Tunable information presentation appliance using an extensible markup language

• US 7,337,402 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tansley, Dennis Stewart W., Milton, Victoria E., Sadovsky, Vladimir, Rosenbloom, Oren
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonshock; Dennis G.
• Application Number:
  US10/037,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 345/760, 710/8, 715/760, 715/720, 715/721, 715/730, 715/731, 715/732, 725/25, 725/28, 725/23
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The Universal Plug and Play architecture contemplates devices and control points that can automatically integrate themselves into a network and provide functionality to a user. Extensions are provided that allow an information presentation appliance to identify categories of information the user wishes that appliance to display. The appliance, acting as a device, can advertise functionality that only allows for the display of information that matches the categories selected by the user. Alternatively, the appliance can act as a control point and request information from information storage devices that matches the categories selected by the user. Using either alternative, the user is allowed to tune, at the appliance, the information that the appliance presents.

Claims

1. A method of tuning comprising:

facilitating in an inter-appliance communication network configuring at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances which were defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices to act as control points, wherein a UPnP device advertises its abilities and is controlled by a control point, while a control point listens or searches for devices it is capable of controlling and exerts control over those devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker;

receiving user input via the at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances, wherein user input comprises;

selecting at least one category of information to be presented on the appliance, wherein the at least one category comprises user-defined keywords and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the inter-appliance communication network;

specifying at least one user-defined blocked keyword to further identify categories that are not to be presented on the appliance;

specifying information to be blocked from presentation on the appliance if the information contains the user-defined blocked keyword;

creating a device description page using a markup language;

storing data representing the categories of information specified by the user and the user-defined keyword entered by the user in the device description page; and

transmitting the device description page with the data representing the categories of information and the user-defined and created keywords from the at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances via the inter-appliance communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the markup language is text-based.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the markup language identifies an element with a tag, and wherein the tag is defined in a schema.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein information blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance is audio information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein information blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance is video information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving user input is at the information presentation appliance.

7. A method of tuning at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances in an inter-appliance communication network, comprising:

facilitating configuring at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices which formerly only acted as a device to act as a control point, wherein at least on of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker;

receiving a device description page written in a markup language;

parsing the device description page to identify available categories of information;

presenting the available categories of information to a user;

receiving user input via at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances, wherein user input comprises;

selecting at least one category of information to be presented on the appliances, wherein at least one category comprises user-defined keywords created and entered by the user and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the communication network;

specifying selected categories of information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance;

specifying at least one user-defined blocked keyword that indicates information to be blocked from presentation on the appliance if the information contains the user-defined blocked keyword; and

invoking a deliver function referenced by a service description page to receive an element of information belonging to a category other than the selected categories of information, wherein the deliver function facilitates delivery of the element of information that is context and/or location specific.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information presentation appliance conforms to a Universal Plug and Play control point architecture.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the markup language is text-based.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein information blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance is audio information.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein information blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance is video information.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the parsing the device description page to identify the available categories of information comprises:

identifying a service description page pointer to the service description page;

requesting the service description page using the service description page pointer; and

parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information comprises:

identifying a list function pointer to a list function, wherein the list function lists the available categories of information; and

invoking the list function to list the available categories of information using the list function pointer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the invoking the list function to list the available categories of information comprises:

receiving a list of identifiers of the available categories of information;

identifying a name function pointer to a name function, wherein the name function provides names for the available categories of information; and

invoking the name function for each identifier in the list of identifiers.

15. An information presentation appliance in an inter-appliance communication network, comprising:

at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances which were defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices are configured to act as control points, wherein a UPnP device advertises its abilities and is controlled by a control point, while a control point listens or searches for devices it is capable of controlling and exerts control over those devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker

a user input device for enabling a user to specify at least one category of information to be presented on the information presentation appliance, wherein at least one category comprises user-defined keywords created and entered by the user and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the communication network, and wherein

the user input device enables the user to specify categories of information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance to key-in at least one user-defined blocked keyword that further specifies information to be blocked from presentation on the appliance if the information contains the user-defined keyword, wherein at least one of the categories is associated with the at least one user-defined blocked keyword;

a processing unit for creating a device description page written in a markup language and containing data representing the categories of information and the user-defined keywords and blocked keywords specified by the user through the user input device;

a memory storage for storing the device description page; and

a network connection for transmitting the device description page.

16. The information presentation appliance of claim 15 wherein the information presentation appliance is a decoder device.

17. The information presentation appliance of claim 15 wherein the markup language is text-based.

18. The information presentation appliance of claim 15 wherein the markup language identifies an element with a tag, and wherein the tag is defined in a schema.

19. The information presentation appliance of claim 15 wherein the categories of information in the device description page are identified with extended tags, and wherein the extended tags are defined in an extended schema.

20. An information presentation appliance in an inter-appliance communication network, comprising:

a network connection for receiving a device description page written in a markup language;

at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances which were defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices are configured to act as control points, wherein a UPnP device advertises its abilities and is controlled by a control point, while a control point listens or searches for devices it is capable of controlling and exerts control over those devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker;

the at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances comprising;

a user input device for receiving user input specifying at least one category of information to be presented on the information presentation appliance, wherein at least one category comprises user-defined keywords created and entered by the user and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the communication network, and wherein

the user input device receives user input specifying selected categories of information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance and at least one user-defined blocked keyword further specifying information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance if the information contains the user-defined blocked keyword, wherein at least one of the categories is associated with the at least one user-defined blocked keyword; and

a processing unit for;

parsing the device description page to identify at least one available category of information and at least one user-defined keyword associated with the category; and

invoking a deliver function referenced by a service description page to receive an element of information belonging to a category other than the selected categories of information.

21. The information presentation appliance of claim 20 wherein the information presentation appliance is a decoder device.

22. The information presentation appliance of claim 20 wherein the markup language is text-based.

23. The information presentation appliance of claim 20 wherein the available categories of information include the selected categories of information.

24. The information presentation appliance of claim 20 wherein parsing the device description page to identify the available categories of information further comprises:

identifying a service description page pointer to the service description page;

requesting the service description page using the service description page pointer; and

parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information.

25. The information presentation appliance of claim 24 wherein parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information further comprises:

identifying a list function pointer to a list function, wherein the list function lists the available categories of information; and

invoking the list function to list the available categories of information using the list function pointer.

26. The information presentation appliance of claim 25 wherein involving the list function to list the available categories of information further comprises:

receiving a list of identifiers of the available categories of information;

identifying a name function pointer to a name function, wherein the name function provides names for the available categories of information; and

invoking the name function for each identifier in the list of identifiers.

27. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for tuning an information presentation appliance in an inter-appliance communication network, the computer-executable instructions performing a process comprising:

facilitating in an inter-appliance communication network configuring at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances which were defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices to act as control points, wherein a UPnP device advertises its abilities and is controlled by a control point, while a control point listens or searches for devices it is capable of controlling and exerts control over those devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker;

receiving user input specifying at least one category of information to be presented on the information presentation appliance, wherein at least one category comprises user-defined keywords created and entered by the user and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the communication network, and wherein

receiving user input specifies categories of information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance, wherein at least one of the categories is associated with at least one user-defined blocked keyword entered by a user, and wherein the user-defined blocked keyword further specifies information to be blocked from presentation on the appliance if the information contains the user-defined blocked keyword;

creating a device description page using a markup language;

storing data representing the categories of information and the user-defined keywords and blocked keywords entered by the user in the device description page; and

transmitting the device description page with the categories of information through a network.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the markup language is text-based.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the markup language identifies an element with a tag, and wherein the tag is defined in a schema.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the categories of information in the device description page are identified with extended tags, and wherein the extended tags are defined in an extended schema.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the receiving user input is at the information presentation appliance.

32. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for tuning an information presentation appliance in an inter-appliance communication network, the computer-executable instructions performing a process comprising:

receiving a device description page written in a markup language;

parsing the device description page to identify available categories of information;

presenting the available categories of information to a user;

facilitating in an inter-appliance communication network configuring at least one of a plurality of information presentation appliances which were defined as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) compliant devices to act as control points, wherein a UPnP device advertises its abilities and is controlled by a control point, while a control point listens or searches for devices it is capable of controlling and exerts control over those devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances facilitates disparate types of presentations, wherein disparate types of presentations include audio and still images, wherein the information presentation appliance is selected from the group comprising an electronic picture frame or a speaker;

receiving user input via the at least one of the plurality of information presentation appliances, wherein user input comprises;

receiving user input at the information presentation appliance specifying at least one category of information to be presented on the information presentation appliance, wherein at least one category comprises user-defined keywords created and entered by the user and blocked keywords created and entered by the user to further specify the category selection and aid in identifying the category if there is no match to the category selection within the communication network;

receiving user input at the information presentation appliance specifying selected categories of information to be blocked from presentation on the information presentation appliance;

receiving further user input at the information presentation appliance specifying at least one user-defined blocked keyword that indicates information to be blocked from presentation on the appliance if the information contains the user-defined blocked keyword; and

invoking a deliver function referenced by a service description page to receive an element of information belonging to a category other than the selected categories of information.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32 wherein the markup language is text-based.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32 wherein the available categories of information include the selected categories of information.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32 wherein the parsing the device description page to identify the available categories of information comprises:

identifying a service description page pointer to the service description page;

requesting the service description page using the service description page pointer; and

parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein the parsing the service description page to identify the available categories of information comprises:

identifying a list function pointer to a list function, wherein the list function lists the available categories of information; and

invoking the list function to list the available categories of information using the list function pointer.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36 wherein the invoking the list function to list the available categories of information comprises:

receiving a list of identifiers of the available categories of information;

identifying a name function pointer to a name function, wherein the name function provides names for the available categories of information; and

invoking the name function for each identifier in the list of identifiers.