for displaying the first content from the first resource relative to the image data for the locally rendered second content, and the image data for the locally rendered second content from local storage;

wherein the display device has a second processor configured to;

in response to a received packet with changed settings, update settings stored for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates;

transmit a request over a computer network to the first resource, the request including the resource identifier from the stored settings;

receive the first content from the first resource over the computer network;

render the first content locally at the display device; and

combine the rendered first content from the first resource and the image data for the second content received from the computer, based on at least the display coordinates from the stored settings, and cause the combined content to be displayed on the display device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

identify authentication parameters for accessing additional content from a second resource remote from the computer; and

transmit, over the wireless connection to the display device, an additional resource identifier, the authentication parameters, and display coordinates for the additional content from the second resource.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the display device is connected to the computer via a Wi-Fi Direct compliant wireless connection.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein to transmit packets at the beacon period, the computer is further configured to:

transmit a beacon packet for the wireless connection, wherein the beacon packet includes the settings including the resource identifier for the first content, the display coordinates, and the image data for the second content;

and wherein the second processor is further configured to, in response to each beacon packet, store the settings for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates and check, during a beacon period, to determine whether any of the settings have changed, and perform the transmitting of the request, and the combining of the rendered first content and the image data, based on the settings for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to detect whether the display device is connected to the computer network for accessing the first resource.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein, in response to detecting the display device is not connected to the computer network for accessing the first resource, the computer is configured to combine the first content from the first resource and the second content from the local storage, and transmits the combined content for display on the display device.

7. A process for a display device to generate and present display data from a computer based on data received from the computer over a wireless connection, comprising:

the display device receiving packets transmitted at a beacon period over the wireless connection from the computer, wherein a packet comprises settings including data indicating a resource identifier for first content from a first resource remote from the display device and remote from the computer, display coordinates for displaying the first content from the first resource relative to image data for second content, and the image data for the second content rendered at the computer;

a processor of the display device, in response to a received packet with changed settings, updating settings stored for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates;

the processor of the display device transmitting a request over a computer network to the first resource, the request including the resource identifier from the stored settings;

the processor of the display device receiving the first content from the first resource over the computer network;

the processor of the display device rendering the first content locally at the display device; and

the processor of the display device combining the rendered first content from the first resource and the image data for the second content received from the computer based on at least the display coordinates from the stored settings; and

the processor of the display device causing the combined content to be displayed on the display device.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving additional data over the wireless connection from the computer, the additional data including a second resource identifier for a second resource remote from, and accessible over a computer network by, the display device, authentication parameters for accessing the second resource, and additional display coordinates for additional content from the second resource.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein combining further comprises:

combining the additional content from the second resource with the combined content based on at least the additional display coordinates.

10. The process of claim 7, wherein the display device is connected to the computer via a Wi-Fi Direct compliant wireless connection.

11. The process of claim 7, wherein the receiving packets transmitted at the beacon period comprises receiving a beacon packet for the wireless connection, wherein the beacon packet comprises data indicative of the settings, and the process further comprises:

the processor for the display device, in response to each beacon packet, storing the settings for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates;

the processor of the display device checking during a beacon period to determine whether any of the settings have changed; and

the processor of the display device performing the transmitting of the request, and the combining of the rendered first content and the image data, based on the settings.

12. The process of claim 7, further comprising:

the display device communicating to the computer whether the display device is connected to the computer network for accessing the first resource.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to the display device communicating to the computer that the display device is not connected to the computer network for accessing the first resource, display device receiving, from the computer, the second content from the computer and the first content from the first resource.

14. A display device comprising:

a display;

a computing device having a communication device for connection with a computer network and a wireless connection device for establishing a wireless connection with a host computer, the computing device generating and presenting display data from the host computer by using a computer program stored in memory and executed by a processor to;

receive packets transmitted at a beacon period through the wireless connection device over the wireless connection from the host computer, wherein each packet comprises data indicating a resource identifier for first content stored on a first resource remote from the display device and remote from the host computer, display coordinates for displaying the first content from the first resource relative to image data for second content, and the image data for the second content previously rendered by the host computer;

in response to a received packet with changed settings, update settings stored for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates;

transmit a request over the computer network through the communication device to the first resource, the request including the resource identifier from the stored settings;

receive the first content from the first resource over the computer network through the communication device;

render the first content locally at the display device;

combine the rendered first content and the image data for the second content previously rendered by the host computer using the processor and based on at least the display coordinates from the stored settings; and

display the combined content on the display.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the computing device executes the computer program further to:

receive data through the wireless connection device over the wireless connection from the host computer, a resource identifier for additional content from a second resource remote from and accessible over a computer network by the display device, and authentication parameters for the display device to access the second resource, and additional display coordinates for the additional content from the second resource.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein combining the first content and the second content further includes combining the first content from the first resource, the additional content from the second resource and the second content from the host computer based on at least the display coordinates for the first content and the additional display coordinates for the additional content.

17. The display device of claim 14, wherein the wireless connection device comprises a Wi-Fi Direct compliant wireless connection device.

18. The display device of claim 14, wherein receiving packets transmitted at the beacon period comprises receiving a beacon packet for the wireless connection, wherein the beacon packet comprises data indicative of the settings, and wherein the computing device of the display device is further operative to:

in response to each beacon packet, store the settings for the resource identifier, the image data and the display coordinates;

check during a beacon period to determine whether any of the settings have changed; and

perform the transmitting of the request and the combining of the rendered first content and the image data based on the settings.

19. The display device of claim 14, wherein the computing device executes the computer program further to:

communicate to the host computer whether the display device is connected to the computer network for accessing the first resource.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the computing device executes the computer program further to, in response to a determination that the display device is not connected to the computer network to access the first resource, receive, from the host computer, the first content from the first resource.