DIRECT CONNECTION WITH SIDE CHANNEL CONTROL

• US 20140328251A1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Anders, Billy R., Hunter, Kurt M., Larsen, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,450,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless computer that pairs with a remote audio-video presentation device, such as a television. As a result of the pairing, a communication channel is established for the computer to transmit audio-video content for presentation through that device. Additionally, as part of the pairing, the computer and remote device select a side channel for communication of user commands. The wireless computer may display a user interface through which a user may input commands that control the manner in which the remote audio-video device presents the content. As a result, a user may use the wireless computer as a remote control for the audio-video device, controlling both the content presented and the manner in which it is presented. The side channel may use different frequencies than the channel used to communicate audio-video content, and may use very low power at frequencies in the digital TV spectrum.

Claims

1. At least one computer readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method of operating a wireless computing device that is providing content for display on a remote display device, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting content for display on the remote device using a first wireless channel;

receiving user input indicating at least one action to be performed by the remote device related to the display of the content; and

wirelessly transmitting to the display a command selected based on the user input using a side channel relative to the first wireless channel.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging wireless communications with the remote device; and

selecting the side channel based on the wireless communications.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device is configured with a first radio providing a first transport and a second radio providing a second transport;

the first channel is accessed using the first radio; and

the second channel is accessed using the second radio.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein:

the first radio is configured for Wi-Fi communication.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein:

the second radio is configured for communication according to one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or IRDA.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein:

the first radio is configured for Wi-Fi Direct communication; and

the method further comprises operating the wireless computing device as a Group Owner in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct protocol.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device comprises a display and computer-executable instruction for generating a desktop on the display; and

the content comprises the desktop.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises performing a pairing ceremony with the remote device, the pairing comprising identifying a transport medium supported by the wireless computing device and the remote display device.

9. A method of operating a wireless computing device that is providing content for display on a remote audio-video device, the method comprising:

exchanging wireless communications with the remote audio-video device to perform a pairing ceremony, the pairing ceremony comprising selecting a channel for use as a side channel;

transmitting audio-video content to the remote audio-video device over a first channel, different than the side channel; and

over the side channel, transmitting a command to the remote audio-video device to alter a presentation of the content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the pairing ceremony is performed at a first time;

the computing device stores information generated during the pairing ceremony;

at a second time, subsequent to the first time, the computing device disconnects from the remote audio-video device; and

at a third time, subsequent to the second time, the computing device re-connects to the remote audio-video device based on the stored information.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

presenting on a display of the computing device a user interface comprising an option for control of the remote audio-video device;

receiving user input through the user interface; and

generating the command based on the user input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the computing device is connected to the Internet;

the method further comprises receiving multi-media content over the Internet;

and

transmitting audio-video content comprises transmitting the downloaded multi-media content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the command comprises a command to increase a volume of presentation of an audio portion of the audio-video content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the command comprises a command to change a region of a display of the remote audio-video device on which a visual element of the audio-video content is presented.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the command comprises a command to create a picture-in-picture display on the remote audio-video device.

16. An audio-video presentation device adapted to display content provided by a computing device, the display device comprising:

an audio-video output component;

at least one radio configured to communicate over a plurality of channels;

a controller adapted to;

perform a pairing ceremony with the computing device, the pairing ceremony comprising exchanging identification information with the computing device and negotiating a channel of the plurality of channels for use as a side channel;

direct content received over a first of the plurality of channels for presentation through the audio-video output component; and

alter a characteristic of the information presented through the audio-video output component based on a command received over the side channel.

17. The audio-video presentation device of claim 16, wherein the audio-video output component comprises a television screen.

18. The audio-video presentation device of claim 16, wherein the at least one radio comprises at least a Wi-Fi radio and at least one additional radio.

19. The audio-video presentation device of claim 16, wherein the at least one additional radio comprises a Bluetooth radio.

20. The audio-video presentation device of claim 16, wherein the pairing ceremony further comprises exchanging identification information with the computing device.