Enhancements to data-driven media management within an electronic device

• US 8,171,177 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rostaing, Andrew, Guetta, Anthony J., Chapman, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B
• Application Number:
  US12/405,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 710 5- 7, 710 36- 45, 719/322, 719/328, 719/329, 700/94
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A centralized resource manager manages the routing of audio or visual information within a device, including a handheld device such as a smartphone. The resource manager evaluates data-driven policies to determine how to route audio or visual information to or from various input or output components connected to the device, including headphones, built-in speakers, microphones, bluetooth headsets, cameras, and so on. Among the data considered in the policies are connection status data, indicating if a device is connected, routing status data, indicating if a device is permitted to route information to or from a component, and grouping data, indicating logical relationships between various components. Components may be considered inherently routable, automatically routable, or optionally routable. Numerous other uses exist for such data, including providing simpler and more logical management interfaces.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, at a device, grouping data specifying relationships between a plurality of components through which the device routes audio or visual information;

determining to route audio or visual information through a first component of the plurality of components;

in response to determining to route audio or visual information through the first component;

reading the grouping data to identify a relationship between the first component and a second component of the plurality of components; and

based at least on the grouping data indicating the relationship between the first component and the second component, the device determining whether to route audio or visual information through the second component while routing audio or visual information through the first component;

wherein the method is performed by the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining or receiving an indication that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the an accessory device;

in response to determining or receiving an indication that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the accessory device, consulting the grouping data to identify which components of the plurality of components are components of the accessory device;

storing, for each of the identified components of the accessory device, data indicating that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information through the accessory device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the grouping data indicating the relationship between the first component and the second component, presenting a single interface control for managing a setting common to both the first component and the second component;

in response to selection of the single interface control, configuring both of the first component and the second component to reflect the selection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein determining to route audio or visual information through a first component comprises determining to route particular audio or visual information to or from the first component;

in response to identifying the relationship between the first component and the second component, based at least on the grouping data and on priority data for each of the first component and the second component, determining to instead route the particular audio or visual information to or from the second component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first component is logically related to the second component in response to at least one of;

determining that the first component and the one or more other components second component serve mutually exclusive purposes;

determining that the first component and the second component are both components of a single multi-port accessory device;

or

determining that the first component and the one or more other components second component serve complementary purposes;

in response determining that the first component is logically related to the second component, storing data indicating the relationship in the grouping data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that particular audio or visual information is to be routed through an accessory device;

consulting the grouping data to identify components of the accessory device;

based on the identified components of the accessory device, determining a to route the particular audio or visual information through a particular component being selected from the identified components, the particular component being the first component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the particular component is based at least on priority data stored in the device for each of the first component and the second component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component is an instance of a first profile for an accessory device, wherein the second component is an instances of a profiles, other than the first profile, for the accessory device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based at least on the grouping data indicating that the second component is a sibling components of the first component, determining to route a first stream through a first port and a second stream through a second port,

wherein the first stream is routed to a port to which the first component is connected;

wherein the second stream is routed to a port to which the second component is connected;

wherein the second stream is routed concurrently with the first stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first stream and the second stream is an input stream, and wherein the other of the first stream and the second stream is an output stream.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of components includes at least a particular component that is built-in to the device or external to the device, wherein the particular component is one of a headset, a speaker, a microphone, or a bluetooth device, or a component thereof;

wherein each of the first component and the second component is connectable to the device via a plurality of ports at the device;

each of the plurality of ports is one of an input port of the device, an output port of the device, or both an input port and an output port of the device; and

each of the plurality of ports facilitates one of a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a built-in connection to a connected component.

12. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 1.

17. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 2.

18. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 3.

19. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 4.

20. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 5.

21. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 6.

22. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 7.

23. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 8.

24. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 9.

25. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 10.

26. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 11.

27. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining to route audio or visual information through a first component comprises determining to route a first stream of audio or visual information through the first component;

wherein determining whether to route audio or visual information through the second component while routing audio or visual information through the first component comprises, in response to determining to route the first stream of audio or visual information through the first component, determining not to route the first stream or a second stream of audio or visual information through the second component.

28. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining to route audio or visual information through a first component comprises determining to route a first stream of audio or visual information through the first component;

wherein determining whether to route audio or visual information through the second component while routing audio or visual information through the first component comprises, in response to determining to route the first stream of audio or visual information through the first component, determining to route the first stream or a second stream of audio or visual information through the second component.

29. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 27.

30. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of the method recited in claim 28.

13. A system comprising at least:

one or more processors;

a memory, coupled to the one or more processors, storing instructions for executing one or more software applications;

a plurality of ports to which may be connected to a plurality of components for inputting or outputting audio or visual information;

a resource manager configured to handle requests from the one or more software applications to determine routes for streams of audiovisual information, each route being through at least one of the plurality of ports;

wherein the resource manager is further configured to maintain grouping data indicating one or more groups of components in the plurality of components that are logically related;

wherein the resource manager is further configured to perform;

determining to route audio or visual information through a first port connected to a first component of the plurality of components;

in response to determining to route audio or visual information through the first component;

reading the grouping data to identify a relationship between the first component and a second component of the plurality of components; and

based at least on the grouping data indicating the relationship between the first component and the second component, the device determining whether to route audio or visual information through a second port connected to the second component while routing audio or visual information through the first component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of components includes at least one of a built-in component, a pluggable component, or a wireless component, wherein each of the plurality of ports is either a physical port or a logical port.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource manager is further configured to:

determine that a first component has a partner relationship to the second component if the first component and the second component serve mutually exclusive purposes;

if a first stream is to be routed through the first port, and the first component has said partner relationship with the second component, determine not to route other streams through the second port;

determine that the first component has a sibling relationship to the second component if the first component and the second component serve complementary purposes; and

if a second stream is to be routed through the first port, and the first component has said sibling relationship with the second component, determine to route a complementary stream through the second port, said complementary stream having a purpose that is complementary to a purpose of the second stream.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising an interface for managing aspects of individual components on a group basis.