Universal digital communications and control system for consumer electronic devices
First Claim
1. A consumer electronics device communication and control system, comprising:
- a data network;
a plurality of data network outlets connected to the data network; and
a gateway device including a network input connector connected to one of the data network outlets, an Internet connector, and a gateway device network/Internet interface module connected to the network input connector and the Internet connector.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digital communications and control system for consumer electronic devices used in the home includes a plurality of devices each of which includes a device interface module for communication of digital data and control data from at least one of the devices to at least one other of the devices. The home includes a plurality of network interfaces to which the consumer electronic devices are connected. A universal data link is operatively connected to each of the device interface modules. The device interface modules and universal data links are operative in combination to connect the devices together in the system and provide full duplex communication of the media data and control data between the devices.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. A consumer electronics device communication and control system, comprising:
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a data network;
a plurality of data network outlets connected to the data network; and
a gateway device including a network input connector connected to one of the data network outlets, an Internet connector, and a gateway device network/Internet interface module connected to the network input connector and the Internet connector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A consumer electronics device communication and control system, comprising:
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a data network;
a plurality of data network outlets connected to the data network; and
a consumer electronic device including a network input interface connected to one of the data network outlets and a network/electronic device interface module connected to the network input interface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A consumer electronics device communication and control system, comprising:
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a data network;
a plurality of data network outlets connected to the data network; and
a legacy bridge device including a network input interface connected to one of the data network outlets, a legacy device interface, and a network/bridge device interface module connected to the network input interface and the legacy device interface. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A consumer electronics device communication and control system, comprising:
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a data network;
a plurality of data network outlets connected to the data network backbone;
a wireless network access device including a network input interface connected to one of the data network outlets, a wireless interface, and a network/wireless device interface module connected to the network input interface and the wireless interface; and
a wireless consumer electronics device remote control. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A gateway network device, comprising:
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a data network access port adapted to be connected to a data network;
an Internet access port adapted to be connected to an Internet;
a real time, digital data communications module connected to the data network access port and the Internet access port, the communications module adapted to transmit digital data received from the Internet to the data network in real time and to transmit digital data received from the data network to the Internet in real time. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A consumer electronics device, comprising:
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a device input adapted to be connected to a data network;
a synchronous, digital data communication interface connected to the device input, the communication interface adapted to communicate digital data to and from the data network using the device input; and
a data source connected to the digital data communication interface, the data source adapted to generate and transmit digital data to the digital data communication interface. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A consumer electronics device, comprising:
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a device input adapted to be connected to a data network;
a real time, synchronous, digital data communications module connected to the device input, the communications module adapted to receive digital data from the data network in real time; and
an audio output device connected to the communications module and adapted to output audio based on the digital data. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. A wireless network access device, comprising:
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a network input adapted to pass network data to and from a data network;
a wireless input/output port adapted to be wirelessly connected to a wireless device, the wireless input/output port adapted to pass wireless data to and from the wireless device; and
a real time, synchronous, bi-directional, digital data communications module connected to the network input, the communications module adapted to receive network data from the data network, to convert the network data into wireless data that is compatible with the wireless device, and to transmit the wireless data to the wireless device using the wireless input/output port, the communications module further adapted to receive wireless data from the wireless device, to convert the received wireless data into wireless network data, and to transmit the wireless network data to the data network.
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50. A legacy bridge device, comprising:
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a network input connector adapted to be connected to a data network;
a legacy device interface adapted to be connected to a legacy device;
a real time, synchronous, bi-directional, digital data communications module connected to the network input connector and the legacy device interface, the communications module adapted to receive digital network signals from the data network, to transform the digital network signals into legacy signals that are compatible with the legacy device, and to output the legacy signals to the legacy device using the legacy device interface, the communications module further adapted to receive legacy signals from the legacy device, to transform the legacy signals into digital network signals that are compatible with the data network, and to output the digital network signals to the data network. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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54. A legacy bridge device, comprising:
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a network input connector adapted to be connected to a data network;
a legacy device interface adapted to be connected to a legacy device;
a real time, synchronous, bi-directional, digital data communications module connected to the network input connector and the legacy device interface, the communications module adapted to receive digital network signals from the data network, to transform the digital network signals into legacy signals that are compatible with the legacy device, and to output the legacy signals to the legacy device using the legacy device interface. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A legacy bridge device, comprising:
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a network input connector adapted to be connected to a data network;
a legacy device interface adapted to be connected to a legacy device;
a real time, synchronous, bi-directional, digital data communications module connected to the network input connector and the legacy device interface, the communications module adapted to receive legacy signals from the legacy device, to transform the legacy signals into digital network signals that are compatible with the data network, and to output the digital network signals to the data network. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A system for communications and control of consumer electronic devices in a home comprising:
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a. a plurality of network outlets installed in one or more walls of the home, at least some of the plurality of network outlets having a network-in and a network-out interface, each of the network outlets operatively interconnected to each of the other network outlets to define a network;
b. a plurality of the consumer electronic devices, each of the devices including a device interface module for communication of digital data and control data from at least one of the devices to at least one other of the devices;
c. each of the device interface modules in each of the plurality of consumer electronic devices connected to one of the network outlets;
d. a gateway/router device operatively connected to the network;
e. a wireless network access point connected to the network; and
f at least one remote control device operatively connected to the wireless access point, the remote control device adapted to send control signals to at least one of the consumer electronic devices.
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Specification