IMPROVED RENDERING SYSTEM

• US 20140365856A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Booxmedia Oy (Amino Technologies PLC)
• Original Assignee: Booxmedia Oy (Amino Technologies PLC)
• Inventors: Costa-Requena, Jose, Myllyl, Tomi, Sintonen, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that comprises a rendering server, a rendering device, and a control device. The control device and the rendering device comprise a browser. The browsers are used to establish a first web link between the control device and the rendering server, and a second web link between the rendering device and the rendering server. The rendering device may connect to the rendering server over the second web link to register to the rendering server and pair with the control device. The control device may connect to the rendering server over the first web link to register and pair with available rendering devices that would be used for rendering content. During operation the control device may control information identifying the rendering device and a content data item for rendering over the first web link to the rendering server. The rendering server may generate, in response to the first control information, second control information that includes rendering control commands for rendering the identified content data item, and send it to the identified rendering device over the second web link The rendering device renders the content data item according to the rendering control commands received from the rendering server.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a rendering server, a rendering device, and a control device;

wherein

the control device and the rendering device comprise a browser;

the browser of the control device is configured to apply a web address of the rendering server, thereby establishing a first web link;

the browser of the rendering device is configured to apply a web address of the rendering server, thereby establishing a second web link;

the control device is configured to send a browser request including first control information identifying the rendering device and a content data item for rendering over the first web link to the rendering server;

the rendering server is configured to, in response to receiving the first control information, generate second control information including rendering control commands for rendering the identified content data item, the second control information including the first control information in a web page that automatically triggers rendering in the rendering device; and

sending the second control information to the identified rendering device over the second web link; and

the rendering device is configured to render the content data item according to the rendering control commands received in the web page from the rendering server.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rendering device is configured to periodically use the second web link to send an update message to the rendering server, the update message maintaining standby state of the rendering device for receiving rendering control commands.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the rendering device is configured to decrease the period between update messages in response to receiving the activation message.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rendering server and the rendering device are configured to maintain two or more parallel connections applying different transport protocols for the second web link.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rendering server is configured to associate the user with one or more rendering devices;

maintain a list of rendering devices associated with the user and provide this list to the control device to be output to the user.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the rendering server is configured to generate, in response to receiving the first control information from the control device, a random pin and information triggering display of the generated pin in the rendering device, and send the information to the rendering device over the first web link;

the rendering server is configured to check whether the same pin is received from the control device over the second web link;

the rendering server is configured to confirm authority of the user to use the rendering device if the same pin is received from the control device.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rendering device or the control device is configured to send content update information to the rendering server, the content update information comprising information on content data items stored to the device from another source than the rendering server.

8. A method for controlling rendering of content, the method comprising:

operating as a control device in a rendering system;

establishing a web link to the rendering server by configuring a browser of the control device to request information from a rendering server;

using the web link to access from the rendering server information on content data items for rendering;

using the web link to send to the rendering server a browser request including control information identifying a content data item and a rendering device to be used for rendering.

11. A computer program product, readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing a method of claim 8 in a control device, rendering server or rendering device of a rendering system.

9. A method for relaying rendering of content items , the method comprising:

operating as a rendering server in a rendering system;

establishing a first web link by receiving a browser request from a control device;

establishing a second web link by receiving a browser request from a rendering device;

receiving first control information identifying the rendering device and a content data item for rendering over a browser request in the first web link from the control device;

generating, in response to receiving the first control information, second control information including rendering control commands for rendering the identified content data item, the second control information including the first control information in a web page that automatically triggers rendering in the rendering device, and sending the web page including the second control information to the identified rendering device over the second web link.

10. A method for rendering content items , the method comprising:

operating as a rendering device in a rendering system;

configuring a browser of the rendering device with a web address of a rendering server to establish a web link to the rendering server;

receiving over the web link from the rendering server a web page with control information including rendering control commands for rendering an identified content data item; and

automatically triggering rendering of the content data item according to the rendering control commands received in the web page from the rendering server.