Method and apparatus for interactive control of media players
View Patent ↗A method and system are provided in which a wireless controller, such as a smart remote controller or smartphone, for example, may interact with a media device through an adaptive, two-way feedback control scheme. The wireless controller may receive signals from a media player that comprise control information associated with an application on the media player. The wireless controller may then display a control page or user interface on a touch screen. A layout of the control page may be configured based on the control information received by the wireless controller. Once displayed, the control page may enable a user to provide one or more instructions to the wireless controller through the touch screen. The wireless controller may communicate to the media player the instructions provided to the wireless controller. Those instructions are communicated to the media player to control the operation of the application on the media player.
1. A method, comprising:
in a wireless controller comprising a touch screen:
transmitting identification information and capacity information including a display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller to a transmitter module of a media player for verification that the wireless controller is a valid control device based on the identification information;
receiving, from the media player, a control description associated with the identification information that describes a configuration of a layout of a user interface control associated with a function of the media player, comprising layout attributes specifying horizontal and vertical coordinates and key width and height of individual keys for the user interface control within the layout, adapted by the media player to fit the display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller via calculated templates for different control pages for applications supported by the media player;
generating a user interface based on the received control description;
presenting the user interface on the wireless controller; and
controlling operation of the media player based on input received via the user interface.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising regenerating the user interface based on another control description received from the media player, the received input, another input received via the user interface, or combinations thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising updating the user interface based on another control description received from the media player, the received input, another input received via the user interface, or combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising modifying one or more visual features of a key included in the user interface, the modified visual features indicating a status of the key as active.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more of:
one or more key images;
one or more virtual keyboard images;
one or more text box images; and
one or more touch pad images.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining one or more of a position, a size, and an icon for one or more images associated with the layout of the user interface.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control description received by the wireless controller further comprises an icon determined by the media player for each of one or more images associated with the user interface.
8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving from the media player, through a determined communication protocol, the control description; and
communicating to the media player, through the determined communication protocol, at least one instruction associated with the input received via the generated-user interface.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving from the media player, one or more images associated with the layout of the user interface; and
configuring the layout of the user interface that is presented on the wireless controller based on the received one or more images.
10. A system, comprising:
one or more processors or circuits for use in a wireless controller including a touch screen, the one or more processors or circuits being operable to:
transmit identification information and capacity information including a display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller to a transmitter module of a media player for verification that the wireless controller is a valid control device based on the identification information;
receive, from the media player, a control description associated with the identification information that describes a configuration of a layout of a user interface control associated with a function of the media player, comprising layout attributes specifying horizontal and vertical coordinates and key width and height of individual keys for the user interface control within the layout adapted by the media player to fit the display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller via calculated templates for different control pages for applications supported by the media player;
generate a user interface based on the received control description;
present the user interface on the wireless controller; and
control operation of the media player based on input received via the user interface.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors or circuits are operable to update the user interface based on another control description received from the media player, the received input, another input received via the user interface, or combinations thereof.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors or circuits are operable to modify one or more visual features of a key in the user interface, the modified visual features indicating a status of the key as active.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more of:
one or more key images;
one or more virtual keyboard images;
one or more text box images; and
one or more touch pad images.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control information received by the wireless controller comprises an icon determined by the media player for each of one or more images associated with the user interface.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors or circuits are operable to:
receive from the media player, one or more images associated with the user interface; and
configure the user interface that is presented on the wireless controller based on the received one or more images.
16. A method, comprising:
in a wireless controller comprising a touch screen:
transmitting identification information and capacity information including a display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller to a transmitter module of a media player for verification that the wireless controller is a valid control device based on the identification information;
receiving, from the media player, a control description associated with the identification information that describes a configuration of a layout of a user interface control associated with a function of the media player, comprising layout attributes specifying horizontal and vertical coordinates and key width and height of individual keys for the user interface control within the layout, adapted by the media player to fit the display area of the touch screen of the wireless controller via calculated templates for different control pages for applications supported by the media player;
configure an arrangement of a user interface to include the user interface control that corresponds to the control description;
presenting the user interface on the wireless controller; and
controlling operation of the media player based on input received via the user interface.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting capacity information of the wireless controller including a color depth of the touch screen, an indication of whether the touchscreen is operable to control a cursor position, or an indication of whether the touchscreen is operable as a virtual keyboard to the media player.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting capacity information of the wireless controller including an indication of whether the wireless controller supports a relative key layout to the media player.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the media player, a second control description describing a configuration of a second layout of the user interface control;
generating a second user interface based on the received second control description; and
presenting the second user interface on the wireless controller.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
receiving, from the media player, a notification to request a new control description; and
transmitting a request for the new control description responsive to receiving the notification; and
wherein the second control description is transmitted by the media player responsive to the request for the new control description.