Management system for rich media environments

• US 20050080849A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanguay, Donald, Harville, Michael, Baker, Henry Harlyn, Wee, Susie J., Covell, Michele, Gelb, Daniel G., Bhatti, Nina T.
• Application Number:
  US10/682,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080849A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• 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 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections

Abstract

A management system for a rich media environment that enables relatively large numbers of sensing and rendering components to be marshaled for a variety of tasks and services. A management system according to the present teachings includes a service manager that provides a communication service pertaining to the rich media environment by coordinating a set of tasks in the rich media environment and further includes a task manager that manages each task by allocating a set of processing resources and communication resources to each task and performing each task in response to a request for each task from the service manager.

Claims

1. A management system for a rich media environment, comprising:

service manager that provides a communication service pertaining to the rich media environment by coordinating a set of tasks in the rich media environment;

task manager that manages each task by allocating a set of processing resources and communication resources to each task and performing each task in response to a request for each task from the service manager.

2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the tasks include a task for tracking a movement of an individual in the rich media environment.

3. The management system of claim 1, wherein the tasks include a task for obtaining a set of sensor data from a location in the rich media environment.

4. The management system of claim 1, wherein the tasks include a task for rendering a set of data to a location in the rich media environment.

5. The management system of claim 1, wherein the tasks include a task for finding an individual in the rich media environment.

6. The management system of claim 1, wherein the tasks include a task for generating a 3D model of a set of objects in the rich media environment.

7. The management system of claim 1, wherein the communication service is a service for tracking a movement of each of a set of individuals in the rich media environment.

8. The management system of claim 1, wherein the communication service is a service for providing a communication channel among a set of individuals in the rich media environment.

9. The management system of claim 1, wherein the communication service is a service for tracking an artifact in the rich media environment.

10. The management system of claim 1, further comprising a user manager that maintains a user profile for each of a set of individuals associated with the rich media environment.

11. The management system of claim 10, wherein each user profile includes a set of attributes pertaining to the corresponding individual.

12. The management system of claim 10, wherein each user profile identifies any portable devices in the rich media environment that pertain to the corresponding individual.

13. The management system of claim 1, further comprising a component manager that maintains a component record for each of a set of sensing and rendering components associated with the rich media environment.

14. The management system of claim 13, wherein each component record specifies a location and a coverage area pertaining to the rich media environment.

15. The management system of claim 13, wherein the component manager maintains a component record for each of a set of processing resources and network resources associated with the rich media environment.

16. The management system of claim 13, wherein the component manager maintains a component record for each of a set of portable devices associated with the rich media environment.

17. The management system of claim 1, further comprising an interest area manager that manages a set of interest areas in the rich media environment.

18. The management system of claim 17, wherein the interest area manager maintains an interest area record for each interest area that specifies one or more individuals and sensing and rendering components for the corresponding interest area.

19. The management system of claim 1, further comprising an interest thread manager that manages a set of interest threads that pertain to the rich media environment.

20. The management system of claim 1, further comprising a system controller that enables operator control over portions of the management system.

21. A method for managing a rich media environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a communication service pertaining to the rich media environment by coordinating a set of tasks in the rich media environment;

managing each task by allocating a set of processing resources and communication resources to each task and performing each task in response to a request for each task.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of maintaining a user profile for each of a set of individuals associated with the rich media environment.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of sensing and rendering components associated with the rich media environment.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of processing resources and network resources associated with the rich media environment.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of portable devices associated with the rich media environment.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of managing a set of interest areas in the rich media environment.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more of the interest areas each pertain to an artifact.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of maintaining an interest area record for each interest area that specifies one or more individuals and sensing and rendering components for the corresponding interest area.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of managing a set of interest threads that pertain to the rich media environment.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of performing manual control over the interest areas and the interest threads.

31. A computer-readable storage media that contains a set of code that when executed manages a rich media environment by performing the steps of:

providing a communication service pertaining to the rich media environment by coordinating a set of tasks in the rich media environment;

managing each task by allocating a set of processing resources and communication resources to each task and performing each task in response to a request for each task.

32. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, further comprising the step of maintaining a user profile for each of a set of individuals associated with the rich media environment.

33. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of sensing and rendering components associated with the rich media environment.

34. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of processing resources and network resources associated with the rich media environment.

35. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, further comprising the step of maintaining a component record for each of a set of portable devices associated with the rich media environment.

36. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, further comprising the step of managing a set of interest areas in the rich media environment.

37. The computer-readable storage media of claim 31, wherein one or more of the interest areas each pertain to an artifact.

38. The computer-readable storage media of claim 36, further comprising the step of maintaining an interest area record for each interest area that specifies one or more individuals and sensing and rendering components for the corresponding interest area.

39. The computer-readable storage media of claim 38, further comprising the step of managing a set of interest threads that pertain to the rich media environment.

40. The computer-readable storage media of claim 39, further comprising the step of enabling a manual control over the interest areas and the interest threads.