Method for controlling services

• US 20050076127A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Haydock, Steven Nicholas, Wilson, Julian Marcus, O'Connor, Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling services provided at a first electronic device at a second electronic device. A plurality of electronic devices connected to a network provide services in the form of providing data to the network, or allowing the data to be manipulated. Each service is represented as a manipulable data object created at the device providing the service. Each object contains sufficient information to allow the service the object represents to be controlled. The objects are transmitted over the network and are stored in an object list maintained by a master device. Any compatible device may then retrieve an object from the object list and use the information contained in it to fully control the service.

Claims

1. A method for transferring control of services provided over a network between a first electronic device and a second electronic device in the network comprising the steps of:

the first electronic device creating a first object in response to performing an action to control a service;

transmitting the first object over the network;

storing the first object in an object list;

controlling the action performed by the first electronic device from the second electronic device using the first object, thereby transferring control of the service from the first electronic device to the second electronic device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a second object to represent the service in response to a third electronic device making the service available to the network;

transmitting the second object over the network;

storing the second object in the object list;

controlling the service provided at the third electronic device from the first electronic device using the second object.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

the first electronic device retrieving the second object from the object list;

using the information contained in the second object to locate the source of the service from within the network.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second object is created in response to the availability of data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the data is in the form of a video and/or audio data stream, or a data block.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first electronic device controls the service by retrieving the second object from the object list and initiating a play-back of a data stream.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the action is pausing the play-back of a data stream.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second electronic device controls the action by retrieving the first object from the object list and resuming the play-back.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third electronic devices is at a different location to the others.

10. The method according claim 1, further comprising the step of one of the electronic devices maintaining the object list.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second object is similar to the first object.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting an object over the network further comprises the step of periodically retransmitting the object to confirm that the object remains available.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of removing the object from the object list if a retransmitted object is not received within a predetermined period of time.

32. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions that when executed on a processor causes the processor to undertake the method according to claim 1.

33. A computer program product having stored thereon computer executable instructions according to claim 32.

14. An electronic device of the type capable of performing an action to control a service available over a network comprising a processor arranged to:

analyse the action;

extract information from the action;

create a first object representing the action;

transmit the first object over the network;

whereby at least one other electronic device in the network can control the action using the transmitted first object.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, further capable of providing a service over the network and wherein the processor is further arranged to:

analyse the service;

extract information from the service;

create a second object representing the service;

transmit the second object over the network;

whereby at least one other electronic device in the network can control the service using the transmitted second object.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the electronic device capable of performing an action to control a service is an electronic device capable of pausing or resuming a data stream.

17. The electronic device according to claim 14, further arranged to retrieve an object from the network and to control an action using the retrieved object.

18. The electronic device according to claim 14, further arranged to periodically retransmit the first or second objects over the network.

19. The electronic device according to claim 14, further arranged to maintain an object list for storing objects transmitted over the network by executing a controlling program.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the electronic device is further arranged to maintain the object list for presentation as one or more web pages.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the web pages are created using DHTML and JavaScript.

22. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the electronic device is further arranged to delete an object from the object list if an object is not retransmitted within a predetermined period of time.

23. The electronic device according to claim 14, further arranged to determine if one of the electronic devices connected to the network having responsibility of execution of one or more computer programs is inoperative, and for identifying another electronic device for taking responsibility of execution of the one or more computer programs.

24. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the first or second object contains information allowing the location of the service or action to be determined.

25. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the first or second object is a text string.

26. The electronic device according to claim 25, wherein the text string contains a plurality of data fields.

27. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein one of the data fields contains an indication of the status of the service or action.

28. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the electronic device comprises one of lap-top computer, desktop computer, games console, television set, set-top box, DVD player, MP3 player, MJPEG camera or digital movie camera.

29. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the network is connected to at least one external data source.

30. The electronic device according to claim 29, wherein the external data source includes at least one of satellite television, cable television, terrestrial digital television, terrestrial television, cable, Telco data, Telco telephone data, or one or more further networks.

31. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the network is an ethernet based network.

34. A network comprising two or more electronic devices according to claim 14.

35. A set-top-box comprising the electronic device according to claim 14.