AUTOMATED DLNA SCANNING WITH NOTIFICATION
A Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) subservice module for an intelligent television (TV) is configured to run periodic discovery scans for DLNA devices on a local network. The DLNA subservice module retrieves status data for DLNA devices connected to the network, updates an internal status data for the DLNA device using the retrieved data, and notifying a media scanner module of the Intelligent TV with the updated internal status data. The DLNA subservice module further works with internal provider modules of the Intelligent TV that deals with non-DLNA devices. The media browser includes a plug-in for retrieving metadata from DLNA content servers in addition to non-DLNA devices. The media scanner aggregates unified metadata retrieved from media browser content provider modules that includes data from DLNA devices.
1 . A method of managing external devices connected through a network for an intelligent television (TV), comprising:
retrieving status data for an external device through the network;
updating an internal status data for the external device in the Intelligent TV using the retrieved status data; and
notifying an internal content provider module of the Intelligent TV with the updated internal status data.
2 . The method of managing external devices of claim 1 , further comprising aggregating the updated internal status data with status data for other devices connected through the network as a unified data.
3 . The method of managing external devices of claim 2 , wherein the aggregating the updated internal status data with status data for other devices connected through the network is performed by an internal content provider module of the Intelligent TV.
4 . The method of managing external devices of claim 3 , wherein the internal content provider module comprises one or more of a media scanner and a media browser.
5 . The method of managing external devices of claim 1 , wherein the external device is a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) device and communicates with the Intelligent TV using the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol.
6 . The method of managing external devices of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved status data is sent by the external device on one or more of a connection of the external device to the network, a disconnection of the external device from the network, and a change of status to the external device.
7 . The method of managing external devices of claim 1 , wherein the status data comprises one or more of device discovery data, device disconnection data, and media data.
8 . An intelligent television (TV), comprising:
a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) subservice module configured to retrieve status data from a plurality of DLNA devices connected through a network and update internal status data for the external devices in the Intelligent TV using the retrieved status data; and
an internal content provider module configured to maintain a list of connected media sources of the Intelligent TV using the status data retrieved by the DLNA subservice module.
9 . The Intelligent TV of claim 8 , wherein the internal content provider module comprises a media browser configured to provide a real-time view of media sources of the Intelligent TV.
10 . The Intelligent TV of claim 9 , wherein the media browser comprises a plug-in configured to retrieve metadata from the plurality of DLNA devices that are DLNA content servers.
11 . The Intelligent TV of claim 9 , further comprising a media scanner configured to populate a media table using data retrieved by the media browser.
12 . The Intelligent TV of claim 11 , wherein the media scanner is further configured to aggregate data of DLNA and non-DLNA devices as a unified metadata.
13 . A Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) subservice module for an intelligent television (TV), wherein the DLNA subservice module is configured to perform the steps of:
retrieving status data of a DLNA device connected through a network;
updating an internal status data for the DLNA device in the Intelligent TV using the retrieved status data; and
notifying an internal content provider module of the Intelligent TV with the updated internal status data.
14 . The DNLA subservice of claim 13 , wherein the internal content provider module further aggregates the updated internal status data with status data for other devices connected through the network as a unified data.
15 . The DNLA subservice of claim 13 , wherein the internal content provider module comprises one or more of a media scanner and a media browser.
16 . The DNLA subservice of claim 13 , wherein the DLNA device communicates with the Intelligent TV using the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol.
17 . The DNLA subservice of claim 13 , wherein the retrieved status data is sent by the external device on one or more of a connection of the external device to the network, a disconnection of the external device from the network, and a change of status to the external device.
18 . The DNLA subservice of claim 13 , wherein the status data comprises one or more of device discovery data, device disconnection data, and media data.
19 . The DNLA subservice of claim 15 , the media browser is configured to provide a real-time view of media sources of the Intelligent TV.
20 . The DNLA subservice of claim 19 , the media scanner is configured to populate a media table using data retrieved by the media browser.