Remote control inputs to Java applications

• US 7,302,693 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Prakash, Alok, Windheim, Brian L., Pathial, Subha
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US10/392,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 719310-332, 455 1-5759, 348 1401-844, 709200-252
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method of delivering input from a device'"'"'s remote control to a Java™ application uses asynchronous method invocation in a processing device. The input from the remote control is captured in system-specific (native) code and delivered to a Java™ application asynchronously. This is achieved by calling an event method in the Java™ application in response to the received input signals. The event method is then executed to transfer the input signals from the remote control.

Claims

1. A television appliance processing method comprising:

receiving input signals from a remote control device;

providing the input signals to a software driver in a real-time operating system (RTOS) in native code, wherein the software driver employs a dynamically-linked library (DLL);

using the DLL to invoke a method in an object-oriented programming language application to pass the input signals from the native code to an applet; and

enabling the applet to call a script in a hypertext markup language (HTML) page to execute application specific logic utilizing the input signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object-oriented programming language application comprises a Java™

application and the applet comprises a Java applet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input signals from a remote control device comprises receiving the input signals from an infrared remote control device by an infrared receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the DLL asynchronously delivers the input signals to the applet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the software driver operates in accordance with a preselected code set to capture the input signals in native code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals are accepted by an infrared receiver at any time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals are received from the remote control device without being polled.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the applet comprises a Java applet and the Java applet utilizes the input signals as a selection signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the applet comprises a Java applet and the Java applet utilizes the input signals as data to be processed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein using the DLL to invoke a method in an object-oriented programming language application to pass the input signals from the native code to an applet comprises the DLL using a stored object pointer to directly invoke the method that passes the input signals from the native code to the applet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the stored object pointer provides a global reference to a class object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is one of a cable box, set-top box (STB), and digital entertainment terminal (DET) appliance processing method.

13. A method comprising:

receiving input signals from a remote control device in a receiver of a processing device;

holding the input signals in system-specific native code of the processing device;

calling an event method in an object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals; and

executing the event method to transfer the input signals from the native code to the object-oriented programming language application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the input signals are asynchronously delivered to the object-oriented programming language application.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the object-oriented programming language application is a Java™

application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the Java application is an applet in a hypertext markup language (HTML) page.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the event method calls on the applet using a Java Native Interface/Java Remote Interface (JNI/JRI).

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote control device comprises an infrared remote control device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing device is at least part of one of a cable box, set-top box (STB), and digital entertainment terminal (DET) television appliance.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein calling an event method in an object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals comprises using a stored object pointer to directly call the event method in the object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the stored object pointer provides a global reference to a class object to prevent an object from being destroyed by a garbage collector.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the object-oriented programming language application is a Java application and the Java application is an applet in a HTML page, wherein the method comprises enabling the Java applet to call a script in the HTML page to execute application specific logic utilizing the input signals.

23. An article comprising a tangible media having a plurality of machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a processing device to:

provide for receiving input signals from a remote control device in a receiver of a processing device;

hold the input signals in system-specific native code of the processing device;

call an event method in an object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals; and

execute the event method to transfer the input signals from the native code to the object-oriented programming language application.

24. The article of claim 23, wherein the input signals are asynchronously deliverable to the object-oriented programming language application.

25. The article of claim 23, wherein the object-oriented programming language application is a Java™

application.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein the Java application is an applet in a hypertext markup language (HTML) page.

27. The article of claim 26, comprising instructions for calling the event method in the applet using a Java Native Interface/Java Remote Interface (JNI/JRI).

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote control device comprises an infrared remote control device.

29. The article of claim 23, wherein the processing device is at least part of one of a cable box, set-top box (STB), and digital entertainment terminal (DET) television appliance.

30. The article of claim 23, wherein instructions for calling an event method in an object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals comprises instructions for using a stored object pointer to directly call the event method in the object-oriented programming language application in response to the input signals.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the stored object pointer provides a global reference to a class object to prevent an object from being destroyed by a garbage collector.

32. The article of claim 23, wherein the object-oriented programming language application is a Java application and the Java application is an applet in a HTML page, comprising instructions for enabling the Java applet to call a script in the HTML page to execute application specific logic utilizing the input signals.

33. A system comprising:

an infrared (IR) remote control device; and

a television appliance wirelessly coupled to the IR remote control device, the television appliance comprising

an IR receiver for receiving input signals from the IR remote control device in native code,

an IR transmitter for transmitting output signals to one or more of a display, a network, and the IR remote control device,

a processor coupled to the IR receiver and the IR transmitter for processing input signals from the IR remote control device, and

an interface for enabling the processor to invoke a method in an object-oriented programming language application for transferring the input signals in native code to the object-oriented programming language application.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the IR remote control device includes the capability to store lines of text, display lines of text, and scroll the displayed lines of text.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the object-oriented programming language application is a Java™

application, the Java application is an applet in a hypertext markup language (HTML) page, and wherein the processor enables the Java applet to call a script in the HTML page to execute application specific logic utilizing the input signals from the IR remote control device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the interface is a Java Native Interface (JNI).

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the television appliance is at least one of a cable box, set-top box (STB), and digital entertainment terminal (DET) appliance.