Composition of local user interface with remotely generated user interface and media

• US 8,793,303 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Speicher, Ashley C., Fang, Nicholas J., Bowra, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Wing
• Application Number:
  US11/478,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,952 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/231, 709/232, 715/788, 715790-793, 725/133, 725/135, 725/141
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations

Abstract

A media server in a home entertainment network coordinates with a media receiver connected with the network to provide a media representation with a combined user interface on an attached display device. The media server receives compositing information from the media receiver over the network regarding the placemement of UI components generated by the media receiver. In response, the media server may adjust the positioning of graphics, media control information, metadata, media presentation windows, and other UI components for presentation by the media receiver such that the UI components generated by the media server do not interfere with the UI generated by the media receiver when rendered to the display device. Alternately, the media receiver may adjust the position of UI components such that the UI components generated by the media receiver do not interfere with the UI generated by the media server upon presentation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a media server over a home network via a media channel, media content to a media receiver, wherein;

the media receiver provides a local user interface for presenting the media content on a screen of a presentation device connected to the media receiver, and

the local user interface is configured to present local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at default positions in response to particular control commands received by the media receiver;

generating, by the media server, a remote user interface to be combined with the local user interface provided by the media receiver, wherein the remote user interface includes;

a playback window for presenting the media content, and

remote user interface components including descriptive information associated with the media content and menu graphics for selecting other media content stored on the media server;

receiving, by the media server over the home network via a separate backchannel, compositing information from the media receiver, wherein the compositing information includes the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content;

determining, by the media server based on the compositing information, whether positions of the remote user interface components within the remote user interface conflict with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media server content;

adjusting, by the media server based on the compositing information, the positions of one or more remote user interface components within the remote user interface when a conflict is determined to accommodate the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content; and

transmitting, by the media server over the home network via a user interface channel, the remote user interface to the media receiver for creation of a composite presentation to be presented on the screen of the presentation device, wherein;

the composite presentation combines the local user interface provided by the media receiver and the remote user interface generated by the media server,

the composite presentation presents the media content within the playback window of the remote user interface,

the descriptive information and the menu graphics are presented within the composite presentation at positions that avoid conflict with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content,

the menu graphics respond to user input received at the media receiver and transmitted to the media server over the home network via the backchannel, and

the composite presentation is configured to present the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at the default positions in response to the particular control commands received by the media receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the media server, additional compositing information related to the remote user interface generated by the media server; and

transmitting, by the media server, the additional compositing information to the media receiver for creation of the composite presentation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local user interface is provided by the media receiver based, at least in part, upon metadata extracted from the media content received from the media server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the media server, metadata extracted from the media content by the media receiver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the remote user interface is generated by the media server based, at least in part, upon the metadata received from the media receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the local user interface is provided by the media receiver based, at least in part, upon the media content received from the media server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting, by the media server, metadata from the media content; and

incorporating, by the media server, the descriptive information into the remote user interface based on the metadata.

8. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions implementing the method of claim 1.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular control commands control playback of video and control volume of audio.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the media server over the home network via the backchannel, user input indicating a selection of other media content stored on the media server; and

transmitting, by the media server over the home network via the user interface channel, a new remote user interface to the media receiver for creation of a new composite presentation to be presented on the screen of the presentation device.

9. A media server comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions for;

transmitting, by the media server over a home network via a media channel, media content to a media receiver, wherein;

the media receiver provides a local user interface for presenting the media content on a screen of a presentation device connected to the media receiver, and

the local user interface is configured to present local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at default positions in response to particular control commands received by the by the media receiver;

generating, by the media server, a remote user interface to be combined with the local user interface provided by the media receiver, wherein the remote user interface includes;

a playback window for presenting the media content, and

remote user interface components including descriptive information associated with the media content and menu graphics for selecting other media content stored on the media server;

receiving, by the media server over the home network via a separate backchannel, compositing information from the media receiver, wherein the compositing information includes the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content;

determining, by the media server based on the compositing information, whether positions of the remote user interface components within the remote user interface conflict with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content;

adjusting, by the media server based on the compositing information, the positions of one or more remote user interface components within the remote user interface when a conflict is determined to accommodate the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content; and

transmitting, by the media server over the home network via a user interface channel, the remote user interface to the media receiver for creation of a composite presentation to be presented on the screen of the presentation device, wherein;

the composite presentation combines the local user interface provided by the media receiver and the remote user interface generated by the media server,

the composite presentation presents the media content within the playback window of the remote user interface,

the descriptive information and the menu graphics are presented within the composite presentation at positions that avoid conflict with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content,

the menu graphics respond to user input received at the media receiver and transmitted to the media server over the home network via the backchannel, and

the composite presentation is configured to present the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at the default positions in response to the particular control commands received by the media receiver.

10. The media server of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:

extracting metadata from the media content; and

incorporating the descriptive information into the remote user interface based on the metadata.

11. The media server of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:

generating additional compositing information related to the remote user interface; and

transmitting the additional compositing information to the media receiver for creation of the composite presentation.

17. The media server of claim 9, wherein the particular control commands control playback of video and control volume of audio.

20. The media server of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, by the media server over the home network via the backchannel, user input indicating a selection of other media content stored on the media server; and

transmitting, by the media server over the home network via the user interface channel, a new remote user interface to the media receiver for creation of a new composite presentation to be presented on the screen of the presentation device.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a media receiver over a home network via a media channel, media content transmitted by a media server, wherein;

the media receiver provides a local user interface for presenting the media content on a screen of a presentation device connected to the media receiver, and

the local user interface is configured to present local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at default positions in response to particular control commands received by the by the media receiver;

transmitting, by the media receiver over the home network via a separate backchannel, compositing information to the media server, wherein the compositing information includes the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content;

receiving, by the media receiver over the home network via a user interface channel, a remote user interface generated by the media server, wherein;

the remote user interface includes a playback window for presenting the media content,

the remote user interface includes remote user interface components including descriptive information associated with the media content and menu graphics for selecting other media content stored on the media server,

the remote user interface avoids positions of the remote user interface components within the remote user interface conflicting with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content, and

the media server is configured to adjust the positions of one or more user remote interface components within the remote user interface when a conflict is determined based, at least in part, on the compositing information transmitted by the media receiver; and

outputting, by the media receiver, a composite presentation to the presentation device, wherein;

the composite presentation combines the local user interface provided by the media receiver and the remote user interface generated by the media server,

the composite presentation presents the media content within the playback window of the remote user interface,

the descriptive information and the menu graphics are presented within the composite presentation at positions that avoid conflict with the default positions of the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content,

the menu graphics respond to user input received at the media receiver and transmitted to the media server over the home network via the backchannel, and

the composite presentation is configured to present the local user interface components for controlling playback of the media content on the screen of the presentation device at the default positions in response to the particular control commands received by the media receiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the local user interface is provided by the media receiver based, at least in part, upon the media content.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the media receiver, additional compositing information related to the remote user interface generated by the media server; and

using, by the media receiver, the additional compositing information for creation of the composite presentation.

15. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions implementing the method of claim 12.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular control commands control playback of video and control volume of audio.