Method to enable cooperative processing and resource sharing between set-top boxes, personal computers, and local devices

• US 20040163130A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Watson, P. Thomas, Gray, James H., Swix, Scott Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• 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 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system and method enables a set-top box to share the processing, communications, and storage resources of another local device, such as a personal computer, other set-top box, or an electronic appliance. The set-top box is interconnected with the other local devices using a “transmission medium such as wire, concentric cable, or a wireless medium. The interconnected devices form a resource sharing group that includes a control member. The control member receives a request for a resource from a requesting member, and then determines whether the resource is available from a set-top box that is a member of the resource sharing group. If the resource is available, the set-top box shares the resource, and uses the shared resource to perform a task. The system and method also enables members of the resource sharing group to share video, audio, and related content.

Claims

1. A local video device, comprising:

a processor for determining whether the local video device has a resource that is available to perform a task, and if the local video device does not have the resource, for causing a communications element to communicate with a local device to transmit a resource request to the local device; and

the communications element for communicating with the local device via a local transmission medium.

2. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to determine that the resource is needed to perform the task.

3. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the local video device operates as a control member, and the processor is further operative to query the local device to determine whether a shared resource associated with the local device is available to a second local video device, in response to receiving a resource request from the second local device.

4. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the local device operates as a control member, and wherein receiving the resource request causes the control member to determine whether a shared resource associated with a second local device is available.

5. The local video device of claim 4, wherein the control member is further operative to query the second local device to identify shared resources that are available.

6. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the resource is a local processing means.

7. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the resource is a local communications means.

8. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the resource is a local storage means.

9. A resource sharing group having a plurality of members, each member being adapted to communicate with at least one other member, the resource sharing group comprising:

a local transmission medium for interconnecting the members of the resource sharing group;

a local video device for transmitting a resource request to a control member; and

the control member for, upon receiving the resource request, determining whether a resource is available from a member of the resource sharing group, and for transmitting a response to the local video device, the response indicating whether the resource is available.

10. The resource sharing group of claim 9, wherein the control member includes a processor for determining whether the resource is available by querying the members of the resource sharing group via a communications element that is connected to the local transmission medium.

11. The resource sharing group of claim 10, wherein the resource is a local processing means.

12. The resource sharing group of claim 10, wherein the resource is a local communications means.

13. The resource sharing group of claim 10, wherein the resource is a local storage means.

14. A method of resource sharing for a local video device, comprising:

receiving instructions to perform a task;

determining whether the local video device has sufficient resources available to perform the task;

if the local video device does not have sufficient resources available to perform the task, querying a first local device to determine whether a second shared resource is available; and

if the second shared resource is available, sharing the second shared resource so that the local video device uses the shared resource to perform the task.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising if the shared resource is not available, then querying a second local device to determine whether a shared resource is available from the second local device;

and

if the shared resource is available, sharing the shared resource so that the local video device uses the shared resource to perform the task.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first local device is a control member, and the shared resource is associated with a second local device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the shared resource is associated with a second local device, and wherein querying a first local device comprises:

sending a resource request to the first local device; and

in response to receiving the resource request, the first local device querying a second local device to determine whether the shared resource is available.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the shared resource is associated with the first local device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first local device is a control member, the method further comprising:

monitoring, by the first local device, a second local device to determine availability of resources associated with the second local device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein querying the first local device further comprises:

if the first local device does not have the shared resource, then querying a second local device to determine whether a second shared resource is available; and

if a second shared resource is available, then sharing the second shared resource so that the video device uses the second shared resource to perform the task.

21. A method for resource sharing by a plurality of members of a resource sharing group, the resource sharing group including a control member and a local video device, the method comprising:

transmitting a resource request from a requesting member to the control member;

upon receiving the resource request, determining, using the control member, whether a resource is available from a member of the resource sharing group;

if the resource is available, then transmitting a response from the control member to the requesting member indicating that the resource is available; and

sharing the resource by the requesting member.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising if the resource is not available, then returning a response from the control member to the requesting member, the response indicating that the resource is not available.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein sharing the resource further comprises sharing a local processing means.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein sharing the resource further comprises sharing a local communications means.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein sharing the resource further comprises sharing a local storage means.