Remote control framework

Abstract

A remote control framework enables a plurality of target devices to be controlled by a plurality of remote control devices irrespective of bearer types. In a preferred embodiment any target device may also act as a control device and any control device may also act as a target device. The framework also enables any application running on any target device to be controlled by any controller device.

1 . A method of remotely controlling a plurality of remote devices via a remote-control framework executing on a mobile telephone, the remote-control framework comprising:
 a remote-control server component;   a controller Application Programming Interface, API;   a target selector component; and   a plurality of bearer plug-in modules, each of which is configured to send and receive commands to and from the plurality of remote devices,   wherein the mobile telephone comprises a first controller application configured to specify bearer information and addressing information for a remote device that is to be controlled, and a second controller application configured such that commands originating from the second controller application are routed by the remote-control framework to a second remote device that is to be controlled;   the method comprising:   receiving, at the remote-control server component from the first controller application via the controller API, a first operation identifier, bearer information, and addressing information for a first of the plurality of remote devices;   constructing, at the remote-control server component, a first message comprising the bearer information, the addressing information, and a generic command corresponding to the first operation identifier;   delivering, by the remote-control server component to a said bearer plug-in module corresponding to the bearer information, the first message addressed to the first of the plurality of remote devices and comprising the generic command;   receiving, at the remote-control server component from the second controller application via the controller API, a second operation identifier for a second of the plurality of remote devices;   constructing, at the remote-control server component, a second message comprising a generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier;   selecting, by the target selector component, a bearer for the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier and delivering, by the remote-control server component, the second message to a said bearer plug-in module corresponding to the selected bearer, the second message further comprising addressing information, selected by the target selector component and added to the second message, for use in sending the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier to the second of the plurality of remote devices via the selected bearer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearer plug-in module corresponding to the bearer information of the first message is configured to deliver the generic command corresponding to the first operation identifier of the first message and the selected bearer is configured to send the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier of the second message simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining, by the target selector component, whether permission is granted to deliver the first message to the first of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising listening, by at least one of the bearer plug-in modules, for incoming connections from a remote device, the remote device being identified by addressing information and bearer information. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising using the remote-control framework to receive an incoming connection from at least one other device remote from the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one other device is another mobile telephone. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the incoming connection can be received over any one of a plurality of bearers. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising enabling additional bearer plug-in modules for additional bearers to be added after manufacture of the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         9 . The method according  claim 1 , where the first controller application and the second controller application are the same application. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile telephone comprising:
 a remote-control framework comprising:
 a remote-control server component; 
 a controller Application Programming Interface, API; 
 a target selector component; and 
 a plurality of bearer plug-in modules, each of which is configured to send and receive commands to and from the plurality of remote devices; 
   a first controller application configured to specify bearer information and addressing information for a remote device that is to be controlled; and   a second controller application configured such that commands originating from the second controller application are routed by the remote-control framework to a second remote device that is to be controlled;   wherein the remote-control server component is configured to:   receive, from the first controller application via the controller API, a first operation identifier, bearer information, and addressing information for a first of the plurality of remote devices;   construct a first message comprising the bearer information, the addressing information, and a generic command corresponding to the first operation identifier;   deliver to a said bearer plug-in module corresponding to the bearer information, the first message addressed to the first of the plurality of remote devices and comprising the generic command;   receive, from the second controller application via the controller API, a second operation identifier for a second of the plurality of remote devices;   construct a second message comprising a generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier; and   deliver the second message to a said bearer plug-in module corresponding to a bearer selected for the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier by the target selector component, the second message further comprising addressing information selected by the target selector component and added to the second message for use in sending the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier to the second of the plurality of remote devices via the selected bearer.   
     
     
         11 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 10 , wherein the bearer plug-in module corresponding to the bearer information of the first message is configured to deliver the generic command corresponding to the first operation identifier of the first message simultaneously with the selected bearer sending the generic command corresponding to the second operation identifier of the second message. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 10 , wherein the target selector component is configured to determine whether permission to deliver the first message to the first of the plurality of devices is granted to the remote-control server component. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the bearer plug-in modules is configured to listen for incoming connections from a remote device, the remote device being identified by addressing information and bearer information. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 13 , wherein the remote-control framework is configured to receive an incoming connection from at least one other device remote from the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one other device is another mobile telephone. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 14 , wherein the incoming connection can be received over any one of a plurality of bearers. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile telephone according to  claim 10 , where the first controller application and the second controller application are the same application.