Casting of HDMI Content
In response to receiving user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device that specifies user instruction to cast high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device, an audio/video (A/V) hub accesses device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device. Then, the A/V hub performs the casting of the HDMI content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the HDMI content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.
1 . An audio/video (A/V) hub, comprising:
an antenna;
an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with a portable electronic device, a first A/V display device, a second A/V display device and a content source; and
a control circuit, coupled to the interface circuit, configured to:
receive, via the interface circuit, user-interface activity information from the portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast content associated with the content source from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device;
access device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and
perform the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.
2 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the content includes high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content and the A/V hub includes a port that can couple to at least one of the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device;
wherein the port is compatible with an HDMI standard; and
wherein the interface circuit is coupled to the port.
3 . The A/V hub of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the device-state information using a state-detection circuit that is coupled to at least a pin in the port.
4 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single virtual command icon displayed in a user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.
5 . The A/V hub of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:
generate user-interface information that specifies the user interface that includes virtual command icons, including the virtual command icon, which are associated with the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device; and
provide the user-interface information to the portable electronic device for display on the touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.
6 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single physical button.
7 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the device-state information is inferred based on device commands previously provided to the second A/V display device.
8 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the casting is performed without further user action.
9 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is powered on, a power-on operation is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.
10 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is set to receive the content from the content source, an operation to set the second A/V display device to receive the content from the content source is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.
11 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device are associated with different providers.
12 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises:
memory configured to store a program module; and
a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the program module, wherein the program module includes instructions for at least some operations performed by the control circuit.
13 . A non-transitory computer-program product for use in conjunction with an audio/video (A/V) hub, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-program mechanism that, when executed by the A/V hub, causes the A/V hub to perform casting of content, the computer-program mechanism including:
instructions for receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast the content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device;
instructions for accessing device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and
instructions for performing the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.
14 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for determining the device-state information using a state-detection circuit that is coupled to at least a pin in a port in the A/V hub that can couple to the second A/V display device.
15 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single virtual command icon displayed in a user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device; and
wherein the computer-program mechanism includes:
instructions for generating user-interface information that specifies the user interface that includes virtual command icons, including the virtual command icon, which are associated with the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device; and
instructions for providing the user-interface information to the portable electronic device for display on the touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.
16 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the device-state information is inferred based on device commands previously provided to the second A/V display device.
17 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the casting is performed without further user action.
18 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is powered on, a power-on operation is excluded from the dynamic number of operations; and
wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is set to receive the content from the content source, an operation to set the second A/V display device to receive the content from the content source is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.
19 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device are associated with different providers.
20 . An A/V hub-implemented method for performing casting of content, wherein the method comprises:
receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast the content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device;
accessing device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and
performing the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.