System for management of decoding devices and method for management of decoding devices

• US 20040252247A1
• Filed: 05/22/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Digital Broadcast SA (Advanced Digital Broadcast Holdings SA)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Digital Broadcast SA (Advanced Digital Broadcast Holdings SA)
• Inventors: Wabiszczewicz, Zbigniew
• Application Number:
  US10/851,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252247A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A system for management of decoding devices consists of at least one slave decoding device (112, 113) and a master decoding device (111). A master remote control unit (a master RCU) (121) controls slave decoding devices (112, 113) and the master decoding device (111) and is assigned individually to the master decoding device (111). At least one slave remote control unit (a slave RCU) (122, 123) controls individually assigned one slave device (112, 113). Each slave decoding device (112, 113) of the system includes a controller (207) controlling operation of a signal processing block (203). The controller (207) includes a timer (208) and a command analyzer (209). The timer (208) is used for defining the time of transition from a normal mode to a waiting mode of the slave decoding device (112, 113) and from the waiting mode to an inactive mode. The command analyzer (209) is used for recognizing commands of the master RCU (121), which cause a transition of the slave decoding device (112, 113) to the normal mode.

Claims

1. A system for management of decoding devices comprising

at least one slave decoding device;

a master decoding device;

a master remote control unit (a master RCU) for controlling slave decoding devices and the master decoding device and assigned individually to the master decoding device;

at least one slave remote control unit (a slave RCU) for controlling individually assigned one slave device wherein said slave decoding device includes a controller, controlling the operation of the signal processing block, and which includes a timer and a command analyzer and wherein the timer is used for defining the time of transition from a normal mode to a waiting mode of said slave decoding device and from the waiting mode to an inactive mode, and wherein the command analyzer is used for recognizing commands of the master RCU, which cause a transition of said slave decoding device to the normal mode.

2. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein a signal of transition of said slave decoding device to the normal mode is generated on the basis of a random command of the master RCU.

3. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein a signal of transition to the normal mode of said slave decoding device is generated on the basis of a defined command of the master RCU.

4. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein a signal of transition to the normal mode of said slave decoding device is generated on the basis of a defined sequence of commands of the master RCU.

5. The system for management, according to claim 4, wherein the defined sequence of commands of the master RCU is predefined.

6. The system for management, according to claim 4, wherein the sequence of commands of the master RCU is changed at every transition to the normal mode of said slave decoding device.

7. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the timer measures a defined constant period of time.

8. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the timer measures the time of operation of said slave decoding device.

9. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the timer defines constant times of activation.

10. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the timer measures the time periods, from a defined range of values.

11. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the controller controlling the operation of the signal processing block in the waiting mode generates on a screen of TV receiver the time, which remains until transition into the inactive mode.

12. The system for management, according to claim 1, wherein the controller monitoring the operation of the signal processing block in the inactive mode, blocks display of sound and/or picture of a received television signal.

13. A method for management of decoding devices controlled by remote control units comprising following steps

forming a set of a master decoding device controlled by a master RCU, which is individually assigned to the master decoding device, and of at least one slave decoding device controlled by a slave RCU assigned individually to said slave device and controlled by the master RCU wherein said slave decoding device, which includes a controller monitoring operation of signal processing block, and which includes a timer and an analyzer of commands of the slave RCU and the master RCU is used for recognizing commands of the master RCU, which cause a transition of said slave decoding device to a normal mode.

14. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein a signal of transition of said slave decoding device to the normal mode is generated on the basis of a random command of the master RCU.

15. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein a signal of transition of said slave decoding device to the normal mode is generated on the basis of a specific command of the master RCU.

16. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein a signal of transition of said slave decoding device to the normal mode is generated on the basis of a specific sequence of commands of the master RCU.

17. The method for management, according to claim 16, wherein the sequence of commands of the master RCU is predefined.

18. The method for management, according to claim 16, wherein the sequence of commands of the master RCU is changed at each transition of the slave decoding device to the normal mode.

19. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein the timer measures a defined constant period of time.

20. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein the timer measures the operation time of said slave decoding device.

21. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein the timer defines constant moments of activation.

22. The method for management, according to claim 13, wherein the timer measures the time period from a defined range of values.

23. The method for management, according to claim 13, characterized in that the controller monitoring operation of signal processing block in a waiting mode generates on a screen of TV receiver the time, which remains until transition to an inactive mode.

24. The method for management, according to claim 13, characterized in that the controller monitoring operation of signal processing block in inactive mode blocks a display of picture and/or sound of the received television signal.