System and method for switching of media presentation

• US 20040268262A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Madhuvan, Thomas, Myron Clifford, Saunders, Richard William
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for switching presentation of media between two or more processes without interruption is described. This system and method can enable a user to enjoy media presented in a process and then switch the presentation of that media to another process without interruption in the media. Further, this system and method can enable a user to switch back and forth between media presentation within one application and another application without interruption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a media file within a first user interface of a first process; and

switching the presenting of the media file from the first user interface to a second user interface within a second process,

wherein the switching is performed without interruption in the presenting of the media file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is controlled by a lightweight presentation component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user interface is controlled by a lightweight presentation component within the second process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is controlled by a first lightweight presentation component and the second user interface is controlled by a second lightweight presentation component within the second process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with continuous rendering of the media file from a common renderer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with aid from a common renderer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with aid from a common renderer that executes in the second process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with aid from a common renderer that executes in a third process.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

unloading a work context from the first process prior to rendering the media file in the second process; and

loading the work context from the first process into the second process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first process includes controls for selecting basic media presentation services.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second process includes controls for selecting advanced media presentation services.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that perform the following when executed by a computer:

presenting media within a first process; and

switching the presenting to a second process without interruption in the presenting of the media.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the second process to the first process without interruption in the presenting of the media.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the second process to a third process without interruption in the presenting of the media.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting within the first process is presented in a visual space of a lightweight presentation component in the first process.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting within the first process is presented in a visual space of a lightweight presentation component in the first process and the lightweight presentation component provides controls for basic media-playing services.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting within the first process is presented in a visual space of a lightweight presentation component in the first process, the lightweight presentation component provides controls for basic media-playing services, and the lightweight presentation component is contained within a larger application running within the first process.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting within the first process is performed with aid of a common renderer in a third process.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting within the first process is performed with aid of a common renderer in the second process.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the second process is performed through a full-featured presentation application in the second process.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the second process is performed through a full-featured presentation application in the second process and further comprising providing advanced media-playing services and controls for their selection through the full-featured presentation application.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the second process is performed with aid of a common renderer that is part of a full-featured presentation application in the second process.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the second process is performed with aid of a common renderer in a third process.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the second process is performed with aid of a common renderer in the second process.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the first process and the second process is performed with aid of a common renderer in the second process.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the presenting in the first process and the second process is performed with aid of a common renderer in a third process.

27. A system comprising:

a first application in a first process;

a module in a second process; and

a second application in a third process;

wherein the first application is capable of calling the module to perform a first operation for use by the first application and the second application is capable of calling the module to perform a second operation for use by the second application, and the module is capable of performing the first operation and the second operation.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the module is part of a full-featured presentation application.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the first operation includes rendering media.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the second operation includes rendering media.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the module is capable of switching rendering from sending rendering to the first application to sending rendering to the second application without interruption.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the first operation and the second operation aid in presenting a media file and the module is capable of performing, a continuous third operation that begins with a beginning of the first operation and ends with an end of the second operation.

33. A system comprising:

a first visual space associated with a first process;

a common renderer; and

a second visual space associated with a second process,

wherein the common renderer is capable of rendering media in the first visual space and the second visual space.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the common renderer is associated with the first process.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the common renderer is associated with the second process.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the common renderer is associated with a third process.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the first visual space is part of a first lightweight presentation component.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the common renderer is part of a full-featured presentation application.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the common renderer and the second visual space are part of a full-featured presentation application.

40. A system comprising:

a presentation application in a first process having a user interface; and

a renderer in a second process,

wherein the presentation application is capable of calling the renderer to render a media file to the presentation application for presentation by the presentation application of the media file within the user interface, and the renderer is capable of rendering the media file.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the renderer is part of a full-featured presentation application.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the presentation application is part of a Web browser.

43. A system comprising:

a common renderer in a first process that is capable of rendering media within the first process for presentation in a second process.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of rendering the media for presentation within a visual space within the second process.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of rendering the media for presentation within a user interface within the second process.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of switching the rendering for presentation in the second process to rendering for presentation in the first process.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of switching the rendering for presentation in the second process to rendering for presentation in a third process.

48. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of switching the rendering for presentation in the second process to rendering for presentation in the first process without interrupting the rendering.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is further capable of switching the rendering for presentation in the second process to rendering for presentation in a third process without interrupting the rendering.

50. The system of claim 43, wherein the common renderer is part of a full-featured presentation application.

51. A method comprising:

hooking a lightweight presentation component in a first process to a full-featured presentation application in a second process; and

presenting, with aid of rendering from the full-featured presentation application, a media file in a visual space of the lightweight presentation component.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the full-featured presentation application includes a rendering application that performs the rendering.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the hooking is performed with use of a running object table.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the hooking is performed with use of a normal APIs.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the hooking is performed with use of windows messages.

56. The method of claim 51, wherein the hooking is performed with use of a Component Object Model.

57. The method of claim 51, wherein the hooking is performed with use of remote procedure calls.

58. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

creating the lightweight presentation component;

looking up the full-featured presentation application; and

creating the full-featured presentation application if the full-featured presentation application is not running.

59. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

unhooking the lightweight presentation component from the full-featured presentation application;

destroying the lightweight presentation component; and

destroying the full-featured presentation application if the full-featured presentation application is not hooked to a second lightweight presentation component.

60. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

presenting a second media file in a second process with aid of rendering from the full-featured presentation application if the full-featured presentation application is hooked to a second lightweight presentation component in the second process.

61. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

destroying the lightweight presentation component; and

presenting a second media file in a second process with aid of rendering from the full-featured presentation application if the full-featured presentation application is hooked to a second lightweight presentation component in the second process.

62. An apparatus comprising:

means for presenting media within a first process; and

means for switching the presenting to within a second process without interruption.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising:

means for switching the presenting from the second process to a third process without interruption.

64. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising:

means for switching the presenting from the second process back to the first process without interruption.