Systems and methods for determining remote device media capabilities

• US 20050080915A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 to a remote device, comprising:

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

automatically transmitting at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device to the host device; and

in response to said transmitting, receiving at the remote device a custom remote media experience user interface tailored to the remote device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to said connecting, automatically generating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device.

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

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting said remote device from said remote session, and upon reconnecting to said remote session, automatically regenerating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device at the time of reconnection.

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

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

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one media capabilities token is generated by a third party tool, and included with the remoting software of the remote device.

8. An application programming interface comprising computer executable modules having computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

9. A computing device comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 1.

10. A modulated data signal carrying computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

11. A method for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device to a remote device, comprising:

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;

upon the remote device connecting via the virtual channel, receiving at least one media capabilities token for the remote device; and

transmitting a custom media experience user interface to the remote device based upon said at least one media capabilities token.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein if no valid capabilities tokens are received within a timeout period, a generic set of device capabilities is assumed and said transmitting includes transmitting a generic media experience user interface to the remote device.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring includes monitoring the virtual channel until a timeout period completes.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein said connection includes a connection to a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein said remote desktop protocol session is a Terminal Server session.

16. An application programming interface comprising computer executable modules having computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 11.

17. A computing device comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 11.

18. A modulated data signal carrying computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

19. A tool for constructing at least one media capabilities token, comprising:

a capabilities specification component for enabling a user to specify at least one media property of a remote device; and

a processing component for transforming the specified at least one media property of the remote device into at least one media capabilities token for describing the media capabilities of a remote device as applied to a remote media experience session.

20. A tool according to claim 19, further including a user interface for displaying options relating to specifying said at least one media property of the remote device and for displaying the at least one media capabilities token generated by said transforming.

21. A tool according to claim 19, wherein after said transforming, said at least one media capabilities token is encoded according to a string format.

22. An extensible data structure for defining media capabilities of a remote device for purposes of a remote media experience provided to the remote device from a host device, comprising:

at least one token, wherein each token defines a media capability of the remote device for purposes of the remote media experience.

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

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

means for automatically transmitting at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device to the host device; and

means for receiving at the remote device a custom remote media experience user interface tailored to the remote device in response to said transmitting.

24. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, further comprising:

means for automatically generating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device in response to said connecting.

25. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said remote session is a Terminal Server session and said remote session protocol is remote desktop protocol.

26. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, further comprising:

means for disconnecting said remote device from said remote session, and upon reconnecting to said remote session, means for automatically regenerating said at least one media capabilities token based upon the media capabilities of the remote device at the time of reconnection.

27. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said at least one media capabilities token is a string.

28. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said means for instantiating a remote session includes means for establishing a remote session between a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities and the remote device.

29. A computer readable medium for enabling a custom remote computing media experience as between a host device to a remote device, comprising:

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

means for opening a virtual channel;

means for monitoring the virtual channel for the remote device to establish a connection;

means for receiving at least one media capabilities token for the remote device upon the remote device connecting via the virtual channel; and

means for transmitting a custom media experience user interface to the remote device based upon said at least one media capabilities token.

30. A computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein if no valid at least one media capabilities token is received within a timeout period, a generic set of device capabilities is assumed and said means for transmitting includes means for transmitting a generic media experience user interface to the remote device.

31. A computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein said means for monitoring includes means for monitoring the virtual channel until a timeout period completes.

32. A computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein said connection includes a connection to a shell of the host device having remote control capabilities.

33. A computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein said remote desktop protocol session is a Terminal Server session.