Systems, methods, and apparatus for facilitating expansion of media device interface capabilities

• US 10,110,844 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US15/345,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 348552, 348553, 348563, 348569, 348572, 348705, 348706, 348720, 348 1411, 348725, 348734, 348739, 348 1402, 348 1403, 348 1405, 725 37, 725 40, 725123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

System, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities are provided. A state change with respect to one or more media devices may be detected. The state change may correspond to a second media device being communicatively coupled to, or communicatively decoupled from, a first media device. Consequent to the detecting, a set of interface ports, which are configured to interface with multimedia devices, may be determined. Configuration information may be generated based at least in part on the set of interface ports. The configuration information may be transferred to a sink device to indicate interface options based at least in part on the set of interface ports. Content may be transferred to the sink device based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the set of interface ports.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, the system comprising:

a port expander configured to be communicatively couplable to a plurality of media devices, and to add one or more additional interface ports to a sink device, where the sink device comprises a native set of one or more interface ports that are native to the sink device, at least in part by;

identifying a first set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, wherein at least some of the first set of one or more additional interface ports are of a first port type;

identifying a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising parameter information pertaining to interface ports facilitated by the port expander, the parameter information indicating a number of ports and at least the first port type;

generating a first message comprising one or more operands to indicate the parameter information; and

transferring the first message to the sink device to indicate the first set of one or more additional interface ports and the native set of one or more interface ports;

wherein the port expander further adds the one or more additional interface ports to the sink device at least in part by;

identifying a second set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, the second set of one or more additional interface ports being of a second port type;

wherein the parameter information indicates capabilities of the port expander at least partially by indicating that each of the first set of one or more addition interface ports are of the first port type and each of the second set of one or more additional interface ports are of the second port type; and

wherein the first port type is different from the second port type.

2. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the port expander further adds the one or more additional interface ports to the sink device at least in part by:

detecting a change in a state of the port expander or the plurality of media devices;

wherein the transferring the first message is consequent to the detecting the change.

3. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 2, wherein the change in the state corresponds to the port expander being initially connected or powered on, and the generating the first message is consequent to the detecting the change.

4. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 3, wherein the transferring the first message comprises broadcasting the first message.

5. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 4, wherein the change in the state corresponds to a second media device of the plurality of media devices being communicatively coupled to the port expander or being communicatively decoupled from the port expander.

6. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the port expander further adds the one or more additional interface ports to the sink device at least in part by:

operating to transfer content to the sink device based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the first set of one or more additional interface ports.

7. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the transferring the first message facilitates the sink device creating a set of virtual inputs so that user-selectable options are provided to allow selection of media devices via the first set of one or more additional interface ports and the native set of one or more interface ports.

8. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the port expander is further configured to:

receive a second message, from the sink device, that requests configuration information of the port expander;

wherein the first message is;

generated and transferred responsive to the second message; and

directly addressed to the sink device.

9. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of one or more addition interface ports are of the first port type.

10. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the port expander is further configured to:

receive a second message, from the sink device, that requests information of one or more additional port types supported by the port expander;

wherein the first message;

is generated and transferred responsive to the second message;

is directly addressed to the sink device; and

comprises a descriptive name for each of second set of one or more additional interface ports.

11. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the sink device comprises one or more of a television, a television receiver, a set-top box, and/or a display device.

12. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, further comprising the sink device.

13. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 12, wherein the sink device comprises the port expander.

14. A method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, the method comprising:

adding, by a port expander, one or more additional interface ports to a sink device, where the sink device comprises a native set of one or more interface ports that are native to the sink device, at least in part by;

identifying a first set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, wherein at least some of the first set of one or more additional interface ports are of a first port type;

identifying a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising parameter information pertaining to interface ports facilitated by the port expander, the parameter information indicating a number of ports and at least the first port type;

identifying a second set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, the second set of one or more additional interface ports being of a second port type;

wherein the parameter information indicates capabilities of the port expander at least partially by indicating that each of the first set of one or more addition interface ports are of the first port type and each of the second set of one or more additional interface ports are of the second port type;

wherein the first port type is different from the second port type;

generating a first message comprising one or more operands to indicate the parameter information; and

transferring the first message to the sink device to indicate the first set of one or more additional interface ports and the native set of one or more interface ports.

15. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 14, wherein the port expander further adds the one or more additional interface ports to the sink device at least in part by:

detecting a change in a state of the port expander or a plurality of media devices communicatively coupled to the port expander;

wherein the transferring the first message is consequent to the detecting the change.

16. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 14, wherein the port expander further adds the one or more additional interface ports to the sink device at least in part by:

operating to transfer content to the sink device based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the first set of one or more additional interface ports.

17. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second message, from the sink device, that requests configuration information of the port expander;

wherein the first message is;

generated and transferred responsive to the second message; and

directly addressed to the sink device.

18. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, causing the one or more processing devices to:

add one or more additional interface ports to a sink device, where the sink device comprises a native set of one or more interface ports that are native to the sink device, at least in part by;

identifying a first set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, wherein at least some of the first set of one or more additional interface ports are of a first port type;

identifying a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising parameter information pertaining to interface ports facilitated by a port expander, the parameter information indicating a number of ports and at least the first port type;

identifying a second set of one or more additional interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices, the second set of one or more additional interface ports being of a second port type;

wherein the parameter information indicates capabilities of the port expander at least partially by indicating that each of the first set of one or more addition interface ports are of the first port type and each of the second set of one or more additional interface ports are of the second port type;

wherein the first port type is different from the second port type;

generating a first message comprising one or more operands to indicate the parameter information; and

causing transferring the first message to the sink device to indicate the first set of one or more additional interface ports and the native set of one or more interface ports.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the one or more processing devices to:

detect a change in a state of the port expander or a plurality of media devices communicatively coupled to the port expander;

wherein the transferring the first message is consequent to the detecting the change.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein each of the first set of one or more addition interface ports are of the first port type.