Composition of local media playback with remotely generated user interface

• US 8,352,544 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fang, Nicholas J., Bowra, Todd, Speicher, Ashley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Application Number:
  US12/955,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A media server in a home entertainment network coordinates with a media player connected with the network to provide a media presentation with a combined user interface (UI) on an attached display device. Media content is sourced locally on a networked media player. The media player extracts metadata related to the media content and transmits the metadata to the media server. The media server creates the UI to include components related to the media content rendered by the media player. The media server then transmits the UI to the media player for combination with the rendered media content for a composite output to a presentation device. The media server may further develop and transmit compositing instructions and additional media content to the media player for inclusion in the composite output.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

rendering, at a media player, local media content for playback from at least one of a disc drive or internal memory of the media player, wherein the media player renders the local media content for playback in a local user interface generated by the media player;

extracting, at the media player, metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player;

transmitting, from the media player to the media server over a network, the extracted metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player;

receiving, at the media player from the media server, a remotely sourced user interface framework and compositing instructions for combining the remotely sourced user interface framework and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions are generated by the media server in response to the media server receiving the extracted metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player, the remotely sourced user interface framework comprising;

a playback window for positioning the local user interface generated by the media player within the remotely sourced user interface framework, and

remotely generated user interface components related to the local media content, the remotely generated user interface components including a graphic presentation of the extracted metadata transmitted by the media player and video content obtained by the media server from an Internet source based, at least in part, upon the extracted metadata transmitted by the media player; and

rendering, at the media player, a composite user interface including the remotely sourced user interface framework received from the media server and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the local user interface generated by the media player is positioned within the playback window and renders the local media content for playback.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the composite user interface to a presentation device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player renders the composite user interface by overlaying the remotely sourced user interface framework on top of the local user interface generated by the media player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player renders the composite user interface by inserting the local user interface generated by the media player into the remotely sourced user interface framework.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the extracted metadata is transmitted by the media player to the media server over the network within a metadata channel, and

the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions are received at the media player from the media server within a separate user interface channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the remotely generated user interface components further include a graphic presentation of metadata associated with the video content obtained by the media server from the Internet source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content comprises a movie or a television program that is related to the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the presentation device is at least one of a television or a computer.

8. A computer-readable memory storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a media player to perform a method comprising:

rendering, at the media player, local media content for playback from at least one of a disc drive or internal memory of the media player, wherein the media player renders the local media content for playback in a local user interface generated by the media player;

extracting, at the media player, metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player;

transmitting, from the media player to the media server over a network, the extracted metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player;

receiving, at the media player from the media server, a remotely sourced user interface framework and compositing instructions for combining the remotely sourced user interface framework and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions are generated by the media server in response to the media server receiving the extracted metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player, the remotely sourced user interface framework comprising;

a playback window for positioning the local user interface generated by the media player within the remotely sourced user interface framework, and

remotely generated user interface components related to the local media content, the remotely generated user interface components including a graphic presentation of the extracted metadata transmitted by the media player and video content obtained by the media server from an Internet source based, at least in part, upon the extracted metadata transmitted by the media player; and

rendering, at the media player, a composite user interface including the remotely sourced user interface framework received from the media server and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the local user interface generated by the media player is positioned within the playback window and renders the local media content for playback.

9. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8 having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for outputting the composite user interface to a presentation device.

10. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8 having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for overlaying the remotely sourced user interface framework on top of the local user interface generated by the media player.

11. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8 having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for inserting the local user interface generated by the media player into the remotely sourced user interface framework.

12. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8 having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for:

transmitting the extracted metadata to the media server over the network within a metadata channel, and

receiving the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions from the media server within a separate user interface channel.

13. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8, wherein:

the remotely generated user interface components further include a graphic presentation of metadata associated with the video content obtained by the media server from the Internet source.

14. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 8, wherein the video content comprises a movie or a television program that is related to the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a media server from a media player over a network, metadata extracted by the media player, the extracted metadata identifying local media content rendered for playback in a local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the local media content is rendered from at least one of a disc drive or internal memory of the media player;

generating, at the media server, a remotely sourced user interface framework and compositing instructions for combining the remotely sourced user interface framework and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions are generated by media server in response to the media server receiving the extracted metadata identifying the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player, the remotely sourced user interface framework comprising;

a playback window for positioning the local user interface generated by the media player within the remotely sourced user interface framework, and

remotely generated user interface components related to the local media content, the remotely generated user interface components including a graphic presentation of the extracted metadata transmitted by the media player and video content obtained by the media server from an Internet source based, at least in part, upon the extracted metadata received from the media player; and

transmitting, by the media server to the media player, the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions to the media player for causing the media player to render a composite user interface including the remotely sourced user interface framework and the local user interface generated by the media player, wherein the local user interface generated by the media player is positioned within the playback window and renders the local media content for playback.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the media server receives the extracted metadata from the media player over the network within a metadata channel, and

the remotely sourced user interface framework and the compositing instructions are transmitted by the media server to the media player within a separate user interface channel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the remotely generated user interface components further include a graphic presentation of metadata associated with the video content obtained by the media server from the Internet source.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content comprises a movie or a television program that is related to the local media content rendered for playback in the local user interface generated by the media player.

19. A computer-readable memory storage device storing computer-executable instructions causing a computer to implement the method of claim 15.