Method and apparatus for peripheral context management

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for presenting a set of control functions via an interface of a peripheral control device (PCD). A control function can include a command associated with one or more media contexts of a host media device. The method decodes a payload, from the host media device, with an encoded context identifier, where the context identifier indicates a primary media context active on the host media device. The method determines one or more control functions corresponding to the context identifier, and changes the set of control functions on the interface of the PCD to include the one or more control functions that can command the primary media context.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 presenting a set of control functions via an interface of a peripheral control device (PCD), wherein a control function includes a command associated with one or more media contexts of a host media device;   decoding a payload, from the host media device, with an encoded context identifier, wherein the context identifier indicates a primary media context active on the host media device;   determining one or more control functions corresponding to the context identifier; and   changing the set of control functions on the interface of the PCD to include the one or more control functions that can command the primary media context.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising presenting, via the interface of a PCD, a second set of control functions associated with an alternative media context, wherein the second set of control functions are displayed in a different region of the interface than the set of control functions associated with the primary media context, wherein the second set of control functions include a command associated with a sub-context of a host media device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface includes a microphone, and the method further comprises:
 receiving voice data via the interface;   compressing the voice data into an Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation format; and   transmitting the compressed voice data to the host media device to command the primary media context.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the compressed voice data is transmitted as a HID input report. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payload is received in response to the PCD executing a previous control function, and a previous context identifier associated with the control functions is not associated with the primary media context active on the host media device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more control functions associated with the context identifier further comprises:
 determining the one or more control functions associated with the context identifier are unavailable in memory of the PCD;   downloading the one or more control functions associated with the context identifier; and   changing the set of control functions to include the downloaded control functions.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payload further comprises an image encoded in a HID output report, the image associated with one of the one or more control functions. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media context is associated with a search service, a television media service, a streaming media service, an on-demand media service, a local media service. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interface of the PCD includes a touchscreen, gesture recognition, or voice recognition. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein presenting a set of control functions via an interface includes presenting a set of images on a touchscreen of the PCD. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 determining one or more commands for controlling an active media context of a host media device;   encoding a payload with a context identifier corresponding to the one or more commands;   transmitting the encoded payload to a peripheral control device (PCD) determine whether the PCD includes one or more control functions associated with the context identifier; and   causing the PCD to present one or more control functions corresponding to the one or more determined commands of the active media context.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the PCD to load the control functions associated with the context identifier further comprises transmitting, to the PCD, one or more control functions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the payload comprises an image encoded in as a HID output report, wherein the PCD presents the image as a control functions corresponding to the one or more determined commands of the active media context. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving, from the PCD, a second payload to change the active media context. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the PCD includes a touchscreen to present images as control options for controlling the media and causing the PCD to present one or more control functions further comprises causing the PCD to change one or more images presented on the touchscreen. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the PCD to load the control profile associated with the context identifier further comprising:
 receiving, from the PCD, a notification that at least one of the one or more control functions associated with the context identifier is unavailable in memory of the PCD;   downloading, from a repository, the at least one or more unavailable control functions; and   transmitting, to the PCD, the downloaded control functions.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to:
 present a set of control functions via an interface of a peripheral control device (PCD), wherein a control function includes a command associated with one or more media contexts of a host media device;   decode a payload, from the host media device, with an encoded context identifier, wherein the context identifier indicates a primary media context active on the host media device;   determine one or more control functions corresponding to the context identifier; and   change the set of control functions on the interface of the PCD to include the one or more control functions that can command the primary media context.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the interface includes a microphone, and the processor is further to:
 receive voice data via the interface;   compress the voice data into an Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation format; and   transmit the compressed voice data to the host media device to command the primary media context.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to present, via the interface of a PCD, a second set of control functions associated with an alternative media context, wherein the second set of control functions are displayed in a different region of the interface than the set of control functions associated with the primary media context, wherein the second set of control functions include a command associated with a sub-context of a host media device. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the payload comprises an image encoded in a HID output report.