Remote Control Profile Overview

Purpose

AVRCP provides a set of industry standard commands and control messages that allow applications on unrelated devices to communicate. The profile defines the two available roles in a communication session as Controller and Target. Symbian platform has implemented the target role, meaning a Symbian device may act as the target, receiving, acting on and responding to AVRCP commands and control messages from a remote device configured in the controller role.

Required background

You should be familiar with the following:

• Bluetooth Remote Control Framework

• Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3 specification.

Key concepts and terms

The following concepts are relevant to this component:

Controller (CT)

The controller is a device that sends a control message or command to a target device and is ready to capture responses.

Target (TG)

The target is a device that accepts the control message or command from the controller, invokes necessary procedures and sends out responses to controller.

Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)

The Bluetooth Profile implemented by Symbian platform Remote Control Profile.

Audio Video Control Transport Protocol (AVCTP)

The protocol that defines the methods and messages used for controlling Audio/Video devices.

Audio Video Distribution Transport Protocol (AVDTP)

The AVDTP is used to send frames of encoded multimedia data over Bluetooth.

PDU

Protocol Data Unit - command/response frame used to ensure applications on different devices, such as a Symbian platform mobile phone and a Bluetooth capable car stereo, are able to communicate.

Remote Control Profile Summary

AVRCP 1.3 Remote Control Profile functionality is provided by the following libraries:

• Remote Control Player Information

  remconplayerinformation.dll

  Manages remote player device settings.

• Remote Control Media Information

  remconmediainformationapi.dll

  Used to get a set of known media attributes from the player device.

• Remote Control Battery Status

  remconbatterystatusapi.dll

  Allows applications to receive battery status information from a remote controller.

• Remote Control Group Navigation

  remcongroupnavigationapi.dll

  Allows applications to act as targets for Group Navigation commands.

• Audio Video Controller

  avc.dll

  Allows audio and video frame to be managed by your application.

• AVRCP Inter Process Communication

  avrcpipc.dll

  Shared code for IPC communication between the client and the remote control server.

Typical uses

The Symbian platform AVRCP Remote Control Profile allows an application on a target (TG) Symbian device to respond to AVRCP commands .

Remote Control Profile Users

• Symbian Phone as Car stereo media server:

  AVRCP 1.3 would allow the car stereo to act in the controller (CT) role to retrieve information such as the track name from the phone, which could then be shown on the car’s display.