Routing of data including multimedia between electronic devices

Abstract

Rerouting apparatus for rerouting data including multimedia data. The apparatus is for association with electronic equipment and allows for routing the data to a device regarded as the most convenient for playing the media. The apparatus comprises an announcer device for indicating to surrounding equipment that associated equipment is available for rerouting, thereby to enable receipt of rerouted communications therefrom, and a scout device for scanning surroundings of the associated equipment to find out about compatible equipment in the vicinity, thereby to reroute communications thereto. The apparatus may be attached to any device having data processing capability, to enable rerouting of data and communications therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of routing data stream, comprising:
 wirelessly receiving at a communication device, from an external source via at least one local wireless communication network, a data stream comprising content selected from a group consisting of: audio content, video content and game session content;   identifying via the at least one local wireless communication network using the communication device, a plurality of devices, compatible to handle the content, the plurality of devices are wirelessly connected to at least one local wireless communication network and wirelessly announce an availability for accepting a routed content via the at least one local wireless communication network;   selecting, based on a user interaction made with the communication device, one of the plurality of devices; and   causing a routing of the content to the selected device for presentation of the content by the selected device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content is a content of a game session sent while the game session is ongoing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data stream is a multidirectional data stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the data stream is a bi-directional data stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the routing is performed by setting up a wireless communication link. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the wireless communication link is a direct communication link. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting comprises displaying a menu at the communication device to allow a user to perform the user interaction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the setting up is performed using data describing the selected device which is extracted from a device library of the communication device, the data includes technical information regarding expected media formats and transmission technology specification of the selected device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the content to a plurality of copies so as to perform the routing to a number of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the setting up comprising transforming the content into a form that accords with a media type requirement of the selected device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting comprises carrying out a selection between devices found to be available, based on a predetermined user profile; further comprising encrypting the data stream before routing to the selected device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the routing of the data stream is directly from the external source to the selected device via the wireless communication link. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein before the causing the data stream is constantly received and presented by the communication device while being delivered by the external source. 
     
     
         14 . A communication device of routing data stream, comprising:
 a receiver wirelessly adapted to receive at a communication device, from an external source via at least one local wireless communication network, a data stream comprising content selected from a group consisting of: audio content, video content and game session content;   a scouting detector adapted to identify a plurality of devices connected to at least one local wireless communication network and compatible to handle the content, the plurality of devices are wirelessly connected to at least one local wireless communication network and wirelessly announce an availability for accepting a routed content via the at least one local wireless communication network;   a controller adapted to select, based on a user interaction made with the communication device, one of the plurality of devices and to cause a routing of the content to the selected device for presentation of the content by the selected device.   
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the communication device is one of a cell phone, a handheld device, and a personal digital assistant (PDA). 
     
     
         16 . The communication device of  claim 14 , further comprising a user interface associated with the scouting detector for allowing a user to select between available compatible media handling devices to reroute the data stream thereto. 
     
     
         17 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the controller further comprising control functionality operable to inform a communication service provider of a desired routing, thereby to enable a communication service provider to reroute media the data. 
     
     
         18 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the controller further comprising control functionality operable to carry out the rerouting through locally available infrastructure. 
     
     
         19 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the content is one of voice data, bidirectional voice data, bidirectional audio data, bidirectional video data, a game session, an interactive game session, a television broadcast, and a radio broadcast. 
     
     
         20 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the scouting detector is operable to determine media type requirements of each of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         21 . The communication device of  claim 14 , further comprises transformer adapted to receive a copy of the content and to transform the copy into a form that accords with a media type requirement of the selected device; wherein the controller is adapted to instruct the routing of the transformed copy. 
     
     
         22 . A computer program product for routing data stream, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon: first program instructions executable by a processor for wirelessly receiving at a communication device, from an external source via at least one local wireless communication network, a data stream comprising content selected from a group consisting of: audio content, video content and game session content;   second program instructions executable by a processor for identifying via the at least one local wireless communication network using the communication device, a plurality of devices, compatible to handle the content, the plurality of devices are wirelessly connected to at least one local wireless communication network and wirelessly announce an availability for accepting a routed content via the at least one local wireless communication network;   third program instructions executable by a processor for selecting, based on a user interaction made with the communication device, one of the plurality of devices; and   fourth program instructions executable by a processor for causing a routing of the content to the selected device for presentation of the content by the selected device.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein the content is a content of a mobile phone call.