DIGITAL MEDIA RENDERER FOR USE WITH A CONTENT SYSTEM

• US 20110289199A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Chien Feng, Liao, Chi Chung, Kuo, Chin-Ying
• Application Number:
  US12/968,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20110289199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for implementing a digital media renderer for use with a content system. Embodiments include: providing a digital media renderer including an audio/video transport component, a connection manager component, and a rendering control component; receiving, at the digital media renderer from a control point, a request to play a media content item, the request including information indicative of a media format corresponding to the media content item; executing the connection manager component, by use of a data processor, to determine if the media format is supported by the digital media renderer; executing the audio/video transport component, by use of the data processor, to manage a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the media content item and to manage the transport of the media content item for rendering; and executing the rendering control component, by use of the data processor, to change a device setting in rendering hardware.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a digital media renderer including an audio/video transport component, a connection manager component, and a rendering control component;

receiving, at the digital media renderer from a control point, a request to play a media content item, the request including information indicative of a media format corresponding to the media content item;

executing the connection manager component, by use of a data processor, to determine if the media format is supported by the digital media renderer;

executing the audio/video transport component, by use of the data processor, to manage a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the media content item and to manage the transport of the media content item for rendering; and

executing the rendering control component, by use of the data processor, to change a device setting in rendering hardware.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the control point is from a group:

digital media controller, personal computer, and mobile telephone.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the audio/video transport component is partitioned into an audio/video transport provider and an audio/video transport adapter;

the connection manager component is partitioned into a connection manager provider and a connection manager adapter; and

the rendering control component is partitioned into a rendering control provider and a rendering control adapter.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the digital media renderer is configured to receive and render content from multiple sources.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the audio/video transport component, the connection manager component, and the rendering control component are configured to register different types of callback methods.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 including providing a user interface in data communication with the control point and enabling a user to select a particular media content item for rendering by the digital media renderer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 including creating a virtual transport instance for rendering the media content item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 including providing a renderer storage device in the digital media renderer for storage of a virtual transport table shared by the audio/video transport component, the connection manager component, and the rendering control component.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the digital media renderer is a network discoverable device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the digital media renderer includes a playback manager to play the media content item on the rendering hardware.

11. A system comprising:

one or more data processors;

a data network interface in communication with the one or more data processors;

digital media renderer being executable by the one or more data processors to;

provide an audio/video transport component, a connection manager component, and a rendering control component;

receive, at the digital media renderer from a control point, a request to play a media content item, the request including information indicative of a media format corresponding to the media content item;

execute the connection manager component, by use of the one or more data processors, to determine if the media format is supported by the digital media renderer;

execute the audio/video transport component, by use of the one or more data processors, to manage a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the media content item and to manage the transport of the media content item for rendering; and

execute the rendering control component, by use of the one or more data processors, to change a device setting in rendering hardware.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control point is from a group:

digital media controller, personal computer, and mobile telephone.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio/video transport component is partitioned into an audio/video transport provider and an audio/video transport adapter;

the connection manager component is partitioned into a connection manager provider and a connection manager adapter; and

the rendering control component is partitioned into a rendering control provider and a rendering control adapter.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the digital media renderer is configured to receive and render content from multiple sources.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio/video transport component, the connection manager component, and the rendering control component are configured to register different types of callback methods.

16. The system of claim 11 being configured to provide a user interface in data communication with the control point and enabling a user to select a particular media content item for rendering by the digital media renderer.

17. The system of claim 11 being configured to create a virtual transport instance for rendering the media content item.

18. The system of claim 11 being configured to provide a renderer storage device in the digital media renderer for storage of a virtual transport table shared by the audio/video transport component, the connection manager component, and the rendering control component.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the digital media renderer is a network discoverable device.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the digital media renderer includes a playback manager to play the media content item on the rendering hardware.

21. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

provide an audio/video transport component, a connection manager component, and a rendering control component;

receive, at the digital media renderer from a control point, a request to play a media content item, the request including information indicative of a media format corresponding to the media content item;

execute the connection manager component, by use of the one or more data processors, to determine if the media format is supported by the digital media renderer;

execute the audio/video transport component, by use of the one or more data processors, to manage a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the media content item and to manage the transport of the media content item for rendering; and

execute the rendering control component, by use of the one or more data processors, to change a device setting in rendering hardware.

22. A user platform with a data network interface, the user platform comprising:

a content information cache; and

a user interface component being executable by one or more data processors to;

provide an audio/video transport component, a connection manager component, and a rendering control component;

receive, at the digital media renderer from a control point, a request to play a media content item, the request including information indicative of a media format corresponding to the media content item;

execute the connection manager component, by use of the one or more data processors, to determine if the media format is supported by the digital media renderer;

execute the audio/video transport component, by use of the one or more data processors, to manage a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the media content item and to manage the transport of the media content item for rendering; and

execute the rendering control component, by use of the one or more data processors, to change a device setting in rendering hardware.