Emulator-enabled network connectivity to a device

• US 20070005334A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoran Corporation (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Salmonsen, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An emulator is capable of connecting to an information interface that can communicate information from an information source to an information sink in a format native to the information sink. The emulator comprises an emulation controller capable of coupling to the information interface, a network controller coupled to the emulation controller and capable of coupling to an external network, and a storage. The storage holds an instruction sequence executable on the emulation controller. The instruction sequence comprises a code for receiving network information from the external network and a code capable of converting the network information to the native format for transfer to the information sink.

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. An apparatus configured to facilitate the delivery of information from a remote source to a media decoder in a format native to the media decoder, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface configured to couple to an external network and to facilitate communications between the apparatus and the remote source;

a controller in communication with the network interface and configured to couple to the media decoder;

instruction sequences executable on the controller, the instruction sequences comprising instructions for;

(i) receiving network information from the remote source via the external network;

(ii) determining, based on signals received from the remote source, a content format in which the network information is being received;

(iii) determining a format native to the media decoder;

(iv) converting the network information from the content format to the native format; and

(v) delivering the network information to the media decoder in the native format.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the network controller is configured to couple directly to the network interface.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is configured to couple indirectly to the network interface.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is configured to couple indirectly to the network interface via a direct connection to an information source.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is configured to couple indirectly to the network interface via a direct connection to the media decoder.

39. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences physically emulate a device.

40. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences logically emulate a device.

41. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the network interface is configured to couple to the external network using one or more network links selected from the group of an Ethernet media access control (MAC) link, a serial link, a parallel link, and a radio frequency link.

42. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising:

a content bus interface in communication with the network interface and configured to connect to one or more devices selected from the group of a local area network (LAN) card, a device incorporating a universal serial bus (USB), a device incorporating a IEEE 1394 standard compatible bus, a device incorporating an Audio/Visual (A/V) bus, a device incorporating a Small Systems Interconnect Bus (SCSI), a cable modem, a digital camera, a video camcorder, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

43. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences further comprise instructions for simultaneously receiving information from the remote source in the native format and network information from the external network in a format different from the native format, and simultaneously supplying the information from the remote source and the network information to the media decoder in the native format.

44. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences further comprise instructions for analyzing signals on the network interface to determine one or more formats supported by the media decoder, analyzing signals received from the remote source to determine if the format of the received information does not comply with the supported formats, and, if not, converting the received information to one of the supported formats.

45. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences further comprise instructions for receiving a plurality of signals from multiple diverse-format sources and converting the signals into the native format, thereby seamlessly supplying content from multiple diverse-format sources to the media decoder and allowing the media decoder to function as if the signals were stored locally in the native format.

46. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the instruction sequences further comprise instructions for controlling a storage drive, thereby enabling the apparatus to function as host for the media decoder.

47. A method of delivering media content to a media decoder, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of the media decoder, the media decoder having a capability to decode information encoded in a format native to the media decoder;

accessing information from an external device and in a format different from the native format;

determining, based on the accessed information, a content format in which the information is being accessed;

determining the format native to the media decoder;

converting the accessed information to the native format; and

delivering the converted information to the media decoder in the native format.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

analyzing signals attributed to the accessed information to determine whether the accessed information is in a format supported by a media decoder and, if not, reformatting the accessed information to the native format.

49. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

analyzing signals from the media decoder to determine the native format;

analyzing signals representing the accessed information to determine if the accessed information complies with the native format, and, if not, converting the accessed information to the native format.

50. The method of claim 47 further comprising receiving a plurality of signals from multiple diverse-format sources and converting the signals into the native format, thereby seamlessly supplying content from multiple diverse-format sources to the media decoder and allowing the media decoder to function as if the signals were stored locally in the native format.