REMOTE SESSION MEDIA PLAYBACK

• US 20080005801A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stoyanov, Vladimir K., Abdo, Nadim Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a first computer system is capable of performing a method whereby the first computer system may provide a continuous media data flow to a second computer system. The method involves the first computer system accessing media information that is to be presented at a second computer system. The first computer system formulates metadata representing the location and boundaries of a media application window. The first computer system formulates windows presentation information representative of the configuration of other interface elements that are to be presented along with the media information at the second computer system. The first computing system transmits the windows presentation information to the second computer system. The first computing system transmits the metadata to the second computer system and separately transmits the media information to the second computer system.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method for a first computer system to provide a continuous media data flow to a second computer system, the method comprising:

an act of the first computer system accessing media information that is to be presented at a second computer system, the second computer system connected to a common network with the first computer system;

an act of the first computer system formulating metadata representing the location and boundaries of a media application window configured to present the accessed media information at the second computer system and the format type of the media information;

an act of formulating windows presentation information representative of the configuration of other interface elements that are to be presented along with the media information at the second computer system;

an act of transmitting the windows presentation information, to the second computer system such that the second computer system can appropriately present the other interface elements;

an act of transmitting the metadata to the second computer system to inform the second computer system of the location and area of the media application window and the media information format type; and

an act of separately transmitting the media information over the network to the second computer system such that the media information can be subject to further processing without affecting the windows presentation information.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the act of the first computer system formulating metadata representing the location and boundaries of a media application window configured to present the accessed media information at the second computer system and the format type of the media information comprises using a video mixer renderer (VMR) to determine the location and boundaries of the media application window used to display the media information.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the act of the first computer system formulating metadata representing the location and boundaries of a media application window configured to present the accessed media information at the second computer system and the format type of the media information comprises using driver-level heuristics to determine the location and boundaries of the media application window used to display the media information.

4. The computer program product according to claim 1, further comprising an act of the first computer system compressing the media information in order to improve transferability over the common network connection.

5. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the media information is compressed at a variable rate of compression.

6. The computer program product according to claim 5, wherein the variable rate of compression is based on network state information.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the network state information comprises parameters including current level of network traffic, available bandwidth, routing path, and physical distance between nodes.

8. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the compressed media information is spooled until the network state information indicates that a substantially reliable connection exists such that the compressed media information can be continuously transmitted.

9. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the media information is compressed using a codec.

10. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the media information is compressed in real-time.

11. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the media information is compressed using DirectShow.

12. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the first and second computer systems are engaged in a terminal server session.

13. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the second computer system is capable of accessing the transmitted media information and rendering the media information using a media player.

14. The computer program product according to claim 1, further comprising an act of the first computer system reformatting the media information to a different format type to facilitate playback on media players incapable of representing the media information in its original format.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the format type includes at least the following:

Audio Video Interleave (AVI), Windows Media Video (WMV), Windows Media Audio (WMA), Moving Picture Experts Group 1 (MPEG-1), MPEG-2, MPEG-3, MPEG-4, Apple™

Quicktime, Macromedia™

Flash, RealNetworks™

RealMedia, RealVideo, and RealAudio, Ogg Vorbis and Theora, and Google™

Video.

17. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the first and second computer systems are engaged in a terminal server session.

16. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method for a first computer system to provide a synchronized media data flow to a second computer system, the method comprising:

an act of the first computer system attaching a timestamp to an audio portion of media information that is to be transmitted to a second computer system;

an act of the first computer system attaching a timestamp to a video portion corresponding to the time stamp of the audio portion of the media information;

an act of synchronizing the audio and video portions of the media information by arranging the audio and video portions according to the timestamp of the audio portion; and

an act of transmitting the synchronized audio and video portions of the received media information.

18. In a computing environment, a method for a first computer system to provide a continuous media data flow to a second computer system, the method comprising:

an act of the first computer system accessing media information that is to be presented at a second computer system, the second computer system connected to a common network with the first computer system;

an act of the first computer system formulating metadata representing the location and boundaries of a media application window configured to present the accessed media information at the second computer system and the format type of the media information;

an act of formulating windows presentation information representative of the configuration of other interface elements that are to be presented along with the media information at the second computer system;

an act of transmitting the windows presentation information, to the second computer system such that the second computer system can appropriately present the other interface elements;

an act of transmitting the metadata to the second computer system to inform the second computer system of the location and area of the media application window and the media information format type; and

an act of separately transmitting the media information over the network to the second computer system such that the media information can be subject to further processing without affecting the windows presentation information

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising an act of the first computer system compressing the media information in order to improve transferability over the common network connection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the media information is compressed at a variable rate of compression.