System and method for saving and recalling state data for media and home appliances

• US 20050097618A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Scott, Wayne, Chambers, Christopher, Momot, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for enabling a user to save and recall media playback and device setting states across multiple sets of home appliances. A set of media playback and device settings data from each home appliance of a first set of home appliances is stored on a central server and/or sent to a remote control device upon initiation of a suspend command by a user. The stored media and devices states may be used at a later time to control the first set of home appliances, or a user may, after relocating to a second set of home appliances, initiate a resume state command whereupon media playback and device settings data from the central server and/or remote control device controls each home appliance in the second set of home appliances to bring about the same or substantially similar media and device states as in the first set of home appliances. Programming on the remote control and/or central server may cause appropriate state data conversions to occur before commanding operation of the second set of home appliances in order to more closely emulate the media and device states saved from the first set of home appliances.

Claims

1. A method for saving and recalling device and media states for one or more media rendering systems, the method comprising:

initiating a save state command with respect to a first media rendering system;

capturing data from the first media rendering system indicative of the device and media states during the initiation of the save state command;

saving the captured data in a format and location such that the captured data may be accessed and further processed during subsequent recall operations;

initiating a recall state command corresponding to the captured data, with respect to a second media rendering system;

determining if the saved captured data requires further processing for application to the second media rendering system; and

when the saved captured data is determined to require further processing for application to the second media rendering system, generating converted data from the saved captured data whereby application of the converted data to the second media rendering system brings about device and media states for the second media rendering system comparable to those present during the save state command initiation for the first media rendering system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second media rendering systems comprise first and second entertainment centers respectively, each entertainment center including a plurality of controllable appliances.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the save state command is initiated via a controlling device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the controlling device includes at least one of the following:

a remote control, a voice based control device, a gesture based control device, and an automation control system.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recall state command is initiated via a controlling device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the controlling device includes at least one of the following:

a remote control, a voice based control device, a gesture based control device, and an automation control system.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the capturing step comprises capturing data from one or more appliances of the media rendering system via one or more controlling devices.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the saving step comprises saving at least a portion of the captured data in a memory of one or more controlling devices.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the saving step comprises saving at least a portion of the captured data in a memory of one or more appliances of the first media rendering system.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises saving data indicative of the current device and media states of the second media rendering system for use in generating converted data from the saved captured data.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating converted data from the saved captured data includes using conversion definitions.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the conversion definitions comprise:

saved captured data from the first media rendering system;

data indicative of the current device and media states of the second media rendering system; and

data conversion maps.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the data conversion maps comprise preset rules and logic governing data conversion operations.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the data conversion maps comprise locally measured items relating to the environments of both the first and second media rendering systems.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the locally measured items include at least one of ambient lighting, relative sound volume, and temperature.

16. A method for saving state data with a control event in a media control system, the method comprising:

selecting a control event for commanding at least one device of the media control system;

providing command data for initiation by the control event;

associating state data related to the media control system with the command data and control event;

saving the command data and state data in a format and location such that the saved data may be accessed during subsequent control operations.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the control event is a macro command.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the control event is a favorite channel macro command.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the state data includes at least one of volume, tint, brightness, contrast, ambient lighting, and temperature.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the state data is generated based on metadata associated with the control event.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the metadata associated with the control event is determined at the time the control event is initiated.