Systems and methods for determining remote device media capabilities

• US 7,418,472 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teng, Chia-Chi, Vidos, Hugh C., Shoemaker, Charles H., Gibson, Jay C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US10/674,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-228, 709203-205, 715/733, 715/735, 715/740, 715744-747
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0027 Adapting to communicate with plural different types of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a media device capabilities determination mechanism in a networked computing environment are provided. Some of today'"'"'s operating systems and applications deliver a set of remoting features to enable a networked ecosystem of remote media consumption devices. These devices connect to the host and display a remoted media experience via remoting protocols and technologies. In this regard, the device capabilities determination mechanism of the invention enables a remote device to specify a custom set of media capabilities that should be remoted from the host to the remote device.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device and a remote device, comprising the following steps:

instantiating a remote session with the host device according to a remote session protocol;

automatically transmitting at least one media capabilities token based upon a set of media functions supported by the remote device to the host device;

automatically generating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the set of media functions supported by the remote device in response to a connection between the host device and the remote device;

in response to said transmitting, receiving at the remote device a custom remote media experience user interface tailored to the remote device via a user interface channel, the remote media experience user interface enabling only the media functions supported by the remote device as indicated by the transmitted at least one media capabilities token; and

,

receiving at the remote device a media component from the host device via a media channel.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said remote session is a Terminal Server session and said remote session protocol is remote desktop protocol.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

disconnecting said remote device from said remote session; and

,

automatically regenerating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the set of media functions supported by the remote device upon reconnecting to said remote session.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one media capabilities token is a string.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said instantiating a remote session step includes establishing a remote session between a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities and the remote device.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

generating said at least one media capabilities token by a third party tool; and

,

incorporating said at least one media capabilities token into software of the remote device.

7. A method for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device and a remote device, comprising the following steps:

initializing a remote desktop protocol session of the host device;

opening a virtual channel;

monitoring the virtual channel for the remote device to establish a connection until a timeout period expires;

upon the remote device connecting via the virtual channel, receiving from the remote device at least one media capabilities token automatically generated by the remote device based upon a set of media functions supported by the remote device and in response to the remote device connecting via the virtual channel;

transmitting a custom media experience user interface to the remote device via a user interface channel based upon said at least one media capabilities token, the custom media experience user interface enabling only the media functions supported by the remote device;

if no valid media capability token is received from the remote device within the timeout period, assuming a generic set of media functions supported by the remote device and transmitting a media experience user interface to the remote device via the user interface channel, the media experience user interface enabling the generic set of media functions; and

,

transmitting a media component to the remote device via a media channel.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said connection includes a connection to a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said remote desktop protocol session is a Terminal Server session.

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable modules having computer executable instructions for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device and a remote device, said computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions for instantiating a remote session with the host device according to a remote session protocol;

instructions for automatically transmitting at least one media capabilities token based upon a set of media functions supported by the remote device to the host device;

instructions for automatically generating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the set of media functions supported by the remote device in response to a connection between the host device and the remote device;

instructions for receiving at the remote device a custom remote media experience user interface via a user interface channel tailored to the remote device in response to said transmitting, the remote media experience user interface enabling only the media functions supported by the remote device as indicated by the transmitted at least one media capabilities token; and

,

instructions for receiving at the remote device a media component from the host device via a media channel.

11. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said remote session is a Terminal Server session and said remote session protocol is remote desktop protocol.

12. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

instructions for disconnecting said remote device from said remote session; and

,

instructions for automatically regenerating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the set of media functions supported by the remote device upon reconnecting to said remote session.

13. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said at least one media capabilities token is a string.

14. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising instructions for establishing a remote session between a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities and the remote device.

15. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device and a remote device, comprising:

instructions for initializing a remote desktop protocol session of the host device;

instructions for opening a virtual channel;

instructions for monitoring the virtual channel for the remote device to establish a connection until a timeout period expires;

instructions for receiving from the remote device at least one media capabilities token automatically generated by the remote device based upon a set of media functions supported by the remote device upon the remote device connecting via the virtual channel;

instructions for transmitting a custom media experience user interface to the remote device via a user interface channel based upon said at least one media capabilities token, the custom media experience user interface enabling only the media functions supported by the remote device;

instructions for, if no valid media capability token is received from the remote device within the timeout period, assuming a generic set of media functions supported by the remote device and transmitting a media experience user interface to the remote device via the user interface channel, the media experience user interface enabling the generic set of media functions; and

,

instructions for transmitting a media component to the remote device via a media channel.

16. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein said connection includes a connection to a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities.

17. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein said remote desktop protocol session is a Terminal Server session.

18. A system for enabling a custom remote computing media experience, comprising:

a host device;

a remote device connected to said host device, wherein said remote device declares to said host device a set of media functions supported by the remote device by transmitting at least one media capabilities token automatically generated by the remote device based upon a set of media functions supported by the remote device and in response to the remote device connecting to the host device;

a user interface channel through which said host device transmits a user interface to said remote device tailored to the media capabilities of said remote device as indicated by the transmitted at least one media capabilities token, the user interface enabling only the media functions supported by the remote device; and

,

a media channel through which said host device transmits bandwidth intensive media to said remote device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein media transmitted by said media channel is synchronized with said user interface transmitted by said user interface channel.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein media transmitted by said media channel is sent out of band with respect to said user interface transmitted by said user interface channel.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said user interface channel and said media channel are separate.