Networked media station

• US 20050273790A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Stephen Anderson, Wysocki, Christopher R., Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Kearney, Philip F. III, Newberry, Robert Dale Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/604 Hybrid IP/Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a networked media station providing a variety of features including a wireless network interface, a wired network interface, a peripheral interface, and a multimedia interface. The wireless network interface(s) allows the device to communicate to serve as a wireless base station or repeater and/or a bridge between a wireless and a wired network. The peripheral interface allows the device to communicate with a variety of peripherals, and, in conjunction with the network interface(s), allows sharing of a peripheral among multiple networked computers. The multimedia interface allows the device to be used with entertainment devices for streaming of multimedia information from a network connected computer to the entertainment device. Control of various aspects of the device is preferably controlled from a network connected computer.

Claims

1. A networked media station comprising:

at least one network interface; and

at least one multimedia interface;

wherein the networked media station is configurable to receive multimedia data pushed from a multimedia server via the at least one network interface and output the multimedia data to an entertainment device attached to the at least one multimedia interface.

2. The networked media station of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one peripheral interface;

wherein the networked media station is configurable to allow a peripheral attached to the at least one peripheral interface to be accessed by one or more computers connected to the at least one network interface.

3. The networked media station of claim 2 wherein the peripheral requires bidirectional communication between the peripheral and the one or more computers accessing the peripheral.

4. The networked media station of claim 1 wherein the at least one network interface comprises a plurality of network interfaces, at least one of the plurality of network interfaces being a wired network interface and at least one of the plurality of network interfaces being a wireless network interface.

5. The networked media station of claim 4 wherein the networked media station is configurable to bridge the wired network interface and the wireless network interface.

6. The networked media station of claim 2 wherein the at least one network interface comprises a plurality of network interfaces, at least one of the plurality of network interfaces being a wired network interface and at least one of the plurality of network interfaces being a wireless network interface.

7. The networked media station of claim 6 wherein the networked media station is configurable to bridge the wired network interface and the wireless network interface.

8. A method of outputting multimedia content stored on a computer to an entertainment device over a network, the method comprising:

identifying one or more networked media stations connected to the network, wherein at least one of the identified one or more networked media stations has at least one entertainment device connected thereto;

permitting a user to select one or more entertainment devices corresponding to the one or more networked media stations as a destination for multimedia content;

opening a communications link with the one or more networked media stations corresponding to the one or more selected entertainment devices; and

transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer to the one or more networked media stations corresponding to the one or more selected entertainment devices, whereby the one or more networked media stations will output the multimedia content to the one or more selected entertainment devices.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of identifying one or more networked media stations comprises automatically detecting the presence of the one or more networked media stations and determining a multimedia capability of the one or more networked media stations.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of opening a communications link with the one or more networked media stations corresponding to the one or more selected entertainment devices comprises performing an authentication to determine whether the one or more networked media stations corresponding to the one or more selected entertainment devices are authorized to receive multimedia content.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises:

decoding multimedia data stored on the computer; and

transmitting the decoded multimedia data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the personal computer further comprises re-encoding the decoded multimedia data before transmission.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises encrypting the decoded multimedia data before transmission.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises encrypting the re-encoded multimedia data before transmission.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises:

decoding multimedia data stored on the computer; and

transmitting the decoded multimedia data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the personal computer further comprises re-encoding the decoded multimedia data before transmission.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises encrypting the decoded multimedia data before transmission.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of transmitting multimedia content stored on the computer further comprises encrypting the re-encoded multimedia data before transmission.

19. An electronically readable medium having encoded thereon instructions executable by a machine for performing a method according to any of claims 8-18.

20. An integrated wireless network access point comprising:

a power adapter;

a wireless network interface;

a wired network interface;

a peripheral interface; and

a multimedia interface;

wherein the power adapter, the wireless network interface, the wired network interface, the peripheral interface, and the multimedia interface are encapsulated within a single integrated casing.

21. A method of operating a media player in conjunction with a remotely located multimedia interface, the method comprising:

streaming real time data to the multimedia interface for output on an attached output device;

receiving feedback on the progress of the output; and

providing a user perceivable indication of the progress based on the received feedback.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising controlling some characteristic of the output on the output device.

23. A system for distributing multimedia content comprising:

a network;

a computer connected to the network, the computer having multimedia content stored thereon;

a networked media station connected to the network and in communication with the computer, the networked media station further comprising a multimedia interface; and

an entertainment device connected to the networked media station by the multimedia interface;

wherein the computer presents an interface to a user allowing the user to send the multimedia content to the entertainment device via the networked media station.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the network is a wireless network established by the networked media station.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the network is a wireless network established by the networked media station.

25. A system for distributing multimedia content comprising:

a network;

a computer connected to the network;

a networked media station connected to the network and in communication with the computer, the networked media station further comprising a multimedia interface; and

a multimedia input device connected to the networked media station by the multimedia interface;

wherein the computer presents an interface to a user allowing the user to access multimedia content from the multimedia input device via the networked media station.

27. A method of managing a network connection to a device comprising:

establishing a connection with a first data source;

receiving data from the first data source;

upon completion of receiving data from the first data source, maintaining the connection in an idle state that allows additional data to be received from the first source, while simultaneously being capable of opening a new connection with a second data source.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the connection comprises at least one control channel and at least one data channel.