DVD changer API's

1. A computer readable storage medium storing an application program interface (API) for controlling an external media changer, the API comprising:

an identification component for determining at least one of a location, type, or identity of one or more media discs located in the external media changer, wherein the identification component is functional to expose at least the following properties for use by an application:

a drive disc data property that provides information of a media disc located in a drive of the external media changer, and a slot disc data property that provides information of one or more media disks located in a slot of the external media changer;

a loading component for loading and unloading of the one or more media discs into the external media changer, wherein the loading component of the API allows a member of the one or more media discs to be loaded into a specified slot of the external media changer; and

a locking component for locking and unlocking of the external media changer, wherein the locking component of the API prevents computing applications other than a computing application that locks a media changer drive of the external media changer to access the media changer drive by way of the API.

2. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 further comprising:

a movement component, for moving the one or more media discs within the media changer, wherein the movement component of the API allows one or more computing applications to control movement of the one or more media discs within the media changer.

3. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 further comprising: a status check component for providing a current status of the media changer.

4. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 3 , wherein the status check component provides the current status for one or more media changer elements in the media changer.

5. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 , wherein the media discs are selected from the following media disc types: DVDs, audio CDs, data CDs, blank DVDs, or blank CDs.

6. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 , wherein the identification component further comprises a component for determining at least one of the type and identity of a media disc located in an internal playback/storage device, such that the identification component of the API allows for the determination of at least a type and identity of one or more media discs in both the external media changer and the internal playback/storage device.

7. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 further comprising an initialization component for initializing one or more elements of the external media changer.

8. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 , wherein the loading component further comprises an ejection component for ejecting a disc from the external media changer.

9. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 8 , wherein the ejection component further comprises a component for ejecting a media disc located in an internal playback/storage device.

10. The computer readable storage medium storing the application program interface (API) for controlling the external media changer, the API of claim 1 further comprising:

a playback component for playing content on a member of the one or more media discs in the external media changer.

11. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of operating an external media changer from a computing application, wherein the computing application utilizes control codes provided by an application program interface (API), the method comprising:

exposing an interface of the external media changer, such that the external media changer interface is capable of receiving the control codes utilized by the computing application;

receiving identifying information of the external media changer;

receiving, from the external media changer, a determination of a location, a media type, and an identity of a media disc located in a slot of the external media changer, wherein the API utilizes a slot disc data collection API to provide a method for retrieval of information to facilitate making the determination;

instructing the external media changer to load the media disc into a media changer drive of the external media changer;

receiving information from the external media changer comprising a media type, an identifier, a volume label, metadata, and a drive path associated with the media disc, wherein the API utilizes a drive disc collection API to provide a method for retrieval of the information:

instructing the external media changer to lock the external media changer interface, wherein the external media changer interface is only utilized by the computing application when locked.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 having instructions embodied thereon, further comprising:

instructing the external media changer to unload the media disc from the media changer drive, such that the media disk is moved to a slot of the external media changer.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 having instructions embodied thereon, wherein receiving identifying information comprises receiving at least one of:

product data about the media changer,

a current status of the media changer, a current status of one or more elements in the media changer, or

volume tag information about the one or more media changer elements.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 having instructions embodied thereon, further comprising:

instructing the external media changer to move the media disc between the slot and the media changer drive in the media changer.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11 having instructions embodied thereon, further comprising:

instructing the external media changer to eject a media disc from the external media changer.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11 having instructions embodied thereon, further comprising:

receiving from the external media changer a determination of at least one of a type and identity of a disc located in an internal playback or storage device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the control codes provided by the API include:

IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_ELEMENT_STATUS,

IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_PARAMETERS,

IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_PRODUCT_DATA,

IOCTL_CHANGER_GET_STATUS,

IOCTL_CHANGER_INTIALIZE_ELEMENT_STATUS,

IOCTL_CHANGER_MOVE_MEDIUM, and

IOCTL_CHANGER_QUERY_VOLUME_TAGS.

18. A method for controlling an external media changer from a computing application operating on a computing device by way of an application program interface (API), the method comprising:

exposing an interface of the external media changer, wherein the interface is exposed by the API so that the external media changer and computing application can communicate, wherein the API is comprised of a drive disc data collection API that provides a method for retrieving information of a drive and the API is further comprised of a slot disc data collection API that provides a method for retrieving information of a slot; and

receiving at the external media changer, instructions to perform the following functions, wherein the instructions are received from the computing application by way of the API to the external media changer interface the functions described by the instructions include:

(1) communicating product data of the external media changer to the computing device;

(2) communicating a current status of one or more elements of the media changer, wherein the one or more elements include a slot and a drive of the media changer, wherein the current status of the slot is communicated to the computing device by way of a slot disc collection API and the current status of the drive is communicated to the computing device by way of a drive disc data collection API;

(3) locking the media changer so that the media changer interface is only available to the computing application;

(4) moving a media disc located in the slot of the media changer to the drive of the media changer; and

(5) playing the media disc located in the drive of the media changer.