Media client architecture for networked communication devices
View Patent ↗A media client for a networked communication device includes a user agent to communicate with a multimedia application in the networked communication device. The user agent provides a high-level application interface to the multimedia application. A signaling agent under the control of the user agent performs signaling operations necessary to establish and maintain communication sessions. A media agent under the control of the user agent performs media operations. The media client may be located in a network and remotely accessed by the multimedia application. The user agent, signaling agent and media agent have network interfaces that allow these elements to be distributed within the network and accessed remotely.
1. A system of host devices configured to enable communication between a networked communication device and a remote device, the system of host devices comprising:
memory; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute a media client for the networked communication device, the media client comprising:
a user agent to communicate with a multimedia application in the networked communication device;
a first network interface for communications between the user agent and the multimedia application;
a signaling agent under the control of the user agent to perform signaling operations to establish and terminate media sessions between the multimedia application in the networked communication device and a remote device;
a media agent under the control of the user agent to send multimedia messages and receive multimedia messages as part of an established media session between the multimedia application in the networked communication device and a remote device;
a second network interface for communications between the user agent and signaling agent; and
a third network interface for communications between the user agent and media agent;
wherein the media agent is located remotely from the multimedia application.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user agent is located remotely from the multimedia application.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the user agent is located in a network server.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the signaling agent is located remotely from the multimedia application.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the signaling agent is located in a network server.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the signaling agent is located remotely from the user agent.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent is located in a network server.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent is located remotely from the user agent.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third network interfaces comprise TCP connections.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the user agent, signaling agent and media agent reside within a network server within a communication network, and wherein the multimedia application resides in a networked communication device and remotely accesses the media client.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent further comprises one or more media player(s), and wherein the media agent selectively routes media streams between the multimedia application and at least one of the one or more media player(s) responsive to commands from the multimedia application.
12. The system of claim 1 wherein the user agent includes a JAVA application interface.