Enhancements to data-driven media management within an electronic device

• US 8,635,377 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• 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): SUN, SCOTT C
• Application Number:
  US13/339,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 status data for each component of a plurality of components;

wherein the status data for each component includes;

connection status data indicating whether the component is connected to a device;

routing status data, different from the connection status data, indicating whether the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the component;

based at least on the connection status data for one or more components and on the routing status data for the one or more components, selecting one or more routes for routing particular audio or visual information;

wherein the step of selecting the one or more routes is performed by the device.

2. 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 component of the plurality of components is connectable to the device via a plurality of ports of 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, wireless connection, or built-in connection to a connected component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a connection has been established between a particular component and the device;

in response to determining that the connection has been established, modifying the connection status data for the particular component to indicate that the particular component is connected to the device; and

further in response to determining that the connection has been established, determining whether to modify the routing status data for the particular component to indicate that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the particular component.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein determining whether to modify the routing status data for the particular component comprises evaluating a rule;

wherein the rule indicates whether the device is automatically permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the particular component whenever the particular connection has been established;

wherein the rule is conditioned upon at least one of;

the type of the particular component, the type of the connection, or the identity of the particular component.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the rule is further conditioned upon data indicating whether a user permitted the device to route audio or visual information to or from the particular component while the particular component was previously connected to the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a first connection has been established between a first component and the device;

in response to the first connection, automatically modifying the routing status data to indicate that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the particular component;

determining that a second connection has been established between a second component and the device;

determining not to, in response to the second connection, automatically modify the routing status data to indicate that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the particular component;

receiving input from one of a user, the second component, or an application, wherein the input indicates that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the second component; and

in response to the input, modifying the routing status data to indicate that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the second component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

in response to the first connection, automatically modifying the routing status data is based upon one of;

the type of the first component, the type of the first connection, or the identity of the first component; and

determining not to, in response to the second connection, automatically modify the routing status data is based upon one of;

the type of the second component, the type of the second connection, or the identity of the second component.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the connection has been terminated;

in response to determining that the connection has been terminated, determining whether to modify the routing status data to indicate that the device is not permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the second component.

9. The method of claim 6, the method further comprises:

in response to the input, determining whether or not to modify first data to indicate the device is automatically permitted to route audio or visual information to or from the second component in subsequent connections;

subsequent to the second connection being terminated, determining that a third connection between the second component and the device has been established;

based on the first data, determining to automatically modify the routing data, in response to the third connection, to indicate that the device is permitted to route audio or visual information through the second component.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to list components that may be used in a particular operation;

determining which of the plurality of components are automatically routable;

determine which automatically routable component would be selected based at least on the connection status data and the routing status data; and

excluding from the list all automatically routable components other than the automatically routable component that would be selected.

11. 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.

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 2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21. 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 one or more 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 status data for the one or more components, the status data including connection status data and routing status data;

wherein the connection status data indicates a first set of the one or more components that are connected to the system;

wherein the routing status data indicates a second set of the one or more components that are routable, the second set being different than the first set;

wherein the resource manager is further configured to determine routes for streams of audio or visual information based on at least the connection status data and the routing status data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more components include 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.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the resource manager is further configured to, upon establishing a connection of a component to the system:

modify the connection status data to indicate that the component is connected to the device;

determine whether to modify the routing status data to indicate that the component is routable;

wherein the system further comprises an input mechanism for allowing a user to add the component to the second set if the routing status data is not modified, upon establishing the connection, to indicate that the component is routable.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the resource manager is further configured to only route streams of audio or visual information through a component if the component is in both the first set and the second set.