Dynamic redirection of streaming media between computing devices

• US 7,669,206 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sherwani, Adil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seye; Abdou K
• Application Number:
  US10/828,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Dynamic redirection of streaming media between computing devices is described. In an implementation, a method listening at an application programming interface for a notification indicating that a change is to be made in a topology of streaming media software components. When the notification is received, a media engine that is capable of reconfiguring the topology in accordance with the indicated change is notified. At least one of the topology or the reconfigured topology have one of the streaming media software components located on a comprising device and another one of the streaming media software components located on another computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

listening at an application programming interface for a notification indicating that a change is to be made in a topology of streaming media software components, wherein the change includes at least one of adding or removing one or more streaming media software components to the topology;

when the notification is received, notifying a media engine, wherein;

the media engine is capable of reconfiguring the topology in accordance with the indicated change to form a reconfigured topology; and

at least one of the topology or the reconfigured topology has;

one streaming media software component located on a computing device; and

another streaming media software component located on another computing device;

registering to receive the notification from an operating system via a notification manager, wherein the notification manager listens to change events from a plurality of named events defined in a registry signaling a change is to be made in a topology streaming media software component; and

initializing the reconfigured topology to have an execution state relative to streaming media that matches an execution state of the topology when the notification was received.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the change includes at least one of adding or removing one or more said streaming media software components to the topology that render streaming media.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the change includes at least one of adding or removing one or more streaming media software components to the topology that source streaming media.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the change includes at least one of adding or removing one or more streaming media software components to the topology that handle streaming media.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the topology of streaming media software components include:

one or more media sources individual ones of which serving as a source of streaming media;

one or more transforms communicatively linked with the one or more media sources and configured to handle the streaming media from the one or more media sources; and

one or more media sinks configured to sink the streaming media from the one or more transforms.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein each said execution state includes execution characteristics that relate to the streaming media and are selected from the group consisting of:

start;

pause;

stop;

fast forward;

rewind;

slow motion; and

position in the streaming media.

7. One or more computer readable storage media comprising computer executable instruction that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method as described in claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

listening at an application programming interface for a notification indicating that a change is to be made to a first topology of software components, wherein the change includes at least one of adding or removing one or more streaming media software components to the first topology and wherein the first topology of software components is capable of streaming media and has an execution state relative to the streaming media;

registering to receive the notification from an operating system via a notification manager, wherein the notification manager listens to change events from a plurality of named events defined in a registry signaling a change is to be made in a topology streaming media software component;

reconfiguring the first topology in accordance with the indicated change to form a second said topology; and

initializing the second said topology to have an execution state that matches the execution state of the first topology, wherein at least one of the first or the second said topology have said software components that are distributed on a plurality of computing devices and wherein each said execution state includes execution characteristics that relate to the streaming media and are selected from the group consisting of;

start;

pause;

fast forward;

rewind;

slow motion; and

position in the streaming media.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein the plurality of computing devices is communicatively coupled via a network.

10. The method as described in claim 8, wherein the at least one of the first or second topology have said software components that are distributed on a plurality of computing devices such that:

one said software component is located on a first said computing device; and

another said software component is located on a second said computing device.

11. One or more computer readable storage media comprising computer executable instruction that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method as described in claim 8.