Image display device and method of announcing a presence of an image display device over a network

• US 20040267891A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hoeye, Robin F., Castaldi, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/00 Cameras details G03B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00928 Initialisation or control of normal start-up or shut-down, i.e. non failure or error related
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0031 where the still picture apparatus acts as the master
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0062 : Stand-alone interface device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0072 : Detecting the status of a connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 : Image display device

Abstract

In an image display device, a method of communicating over a network an invitation to use the image display device to at least one image source connected to the network is provided. The method may include forming an invitation message, wherein the invitation message contains an invitation for an image source to connect to the image display device to use a service on the image display device, and sending the invitation message to a multicasting address on the network.

Claims

1. In an image display device, a method of communicating over a network an invitation to use the image display device to at least one image source connected to the network, the method comprising:

forming an invitation message, wherein the invitation message contains an invitation for the image sources to connect to the image display device to use a service on the image display device; and

sending the invitation message to a multicasting address on the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the invitation message contains information regarding a status of the service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information regarding a status of the service includes information regarding an availability of the service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is an image data processing service configured to receive and process image data sent by an image source connected to the service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is an image display device administration service that allows adjustments to be made to settings of the image display device by an image source connected to the service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically sending the invitation message to the multicast address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a connection request from a requesting image source over the network, forming a connection to the requesting image source, and receiving data from the requesting image source.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending an announcement of unavailability message to the multicast address after forming a connection to the first image source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the invitation message is a single IP packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the invitation message includes content in XML format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the invitation message contains information regarding services on the image display device, and wherein an identity of each service on the image display device is included as an XML element in the invitation message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a port of service for each service on the image display device is coded as an attribute of the XML element for that service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the invitation message includes a time-to-live (TTL) setting of 1.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of services to which the image source can connect are on the image display device, further comprising sending a separate invitation message for each service.

15. In an image source, a method of discovering and using an image display device connected to the network, the method comprising:

monitoring a multicast address on the network;

receiving an invitation message sent by the image display device to the multicast address, wherein the announcement message contains information regarding an identity of the image display device;

connecting to the image display device over the network; and

sending data to the image display device over the network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving an invitation message sent by the image display device includes periodically receiving invitation messages sent by the image display device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the invitation message includes information regarding a time interval between invitation message transmissions, further comprising signaling to a user that a projector is no longer available if a preselected multiple of the time interval between invitation message transmissions passes without receiving an additional invitation message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device is stored in a database after extraction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the invitation message includes information regarding a time interval between invitation message transmissions, and wherein the image source is configured to remove the information regarding the network address of the image display device from the database if a preselected multiple of the time interval between invitation message transmissions passes without receiving an additional invitation message.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device includes an IP address of the image display device.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device includes a name of the image display device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the image source includes a list of names of a plurality of image display devices and associated IP addresses of the plurality of image display devices.

23. In a projection device, a method of communicating over a network a status of the projection device to at least one image source connected to the network, the method comprising:

forming an announcement message, wherein the announcement message contains information regarding an availability of the projection device; and

sending the announcement message to a multicast address on the network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains an invitation to connect to and use the projection device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the announcement message contains an invitation to connect to and use an administrative service that allows projector settings to be changed remotely.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the announcement message contains an invitation to connect to and use a data receiving and processing service that allows image data to be transmitted to the projection device over the network for projection.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains a network address of the projection device.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains information specifying that at least one service on the projection device is available.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains information specifying that at least one service on the projection device is not available.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message takes the form of a single IP packet.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message includes XML content.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein each service available on the projection device is coded as a separate XML element.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein a version of each service available on the projection device is coded as an attribute of an XML element.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains a name of the projection device.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein the announcement message contains a unique key identifying the image source.

36. An image display device including a processor, and memory including code stored thereon, wherein the code is executable by the processor to perform a method of communicating over a network an invitation to use the image display device to at least one image source connected to the network, and wherein the code includes code segments for:

forming an invitation message, wherein the invitation message contains an invitation for an image source to connect to the image display device to use a service on the image display device; and

sending the invitation message to a multicasting address on the network.

37. The image display device of claim 36, wherein the invitation message contains information regarding a status of the service.

38. The image display device of claim 37, wherein the information regarding a status of the service includes information regarding an availability of the service.

39. The image display device of claim 37, wherein the service is an image data processing service configured to receive and process image data sent by the image source connected to the service.

40. The image display device of claim 37, wherein the service is an image display device administration service that allows adjustments to be made to settings of the image display device by an image source connected to the service.

41. The image display device of claim 36, further comprising periodically sending the invitation message to the multicast address.

42. The image display device of claim 36, further comprising receiving a connection request from a requesting image source over the network, forming a connection to the requesting image source, and receiving data from the requesting image source.

43. The image display device of claim 42, further comprising sending an announcement of unavailability message to the multicast address after forming a connection to the first image source.

44. The image display device of claim 36, wherein the invitation message is a single IP packet.

45. The image display device of claim 36, wherein the invitation message includes content in XML format.

46. The image display device of claim 45, wherein the invitation message contains information regarding services on the image display device, and wherein an identity of each service on the image display device is included as an XML element in the invitation message.

47. The image display device of claim 46, wherein a port of service for each service on the image display device is coded as an attribute of the XML element for that service.

48. The image display device of claim 36, wherein the invitation message includes a time-to-live (TTL) setting of 1.

49. The image display device of claim 36, wherein a plurality of services to which the image source can connect are on the image display device, further comprising sending a separate invitation message for each service.

50. An image source configured to send image data to an image display device over a network, the image source including a processor and memory having code stored thereon, wherein the code is executable by the processor to perform a method of discovering and using an image display device connected to the network, and wherein the code includes code segments for:

monitoring a multicast address on the network;

receiving an invitation message sent by the image display device to the multicast address, wherein the invitation message contains information regarding an identity of the image display device;

connecting to the image display device over the network; and

sending data to the image display device over the network.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein receiving an invitation message sent by the image display device includes periodically receiving invitation messages sent by the image display device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the invitation message includes information regarding a time interval between invitation message transmissions, further comprising signaling to a user that a projector is no longer available if a preselected multiple of the time interval between invitation message transmissions passes without receiving an additional invitation message.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device is stored in a database after extraction.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the invitation message includes information regarding a time interval between invitation message transmissions, and wherein the image source is configured to remove the information regarding the network address of the image display device from the database if a preselected multiple of the time interval between invitation message transmissions passes without receiving an additional invitation message.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device includes an IP address of the image display device.

56. The method of claim 50, wherein the information regarding the identity of the image display device includes a name of the image display device.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the image source includes a list of names of a plurality of image display devices and associated IP addresses of the plurality of image display devices.