Projector control markup language

• US 6,957,232 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Wenban, James D., Hoeye, Robin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US10/195,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 348/725, 348731-734, 355/18, 355/55, 355/25, 710/1, 710/5, 710 15- 19, 715/700, 715/733, 715/744, 715/751, 715/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for controlling a controllable device, such as a projection device. In some embodiments of the invention, a projection system is provided including a projection device and a controller linked to the projection device via a network. The controller may be configured to query and command the projection device using a Projector Control Markup Language (PCML) defined using Extensible Markup Language (XML).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a controller configured to be linked to at least a first projection device and a second projection device via a network, the first projection device responsive to a first command language, and the second projection device responsive to a second command language different from said first command language, the controller further configured to;

query the first projection device using a projector control markup language defined in an extensible markup language;

query the second projection device using said projector control markup language;

receive a first response from said first projection device in response to said query of said first projection device;

receive a second response from said second projection device in response to said query of said second projection device;

send a first command to said first projection device based on said first response from said first projection device; and

send a second command to said second projection device based on said second response from said second projection device.

2. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send a query document requesting status of one of the projection devices.

3. The projection system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to receive a response document from said one of the projection devices reporting a current status of said one of the projection devices.

4. The projection system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to receive a response document from said one of the projection devices reporting ranges for at least one adjustable feature.

5. The projection system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to resend the response document as a command document to restore said one of the projection devices to a status when the response document was generated.

6. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the projector control markup language includes a root element <

pcm1/>

.

7. The projection system of claim 6, wherein the root element <

pcm1/>

is configured to generally query the entire state of one of the projection devices.

8. The projection system of claim 1, wherein one of the projection devices is coupled to a projector control markup language interpreter.

9. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projector control markup language interpreter includes an extensible markup language parser.

10. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projector control markup language interpreter includes an extensible markup language validator.

11. The projection system of claim 1, wherein projector control markup language includes multiple child elements, including at least one selected from the group of system, status, and administration.

12. The projection system of claim 1, wherein projector control markup language includes a password protection mechanism.

13. A method for controlling at least a first projection device having a first command language and a second projection device having a second command language, the method comprising:

querying the first projection device for its capabilities using a projector control markup language and receiving a first response document in response thereto, said projector control markup language defined using extensible markup language;

querying the second projection device for its capabilities using said projector control markup language and receiving a second response document in response thereto;

identifying the capabilities of the first projection device via said first response document;

identifying the capabilities of the second projection device via said second response document;

controlling the first projection device using the first response document; and

controlling the second projection device using the second response document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the capabilities of one of the projection devices includes identifying a current status of said one of the projection devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling one of the projection devices includes resending the response document to said one of the projection devices as a command document.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the capabilities of one of the projection devices includes identifying ranges for each adjustable feature said one of the projection device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the capabilities of one of the projection devices includes identifying a set of commands said one of the projection devices is configured to respond to.

18. A program storage device readable by a machine, the storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to control a projection device, the device comprising:

instructions for sending projector control markup language command documents defined in extensible markup language to each of a first and second projection device to query said devices, the first and second projection devices having different command languages;

instructions for receiving response documents from the projection devices identifying respective information about the first and second projection device; and

instructions for sending commands to the first and second projection devices based on their respective response documents to control the projection devices according to respective desired states.

19. A method for controlling a plurality of projection devices, the method comprising:

sending a first query document defined in extensible markup language to a first projection device requesting a state of the device;

sending a second query document defined in extensible markup language to a second projection device requesting a state of the device;

receiving a first response document defined in extensible markup language from the first projection device including the state of the projection device;

receiving a second response document defined in extensible markup language from the second projection device including the state of the projection device;

sending the first response document back to the first projection device as a first command thereby directing the first projection device to be restored to the state of the first projection device when the first response document from the first projection device was generated; and

sending the second response document back to the second projection device as a second command thereby directing the second projection device to be restored to the state of the second projection device when the second response document from the second projection device was generated.

20. A system comprising:

a program storage device readable by a machine, the storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine, said device configured to control any of a plurality of projection devices, where the projections device are responsive to different command languages unknown to said device, the device comprising;

instructions for sending projector control markup language command documents defined in extensible markup language to said plurality of projection devices to query said devices;

instructions for receiving response documents from the projection devices identifying respective information about the projection devices; and

instructions for sending commands to the projection devices in extensible markup language based on their respective response documents to control the projection devices according to respective desired states.