System and method for recording a signal using a central point of control

• US 20050132410A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Application Number:
  US11/053,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132410A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording a signal received by a home entertainment system that includes multiple consumer electronics devices interconnected to a central electronics device in a hub and spoke configuration. The configuration allows all signals in the home entertainment system to be accessible by the central electronics device. Accordingly, the central electronics device can process, route, or otherwise respond to any signal. By way of example, any signal can be routed to a recording system, where it can be recorded. The signal is coupled with information from an electronic programming guide that details specific programming. An automatic determination is made as to whether or not there exists enough free space on a recording medium to record a specific program. Upon recording the program on the recording medium, an index is updated on the recording medium from the electronic programming guide information and from the location of the program on the recording medium. By selecting the program from the index, the recorded program can be automatically located on the recording medium.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of operating components of a home entertainment system, wherein the home entertainment system comprises:

a central device that has a plurality of jacks having an identical pin structure; and

a plurality of electronics devices; and

each of the plurality of electronics devices being connected directly to the central device with a plurality of cables, wherein each cable has a first end connected to one of the plurality of jacks and a second end connected to an associated one of the plurality of electronics devices; and

wherein the method performed at the central device comprises, sensing a signal format that is compatible with at least one of the plurality of electronics devices and communicating with said electronics device using the compatible signal format.

2. A computer program product as defined in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the central device, a selected signal from a remote control device;

determining, by the central device, which of the plurality of electronics devices corresponds to the received signal;

generating, by the central device, an electrical signal having a format that is compatible with the corresponding electronics device and with the one of the plurality of cables that connects the corresponding electronics device to the central device; and

transmitting the electrical signal through said one of the plurality of cables to the corresponding electronics device, so as to control a function on the corresponding electronics device.

3. A computer program product as defined in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting an electrical signal from a first electronics device selected from among the plurality of electronics devices to the central device; and

transmitting the electrical signal from the central device to a second electronics device selected from among the plurality of electronics devices.

4. A computer program product as defined in claim 3, wherein transmitting the electrical signal from the central device comprises reformatting the electrical signal from a first format compatible with the first electronics device to a second format compatible with the second electronics device.

5. A computer program product as defined in claim 3, wherein the central device is an Internet terminal, and wherein the method further comprises displaying information retrieved from the Internet on a television, wherein the television is one of the plurality of electronics devices.

6. A computer program product as defined in claim 3, wherein the central device is an Internet terminal, and wherein transmitting the electrical signal from the first electronics device and wherein transmitting the electrical signal from the central device is conducted without the Internet terminal having been booted to a state in which the Internet terminal is capable of accessing the Internet.

7. A computer program product as defined in claim 6, wherein transmitting the electrical signal from the central device comprises reformatting the electrical signal from a first format compatible with the first electronics device to a second format compatible with the second electronics device.

8. A computer program product as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of cables includes a first cable for transmitting an RCA signal and a second cable for transmitting an S-video signal.

9. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of connecting electronics devices to a central device in a home entertainment system, wherein the method comprises:

upon selecting an electronics device compatible with S-video signals or RCA video signals, and

upon connecting a cable between the electronics device and one of a plurality of identical jacks at the central device,

determining whether the cable is configured to transmit S-video signals or RCA video signals;

if the cable is configured to transmit S-video signals, then passing S-video signals through the one of the plurality of identical jacks; and

if the cable is configured to transmit RCA video signals, then passing RCA video signals through the one of the plurality of identical jacks.

10. A computer program product as defined in claim 9, wherein connecting the cable comprises connecting a first cable that is configured to transmit S-video signals, and wherein the method further comprises:

upon removing the first cable from the one of the plurality of identical jacks, and

upon connecting a second cable that is configured to transmit RCA video signals to the one of the plurality of identical jacks,

determining that the second cable is configured to transmit RCA video signals; and

passing RCA video signals through the one of the plurality of identical jacks.

11. A computer program product as defined in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises detecting whether the cable is an input cable or an output cable with respect to the electronics device.

12. A computer program product as defined in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

prompting a user of the central device to input the identity of the consumer electronics device; and

receiving input from the user identifying the consumer electronics device.