System and method for enabling pairing of a companion device with a mate device for performing a companion device

• US 9,374,619 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Flemming S., Cruz, Gil C., Pope, Nick George
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US14/166,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/223, 709/227, 709/228, 340/4.11, 348/119, 348/734, 713/170, 713/176, 725/93, 725/116, 725/146, 726/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes establishing a connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system; receiving a request to perform a companion service with a second client; authenticating the first client via a client directory based on an identifier associated with the first client; receiving a pair message from the first client for the second client; and verifying whether the two clients can be paired in order to perform the companion service. Companion service commands can be authorized/policy checked and resulting commands on the second client may appear as-if they had been triggered locally.

Claims

1. A method for providing a companion device service, comprising:

establishing a persistent connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system;

receiving a pair message at the conductor element from the first client over the persistent connection to attempt to pair with the second client;

verifying, using a client directory at the conductor element, whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired for providing the companion device service; and

if the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired;

pairing, using the client directory at the conductor element, the first client with the second client; and

acting, by the conductor element using a companion device broker therein, as a trusted intermediary to share, with the first client, the second client'"'"'s access to information in a cloud component associated with the video system to provide the companion device service,

wherein sharing comprises;

receiving a request from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection for information associated with a session between the second client and the cloud component associated with the video system,

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client, and

if the first client is paired with the second client, contacting, by the companion device broker, a session state manager associated with the video system to obtain the information associated with the session,

wherein the information in the cloud component associated with the session is provided to the first client and used on the first client resume playing a video of the session, and

wherein the first client is configured to play the video of the session in a different resolution from the resolution used to play the video at the second client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the second client and the first client are authorized to be paired, forwarding the pair message, by the companion device broker of the conductor element, to the second client to complete the pairing between the first client and the second client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistent connection between the first client and the messaging fabric of the conductor element comprises an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the video system follows a service oriented architecture (SOA) development framework for delivering video to the first client and the second client using persistent Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) connections and/or stateless Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based web services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the video system provides Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based interfaces that are accessible by the conductor element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein acting, by the conductor element using the companion device broker therein, as the trusted intermediary to authorize exchange of information between the first client and the second client for the companion device service, comprises:

receiving a message from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection triggering an action to be performed by the second client; and

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client;

if the first client is paired with the second client, forwarding the message from the first client through the companion service broker to the second client enabling the second client to trigger the action as if the second client had received the message locally.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the information associated with the session from the companion device broker to the first client via the persistent connection.

8. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations for providing a companion device service, comprising:

establishing a persistent connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system;

receiving a pair message at the conductor element from the first client over the persistent connection to attempt to pair with the second client;

verifying, using a client directory at the conductor element, whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired for providing the companion device service; and

if the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired;

pairing, using the client directory at the conductor element, the first client with the second client; and

acting, by the conductor element using a companion device broker therein, as a trusted intermediary to share, with the first client, the second client'"'"'s access to information in a cloud component associated with the video system to provide the companion device service,

wherein sharing comprises;

receiving a request from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection for information associated with a session between the second client and the cloud component associated with the video system,

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client, and

if the first client is paired with the second client, contacting, by the companion device broker, a session state manager associated with the video system to obtain the information associated with the session,

wherein the information in the cloud component associated with the session is provided to the first client and used on the first client resume playing a video of the session, and

wherein the first client is configured to play the video of the session in a different resolution from the resolution used to play the video at the second client.

9. The logic of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

if the second client and the first client are authorized to be paired, forwarding the pair message, by the companion device broker of the conductor element, to the second client to complete the pairing between the first client and the second client.

10. The logic of claim 8, wherein the video system follows a service oriented architecture (SOA) development framework for delivering video to the first client and the second client using persistent Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) connections and/or stateless Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based web services.

11. The logic of claim 8, wherein the video system provides Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based interfaces that is accessible by the conductor element.

12. An apparatus for providing a companion device service, comprising:

a memory element configured to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory element; and

a conductor element comprising and a companion service broker, wherein the apparatus is configured to;

establish a persistent connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system;

receive a pair message at the conductor element from the first client over the persistent connection to attempt to pair with the second client;

verify whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired for providing the companion device service; and

if the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired;

pair the first client with the second client; and

act, using a companion device broker in the conductor element, as a trusted intermediary to share, with the first client, the second client'"'"'s access to information in a cloud component associated with the video system to provide the companion device service,

wherein sharing comprises;

receiving a request from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection for information associated with a session between the second client and the cloud component associated with the video system,

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client, and

if the first client is paired with the second client, contacting, by the companion device broker, a session state manager associated with the video system to obtain the information associated with the session,

wherein the information in the cloud component associated with the session is provided to the first client and used on the first client resume playing a video of the session, and

wherein the first client is configured to play the video of the session in a different resolution from the resolution used to play the video at the second client.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductor element is further configured to:

if the second client and the first client are authorized to be paired, forward the pair message, by the companion device broker of the conductor element, to the second client to complete the pairing between the first client and the second client.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the persistent connection between the first client and the messaging fabric of the conductor element comprises an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductor element comprises a client directory and wherein the apparatus is configured to use the client directory to verify whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired and/or to pair the first client with the second client.

16. A method for providing a companion device service, comprising:

establishing a persistent connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system;

receiving a pair message at the conductor element from the first client over the persistent connection to attempt to pair with the second client;

verifying whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired for providing the companion device service; and

if the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired;

pairing, the first client with the second client; and

acting, by the conductor element using a companion device broker therein, as a trusted intermediary to share, with the first client, the second client'"'"'s access to information in a cloud component associated with the video system to provide the companion device service,

wherein sharing comprises;

receiving a request from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection for information associated with a session between the second client and the cloud component associated with the video system,

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client, and

if the first client is paired with the second client, contacting, by the companion device broker, a session state manager associated with the video system to obtain the information associated with the session,

wherein the information in the cloud component associated with the session is provided to the first client and used on the first client resume playing a video of the session, and

wherein the first client and the second client are configured to exchange information through the companion device broker of the conductor element to synchronize a screen-shifting of the video between the first client and the second client.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the verifying comprises verifying using a client directory at the conductor element and/or the pairing comprises pairing using the client directory at the conductor element.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

if the second client and the first client are authorized to be paired, forwarding the pair message, by the companion device broker of the conductor element, to the second client to complete the pairing between the first client and the second client.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the persistent connection between the first client and the messaging fabric of the conductor element comprises an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based connection.

20. An apparatus for providing a companion device service, comprising:

a memory element configured to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory element; and

a conductor element comprising and a companion service broker, wherein the apparatus is configured to;

establish a persistent connection between a first client and a messaging fabric of a conductor element associated with a video system;

receive a pair message at the conductor element from the first client over the persistent connection to attempt to pair with the second client;

verify whether the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired for providing the companion device service; and

if the first client and the second client are authorized to be paired;

pair the first client with the second client; and

act, using a companion device broker in the conductor element, as a trusted intermediary to share, with the first client, the second client'"'"'s access to information in a cloud component associated with the video system to provide the companion device service,

wherein sharing comprises;

receiving a request from the first client at the conductor element via the persistent connection for information associated with a session between the second client and the cloud component associated with the video system,

verifying that the first client is paired with the second client, and

if the first client is paired with the second client, contacting, by the companion device broker, a session state manager associated with the video system to obtain the information associated with the session,

wherein the information in the cloud component associated with the session is provided to the first client and used on the first client resume playing a video of the session, and

wherein the first client and the second client are configured to exchange information through the companion device broker of the conductor element to synchronize a screen-shifting of the video between the first client and the second client.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

if the second client and the first client are authorized to be paired, forward the pair message, by the companion device broker of the conductor element, to the second client to complete the pairing between the first client and the second client.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the persistent connection between the first client and the messaging fabric of the conductor element comprises an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)-based and/or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based connection.