System and method for integrated audio stream manager

• US 20040174858A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A multimedia telecommunications system including an integrated audio stream manager (102) in association with the digital personal video stream manager. Such an integrated audio stream manager employs a personal computer (110) to record and store audio such as compact disk tracks. The personal computer (10) can then contact one or more Internet web sites for CD indices to download a list of the tracks and provide a master list of all CDs stored. The digital personal video stream manager (102) can then be used to supervise playback of the audio files via the connected audio system.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, characterized by:

a local area network including a network router;

a digital personal media stream manager operably coupled to said local area network;

an audio system operably coupled to said digital personal media stream manager;

a computer operably coupled to said local area network and having a digital personal media stream manager controller and a memory for storing media files from one or more media disks and adapted to transmit said media files to said digital personal media stream manager; and

an Internet access device operably coupled to said local area network and said computer;

wherein said digital personal media stream manager is adapted to convert said media files to a format that said audio system can play back.

2. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said computer (110) is adapted to access said Internet via said Internet access device and download one or more playlists associated with said media disks and create an index based on said playlists.

3. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said digital personal media stream manager is adapted to access said index via a television-based interface.

4. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said computer includes a local media disk player and is adapted to copy media files from a disk in said local media disk player.

5. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, further including a network media disk player operably coupled to said local area network and wherein said computer is adapted to copy media files from a disk in said network media disk player via said local area network.

6. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said computer is configured to download one or more media files from said Internet and transmit said one or more media files over said local area network to said digital personal media stream manager for playback on said audio system.

7. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.

8. A telecommunications method for use in a system including a local area network, a computer having Internet access, an audio system, a television, and a digital personal media stream manager the method characterized by:

copying one or more tracks of a media disk to be stored as one or more digital files in a memory of said computer;

downloading one or more playlists associated with said one or more media disks from said Internet;

organizing said playlists into a master index;

using said digital personal media stream manager to access said master index via a television-based interface; and

transmitting a selected entry in said master index for playback to said digital personal media stream manager via said audio system.

9. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said copying comprises copying from a disk at said audio system and via said local area network.

10. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said copying comprises copying a disk locally at said computer.

11. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising accessing said master index locally at said computer and transmitting a selected entry in said master index for playback to said digital personal media stream manager via said audio system.

12. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.

13. A telecommunications device, characterized by:

a control processor;

one or more control interfaces operably coupled to said control processor;

a local area network interface; and

an audio system interface;

wherein said control processor is adapted to receive media files from said local area network and supervise playback via an audio system coupled to said audio system interface.

14. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said local area network interface is a wireless local area network interface.

15. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said control processor is adapted to access an index of media files on a computer coupled to said local area network.

16. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 15, wherein at least one of said one or more control interfaces is an Infrared interface and said index is accessible via a television-based interface.

17. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 13, further including a broadband media interface;

wherein said control processor is adapted to receive video files over said local area network interface and convert said video files for transmission on said broadband media interface and receive broadband media over said broadband media interface and convert said broadband media to video files for transmission over said local area network.