System and method for switching of media presentation

• US 7,512,884 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Madhuvan, Thomas, Myron Clifford, Saunders, Richard William
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonshock; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US10/607,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/718, 715/716, 715/800
• US Class Current: 715/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for switching presentation of media between two or more processes without interruption is described. This system and method can enable a user to enjoy media presented in a process and then switch the presentation of that media to another process without interruption in the media. Further, this system and method can enable a user to switch back and forth between media presentation within one application and another application without interruption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a media file within a first user interface of a first application;

unloading a work context from the first application that describes a position for the presenting of the media file on a display and one or more user defined aspects to customize the presenting of the media in the first application;

loading the work context from the first application into a second application to transfer the position and the one or more user defined aspects; and

switching the presenting of the media file from the first user interface to a second user interface within the second application, the first user interface and the second user interface being provided within different respective software components that are independent of one another,

wherein the switching is performed without interruption in the presenting of the media file using a common renderer configured as a software component that is hooked to each said application via an application programming interface (API) that interacts with a running object table to enable the common renderer to communicate the work context and media file between both said applications, and to continuously render the media file while switching sending of the rendered media file between said first application and said second application, such that the common renderer performs rendering of the media file for presentation in either said application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is controlled by one of said software components that is configured as a lightweight presentation component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user interface is controlled by one of said software components that is configured as a lightweight presentation component within the second process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is controlled by one of said software components that is configured as a first lightweight presentation component and the second user interface is controlled by another of said software components that is configured as a second lightweight presentation component within the second process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with aid from the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in the second application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting is performed with aid from the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in a third application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user defined aspects include one or more of screen position, user display preferences, user interface attributes, or volume settings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application includes controls for selecting basic media presentation services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application includes controls for selecting advanced media presentation services.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that perform the following when executed by a computer:

presenting media within a first application;

unloading a work context from the first application that describes one or more user defined aspects to customize the presenting of the media in the first process, the user defined aspects including screen position and one or more of user display preferences, user interface attributes, or volume settings;

loading the work context from the first application into a second application to transfer the one or more user defined aspects; and

switching the presenting to the second application without interruption in the presenting of the media using a common renderer configured as a software component to continuously render the media while switching sending of the rendered media between said first application and said application, such that the common renderer performs rendering of the media for presentation in either application, wherein;

the first application and the second application correspond to different respective software components that are independent of one another; and

the common renderer is hooked to each said application via an application programming interface (API) that interacts with a running object table of an operating system to enable the common renderer to provide the media and work context when rendered to either said application.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the second application to the first application without interruption in the presenting of the media.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the second application to a third application without interruption in the presenting of the media.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting within the first application is presented in a visual space of one of said software components that is configured as a lightweight presentation component in the first application.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting within the first application is presented in a visual space of one of said software components that is configured as a lightweight presentation component in the first application and the lightweight presentation component provides controls for basic media-playing services.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting within the first application is presented in a visual space of one of said software components that is configured as a lightweight presentation component in the first application, the lightweight presentation component provides controls for basic media-playing services, and the lightweight presentation component is contained within the first application.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting within the first application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in a third application.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting within the first application is performed with aid of the common renderer in the second application.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the second application is performed through one of said software components that is configured as a full-featured presentation application.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the second application is performed through one of said software components that is configured as a full-featured presentation application and further comprising providing advanced media-playing services and controls for their selection through the full-featured presentation application.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the second application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer is part of one of said software components that is configured as a full-featured presentation application.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the second application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in a third application.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the second application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in the second application.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the first application and the second application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in the second application.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the presenting in the first application and the second application is performed with aid of the common renderer and, wherein the common renderer executes in a third application.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

means for presenting media within a first application;

means for unloading a work context from the first application that describes a position for the presenting of the media file on a display and one or more user defined aspects to customize the presenting of the media in the first application;

means for loading the work context from the first application into a second application to transfer the position and the one or more user defined aspects; and

means for switching the presenting to within the second application without interruption with aid of a common renderer configured as a software component to continuously render the media while switching sending of the rendered media between said first application and said second application, such that the common renderer performs rendering of the media for presentation in either said application;

wherein the first application and the second application correspond to different respective software components that are independent of one another; and

the common renderer is hooked to each said application via an application programming interface (API) that interacts with a running object table of an operating system to enable the common renderer to provide the media and work context when rendered to either said application.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for switching the presenting from the second application to a third application without interruption.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for switching the presenting from the second application back to the first application without interruption.

28. A method comprising:

presenting a media file within a browser application in a first process;

unloading a work context from the first process that describes a position for the presenting of the media file on a display and one or more user defined aspects to customize the presenting of the media file in the first process;

loading the work context from the first process into a second process to transfer the position and the one or more user defined aspects; and

switching the presenting of the media file from the browser application to a full-featured presentation application in the second process without interruption in the presenting of the media file using a common renderer implemented as a software component that is hooked to each said application via an application programming interface (API) that interacts with a running object table to enable the common renderer to communicate the work context and media file between both said applications to perform rendering of the media file for presentation in either said application, wherein;

the full-featured presentation application is independent of the browser application;

the full-featured presentation application provides a set functionality to interact with the media file; and

the browser application provides a subset of the set of functionality that is provided by the full-featured presentation application to interact with the media file.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the full-featured presentation application to the browser application without interruption in the presenting of the media.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the browser application to another application in a third process without interruption in the presenting of the media.

31. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

switching the presenting from the full-featured presentation application to another application in a third process without interruption in the presenting of the media.

32. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the common renderer continuously renders the media file while switching sending of the rendered media file between the browser and the full-featured presentation application.

33. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the common renderer is executed in the second process.

34. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the common renderer is provided as part of the full-featured presentation application and executed in the second process.

35. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the common renderer is executed in a third process.

36. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the common renderer is a stand-alone application apart from the browser application and the full-featured presentation application.

37. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the presenting within the browser application is presented in a visual space of a lightweight presentation component of the browser application.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the lightweight presentation component of the browser application includes controls for selecting basic media presentation services.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein the full-featured presentation application provides advanced media-playing services and includes controls for selection of the advanced media-playing services.