SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY ADDING SOFTWARE COMPONENTS TO EXTEND FUNCTIONALITY OF SYSTEM PROCESSES

摘要

SYSTEMS AND METHODS ARE DESCRIBED HEREIN FOR AUTOMATICALLY INSTALLING AND USING MEDIA PROCESSING FILTERS (245) TO EXTEND THE MEDIA FUNCTIONALITY OF SYSTEM PROCESSES (210). A SYSTEM SERVICE IS REQUESTED BY THE ADD-IN FILTER (245) TO BE INSTALLED ON THE SYSTEM. THE FILTER MANAGEMENT SERVICE (220) PROCESSES THE REQUEST AND INSTALLS THE FILTERS (245) TO BE INVOKED LATER BY OTHER SYSTEM PROCESSES (210) SUCH AS DEVICE DRIVERS, APPLICATIONS AND ACQUISITION SOFTWARE. THE SYSTEM PROCESSES (210) USE THE FILTER MANAGEMENT SERVICE (220) TO ENUMERATE FILTERS (245) AVAILABLE ON THE SYSTEM AND SELECT ONE OR MORE OF THE FILTERS (245) TO EXTEND THEIR MEDIA FUNCTIONALITY. THE FILTERS ARE OBJECTS THAT MAY BE USED BY MULTIPLE PROCESSES (210) AT ANY GIVEN TIME. ALSO, THE FILTER MANAGEMENT SERVICE (220) CAN VALIDATE TRUSTWORTHINESS OF A FILTER (245) PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE FILTER (245) ON THE SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE FILTER MANAGEMENT SERVICE (220) CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE SELECTED FILTERS (245) TO BE INVOKED FROM A PROCESS (210) SEPARATE FROM THE PROCESS (210) REQUESTING THE FILTER (245) FOR USE. THE INSTALLED FILTERS (245) MAY BE SEARCHED AND ENUMERATED ACCORDING TO THEIR ASSOCIATED CATEGORIES.