METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SWITCHING MEDIA RENDERERS DURING STREAMING PLAYBACK OF CONTENT

• US 20120185574A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHO, Joon-ho, YOON, Hyun-sik
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and a device for switching a media renderer to another media renderer while a client performs streaming playback of content of a server are provided. Accordingly, a first client that performs streaming playback of the content transmits playback environment information and a URL of the content to the second client, and the second client transmits the received information and information about features of the second client to the server and requests the corresponding content which has the optimized format for the second client from the server. Therefore, a user can continue to watch the media content through a new media renderer in existing playback environment setting without additional manipulation.

Claims

1. A method for performing playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a display device client of the server, playback position information directly from a wireless device client of the server, not via the server, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position;

(b) receiving, by the display device client, the digital media content data from the server; and

(c) starting, by the display device client, playback of the digital media content data from the playback position in the digital media content data based on the playback position information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating information about features of the display device client; and

transmitting the generated information to the server such that the server can transmit the digital media content data to the display device client in an optimal format based on the information.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer and a UPnP Control Point, and the display device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer,

and wherein the receiving the playback position information includes receiving from the wireless device client a UPnP control message invoking AVT:

;

Seek( )action of the display device client.

3. A display device client which performs playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the display device client comprising:

a receiver which receives playback position information directly from a wireless device client of the server, not via the server, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

a playback unit which receives the digital media content data from the server and starts playback of the digital media content data from the playback position in the digital media content data based on the playback position information.

4. The display device client of claim 3, further comprising:

a generator which generates information about features of the display device client; and

a transmitter which transmits the generated information about features of the display device client to the server such that the server can transmit the digital media content data to the display device client in an optimal format based on the generated information.

5. The display device client of claim 4, wherein the information about the features of the display device client includes at least one of screen size information, information about playable content formats, and information about a supported resolution.

27. The display device client of claim 3, wherein the wireless device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer and a UPnP Control Point, and the display device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer,

and wherein the receiver receives the playback position information from the wireless device client through a UPnP control message invoking AVT:

;

Seek( ) action of the display device client.

6. A method for switching from a wireless device client to a display device client, playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the method comprising:

(a) generating, by the wireless device client, playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

(b) transmitting, by the wireless device client, the generated playback position information to the display device client directly, not via the server, such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(c) terminating the playback of the digital media content data after the display device client starts the playback of the digital media content data.

26. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer and a UPnP Control Point, and the display device client is embedded with a UPnP Media Renderer,

and wherein the transmitting the generated playback position information includes transmitting to the display device client a UPnP control message invoking AVT:

;

Seek( ) action of the display device client.

8. A wireless device client which switches, from the wireless device client to a display device client, playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the wireless device client comprising:

a generator which generates playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

a transmitter which transmits the generated playback position information to the display device client directly, not via the server, such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

9. The wireless device client of claim 8, further comprising:

a playback unit which terminates the playback of the digital media content data after the display device client starts the playback of the digital media content data.

28. The wireless device client of claim 8, wherein the transmitter transmits the generated playback position information to the display device client through a UPnP control message invoking AVT:

;

Seek( )action of the display device client.

10. A method for performing playback of digital media content provided by a server, the method comprising:

(a) generating, by a wireless device client, playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

(b) obtaining, by the wireless device client, access information directly, not via the server, from the display device client, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

(c) transmitting, by the wireless device client, the playback position information and the access information to the server such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining information about features of the display device client from the display device client; and

transmitting the obtained information about the features of the display device client to the server such that the server can transmit the digital media content data to the display device client in an optimal format based on the obtained information.

29. The method of claim 10, wherein the display device client is in a home network, the access information includes authentication information needed for accessing the display device client from outside of the home network.

12. A wireless device client which performs playback of digital media content provided by a server, the wireless device client comprising:

a generator which generates playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

a receiver which obtains access information directly, not via the server, from the display device client, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

a transmitter which transmits the playback position information and the access information to the server such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

13. The wireless device client of claim 12, wherein the receiver obtains information about features of the display device client from the display device client, and the transmitter transmits the obtained information about the features of the display device client to the server such that the server can transmit the digital media content data to the display device client in an optimal format based on the obtained information.

14. The wireless device client of claim 13, wherein the information about the features of the display device client includes at least one of screen size information, information about playable content formats, and information about a supported resolution.

30. The wireless device client of claim 12, wherein the display device client is in a home network, the access information includes authentication information needed for accessing the display device client from outside of the home network.

15. A method for providing digital media content data from a server to a display device client, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by the server, playback position information from a wireless device client, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position;

(b) receiving, by the server, access information directly from the wireless device client, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

(c) transmitting, by the server, the digital media content data to the display device client using the access information such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information about features of the display device client from the display device client, wherein (c) comprises;

(c1) determining an optimal format of the digital media content data for the display device client by referring to the received information about the features of the display device client; and

(c2) transmitting the digital media content data in the optimal format to the display device client.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information about the features of the display device client includes at least one of screen size information, information about playable content formats, and information about a supported resolution.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein the display device client is in a home network, the access information includes authentication information needed for accessing the display device client from outside of the home network.

18. A server which provides digital media content data to a display device client, the server comprising:

a receiver which receives playback position information and access information directly from a wireless device client, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

a transmitter which transmits the digital media content data to the display device client using the access information such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the receiver receives information about features of the display device client from the display device client, and wherein the transmitter comprises:

a format determiner which determines an optimal format of the digital media content data for the display device client by referring to the received information about the features of the display device client; and

a streaming unit which performs streaming transmission of the digital media content data in the optimal format to the display device client.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the information about the features of the display device client includes at least one of screen size information, information about playable content formats, and information about a supported resolution.

32. The server of claim 18, wherein the display device client is in a home network, the access information includes authentication information needed for accessing the display device client from outside of the home network.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of performing playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the process comprising:

(a) receiving, by a display device client of the server, playback position information directly from a wireless device client of the server, not via the server, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position;

(b) receiving, by the display device client, the digital media content data from the server; and

(c) starting, by the display device client, playback of the digital media content data from the playback position in the digital media content data based on the playback position information.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of switching from a wireless device client to a display device client, playback of digital media content data provided by a server, the process comprising:

(a) generating, by the wireless device client, playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

(b) transmitting, by the wireless device client, the generated playback position information to the display device client directly, not via the server, such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of performing playback of digital media content provided by a server, the process comprising:

(a) generating, by a wireless device client, playback position information which specifies a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position; and

(b) obtaining, by the wireless device client, access information directly, not via the server, from the display device client, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

(c) transmitting, by the wireless device client, the playback position information and the access information to the server such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of providing digital media content data from a server to a display device client, the process comprising:

(a) receiving, by the server, playback position information from a wireless device client, the playback position information specifying a playback position in the digital media content data, the wireless device client being currently performing playback of the digital media content data relating to the playback position;

(b) receiving, by the server, access information directly from the wireless device client, the access information being needed for access by the server to the display device client; and

(c) transmitting, by the server, the digital media content data to the display device client using the access information such that the display device client can start playback of the digital media content data from the playback position.