Internet appliance system and method

• US 20060200253A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoffberg Family Trust 2, Blanding Hovenweep LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), STEVEN M. HOFFBERG 2004-1 GRAT
• Original Assignee: STEVEN M. HOFFBERG 2004-1 GRAT
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Steven M., Hoffberg-Borghesani, Linda I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• 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 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

An Internet appliance, comprising, within a single housing, packet data network interfaces, adapted for communicating with the Internet and a local area network, at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus, an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface; a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface, and a processor, for controlling a data transfer between the local area network and the Internet, and defining a markup language interface communicated through a packet data network interface, to control a data transfer or control a remote device.

Claims

1-132. -132. (canceled)

133. An Internet appliance, comprising, within a single housing:

(a) at least one first packet data network interface, adapted for communicating with the Internet;

(b) at least one second packet data network interface, adapted for communicating with a local area network;

(c) at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface;

a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface;

(d) at least one memory; and

(e) a processor, for executing code stored in said at least one memory for causing said processor to control a data transfer between said local area network and the Internet, and defining a markup language interface communicated through at least one of said first and second packet data network interfaces to at least one of (i) control a data transfer; and

(ii) control a remote device, through said at least one data interface.

134. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein the data interface is a digital serial data interface selected from one or more of the group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and an IEEE-1394 interface.

135. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, and further comprising one or more mass storage devices to store digital media data, and wherein said processor is further adapted to control transfer of said digital media data through said data interface.

136. The Internet appliance according to claim 135, wherein said data interface comprises a video output.

137. The Internet appliance according to claim 136, and further comprising a video codec to process said stored digital media data.

138. The Internet appliance according to claim 135, wherein data interface comprises an audio output.

139. The Internet appliance according to claim 138, and further comprising a audio codec to process said stored digital media data.

140. The Internet appliance according to claim 135, wherein said processor is further adapted to control receipt of said digital media data from said at least one of said first and/or second packet data network interfaces.

141. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor comprises a RISC processor.

142. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor comprises a digital signal processor.

143. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said markup language interface comprises XML.

144. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said markup language interface comprises HTML.

145. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor supports execution of JAVA code.

146. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor executes a real time operating system.

147. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor communicates with a browser human user interface using the markup language interface.

148. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, wherein said processor automatically communicates with an automated device using the markup language interface.

149. The Internet appliance according to claim 148, wherein said at least one data interface comprises a media reproduction or storage device.

150. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, further comprising a codec for interconverting media data between a first data format and a second data format.

151. The Internet appliance according to claim 150, wherein the first data format is digital and a second data format is analog.

152. The Internet appliance according to claim 133, further comprising a digital rights management system for imposing a restriction of usage on data.

153. A method, comprising:

(a) communicating through the Internet through at least one first packet data network interface;

(b) communicating with a local area network through at least one second packet data network interface;

(c) communicating through at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface;

a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface;

(d) controlling a data transfer between said local area network and the Internet;

(e) defining a markup language interface communicated through at least one of said first and second packet data network interfaces; and

(f) at least one of controlling a data transfer, and controlling a remote device, through said at least one data interface.

154. The method according to claim 153, wherein the data interface is a digital serial data interface selected from one or more of the group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and an IEEE-1394 interface.

155. The method according to claim 153, and further comprising storing digital media data in a mass storage medium, and controlling a transfer of the digital media data to or from the mass storage medium through the data interface.

156. The method according to claim 155, wherein said data interface comprises at least one of a video output and an audio output.

157. The method according to claim 156, further comprising decoding at least one of a digital video signal and a digital audio signal for presentation to the at least one of a video output and an audio output.

158. The method according to claim 155, further comprising receiving digital media data from the at least one of the first and second packet data network interfaces, and storing the received digital media data in the mass storage medium.

159. The method according to claim 153, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML.

160. The method according to claim 153, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML.

161. The method according to claim 153, further comprising communicating with a browser human user interface using the markup language interface.

162. The method according to claim 153, further comprising automatically communicating with an automated device using the markup language interface.

163. The method according to claim 153, further comprising enforcing a set of digitally defined copyright usage restrictions, on data passing through at least one of the at least one data interface.

164. A computer readable storage medium, for controlling a processor to perform the steps of:

(a) controlling communications through at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus, an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface;

a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface;

(b) controlling a data transfer between a local area network and an Internet;

(c) defining a markup language interface communicated through at least one of said first and second packet data network interfaces; and

(d) at least one of controlling a data transfer, and controlling a remote device, through said at least one data interface.

165. An Internet appliance, comprising:

(a) at least one first packet data network interface, adapted for bi-directionally communicating data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a public network;

(b) at least one second packet data network interface, adapted for bi-directionally communicating data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a private network;

(c) a computer telephony interface; and

(d) a processor, having an associated memory for storing executable code, said code defining at least a remote virtual interface function, data packet routing function, and a voice communication processing function for controlling the computer telephony interface.

166. The Internet appliance of claim 165, further comprising an audio codec coupled to said computer telephony interface.

167. The Internet appliance of claim 166, further comprising a full duplex speaker phone coupled to said audio codec.

168. The Internet appliance of claim 165, further comprising a speech interface coupled to said computer telephony interface, and wherein said processor is adapted to recognize human speech based, at least in part, on signals received at said speech interface.

169. The Internet appliance of claim 165, further comprising a speech interface coupled to said computer telephony interface, and wherein said processor is adapted to synthesize human speech through said speech interface.

170. The Internet appliance according to claim 165, wherein the processor communicates with a remote device through at least one of the public network and the private network using a markup language interface.

171. The Internet appliance according to claim 170, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML and the processor automatically communicates with a remote automated device.

172. The Internet appliance according to claim 170, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML and the processor communicates with a remote HTML browser human user interface.

173. A method, comprising:

(a) providing at least one packet data network interface, adapted for bi-directionally communicating data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a public network, at least one packet data network interface, adapted for bi-directionally communicating data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a private network, and a computer telephony interface; and

(b) defining at least a remote virtual interface function, a data packet routing function, and a voice communication processing function for controlling the computer telephony interface.

174. The method of claim 173, wherein the computer telephony interface supports full duplex voice communications.

175. The method of claim 173, further comprising recognizing speech communicated through the computer telephony interface.

176. The method according to claim 173, further comprising communicating with a remote device through at least one of the public network and the private network using a markup language interface.

177. The method according to claim 176, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML, further comprising automatically communicating with a remote automated device.

178. The method according to claim 176, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML, further comprising communicating with a remote HTML browser human user interface.

179. An alarm system controller, comprising:

(a) a packet data network interface;

(b) a security alarm system interface, communicating with security alarm sensors; and

(c) a controller, receiving at least one input from said security alarm system interface, processing the at least one input to determine an alarm condition, and communicating the alarm condition and a markup language interface through said packet data network interface.

180. A method for controlling an alarm system, comprising:

(a) providing a controller having a packet data network interface;

(b) communicating with security alarm sensors through a security alarm system interface; and

(c) receiving at least one input from the security alarm system interface, processing the at least one input to determine an alarm condition, and communicating the alarm condition and a markup language interface through the packet data network interface.