Systems, methods, and media for discovering remote user interface applications over a network

• US 7,519,681 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, William J., Walker, Mark R., Edwards, Jim, Kidd, Nelson F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US11/171,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 725/5, 725/26
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for a client device discovering remote user interface applications over a network are disclosed. Embodiments may include a remote user interface client of the client device receiving from a content directory service server a code fragment comprising a uniform resource indicator and determining whether the uniform resource indicator is associated with a remote-capable application. Further embodiments may include, in response to determining that the uniform resource indicator is associated with a remote-capable application, engaging by the client device a remote user interface server and receiving by the client device from the remote user interface server one or more display control commands associated with the remote-capable application and displaying a user interface based on the received display control commands. In some embodiments, engaging the remote user interface server comprises switching from the content directory service server. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a user, by a client device having both a remote user interface (RUI) client and a digital media player (DMP) client, a digital media player command to request access to a piece of content of listed in a content directory service (CDS) server;

transmitting the command by the digital media player client of the client device to the content directory service server, the command being associated with a digital media player capability;

receiving by a remote user interface integrator of the client device from the content directory service server a code fragment, the code fragment comprising a uniform resource indicator;

determining by the remote user interface integrator of the client device whether the uniform resource indicator is associated with a remote-capable application specific to a particular group of content files and having a customized user interface;

in response to determining that the uniform resource indicator is associated with the remote-capable application, switching by the remote user interface integrator the client device from the digital media player client to the remote user interface client, wherein switching the client device comprises disengaging the client device from the content directory service server and engaging the client device to a remote user interface server based on the uniform resource indicator;

receiving by the remote user interface client of the client device from the remote user interface server one or more display control commands associated with the remote-capable application; and

displaying by the remote user interface client of the client device a user interface specific to the remote-capable application based on the received display control commands.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving by the client device from a streaming image media server a playback stream of the digital content and displaying by the client device the playback stream.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in the event the uniform resource indicator is not associated with the remote-capable application, displaying a default user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the code fragment further comprises a container, the container comprising one or more digital content references and one or more remote-capable application references.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed user interface comprises one or more items of digital content, the displayed user interface being associated with the one or more items of digital content.

6. A program product having a storage medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a user, by a client device having both a remote user interface (RUI) client and a digital media player (DMP) client, a digital media player command to request access to a piece of content of listed in a content directory service (CDS) server;

transmitting the command by the digital media player client of the client device to the content directory service server. the command being associated with a digital media player capability;

receiving by a remote user interface integrator of the client device from the content directory service server a code fragment, the code fragment comprising a uniform resource indicator;

determining by the remote user interface integrator of the client device whether the uniform resource indicator is associated with a remote-capable application specific to a particular group of content files and having a customized user interface;

in response to determining that the uniform resource indicator is associated with the remote-capable application, switching by the remote user interface integrator the client device from the digital media player client to the remote user interface client, wherein switching the client device comprises disengaging the client device from the content directory service server and engaging the client device to a remote user interface server based on the uniform resource indicator;

receiving by the remote user interface client of the client device from the remote user interface server one or more display control commands associated with the remote-capable application; and

displaying by the remote user interface client of the client device a user interface specific to the remote-capable application based on the received display control commands.

7. The program product of claim 6, further comprising

receiving by the client device from a streaming image media server a playback stream of the digital content and displaying by the client device the playback stream.

8. The program product of claim 6, further comprising, in the event the uniform resource indicator is not associated with the remote-capable application, displaying a default user interface.

9. The program product of claim 6, wherein the code fragment further comprises a container, the container comprising one or more digital content references and one or more remote-capable application references.

10. The program product of claim 6, wherein the displayed user interface comprises one or more items of digital content, the displayed user interface being associated with the one or more items of digital content.

11. A method comprising:

accessing by a digital media server one or more items of digital content from a source;

accessing by the digital media server a remote-capable application from the source, the remote-capable application providing a remote user interface to the one or more items of digital content and having a customized user interface;

registering by the digital media server in a particular content directory service server the one or more items of digital content by saving a code fragment comprising a uniform resource indicator providing an indication of a location for the digital content; and

registering by the digital media server the remote-capable application in the particular content directory service server by saving a code fragment comprising a uniform resource indicator providing an indication of a location for the remote-capable application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing one or more items of digital content comprises one or more of downloading digital content, copying digital content, or finding digital content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing a remote-capable application from the source comprises one or more of downloading the remote-capable application from the source, copying the remote-capable application from the source, or finding the remote-capable application at the source.

14. A digital content system, comprising:

a content directory service server to store uniform resource indicators for one or more pieces of digital content and for one or more remote-capable applications the one or more remote-capable applications providing a remote user interface for particular pieces of digital content;

a remote user interface server to transmit display control commands; and

a client device in communication with the content directory service server and the remote user interface server comprising;

a digital media player client to play digital content and to interact with the content directory service server by transmitting user commands associated with a digital media player capability to the content directory service server;

a remote user interface client to receive the display control commands and to generate a user interface based on the display control commands and utilizing a customized remote user interface provided by a remote-capable application associated with content being viewed;

a remote user interface integrator to disengage the client device from the content directory service server and to engage the client device with the remote user interface server in response to determining that a received uniform resource indicator is associated with a remote-capable application; and

a display.

15. The digital content system of claim 14, further comprising a streaming media file server to distribute digital content.

16. The digital content system of claim 14, wherein the content directory service server and the remote user interface server are located on a digital media server.

17. The digital content system of claim 14, wherein the client device further comprises a user input device.

18. The digital content system of claim 14, wherein the client device comprises one or more of a television, display, monitor, stereo, home theater, printer, personal digital assistant, multimedia wireless device, game console, broadcast tuner, consumer electronic device, CD player, or DVD player.