Patent ID: 7614075
Filing Date: 2009-11-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. In an entertainment network environment, comprising a host computer system with a video codec and at least one electronic device, the host computer system and the electronic device connected by a video stream channel and a back channel, a method of transferring user interface information from the host computer to the electronic device, the user interface information for rendering a user interface on a display of the electronic device; the method comprising acts of: the host computer receiving a request from the electronic device, the request requesting to interact with an application running at the host computer system; in response to the request, opening an application session for the electronic device at the host computer, the application session for delivering user interface information to the electronic device, the user interface information including displayable image data of a user interface for the application; establishing a remote desktop protocol connection between the application session and an executable abstraction process within the host computer, the remote desktop protocol connection internal to the host computer such that system memory at the host computer stores both ends of the remote desktop protocol connection, the executable abstraction process abstracting the application session from the video codec such that the application session interacts with the executable abstraction process instead of the video codec, the executable abstraction process permitting the application to use existing application program interfaces, without modification to the application, to transfer user interface information to the executable abstraction process using remote desktop protocol; the application session generating user interface information, including displayable image data; the application session using remote desktop protocol to transfer a portion of the user interface information, including the displayable image data, to the executable abstraction process over the internal remote desktop protocol connection within the host computer system; the executable abstraction process feeding the portion of user interface information, including the displayable image data, to the video codec for conversion into a video stream; the video codec converting the portion of user interface information, including the displayable image data, into a video data stream, the video data stream including video data that represents the displayable image data and which is capable of being processed at the electronic device by a video processor to remotely render the user interface for the application at the electronic device, the video data stream further comprising control information including object information associated with a portion of the user interface configured to be stored by the electronic device for future reference, the control information including command data, which indicates how an instance of the object is to be manipulated on the electronic device, the command data including one or more of a sizing, a location, the graphical appearance and a behavior of the instance; transmitting the video data stream over the video stream channel to the electronic device such that the electronic device can use the video processor to render the user interface at the electronic device; receiving user input through the back channel, the user input indicating a change in one or more portions of the user interface; feeding the user input to the application session; and altering the video data stream in accordance with the user input received.