Multimedia output and display device selection

• US 9,210,376 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Yu, Raymond, Lee, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US13/838,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-357, 37920201-20701, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying and selecting a desired display device of one or more display devices for multimedia output are provided. In one embodiment, a respective identifying spatial orientation and one or more connectivity identifiers are associated with each of one or more display devices. A respective selecting spatial orientation is then received. The respective selecting spatial orientation is matched to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine the desired display device from the one or more display devices. Multimedia content is then routed from a source device to the desired display device via one of the one or more associated connectivity identifiers.

Claims

1. A method for routing multimedia content to a desired display device, comprising:

at a selection device, associating a respective identifying spatial orientation and one or more connectivity identifiers with each of one or more display devices;

receiving a respective selecting spatial orientation indicating a pointing direction of the selection device from one or more orientation-determining components in the selection device;

matching the respective selecting spatial orientation to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine the desired display device from the one or more display devices; and

causing a source device to route multimedia content to the desired display device via one of the one or more associated connectivity identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to routing the multi-media content from the source device, encoding the connectivity identifier associated with the desired display device into an encoded signal and sending the encoded signal to the source device.

3. The method of claim 2, where the encoded signal is an audio signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reference source spatial orientation; and

comparing the reference source spatial orientation to the respective selecting spatial orientation to thereby increase an accuracy of the respective selecting spatial orientation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more orientation-determining components include one or both of a compass and a gyroscope.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device and the one or more display devices are connected to one or more telecommunications networks for use in sending multimedia content from the source device to the desired display device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection device is integrated into the source device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information, including information to establish a secondary reference point in an environment, is encoded via one or more of a secondary display device, a set of lights, and an identifying mark.

9. A system for routing multimedia content to a desired display device, comprising:

an orientation-determining component configured to determine a respective identifying spatial orientation through audio or visual identification and a respective selecting spatial orientation for each of one or more display devices in an environment;

a logic subsystem; and

a memory subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

associate the respective identifying spatial orientation and one or more connectivity identifiers with each of the one or more display devices;

match the respective selecting spatial orientation to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine the desired display device from the one or more display devices; and

encode one of the one or more connectivity identifiers associated with the desired display device into an encoded signal and send the encoded signal to a source device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the source device is configured to send multimedia content to the desired display device based on the connectivity identifier received in the encoded signal.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a camera configured to capture images of one or more of a secondary display device, a set of lights, and an identifying mark.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a power source configured to supply electrical power to the logic subsystem, memory subsystem, and camera.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions executable by the logic subsystem to associate the respective identifying spatial orientation and the one or more connectivity identifiers with each of the one or more display devices are performed during a configuration phase in which the one or more display devices are identified, and wherein the instructions executable by the logic subsystem to match the respective selecting spatial orientation to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine the desired display device from the one or more display devices, and encode one of the one or more connectivity identifiers associated with the desired display device into the encoded signal and send the encoded signal to the source device are performed during a selection phase in which the desired display device is selected for multimedia content output.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

receive a reference source spatial orientation; and

compare the reference source spatial orientation to the respective selecting spatial orientation to thereby increase an accuracy of the respective selecting spatial orientation.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the orientation-determining component includes one or both of a compass and a gyroscope.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the source device and the one or more display devices are connected to one or more telecommunications networks for use in sending multimedia content from the source device to the desired display device.

17. A selection device, comprising:

an orientation-determining component configured to determine a respective identifying spatial orientation and a respective selecting spatial orientation for each of one or more display devices in an environment;

an audio emission component configured to emit audio signals;

a logic subsystem; and

a memory subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

associate the respective identifying spatial orientation and one or more connectivity identifiers with each of the one or more display devices;

receive the respective selecting spatial orientation;

match the respective selecting spatial orientation to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine a desired display device from the one or more display devices for multimedia content output; and

emit, via the audio emission component, audio signals including the respective selecting spatial orientation and one of the one or more connectivity identifiers associated with the desired display device, wherein the audio signals are configured to be received by a source device that is configured to route multimedia content to the desired display device based on the connectivity identifier received in the audio signals.

18. The selection device of claim 17, wherein the source device is an external source device and operatively coupled to the selection device.

19. The selection device of claim 17, wherein the source device is an integral source device integrated with the selection device, and wherein the orientation-determining component includes one or both of a compass and a gyroscope.

20. A method for routing multimedia content to a desired display device, comprising:

associating a respective identifying spatial orientation and one or more connectivity identifiers with each of one or more display devices;

receiving a respective selecting spatial orientation;

matching the respective selecting spatial orientation to the respective identifying spatial orientation to thereby determine the desired display device from the one or more display devices;

encoding the connectivity identifier associated with the desired display device into an encoded signal and sending the encoded signal to a source device, where the encoded signal is an audio signal; and

routing multimedia content from the source device to the desired display device via one of the one or more associated connectivity identifiers.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a reference source spatial orientation; and

comparing the reference source spatial orientation to the respective selecting spatial orientation to thereby increase an accuracy of the respective selecting spatial orientation.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the respective selecting spatial orientation is received from a selection device and the multimedia content is routed from the source device, the selection device having one or more orientation-determining components.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the selection device is integrated into the source device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein additional information, including information to establish a secondary reference point in an environment, is encoded via one or more of a secondary display device, a set of lights, and an identifying mark.