Enhanced UPnP AV media renderer

• US 9,898,166 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaarela, Kari, Kaarela, Elina, Koistinen, Kirmo, Tervo, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US13/936,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• 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: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 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 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A system for providing various overlay information one UPnP AV media renderers. According to the present invention, indications of messages and/or other information received by a UPnP mobile telephone or other UPnP control point can be directly transmitted to a renderer and exhibited in different manners. The present invention also permits the UPnP control point to transmit an event subscription to the renderer for subsequent use. The renderer permits accept or reject the receipt of various information at the particular time.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a user of a mobile device including a UPnP control point within a UPnP environment, comprising:

receiving an indication of an incoming communication at the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is operable by the user to receive the incoming communication;

providing the indication to the UPnP control point included in the mobile device, the incoming communication being a selected type of a plurality of types of communications, the plurality of types of communications including a phone call and a text message, and the indication including an identifier as to whether the incoming communication is a phone call or a text message;

accessing setting information in response to the receipt of the indication of the incoming communication;

determining that alert information regarding the incoming communication should be transmitted to a rendering device based on the setting information and the identifier that the selected type of the plurality of types of communications is a phone call or a text message; and

,

transmitting the alert information regarding the incoming communication from the mobile device to the rendering device within the UPnP environment, the alert information including an instruction for the rendering device to exhibit a notification to the user regarding the incoming communication being a phone call or a text message, based on the setting information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication comprises an incoming phone call or text message from a remote device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the incoming communication comprises an email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering device comprises an audio/video media rendering device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction directs the rendering device to overlay the notification over content being exhibited on the rendering device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction directs the rendering device to exhibit the notification in a picture-in-picture format relative to content being exhibited on the rendering device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction directs the rendering device to exhibit the notification in a scrolling format relative to content being exhibited on the rendering device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a request for feedback from the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving feedback that has been provided to the rendering device by the user in response to the request, and implementing at least one action in response to the received feedback.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the settings-information is modifiable by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

12. A mobile device including a UPnP control point, the mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit communicatively connected to the processor and including computer code that when executed controls the mobile device to;

receive an indication of an incoming communication at the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is operable by the user to receive the incoming communication;

provide the indication to the UPnP control point, the incoming communication being a selected type of a plurality of types of communications, the plurality of types of communications including a phone call and a text message, and the indication including an identifier as to whether the incoming message is a phone call or a text message;

access setting information in response to the receipt of the indication of the incoming communication;

determine that alert information regarding the incoming communication should be transmitted to a rendering device based on the setting information and the identifier that the selected type of the plurality of types of communications is a phone call or a text message; and

,

transmit the alert information regarding the incoming communication from the mobile device to the rendering device within the UPnP environment, the alert information including an instruction for the rendering device to exhibit a notification to the user regarding the incoming communication being a phone call or a text message, based on the setting information.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the selected type of the plurality of types of communications comprises an incoming email.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the instruction directs the rendering device to overlay the notification over content being exhibited on the rendering device.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the notification includes a request for feedback from the user.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the code further controls the UPnP control point to:

receive feedback that has been provided to the rendering device by the user in response to the request; and

implement at least one action in response to the received feedback.

17. A mobile device including a UPnP control point, the mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit communicatively connected to the processor and including computer code that, when executed, controls the mobile device to;

receive an indication of an incoming communication, at the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is operable by the user to receive the incoming communication;

provide the indication to the UPnP control point, the incoming communication being a selected type of a plurality of types of communications, the plurality of types of communications including a phone call and a text message, and the indication including an identifier as to whether the incoming message is a phone call or a text message;

access setting information in response to the receipt of the indication of the incoming text message;

determine that alert information regarding the incoming communication should be transmit to a rendering device based on the setting information and based on the identifier as to whether the incoming communication is a phone call or a text message; and

,

transmit the alert information regarding the incoming communication from the mobile device to the rendering device within a UPnP environment, the alert information including an instruction for the rendering device to exhibit a notification to the user regarding the incoming communication being a phone call or a text message based on the setting information, the notification including a prompt asking the user if they want to read the incoming communication on the rendering device if the incoming message is a text message.