System and method for one-stroke multimedia programming

• US 20040179142A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fang, Henry Hung-Yeh
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• 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 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Methods are provided for configuring and invoking command sequences from a remote control (RC) keystroke in a multimedia system of networked devices. The configuring method comprises: selecting a multimedia configuration menu; selecting an RC key; selecting a multimedia command to associate with the RC key; selecting a multimedia source associated with the multimedia command; selecting a multimedia destination associated with the multimedia command; in response to associating multimedia commands with RC keys, generating an RC key map cross-referencing RC keys to multimedia commands; and, storing the RC key map in permanent memory.

Claims

1. In a multimedia system of networked devices, a method for configuring command sequences from a remote control (RC) keystroke, the method comprising:

selecting a multimedia configuration menu;

selecting an RC key; and

,

selecting a multimedia command to associate with the RC key.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a multimedia source associated with the multimedia command.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

selecting a multimedia destination associated with the multimedia command.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

in response to associating multimedia commands with RC keys, generating an RC key map cross-referencing RC keys to multimedia commands; and

,

storing the RC key map in permanent memory.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein selecting a multimedia command to associate with the RC key includes a command selected from the group including copying content from a broadcast source to the destination, duplicating content from the source to the destination, duplicating content from the source to a plurality of destinations, playing content from the source, selecting a screen to view content, creating a text string to be added to content, creating a distribution command, such as simultaneously powering on a plurality of network devices, configuring multiple functions associated with each RC key, and tuning a channel based on an Electronic Program Guide selection.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting a multimedia command to associate with the RC key includes:

creating a plurality of configuration directories; and

,

for each directory, selecting multimedia commands to associate with RC keys.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting a multimedia configuration menu includes:

triggering a home audio-visual interoperability (HAVi) L2 graphical user interface (GUI) event model;

engaging a HAVi event handler;

displaying a configuration interface on a screen; and

,

wherein selecting a multimedia command to associate with the RC key includes using the on-screen configuration interface to associate commands with RC keys.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting an RC key includes selecting a key from the group including alpha-numeric, color, and icon keys.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

following the configuration of the RC key, selecting the programmed RC key;

accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands;

parsing the map by RC key;

reading the command associated with the selected RC key; and

,

performing a sequence of multimedia functions in response to the command.

10. In a multimedia system of networked devices, a method for generating command sequences from a remote control (RC) keystroke, the method comprising:

selecting a programmed RC key;

accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands;

parsing the map by RC key;

reading the command associated with the selected RC key; and

,

performing a sequence of multimedia functions in response to the command.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein parsing the map includes building a table of RC keys cross-referenced to commands.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands includes accessing a map of RC keys, multimedia commands, and multimedia sources;

and,

wherein building a table of RC keys cross-referenced to commands includes cross-referencing the RC keys to multimedia sources.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands includes accessing a map of RC keys, multimedia commands, multimedia sources, and multimedia destinations;

and,

wherein building a table of RC keys cross-referenced to commands includes cross-referencing the RC keys to multimedia destinations.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein building a table of RC keys cross-referenced to commands includes saving the table of RC keys cross-referenced to commands in temporary memory.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein performing a sequence of multimedia functions in response to the command includes performing commands selected from the group including copying content from a broadcast source to the destination, duplicating content from the source to the destination, duplicating content from the source to a plurality of destinations, playing content from the source, selecting a screen to view content, creating a text string to be added to content, creating a distribution command, such as simultaneously powering on a plurality of network devices, configuring multiple functions associated with each RC key, and tuning a channel based on an Electronic Program Guide selection.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein selecting an RC key includes selecting a key from the group including alpha-numeric, color, and icon keys.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein selecting a programmed RC key includes:

triggering a home audio-visual interoperability (HAVi) L2 graphical user interface (GUI) event model;

engaging a HAVi event handler; and

,

wherein parsing the map by RC key includes using a syntax parser program written in the JAVA language to parse the map in response to input from the HAVi event handler;

wherein performing a sequence of multimedia functions in response to the command includes generating HAVi commands structured in IEEE-1394 protocols.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

selecting a directory; and

,

wherein accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands includes accessing a map of RC keys and multimedia commands distinguished by directory;

wherein reading the command associated with the selected RC key includes;

finding the directory; and

,

reading the command associated with the selected RC key, from the found directory.