Generic user control point tool for universal plug and play (UPnP) devices

• US 7,194,689 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramarathnam, Bama, Manni, Sarat C., Keni, Mahesh G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US09/867,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 345/734, 345/735, 345/736, 345/740, 345/741, 709/223, 709/211, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 715/733, 715/737, 715/738, 715/739, 715/742, 715/760, 715/780, 715/825, 715/826, 715/828, 715/968, 715/969
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A user control point tool allows generic discovery, control, and display of Universal Plug and Play devices from a common user interface. This generic UCP tool provides a common user experience for all UPnP devices, regardless of their individual manufacturers. The generic UCP tool allows discovery of UPnP devices by type, by unique device name, or asynchronously. The user may select one of the discovered devices, view its properties, and select one of the services provided for that device to control. Additional information from a service description document may be viewed, and a user may query the value of the state variables and invoke an action for a service for the selected UPnP device. The results of the action are displayed on the tool'"'"'s UI, as is the eventing information for the UPnP device. Status information for operation of the generic UCP tool itself is also provided.

Claims

1. A generic user control point tool for discovering, controlling, and displaying Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices on a system, the generic user control point tool comprising:

a user interface that displays, in a first window panel;

a plurality of user-selectable device search fields corresponding to a plurality of alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices on the system, wherein each of the user-selectable device search fields corresponds to one of the alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices on the system;

a device properties search field displaying to the user a plurality of user-selectable UPnP device properties, wherein the user-selectable UPnP device properties are determined and displayed by the user interface in response to user selection of one of the user-selectable device search fields, and wherein the user interface determines the UPnP device properties by utilizing at least one file containing device property information, the at least one file corresponding to the user-selected device search field;

wherein in response to user-selection of one of the user-selectable device search fields and one of the user-selectable UPnP device properties, the generic user control point tool collects UPnP device information that is displayed as a list of selectable UPnP devices at the first window panel of the user interface.

2. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the selectable device search fields include a find by type search option for searching by type of UPnP device, a find by unique device name (UDN) search option for finding UPnP devices by unique name and an asynchronous search option for finding all UPnP compliant devices on the system.

3. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface further displays a start discovery button that must be selected prior to initiating discovery according to the user-selected device search field and the user-selected UPnP device property.

4. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the generic user control point tool collects UPnP device information in response to sending a multicast discovery message to UPnP devices that the UPnP devices respond to when any embedded devices or services of the UPnP devices match search criteria included in the multicast discovery message.

5. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the selectable list of UPnP devices is displayed in a pull-down list.

6. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface displays a presentation button that, when selected, causes the user interface to access and load a browser and then to access and load a UPnP device manufacture'"'"'s presentation user interface with the browser according to a URL of a UPnP device selected from the list of selectable UPnP devices.

7. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices is a search by device type, and wherein in response to user selection of the user-selectable device search field corresponding to the search by device type, the device properties search fields includes a selectable list of device types for discovering UPnP devices on the system.

8. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices is a search by device identification number, and wherein in response to user selection of the user-selectable device search field corresponding to the search by device identification number, the device properties search field includes a selectable list of device identification numbers for discovering UPnP devices on the system.

9. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices is an asynchronous search, and wherein in response to user selection of the user-selectable device search field corresponding to the asynchronous search, the device properties search field is disabled.

10. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface also displays a selectable properties button corresponding to properties of the selectable UPnP devices, and wherein the generic user control point tool automatically obtains and displays properties corresponding to a selected UPnP device when the selected UPnP device is selected from the list and when the selectable properties button is selected.

11. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 10, wherein the generic user control point tool displays the properties corresponding to the selected UPnP device in a separate window from the first window.

12. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 10, wherein the user interface also displays a list of services available to the selected UPnP device, when the selectable properties button is selected, and wherein the user interface displays a URL to a service description document in a field of the user interface when information is available for the services of the selected UPnP device in the service description document.

13. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 12, wherein the user interface also displays a selectable view service description button that, when selected, causes the generic user control point tool to open a service description viewer window for browsing the service description document, the service description viewer window being different than the first window panel used to display the user interface.

14. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 13, wherein the service description viewer window displays a selectable button, that when selected causes the generic user control point tool to display the service description document.

15. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 12, wherein the user interface displays a query button that, when selected, causes the user interface to determine and display a value associated with a selected variable corresponding to a service selected from the list of services.

16. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 15, wherein the user interface displays a selectable list of variables from which the selected variable is selected.

17. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 12, wherein the user interface displays an invoke action button that, when selected, causes the user interface to invoke a selected action for a service selected from the list of services.

18. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface displays a selectable list of actions that can be invoked and from which the selected action is selected.

19. A generic user control point tool as recited in claim 18, wherein the user interface includes a field that displays arguments corresponding to the selected action.

20. A method for discovering, controlling, and displaying Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices on a system using a generic user control point tool, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface with the generic user control point tool in a first window panel;

displaying at the user interface;

a plurality of user-selectable device search fields corresponding to a plurality of alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices on the system, wherein each of the user-selectable device search fields corresponds to one of the alternate types of searches for discovering UPnP devices on the system;

a device properties search field displaying to the user a plurality of user-selectable UPnP device properties, wherein the user-selectable UPnP device properties are determined and displayed by the user interface in response to user selection of one of the user-selectable device search fields, and wherein the user interface determines the UPnP device properties by utilizing at least one file containing device property information, the at least one file corresponding to the user-selected device search field;

in response to user-selection of one of the user-selectable device search fields and one of the user-selectable UPnP device properties, collecting UPnP device information corresponding to compliant UPnP devices on the system; and

displaying the compliant UPnP devices in a selectable list at the first window panel of the user interface.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the selectable device search fields include a find by type search option for searching by type of UPnP device, a find by unique device name (UDN) search option for finding UPnP devices by unique name and an asynchronous search option for finding all UPnP compliant devices on the system.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein collecting UPnP device information includes sending a multicast discovery message to UPnP devices with search criteria.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein compliant UPnP devices on the system respond to the multicast message when embedded devices or services of the compliant UPnP devices match the search criteria included in the multicast discovery message.

24. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

displaying a presentation button; and

in response to user selection of the presentation button, performing the following;

accessing and loading a browser; and

accessing and loading a UPnP device manufacture'"'"'s presentation user interface with the browser according to a URL of a UPnP device selected from the list of selectable UPnP devices.

25. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

displaying a selectable properties button, at the user interface, corresponding to properties of UPnP devices; and

automatically displaying properties corresponding to a selected UPnP device when the selected UPnP device is selected from the list and when the selectable properties button is selected.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the properties corresponding to the selected UPnP device are displayed in a separate window from the first window.

27. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

displaying a list of services available to the selected UPnP device, when the selectable properties button is selected, and

displaying a URL to a service description document when information is available for the services of the selected UPnP device in the service description document.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

displaying a selectable view service description button that, when selected, causes the generic user control point tool to open a service description viewer window for browsing the service description document, the service description viewer window being different than the first window panel used to display the user interface.

29. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

displaying a query button that, when selected, causes the user interface to determine and display a value associated with a selected variable corresponding to a service selected from the list of services, and

displaying a selectable list of variables from which the selected variable is selected.

30. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

displaying an invoke action button;

displaying a selectable list of actions corresponding to a service selected from the list of services; and

invoking a selected action in response to user input selecting one of the actions and the invoke action button.

31. A method as recited in claim 30;

further comprising displaying, at the user interface, arguments corresponding to the selected action.