Encoding for remoting graphics to decoder device

Abstract

A portable graphics encoder connects with one or more protocol decoder devices based on a particular communication protocol. The portable graphics encoder is not specific to any particular operating system. The portable graphics encoder receives protocol decoder device commands such as input instructions that determine higher-level graphics commands that are sent to the one or more protocol decoder devices. The higher-level graphics commands are extracted from graphics sources such as application programs. The portable graphics encoder encodes the higher-level graphics commands according to a format defined by the communication protocol, and the encoded higher-level graphics commands are sent to the one or more protocol decoder devices.

1 . A portable graphics encoder comprising: 
 a protocol compliant state machine that communicates with a protocol decoder device using a communication protocol;    a replaceable operating system specific input translator that receives protocol decoder device input commands from the protocol compliant state machine;    a protocol data unit (PDU) packing component that packages graphics PDUs received from a graphics source and encodes the packaged PDUs to the protocol compliant state machine; and    control logic to manage connection between the protocol compliant state machine, receipt of protocol decoder device commands, and sending of encoded graphics PDUs to the protocol decoder device.    
   
   
       2 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 16  wherein the protocol compliant state machine communicates with the protocol decoder device through a stream-oriented connection.  
   
   
       3 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the protocol compliant state machine negotiates with the protocol decoder device as to compression, encryption, and encoding parameters.  
   
   
       4 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the protocol compliant state machine receives encoded PDUs from the protocol decoder device that describe protocol decoder device inputs.  
   
   
       5 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the operating system specific input translator receives PDUs which are translated to actions specific to an operating system used by a protocol encoder device that includes the portable graphics encoder.  
   
   
       6 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the PDU packing component encodes the higher-level graphics commands into a communication protocol defined format.  
   
   
       7 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the control logic authenticates the protocol decoder device.  
   
   
       8 . The portable graphics encoder of  claim 1  wherein the control logic manages connections with the protocol decoder device.  
   
   
       9 . A method of sending higher-level graphics commands to one or more protocol decoder devices comprising: 
 establishing a connection with the one or more protocol decoder devices;    informing a graphics source that the connection is established;    directing the graphics source to send the higher-level graphics commands;    formatting the higher-level graphics commands to allow the protocol decoder devices to receive the higher-level graphics commands.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection is based on a communication protocol.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection is initiated when the graphics source attempts to send a higher-level graphics command to the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection is initiated when the one or more of protocol decoder devices requests to connect.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection sets up a stream-oriented connection to the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection loads dedicated protocol compliant state machines that communicate with the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the establishing a connection determines authorization access privileges of the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the informing is performed through an application program interface that connects to the graphics source.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the directing is performed through an application program interface that connects to the graphics source.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the formatting comprises encoding the higher-level graphics commands into communication protocol data units.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising receiving input commands from the one more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising translating the input commands into actions specific to the one or more protocol decoder devices which the input commands are received from.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the higher-level graphics commands are derived from a graphics driver used to generate graphics locally.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the higher-level graphics commands are received from a graphics injection interface.  
   
   
       23 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       24 . For use with a portable graphics encoder, a storage medium having instructions that, when executed on the portable graphics encoder, performs acts comprising: 
 connecting with one or more protocol decoder devices based on a communication protocol;    receiving higher-level graphics commands from a graphics source wherein the higher-level graphics commands are destined to the one or more protocol decoder devices;    encoding the higher-level graphics commands based on a format defined by the communication protocol; and    sending the encoded higher-level graphics commands to the one or more protocol decoder devices.    
   
   
       25 . A storage medium as recited in  claim 24  wherein the connecting is further based on a transmission control protocol.  
   
   
       26 . A storage medium as recited in  claim 24  wherein the receiving includes extracting higher-level graphics commands from a graphics driver used to generate graphics locally.  
   
   
       27 . A storage medium as recited in  claim 24  further comprising receiving input commands from the one or more protocol decoder devices, that determine higher-level graphics commands that are sent to the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       28 . A storage medium as recited in  claim 24  further comprising authenticating the one or more protocol decoder devices as to access rights to provide inputs and receive higher-level graphics commands.  
   
   
       29 . A transmission of higher-level graphics commands by a portable graphics encoder comprising: 
 connecting means to connect with one or more protocol decoder devices;    instructing means to instruct a graphics source to send higher-level graphics commands;    encoding means to encode the higher-level graphics commands; and    sending means to send the encoded higher-level graphics commands to the one or more protocol decoder devices.    
   
   
       30 . The transmission as recited in  claim 29  further comprising receiving means to receive commands from the one or more protocol decoder devices to affect the higher-level graphics commands which are sent to the one or more protocol decoder devices.  
   
   
       31 . The transmission as recited in  claim 29  further comprising authorizing means to authorize the one or more protocol decoder devices to receive the higher-level graphics commands and/or provide input commands.