Wireless control of streaming computing device

• US 10,462,201 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Daly, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US15/725,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20180097860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter includes techniques for wireless control. A system includes a processor. The system also includes a computer-readable memory storage device storing executable instructions that can be executed by the processor to cause the processor to receive a connection request from a wireless controller. The processor can also send a request for a media stream and a request for a wireless monitoring acknowledgement to a host device. The processor can also receive a response from the host device with the wireless monitoring acknowledgment. The processor can also further receive a message from the host device acknowledging a reception with the wireless controller. The processor can stop monitoring for control data from the wireless controller in response to the host device acknowledging the reception with the wireless controller. The processor can further receive the media stream from the host device.

Claims

1. A wireless controller, comprising:

a processor and memory storing instructions to cause the processor to;

establish a first direct wireless connection with a target device;

establish a second direct wireless connection with a host device while maintaining the first direct wireless connection; and

send, in response to detecting that the host device is responding via the second direct wireless connection, system data via the first direct wireless connection to the target device and control data to the host device via the second direct wireless connection.

2. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is to send, in response to detecting that the host device is not responding via the second direct wireless connection, both the control data and the system data to the target device via the first direct wireless connection, the control data to be rebroadcasted to the host device via a third direct wireless connection or a wireless local area connection and the system data to be processed by the target device.

3. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is to detect a beacon from the target device and send a connection request to the target device.

4. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is to monitor for a beacon from the host device.

5. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the system data is to be used by the target device to control a user interface on the target device.

6. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless controller comprises one or more buttons associated with the system data, the system data to be generated by pressing one or more of the buttons.

7. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the control data is to be used to render a media stream on the host device.

8. The wireless controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless controller is to select the second direct wireless connection to send the control data based on latency, reliability, or both.

9. A method for wireless control, comprising:

establishing, at a wireless controller, a first direct wireless connection with a target device;

establishing, at the wireless controller, a second direct wireless connection with a host device while maintaining the first direct wireless connection; and

sending, in response to detecting that the host device is responding via the second direct wireless connection, system data via the first direct wireless connection to the target device and control data to the host device via the second direct wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising sending, in response to detecting that the host device is not responding via the second direct wireless connection, both control data and system data to the target device via the first direct wireless connection, the control data to be rebroadcasted to the host device via a third direct wireless connection or a wireless local area connection and the system data to be processed by the target device.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising detecting, at the wireless controller, a beacon from the target device and send a connection request to the target device.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising monitoring, via the wireless controller, for a beacon from the host device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the system data is to be used by the target device to control a user interface on the target device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the control data is to be used to render a media stream on the host device.

15. The method of claim 9, comprising selecting, via the wireless controller, the second direct wireless connection to send the control data based on latency, reliability, or both.

16. One or more computer-readable memory storage devices for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, instruct wireless control of devices, the computer-readable instructions comprising code to:

establish a first direct wireless connection with a target device;

establish a second direct wireless connection with a host device while maintaining the first direct wireless connection; and

send, in response to detecting that the host device is responding via the second direct wireless connection, system data via the first direct wireless connection to the target device and control data to the host device via the second direct wireless connection.

17. The one or more computer-readable memory storage devices of claim 16, the computer-readable instructions comprising code to send, in response to detecting that the host device is not responding via the second direct wireless connection, both control data and system data to the target device via the first direct wireless connection, the control data to be rebroadcasted to the host device via a third direct wireless connection or a wireless local area connection and the system data to be processed by the target device.

18. The one or more computer-readable memory storage devices of claim 16, the computer-readable instructions comprising code to detect a beacon from the target device and send a connection request to the target device.

19. The one or more computer-readable memory storage devices of claim 16, the computer-readable instructions comprising code to monitor for a beacon from the host device.

20. The one or more computer-readable memory storage devices of claim 16, the computer-readable instructions comprising code to control a user interface on the target device based on the system data.