Digital media player exposing operational state data

• US 7,904,580 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mandera, Sandip, Cordova, Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao; Ranodhi N
• Application Number:
  US11/174,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/224, 709/231, 725/37, 725/141, 725/147, 714/48
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]

Abstract

A software based digital media player that provides component interfaces allowing inspection, testing and manipulation of operational state data between the digital media player and a device or devices attached thereto. Providing an opportunity for detailed analysis of such data allows, for example, testing operation of a prototype next-generation device when the corresponding next generation digital media player hardware is non-existent or otherwise hard to acquire for testing purposes. In addition, even were the corresponding next generation digital media player available, it would not provide the same opportunity for detailed analysis as discussed and described herein.

Claims

1. A system for validating interaction with a digital media server (DMS) having media associated therewith, the system comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a tangible computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, and having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions configured to be executed by the processor to implement a software-based Digital Music Player (DMP) communicatively coupled between the display and the DMS and is configured to communicate with the DMS over a network, wherein the DMP is configured to render media and to emulate a hardware-based DMP;

wherein the DMP is implemented to include;

a receiver configured to receive media streamed from the DMS;

a filter configured to filter communication with the DMS according to selected criteria, wherein the communication includes streamed media packets, messages and commands, wherein the messages further include Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) messages received from the DMS;

an inspector configured to monitor and inspect the filtered communication to detect errors in the filtered communication caused by the DMS and log said UPnP messages received from the DMS;

a monitor configured to detect errors caused by the DMP;

an analyzer configured to repackage the communication with the DMS in a form that can be read by a user of the DMP, to measure a display frame-rate for media received from the DMS, to measure an absolute time of arrival when a media frame is received from the DMS, to measure a rate of media received from the DMS;

a display manager configured to display the repackaged communication and errors detected by the inspector and the monitor to facilitate identifying sources of the errors and debugging accordingly; and

a setter configured to set a power state of a machine performing the method based on said monitored communication with the DMS.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the DMP is further implemented to include:

a component interface to expose an operational state the of the system during its communication with the DMS; and

a validator communicatively coupled with the component interface and the display manager, configured to validate operation of at least the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the DMP is implemented to operate within a machine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the DMP is compatible with both the Networked Media Product Requirements (NMPR) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) Home Networked Device Interoperability Guidelines.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspector is further configured to render said UPnP messages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the DMP is further implemented to include a receiver decoder configured to perform, based on said communication with the DMS and said streamed media from the DMS, decoding of media formats defined in Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), including at least lossy digital image encoding, lossy digital video encoding, and digital audio encoding.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the receiver decoder is further configured to provide:

a rendering control, including control for at least Play, Stop, Pause, Rewind, and Fast Forward; and

a volume control to set a volume for media being rendered.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the DMP is further implemented to include

a network interface configured to communicatively couple the DMP to the network, facilitate the communication with the DMP over the network and monitor all network traffic on the network.

9. A method for validating interaction with a digital media server (DMS) having media associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving by a software-based Digital Music Player (DMP), media streamed from the DMS, wherein the DMP is implemented by execution of a plurality of instructions stored in a tangible storage of a machine;

filtering by the DMP, communication with the DMS according to selected criteria, wherein the communication being selected from the list of communication consisting of streamed media packets, messages and commands, wherein the messages further include Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) messages received from the DMS;

monitoring and inspecting by the DMP, the filtered communication with the DMS to detect error in the filtered communication caused by the DMS;

detecting, by the DMP, errors caused by the DMP;

logging by the DMP, said UPnP messages received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a display frame-rate for media received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure an absolute time of when a media frame is received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a rate of media received from the DMS;

setting by the DMP, a power state of the machine performing the method based on said monitored communication with the DMS;

repackaging by the DMP, the communication with the DMS in a form that can be read by a user; and

displaying by the DMP, the repackaged communication and errors detected to facilitate identifying sources of the errors and debugging accordingly.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining by the DMP, an operational state of the DMP.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the DMP operating according to a protocol, and DMP validating compliance with the protocol based at least in part on said monitored communication.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

placing by the DMP, a network interface of the DMP to a network into a mode such that the network interface accepts all network traffic received from the network; and

filtering by the DMP, said received network traffic to retain selected communication with the DMS.

13. An article comprising a non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage medium having one or more associated instructions for validating interaction with a digital media server (DMS) having media associated therewith, wherein the one or more instructions, upon execution by a machine operating a software-based Digital Music Player (DMP), result in the machine performing operations including:

receiving by the DMP, media streamed from the DMS;

filtering by the DMP, communication with the DMS according to selected criteria, wherein the communication being selected from the list of communication consisting of the streamed media packets, messages and commands, wherein the messages further include Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) messages received from the DMS;

monitoring and inspecting by the DMP, the filtered communication with the DMS to detect error in the filtered communication caused by the DMS;

detecting, by the DMP, errors caused by the DMP;

repackaging by the DMP, the communication with the DMS in a form that can be read by a user;

displaying by the DMP, the repackaged communication and errors detected to facilitate identifying sources of the errors and debugging accordingly;

logging by the DMP, said UPnP messages received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a display frame-rate for media received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure an absolute time of when a media frame is received from the DMS;

analyzing by the DMP, said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a rate of media received from the DMS; and

setting by the DMP, a power state of the machine performing the method based on said monitored communication with the DMS.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further results in the machine operating the DMP performing operations including:

determining by the DMP, an operational state of the DMP.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further results in the machine operating the DMP performing operations including:

validating by the DMP, compliance with a protocol, based at least in part on said monitored communication.

16. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further results in the machine operating the DMP performing operations including:

monitoring UPnP messages received from the DMS.

17. An article comprising a non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage medium having one or more associated instructions for validating interaction with a digital media server (DMS) having media associated therewith, wherein the one or more instructions, upon execution by a machine operating a software-based Digital Music Player (DMP), results in the machine performing operations including:

receiving media streamed from the DMS;

filtering communication with the DMS according to selected criteria, wherein the communication being selected from the list of communication consisting of the streamed media packets, messages and commands, wherein the messages further include Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) messages received from the DMS;

monitoring and inspecting the filtered communication with the DMS to detect error in the filtered communication;

repackaging the communication with the DMS in a form that can be read by a user; and

displaying by the DMP, the repackaged communication and errors existing in the repackaged communication;

logging said UPnP messages received from the DMS;

analyzing said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a display frame-rate for media received from the DMS;

analyzing said monitored communication with the DMS to measure an absolute time of when a media frame is received from the DMS;

analyzing said monitored communication with the DMS to measure a rate of media received from the DMS; and

setting a power state of the machine performing the method based on said monitored communication with the DMS.