User Interface for Managing Client Devices
In a content delivery network, a client-side graphical user interface displays a plurality of media widgets associated with a plurality of user-selectable media channels and a plurality of device widgets associated with a plurality of user-selectable client devices. A user control is configurable for interacting with the media widgets and the device widgets, and enables a user to move a presentation of a selected media channel from a first client device to at least a second client device. A media channel processor configures the selected media channel for presentation on the client devices.
1 . A graphical user interface, comprising:
a media field comprising a plurality of media widgets associated with a plurality of user-selectable media channels;
a device field comprising a plurality of device widgets associated with a plurality of user-selectable client devices; and
a user control configurable for interacting with the plurality of media widgets and the plurality of device widgets, and responsive to a user input for moving a presentation of at least one selected media channel from at least a first user-selectable client device to at least a second user-selectable client device.
2 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , further comprising a media channel processor responsive to user input and network performance for configuring a media channel for presentation on at least one of the plurality of user-selectable client devices.
3 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 2 , wherein the media channel processor comprises at least one of a stream manager, a switch, a formatter, and a metrics manager.
4 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 2 , wherein the media channel processor comprises a plurality of components residing on a plurality of client devices.
5 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the device widgets comprises a canvas display for displaying a corresponding client device's graphical user interface.
6 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media widgets is configured to provide access to a software application.
7 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , wherein display of at least one of the media field and the device field is controllable by a content provider.
8 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , wherein the media field comprises at least one media widget associated with a media channel provided by another user.
9 . The graphical user interface recited in claim 1 , wherein the device field displays client devices belonging to a plurality of users, and the user control is configured for routing a media channel from a first client device of a first user to a second client device of a second user.
10 . A computer system configurable for interacting with a plurality of client-side devices, comprising:
a media channel processor responsive to user input for configuring selected media channels for presentation on at least one of a plurality of user-selectable client devices; and
a client-side graphical user interface, comprising
a canvas display for depicting the plurality of user-selectable client devices and a plurality of media channels; and
a user control configurable for moving a presentation of a selected media channel from a first user-selectable client device to at least a second user-selectable client device.
11 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the media channel processor is responsive to performance of a wireless network serving at least one of the plurality of user-selectable client-side devices for configuring the selected media channels.
12 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the canvas display is configured for displaying the selected media channel.
13 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the canvas display is configured to display at least one additional canvas display employed by at least one of the first user-selectable client device and the second user-selectable client device.
14 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the media channel processor comprises at least one of a stream manager, a switch, a formatter, and a metrics manager.
15 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the user control is configured to provide access to a software application.
16 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the canvas display is controllable by a content provider.
17 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the user control is configured for routing a media channel received by the first user-selectable client device to the second user-selectable client device.
18 . The computer system recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of user-selectable client devices belongs to a plurality of users.
19 . A computer-implemented method for configuring media channels to be presented on at least one of a plurality of client devices, comprising:
displaying the plurality of client devices and the media channels on a client-side graphical user interface;
enabling a user control for associating at least one of the media channels with at least one of the client devices; and
responsive to a user input, configuring at least one selected media channel for presentation on a selected client device.
20 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein configuring is responsive to performance of a network serving at least one of the client devices.
21 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein configuring comprises selecting the at least one selected media channel, managing media-stream bandwidth, and formatting media streams for at least one of the plurality of client devices.
22 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein displaying further comprises displaying the at least one selected media channel.
23 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein displaying comprises displaying at least one canvas display employed by at least one of the plurality of client devices.
24 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein enabling the user control provides access to a software application.
25 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein displaying is controllable by a content provider.
26 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein enabling the user control provides for routing a media channel received by a first client device to a client device.
27 . The method recited in claim 19 , wherein the plurality of client devices belongs to a plurality of users.
28 . A computer program residing on one or more computer-readable media configurable for interacting with a plurality of client-side devices, comprising:
a media channel adaptor source-code segment responsive to user input for configuring selected media for presentation on at least one of the plurality of client devices;
a client-side graphical canvas display source-code segment for displaying the plurality of client devices and a plurality of available media channels; and
a user control source-code segment responsive to user input for moving a presentation of a selected media channel from at least a first client device to at least a second client device.