Systems and methods for multimedia remoting over terminal server connections

• US 7,590,750 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grogorovitch, Alexandre V., Adbo, Nadim Y., Chik, Joy, Sather, Dale A., Barde, Sumedh N., Oliveira, Eduardo P., Sherwani, Adil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barqadle; Yasin M
• Application Number:
  US11/047,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-205, 709217-219, 709227-236, 709246-247
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

Techniques relating to managing multimedia transmissions in terminal services scenarios are described. In one instance, a method sends a user-interface component from a server to a remote client. The method further streams a media component for presentation on the remote client in combination with the user-interface component and wherein the media presentation is tracked but not displayed by the server.

Claims

1. A computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts, comprising:

sending from a server to a remote client a remote desktop representation including a user-interface component and a media application window of a media application, the remote desktop representation representing a server desktop during a terminal services session;

receiving from the remote client a media presentation request for a media application on a media presentation window within a media application window of the remote desktop representation on the remote client;

streaming media from the server to the remote client including information for presentation of the media on the remote client in response to receiving from a remote client the media presentation request for the media application without ever displaying the presentation of the media on the server desktop;

presenting the media application window at the server that is synchronized with the media application window at the remote client;

tracking, at the server, a presentation of the media on the remote desktop at the remote client and user initiated changes to a window display geometry of the media application window on the remote desktop on a remote desktop at the remote client;

changing the window display geometry of the media application window on the server desktop at the server in response to the tracking;

assigning a placeholder to a region of the media application window on the server corresponding to a location of the media application window where the media is presented on the remote desktop at the remote client; and

sending notifications from the server to the remote client to change the window display geometry of the presentation of the streaming media on the media presentation window within the media application window on the remote desktop at the remote client in response to the tracking of the user initiated changes to the window display geometry of the media application window at the remote client and in response to changing of the window display geometry of the media application window at the server.

2. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the sending the user-interface component is achieved over a first network channel established by the terminal services session and the streaming of the media is achieved over a second different channel.

3. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the second different channel is established by the terminal services session.

4. A computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts, as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining a format of the media prior to the streaming; and

evaluating a capacity of the client to decode and render the media in the format.

5. A computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts, as recited in claim 4, further comprising decoding the media and re-encoding the media in a second different format based on changes to the window display geometry of the media application window and in an event that the client lacks a capacity to decode and render the media in the existing format.

6. A computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts, as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a virtual channel connection with the client in response to the presentation command;

negotiating formats which are supported by both the server and the client in response to the presentation command; and

,

setting-up a distributed topology with the client in response to the presentation command.

7. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the setting-up a distributed topology comprises inserting a network transmitter at the server and a network receiver at the client.

8. A method, comprising:

sending a user-interface component including a first and a second media application window from a server to a remote client during a terminal services session;

streaming a first and a second media component for presentation in a respective first and second media presentation target window on the remote desktop in combination with the user-interface component, wherein the streaming occurs in the terminal services session;

tracking, at the server, user initiated changes to a window display geometry and a position of the first media application window and the second media application window on the remote desktop, including tracking of a clipping of the first media application window by the second media application window;

relaying to the remote desktop changes in the relative window position of the first and the second media presentation target window relative to changes in the relative window position of the respective first and second media application window such that the first media application window on the client is synchronized with the first media application window on the server;

relaying to the remote client changes in the relative window geometry of the first and the second media presentation target window relative to changes in the relative window geometry of the respective first and second media application window such that the second media application window on the client is synchronized with the second media application window on the server; and

streaming a new first and a new second media component from the server to the remote desktop with a changed window display geometry and position corresponding to the user initiated changes for presentation on the remote client in combination with the respective changed first and second media application window without ever presenting the media component in a format for display within the first or the second media presentation window on the server.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the first media component is configured to be presented in a media presentation target window within the first media application window.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the tracking comprises inserting a placeholder on the server which represents one of the media presentation windows and tracking any user initiated changes affecting the placeholder.

11. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising determining what media formats are supported by the remote client.

12. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising establishing a distributed topology with the remote client.

13. A computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts, comprising:

during a terminal services session, receiving at a remote desktop representation at a remote client from one or more servers a static user-interface component a media presentation window information and a media component, the remote desktop representation using the media presentation window information to display a media presentation window that is synchronized with a corresponding media presentation window on the one or more servers;

accepting from the one or more servers as part of the media component a media stream;

transmitting in response to a remote desktop generated media presentation request, the media stream being presented in format for display within a media presentation window on the remote desktop without ever being presented in a format for display within the media presentation window on the one or more servers;

generating a remote desktop experience by combining the media presentation window information and the media stream a media presentation with the static user-interface component in the media presentation window;

acquiring user initiated geometry updates to the media presentation window at the remote desktop;

providing the user initiated geometry updates to the one or more servers to change the geometry of the media presentation window on the one or more servers; and

receiving, in response to the user initiated geometry updates, at the remote desktop from the server a new media presentation window information and a new media stream, the new media presentation window information including geometry information for the media presentation window corresponding to the acquired geometry updates, the remote desktop using the new media presentation window information to display a new media presentation window that is synchronized with a corresponding new media presentation window on the one or more servers, the new media stream being presented in format for display within the new media presentation window on the remote desktop without ever being presented in a format for display within the media presentation window on the one or more servers.

14. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the acquiring of the user initiated geometry is achieved over a network channel which is not utilized for said receiving or said accepting of the media stream.