System and method for digital personal video stream manager

• US 20040174896A1
• 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: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream

Abstract

A digital personal video stream manager (102) includes a control processor (202), a media interface (204), and one or more control interfaces. The media interface (204) can receive broadband audio and video and convert it into digital file format for transmission on a LAN, such as an IEEE 802.11 based wireless LAN, to a personal computer (110). The media interface (204) can likewise receive digital media files from the personal computer (110) via the wireless interface, and convert them to a format for playback by the audio system (118) or television (116). Further, the digital personal video stream manager (102) can receive controls from remote users to supervise media recording. The control interfaces allow control of the digital personal video stream manager, such as via infrared remote controls.

Claims

1. A telecommunications device, comprising:

a control processor;

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

a multimedia interface operably coupled to said one or more control interfaces and having a broadband media interface and a local area network interface;

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

2. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said local area network interface is a wireless local area network interface.

3. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said broadband media interface is a television cable interface.

4. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said one or more control interfaces include an interface for controlling operation of one or more broadband media devices.

5. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control processor is adapted to receive one or more commands for controlling said one or more broadband media devices via said local area network interface from a local area network device.

6. A telecommunications device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said control processor is adapted to control display of a same media on a device coupled to said local area network interface and said broadband media interface.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a local area network;

a media subsystem coupled to receive broadband media, said media subsystem including;

a television for viewing said broadband media; and

a digital personal video stream manager operably coupled to said television and said local area network, said digital personal video stream manager adapted to convert said broadband media to media files useable on said local area network and convert media files from said local area network to a format viewable on said television;

a network subsystem coupled to an Internet and said local area network, said network subsystem including a computer having a digital personal video stream manager controller and a memory for storing media files;

wherein said digital personal video stream manager controller is adapted to receive media files from said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network and transmit media files to said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network.

8. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, said media subsystem further including a video recording device, wherein said video recording device is controllable by said computer via said digital personal video stream manager over said local area network.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, 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 video stream manager for viewing on said television.

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

11. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said digital personal video stream manager controller is adapted to determine one or more program schedules via said Internet and cause said digital personal video stream manager to supervise a recording of a program based on said schedule.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said recording comprises recording said program using said video recording device.

13. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said recording comprises converting said program to one or more media files and transmitting said one or more media files over said local area network to said computer.

14. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving one or more broadband media streams at a television;

digitizing said one or more broadband media streams as one or more media files;

transmitting said one or more media files to a personal computer; and

controlling playback of said one or more media files on said personal computer or said television.

15. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising receiving one or more Internet media files at said computer via an Internet connection and playing back said one or more media files at said personal computer or via said television.

16. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising downloading a program schedule for setting a video recording device to record said one or more broadband media streams.

17. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said controlling playback comprises employing an infrared remote and a television based user interface to control said playback.

18. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting via a local area network.

19. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.

20. A home-based multimedia telecommunications system, comprising:

a connection for receiving one or more broadband media streams at a television;

a digital personal media stream manager adapted to digitize said one or more broadband media streams as one or more media files and transmit said one or more media files to a personal computer;

wherein said digital personal media stream manager is adapted to interface playback of said one or more media files on said personal computer or said television.

21. A home-based multimedia telecommunications system in accordance with claim 20, further comprising:

an Internet connection for receiving one or more Internet media files at said computer;

said digital personal video stream manager is adapted to interface playing back said one or more media files via said television.

22. A home-based multimedia telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said personal computer is adapted to download a program schedule for setting a video recording device via said digital personal media stream manager to record said one or more broadband media streams.

23. A home-based multimedia telecommunications system in accordance with claim 20, wherein said digital personal media stream manager includes an infrared interface for controlling said playback.

24. A home-based multimedia telecommunications system with claim 20, wherein said digital personal media stream manager includes a local area network interface for transmitting said one or more media files via a local area network.

25. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 24, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.