Two way remote control

• US 20070018845A1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sehat Sutardja
• Inventors: Sutardja, Sehat
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.690
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface

Abstract

A target device comprising a wireless interface that transmits configuration data to and receives commands from a remote control device. A control module that receives said commands and that adjusts operation of said target device based thereon; and a user input interface for locally adjusting operation of said target device.

Claims

1. A target device comprising:

a wireless interface that transmits configuration data to and receives commands from a remote control device;

a control module that receives said commands and that adjusts operation of said target device based thereon; and

a user input interface for locally adjusting operation of said target device.

2. The target device of claim 1 wherein said wireless interface is compliant with a protocol selected from a group consisting of IEEE standard 802.11 and IEEE standard 802.11 amendments 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11n, 802.16, 802.20 and Bluetooth.

3. The target device of claim 1 wherein said wireless interface transmits streaming video data to said remote control device.

5. The target device of claim 1 wherein said wireless interface transmits streaming audio data to said remote control device.

6. The target device of claim 1 wherein said wireless interface transmits voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) data to said remote control device and receives voice data from said remote control device.

7. The target device of claim 1 further comprising:

first and second tuners for tuning channels in a source signal; and

a local output device,

wherein said target device outputs signals from said first tuner to said local output device and selectively outputs signals from said second tuner to said remote control device.

8. The target device of claim 1 further comprising:

first and second signal outputs; and

a local output device,

wherein said target device outputs one of said first and second signal outputs to said local output device and selectively outputs the other of said first and second signal outputs to said remote control device.

9. The target device of claim 8 wherein at least one of said signal outputs of said target device includes signal outputs selected from a group consisting of status information of said target device, a channel guide and close captions.

10. The target device of claim 1 wherein said target device has a unique network address.

11. The target device of claim 1 wherein said control module performs at least one of data reduction and data compression on data to be sent to said remote control device.

12. The target device of claim 1 wherein said target device locally caches data at said remote control device.

13. The target device of claim 1 further comprising an autonegotiation module that exchanges data with said remote control device relating to capabilities of at least one of said target device and said remote control device.

14. The target device of claim 13 wherein said data includes at least one type selected from a group consisting of memory size of said remote control device, functions supported by said remote control device, remote functions supported by said target device, display size of said remote control device, display resolution of said remote control device, output resolution of said target device, cache size of said remote control device and processing power of said remote control device.

41. A network system comprising:

said target device of claim 1;

said remote control device; and

an access point that wirelessly communicates with said remote control device and that relays said to said target device.

42. The network system of claim 41 wherein said access point communicates with said target device via one of a wired and a wireless connection.

15. A method for operating a target device comprising:

providing a wireless interface;

transmitting configuration data to a remote control device;

receiving commands from said remote control device; and

adjusting operation of said target device based on said commands.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said wireless interface is compliant with a protocol selected from a group consisting of IEEE standard 802.11 and IEEE standard 802.11 amendments 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11n, 802.16, 802.20 and Bluetooth.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting streaming video data to said remote control device using said wireless interface.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting streaming audio data to said remote control device using said wireless interface.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) data to said remote control device and receiving voice data from said remote control device using said wireless interface.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

tuning first and second channels in a source signal;

outputting said first channel to a local output device at said target device; and

selectively outputting signals from said second channel to said remote control device.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

selecting first and second signal outputs;

outputting said first signal output to a local output device at said target device; and

selectively outputting said second signal output to said remote control device.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein at least one of said signal outputs of said target device includes signal outputs selected from a group consisting of status information of said target device, a channel guide and close captions.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising assigning said target device a unique network address.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising performing at least one of data reduction and data compression on data to be sent to said remote control device.

25. The method of claim 15 further comprising locally caching data at said remote control device.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising exchanging data with said remote control device relating to capabilities of at least one of said target device and said remote control device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said data includes at least one type selected from a group consisting of memory size of said remote control device, functions supported by said remote control device, remote functions supported by said target device, display size of said remote control device, display resolution of said remote control device, output resolution of said target device, cache size of said remote control device and processing power of said remote control device.

43. The method of claim 15 further comprising using an access point to wirelessly communicate with said remote control device and to relay said user commands to said target device.

28. A target device comprising:

wireless interface means for transmitting configuration data to and receiving commands from a remote control device;

control means for receiving said commands and for adjusting operation of said target device based thereon; and

user input interface means for locally adjusting operation of said target device.

29. The target device of claim 28 wherein said wireless interface means is compliant with a protocol selected from a group consisting of IEEE standard 802.11 and IEEE standard 802.11 amendments 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11n, 802.16, 802.20 and Bluetooth.

30. The target device of claim 28 wherein said wireless interface means transmits streaming video data to said remote control device.

31. The target device of claim 28 wherein said wireless interface means transmits streaming audio data to said remote control device.

32. The target device of claim 28 wherein said wireless interface means transmits voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) data to said remote control device and receives voice data from said remote control device.

33. The target device of claim 28 further comprising:

first and second tuning means for tuning channels in a source signal;

local output means for outputting one of audio and video signals, wherein said target device outputs signals from said first tuning means to said local output means and selectively outputs signals from said second tuning means to said remote control device.

34. The target device of claim 28 further comprising:

first and second signal outputs;

local output means for outputting one of audio and video signals, wherein said target device outputs one of said first and second signal outputs to said local output means and selectively outputs the other of said first and second signal outputs to said remote control device.

35. The target device of claim 34 wherein at least one of said signal outputs of said target device includes signal outputs selected from a group consisting of status information of said target device, a channel guide and close captions.

36. The target device of claim 28 wherein said target device has a unique network address.

37. The target device of claim 28 wherein said control means performs at least one of data reduction and data compression on data to be sent to said remote control device.

38. The target device of claim 28 wherein said target device locally caches data at said remote control device.

39. The target device of claim 28 further comprising autonegotiation means for exchanging data with said remote control device relating to capabilities of at least one of said target device and said remote control device.

40. The target device of claim 39 wherein said data includes at least one type selected from a group consisting of memory size of said remote control device, functions supported by said remote control device, remote functions supported by said target device, display size of said remote control device, display resolution of said remote control device, output resolution of said target device, cache size of said remote control device and processing power of said remote control device.

44. The method of claim 44 wherein said access point communicates with said target device via one of a wired and a wireless connection.