Redirection of multiple remote devices

• US 8,645,559 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Holk, Eric T., Mahajan, Rajneesh, Yerrace, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US12/235,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20100077019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709219-221, 709223-224, 709226-228, 709230-232, 709/238, 709/246, 709/248, 710/62, 710/64, 710/72
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for multiple audio device capture and playback during a remote desktop session. A custom device manager may instantiate proxy audio input and output devices on the server corresponding to each real device on the client computer. The proxy devices may redirect their respective audio input and output data to the physical device on the client. In an embodiment, multiple audio devices may be instantiated during a remote session, and multiple independent audio streams may be redirected to the selected device on the client computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for redirecting input/output (IO) data in a client-server environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from an application executing on a server for available IO devices;

in response to the request, requesting IO device information from a client computer;

receiving the IO device information from the client computer, the IO device information uniquely identifying IO devices on the client computer;

mapping the uniquely identified IO devices by associating a proxy device with at least one identified IO device and returning information regarding the associated proxy device to the application;

establishing one or more Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) communications channels;

synchronizing proxy device property information for the at least one identified IO device, said synchronizing comprising receiving, via the one or more RDP communications channels, property values from the at least one identified IO device, and further comprising sending, via the one or more RDP communications channels, property values to the at least one identified IO device and receiving a result;

receiving from one or more applications a plurality of audio streams directed to the associated proxy device;

measuring communication channel parameters on the one or more RDP communications channels and selecting an audio encoder as a function of the communication channel parameters;

combining the plurality of audio streams;

encoding the combined audio streams using the selected audio encoder; and

redirecting the encoded audio streams to the at least one identified IO device associated with the associated proxy device over the one or more RDP communications channels to the at least one identified IO device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the client computer a notification of input/output (IO) device configuration changes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating properties for the available IO devices and handling requests for the properties of the available IO devices without communicating to the client computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the associated proxy device to use a fixed audio format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each proxy device is configured independently of other proxy devices.

6. A system adapted to provide services to a client computer over a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) communications channel, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory communicatively coupled to said at least one processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor cause;

receiving via a first API a request for available audio devices;

transmitting a request for audio devices to a client device manager executing on the client computer, wherein the client device manager communicates to resources on the client computer via a second API executing on the client computer;

receiving from the client device manager information indicative of specific audio devices on the client computer;

associating proxy devices corresponding to the specific audio devices, the proxy devices enabling mapping and redirection of multiple audio input/output (IO) data streams to corresponding audio devices, wherein each proxy device retains independent state and configuration information;

receiving a plurality of audio streams directed to at least one proxy device;

measuring communication channel parameters on the RDP communications channel and selecting an audio encoder as a function of the communication channel parameters;

combining the plurality of audio streams;

encoding the combined audio streams using the selected audio encoder; and

redirecting the encoded audio streams to a specific audio device associated with the at least one proxy device over the RDP communications channel to the specific audio device associated with the at least one proxy device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the corresponding audio devices further comprise at least one property associated with the corresponding audio devices, wherein the at least one property is synchronized between the client computer and a server, further comprising:

receiving from a proxy device a request from an audio application to read or set a property on the corresponding audio device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the property comprises at least one of a device'"'"'s form factor, audio formats supported by the device, or application-provided data to be associated with the device.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving from the client computer a notification of device changes;

activating proxy devices corresponding to new audio devices; and

removing proxy devices corresponding to removed audio devices.

10. A computer readable storage device storing thereon computer executable instructions for redirecting audio data, comprising:

receiving from a server over a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) communications channel a request for available input/output (IO) audio devices;

in response to the request, requesting, via an API, IO audio device information, the IO audio device information uniquely identifying IO audio device interfaces;

encoding and transmitting the IO audio device information over the RDP communications channel to the server;

mapping the uniquely identified IO devices by associating a proxy device with at least one identified IO audio device, the proxy device comprising at least one interface for receiving redirected audio data from the server;

receiving a redirected audio stream over the RDP communications channel via the proxy device, the redirected audio stream comprising combined and encoded data from a plurality audio streams, the encoded data encoded using an encoder selected based on measured communication channel parameters on the RDP communications channel; and

directing the redirected audio stream to an audio device associated with the proxy device.

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

receiving a request to access properties associated with the audio device, and responding to the request by requesting the properties via the API and returning received properties.

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

combining the redirected audio stream with available audio data from a locally executing application; and

directing the combined audio stream to the audio device associated with the proxy device.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring for new and removed devices via the API; and

transmitting to the server a notification of device configuration changes.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

registering with the API for notifications about new or removed devices; and

transmitting to the server a notification of device configuration changes.