Controlling a home electronics system

• US 20050168658A1
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Severeijns, Peter P.M., Woolgar, David J
• Granted Patent: US 7,135,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

An apparatus (200) arranged to control a home electronics system, the apparatus being managed independently of a user, the apparatus comprising a data processing unit (CPU (204), Program ROM (208) and RAM (210)), a first communications port (202) operable to receive a command, a second communications port (216) operable to receive a signal indicating an operative component in the system, and a third communications port (218) operable to output a substitute command to a component in the system. On receiving a command, the data processing unit may produce at least one substitute command in dependence on the operative component, which substitute command is then communicated to a component in the system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a home electronics system comprising a plurality of components, the method being managed independently of a user and invoked on receipt of a command, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing an operative component in the system;

adapting the command to produce at least one substitute command in dependence on the operative component; and

for each substitute command, communicating the substitute command to a component in the system, which component being operable to respond to the substitute command.

2. An apparatus arranged to control a home electronics system according to the method of claim 1, the apparatus being managed independently of a user, the apparatus comprising:

a data processing unit, comprising a CPU, program ROM and RAM;

a first communications port operable to receive a command;

a second communications port operable to receive a signal indicating an operative component in the system; and

a third communications port operable to output a substitute command,

the data processing unit being arranged to adapt the command to produce at least one substitute command in dependence on the operative component.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the data processing unit comprises a store, which store contains data corresponding to command encoding formats.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to receive remote control commands via infrared.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to receive commands via radio.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to receive Project50 commands via Scart.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to receive CEC commands via HDMI.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to receive commands via IEEE1394/HAVi.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first port is operable to exchange data and commands with an Internet server via a modem.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second port signal comprises an AV signal originating from an operative component, the data processing unit being arranged to sense the operative component by analysing the characteristics of the A/V signal.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second port signal comprises digital data identifying an operative component, the data processing unit being arranged to sense the operative component by decoding the digital data.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the digital data comprises Project50 messages.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the digital data comprises CEC messages.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the digital data comprises IEEE1394/HAVi messages.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the third port is operable to output the substitute command encoded in accordance with an infrared remote control format.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the third port is operable to output the substitute command encoded in accordance with the Project50 protocol.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the third port is operable to output the substitute command encoded in accordance with the CEC protocol.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the third port is operable to output the substitute command encoded in accordance with the IEEE1394/HAVi protocol.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the third port is operable to output the substitute command encoded in accordance with a radio protocol.

20. A home electronics system comprising a plurality of components and an apparatus according to any claim 2-19.

21. A home electronics system as claimed in claim 20 wherein a component comprises the apparatus.

22. A home electronics system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the component is a TV receiver.

23. A home electronics system as claimed in any claim 20-22 wherein the apparatus arranges to automatically download data from an Internet server in response to detecting a new component in the system.