DIGITAL MEDIA CONTROLLER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A DIGITAL MEDIA SYSTEM

• US 20140013225A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pegatron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pegatron Corporation
• Inventors: WU, Jih-Wei, CHIU, Po-Jen
• Application Number:
  US13/837,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A method for controlling a digital media system suitable for a digital media controller connecting to the digital media system. The method includes restarting a control mechanism to let the digital media controller enter into a digital media system. In the control mechanism, a previous digital media environment status is checked to see whether a plurality of digital media renderer information and a plurality of digital media server information recorded in the previous digital media environment status respectively correspond to the digital media renderers and the digital media servers under an available status. A digital media renderer icon corresponding to the digital media renderer information under the available status is shown as being under a renderer available status, and a digital media server icon corresponding to the digital media server information under the available status is shown as being under a server available status.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a digital media system suitable tier a digital media controller connecting to the digital media system, the digital media system including a network, a plurality of digital media server, and a plurality of digital media renderer, the digital media controller connecting with the digital media servers and the digital media renderers through the network, the method comprising:

checking whether a previous digital media environment status exists;

when the previous digital media environment status exist, checking a plurality of digital media renderer information and a plurality of digital media server information recorded in the previous digital media environment status according to the previous digital media environment status to see whether they respectively correspond to the digital media renderers and the digital media servers under an available status; and

showing a digital media renderer icon corresponding to each of the digital media renderer information under the available status as being under a renderer available status, and showing a digital media server icon corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status as being under a server available status.

2. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, wherein the step of showing the digital media server icon corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status as being under the server available status further comprises:

showing a file list of a plurality of multimedia files stored in the digital media server corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status.

3. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, further comprising:

when at least one of the digital media renderer information and the digital media server information recorded in the previous digital media environment status does not correspond to the digital media renderers and the digital media servers under the available status, showing each of the digital media renderer icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media renderer information as being under a renderer unavailable status, and each of the digital media server icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information as being under a server unavailable status.

4. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 3, wherein the step of showing each of the digital media server icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information as being under the server unavailable status further comprises:

marking a text message at the digital media server icon corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information to indicate the server unavailable status.

5. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, further comprising:

when the previous digital media environment status exists, resuming a digital media environment status setting of the digital media controller to the previous digital media environment status;

showing a playback status corresponding to the renderer available status of the digital media renderer on the digital media controller according to the digital media renderer information recorded in the previous digital media environment status.

6. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, wherein the digital media renderer information includes a digital media renderer identification code, a playback mode message, a playback file information, a volume information and a last playback time position information.

7. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, wherein the previous digital media environment status further records a file path in the DMS information corresponding to a played file in the digital media renderer information.

8. The method for controlling the digital media system according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a current digital media environment status as the previous digital media environment status.

9. A digital media controller for connecting to a digital media system, the digital media system including a network, a plurality of digital media servers, and a plurality of digital media renderers, the digital media controller comprising:

a signal transmitting interface for connecting with the digital media servers and the digital media renderers through the network;

a display unit;

a storage device storing a computer-executable program; and

a processor coupling to the signal transmitting interface, the display unit and the storage device, and executing a plurality of instructions of the computer-executable programs, wherein the instructions including;

checking whether a previous digital media environment status exists;

when the previous digital media environment status exist, checking a plurality of digital media renderer information and a plurality of digital media server information recorded in the previous digital media environment status according to the previous digital media environment status to see whether they respectively correspond to the digital media renderers and the digital media servers under an available status; and

showing a digital media renderer icon corresponding to each of the digital media renderer information under the available status as being under a renderer available status, and showing a digital media server icon corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status as being under a server available status.

10. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the instruction of showing the digital media server icon corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status as being under the server available status further comprises:

showing a file list of a plurality of multimedia files stored in the digital media server corresponding to each of the digital media server information under the available status.

11. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

when at least one of the digital media renderer information and the digital media server information recorded in the previous digital media environment status does not correspond to the digital media renderers and the digital media servers under the available status, showing each of the digital media renderer icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media renderer information as being under a renderer unavailable status, and each of the digital media server icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information as being under a server unavailable status.

12. The digital media controller according to claim 11, wherein the instruction of showing each of the digital media server icons corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information as being under the server unavailable status further comprises:

marking a text message at the digital media server icon corresponding to each of the not corresponding digital media server information to indicate the server unavailable status.

13. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

when the previous digital media environment status exists, resuming a digital media environment status setting of the digital media controller to the previous digital media environment status;

showing a playback status corresponding to the renderer available status of the digital media renderer on the digital media controller according to the digital media renderer information recorded in the previous digital media environment status.

14. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the digital media renderer information includes a digital media renderer identification code, a playback mode message, a playback file information, a volume information and a last playback time position information.

15. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the previous digital media environment status further records a file path in the digital media server information corresponding to a played file in the digital media renderer information.

16. The digital media controller according to claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

storing a current digital media environment status as the previous digital media environment status.