Method and device for selecting a networked media device

• US 9,336,113 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Tarr, Morton, Berry, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lobos, Boris Grijalva
• Application Number:
  US13/952,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817

Abstract

A method and device for selecting a media device that is enabled to receive and then play or distribute digital media files, where the media device is or has been connected to a network over which the digital media is delivered to the media device. Media devices that have been connected to the network are identified. Identification information for available media devices that are currently connected to the network and turned on, and identification information for unavailable media devices that are not currently turned on or are not currently connected to the network, is stored. A selection of either an available or an unavailable media device is received, and in response the digital media is distributed over the network to the selected media device.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a media device that is enabled to receive and then play or distribute digital media files, where the media device is or has been connected to a network over which the digital media is to be delivered to the media device, the method comprising:

identifying media devices that have been connected to the network;

storing identification information for available media devices that are currently connected to the network and turned on, and also storing identification information for unavailable media devices, wherein unavailable media devices are media devices that have been connected to the network but are not currently turned on or are not currently connected to the network;

receiving a selection of either an available or an unavailable media device; and

in response to receiving a selection of either an available or an unavailable media device, determining whether the selected media device is compatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected media device;

in response to receiving a selection of an available media device, providing for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected available media device;

in response to receiving a selection of an unavailable media device, providing for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected unavailable media device;

wherein providing for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected media device comprises communicating at least some of the stored identification information to a source of digital media

wherein the selection of either an available or an unavailable media device is received based on a user'"'"'s selection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein media devices that have been connected to the network are identified by the media devices reporting their presence on the network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the stored identification information comprises the MAC address and the IP address of the media device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the stored identification information further comprises information concerning the functionality of the media device.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein storing media device identification information comprises including the identifying information in a persistent database.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising automatically removing from the database media device identifying information if the media device has not been available on the network for a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the distribution of digital media to the selected media device begins only when the selected device becomes available on the network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating incompatibility if the selected media device is incompatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected media device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing, receiving and distributing steps are accomplished using a network appliance that is persistently available on the network.

10. A computer device configured for selecting a media device to receive and then play or distribute digital media files, where the media device is or has been connected to a network over which the digital media is to be delivered to the media device, and where the computer device is operably connected to the network, the computer device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and that is configured to;

identify media devices that have been connected to the network;

direct the storage in the memory of identification information for available media devices that are currently connected to the network and turned on, and also identification information for unavailable media devices that are not currently turned on or are not currently connected to the network;

receive a selection of either an available or an unavailable media device; and

in response to receiving a selection of either an available or an unavailable media device, determine whether the selected media device is compatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected media device;

in response to receiving a selection of an available media device, provide for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected available media device, and

in response to receiving a selection of an unavailable media device, providing for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected unavailable media device;

wherein providing, for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected media device comprises communicating at least some of the stored identification information to a source of digital media.

11. The computer device of claim 10 wherein media devices that have been connected to the network are identified by periodically receiving information about available media devices on the network.

12. The computer device of claim 11 wherein the identifying information comprises the MAC address and the IP address and the functionality of the media device.

13. The computer device of claim 11 wherein the media device identification information is stored in a persistent database in the memory.

14. The computer device of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to automatically remove from the database media device identifying information if the media device has not been available on the network for a predetermined period of time.

15. The computer device of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to communicate incompatibility if the selected media device is incompatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected media device.

16. A network appliance that is configured to allow the selection of a media device that is enabled to receive and then play or distribute digital media files, where the media device is or has been connected to a network over which the digital media is to be delivered to the media device, and where the network appliance is available on the network, the network appliance comprising:

a persistent memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and that is configured to;

identify media devices that have been connected to the network, wherein media devices that have been connected to the network are identified by periodically querying available media devices on the network and retrieving identifying information for such available media devices, wherein the retrieved identifying information comprises the MAC address of the media device, the IP address of the media device, and information concerning the functionality of the media device;

direct the storage in the memory of identification information for available media devices that are currently connected to the network and turned on, and also identification information for unavailable media devices that are not currently turned on or are not currently connected to the network;

remove from the database media device identifying information if the media device has not been available on the network for a predetermined period of time;

receive from a user a selection of either an available or an unavailable media device; and

in response to receiving a selection of an available media device, determine whether the selected available media device is compatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected available media device and communicate incompatibility if the selected available media device is incompatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected available media device, and provide for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected available media device, which includes communicating at least some of the stored identification information to a source of digital media,

in response to receiving a selection of an unavailable media device, determine whether the selected unavailable media device is compatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected unavailable media device and communicate incompatibility if the selected unavailable media device is incompatible with the digital media that is to be distributed to the selected unavailable media device, and provide for the distribution of digital media over the network to the selected unavailable media device, which includes communicating at least some of the stored identification information to a source of digital media, wherein the distribution of digital media to the selected unavailable media device begins only when the selected unavailable media device becomes available on the network.

17. A method for selecting a media device that is enabled to receive and then play or distribute digital media files, where the media device is or has been connected to a network over which the digital media is to be delivered to the media device, the method comprising:

identifying media devices that have been connected to the network;

storing identification information for available media devices that are currently connected to the network and turned on, and also storing identification information for unavailable media devices, wherein unavailable media devices are media device that have been connected to the network but are not currently turned on or are not currently connected to the network;

receiving a selection of an available media device, wherein the selection of the available media device is received based on a user'"'"'s selection;

receiving a selection of an unavailable media device, wherein the selection of the unavailable media device is received based on a user'"'"'s selection;

initiating streaming of a digital media file to the selected available media device,

providing the streaming digital media file to a representation of the unavailable media device as if the unavailable device were available, and;

in response to the unavailable media device becoming available, presenting the streaming digital media file to the selected unavailable media device that has become available at the current point in the stream.