METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY RENDERING MEDIA CONTENT ON REMOTE DISPLAYS

Abstract

An apparatus and method (300-400) are disclosed for selectively rendering media content on remote displays (604-612). An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device (100) having a controller (106) that manages operations of a wireless transceiver (102). The controller can be programmed to detect (402) a display server (200) in a wireless local area network, receive (410) from the display server its capabilities for presenting content, create (414-418) displayable content conforming to the capabilities of the display server, and transmit (420) the displayable content to the display server. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a wireless communication device (WCD);

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a display server;

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method operating in the display server;

FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method operating in the WCD;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary representation of communications taking place between the display server and WCD;

FIG. 6 depicts exemplary embodiments of the display server and WCD; and

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A display server, comprising: a controller that manages a display and a wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is programmed to:transmit capabilities of the display over a wireless medium to a wireless communication device (WCD);receive displayable content from the WCD according the capabilities of the display; andpresent the displayable content on the display.

2. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to broadcast its presence within a local area network in which the WCD has roamed into.

3. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit to the WCD the capabilities of the display upon detecting a discovery request from the WCD.

4. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to: receive authentication information from the WCD; andoffer display services to the WCD upon validating the authentication information.

5. The display server of claim 1, wherein the displayable content comprises a plurality of screens, and wherein the controller is programmed to buffer and present the plurality of screens on the display.

6. The display server of claim 5, wherein the displayable content comprises at least one among a priority attribute and creation timestamp for each of the plurality of screens, and wherein the controller is programmed to present an order for each of the plurality of screens according to at least one among its priority attribute and its creation timestamp.

7. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to: establish one or more timers according to the displayable content; andterminate presentation of the displayable content upon expiration of at least one among the one or more timers.

8. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to manage operations of the display and the wireless transceiver to reduce power consumption.

9. The display server of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to establish a secure communication link with the WCD in response to a request from the WCD.

10. The display server of claim 1, comprising the display and the wireless transceiver, wherein the capabilities of the display server embodied in part in the display comprise at least one among a display type, a display resolution, one or more display dimensions, one or more content types supported by the display, a display speed, a display contrast ratio, one or more color parameters, and one or more interaction capabilities, wherein the wireless transceiver operates according to at least one among a plurality of wireless access technologies comprising Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Ultra Wide Band (UWB), software defined radio (SDR), and cellular communications, and wherein the controller is programmed to: detect a second WCD;assign at least one among temporal and spatial portions of the display to each of the first and second WCDs;transmit capabilities of the display to the first and second WCDs according to their assigned portions;receive displayable content from each of the first and second WCDs according the capabilities of their respective assigned portions; andpresent the displayable content of each of the WCDs according to their respective assigned portions.

11. The display server of claim 1, wherein the display server is embodied in one among a plurality of form factors comprising a wristwatch, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an automobile dashboard, a television, a computer monitor, an entertainment system, and a security system, and wherein the controller is programmed to terminate presentation of the displayable content upon detecting at least one among a group of termination events comprising receiving from the WCD a request to terminate communications with the display server, an expiration of one or more timers that monitor at least one among a presentation time limit and a queuing time limit associated with the displayable content, and a loss of communications with the WCD.

12. The display server of claim 1, wherein the displayable content is presented as a screen on the display, and wherein the controller is programmed to modify the presentation of the screen in response to receiving from the WCD an update to the screen.

13. The display server of claim 1, comprising an audio system, wherein the displayable content comprises audible information, and wherein the controller is programmed to perform at least one among conveying audible signals corresponding to the audible information, and receiving audible signals from an end user of the WCD.

14. The display server of claim 1, comprising an input device to detect a tactile input from an end user of the WCD, wherein the controller is programmed to: generate an interaction command in response to receiving a tactile entry from the end user;transmit the interaction command to the WCD;receive from the WCD an update to the displayable content according to the interaction command; andpresent the updated displayable content.

15. A communication device, comprising: a controller that manages operations of a wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is programmed to:detect a display server in a wireless local area network (WLAN);receive from the display server its capabilities for presenting content;create displayable content conforming to the capabilities of the display server; andtransmit the displayable content to the display server.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to authenticate the communication device with the display server.

17. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit a request to the display server for a summary of its capabilities.

18. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the displayable content comprises a plurality of screens, and wherein the controller is programmed to transmit to the display server a plurality of priority attributes associated with the plurality of screens for prioritizing the presentation of the screens at the display server.

19. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit to the display server at least one among a presentation time limit and a queuing time limit for each of the plurality of screens.

20. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to: detect a second display server in the WLAN;receive from the second display server its capabilities for presenting content;generate first and second portions of the displayable content in accordance with the capabilities of the first and second display servers; andtransmit the portions of displayable content to the first and second display servers.

21. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to: update the displayable content according to one or more detectable events; andtransmit to the display server the updated displayable content.

22. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to: detect a second display server;receive from the second display server its capabilities for presenting content;select an appropriate one among the first and second display servers for presenting displayable content generated by an application operating in the controller;generate displayable content conforming to the capabilities of the selected display server; andtransmit the displayable content to the selected display server.

23. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the capabilities of the display server include interaction commands generated in response to tactile inputs, and wherein the controller is programmed to: include in the displayable content interaction commands conforming to the tactile input capabilities of the display server;receive interaction commands from the display server according to tactile inputs from an end user;update the displayable content according to the interaction commands received; andtransmit the updated displayable content to the display server.

24. A computer-readable storage medium in a media server, comprising computer instructions for: transmitting functional parameters associated with media content capabilities of the media server to a detected wireless communication device (WCD); andpresenting media content received from the WCD conforming in part to the functional parameters of the media server.

25. A computer-readable storage medium in a wireless communication device, comprising computer instructions for: detecting a media server in a wireless local area network;receiving from the media server functional parameters associated with its media content capabilities;generating media content in conformance with a portion of the functional parameters of the media server; andtransmitting the media content to the media server.