Media management system

• US 20070022387A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panoram Technologies Inc
• Original Assignee: Panoram Technologies Inc
• Inventors: Alpaslan, Zahir, Mayer, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US11/523,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method of configuring a media facility having at least one media source, an output device having one or more output windows, and a media integration system having a media space icon, the method comprising: generating a first icon representing the at least one media source, the at least one media source having an output configured to be coupled to an input of the output device through the media integration system, encrypting characteristics of said at least one media source in the first icon, selecting the first icon, applying the selected first icon to the media space icon to provide the output of the at least one media source to the input of the output device through the media integration system, generating a window icon on the media space icon, the window icon representing one of the one or more output windows, encrypting characteristics of the output window and/or the output device in the window icon, and displaying the first icon and the window icon on a display device.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a media facility having at least one media source, an output device having one or more output windows, and a media integration system having a media space icon, the method comprising:

generating a first icon representing the at least one media source, the at least one media source having an output configured to be coupled to an input of the output device through the media integration system;

encrypting characteristics of said at least one media source in the first icon;

selecting the first icon;

applying the selected first icon to the media space icon to provide the output of the at least one media source to the input of the output device through the media integration system;

generating a window icon on the media space icon, the window icon representing one of the one or more output windows;

encrypting characteristics of the output window and/or the output device in the window icon; and

displaying the first icon and the window icon on a display device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising encrypting characteristics of a system component in a signal path between the at least one window icon and the output device in at least one of the first icon and the window icon.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting the video from the at least one media source on the window icon.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising presenting the video from the at least one media source on at least one of the one of more output windows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one media source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of video and audio sources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the video source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a computer, a VCR, a cable feed, a satellite feed, a DVD player, a video server, a video camera, a compressed audio, a compressed video player, a sensor and a television.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the audio source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a computer, a VCR, a cable feed, a satellite feed, a DVD player, an audio server, a compressed audio player, a compressed video player, a microphone, a cassette player and a radio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises dragging the first icon, and applying comprises dropping the first icon onto the media space icon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a video projector, a monitor, a flat panel, an audio system, a television, an LCD (liquid crystal display), a PDP (plasma display panel) and a Sony SXRD device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) generating a plurality of second icons, each second icon representing one of a plurality of media sources;

b) encrypting characteristics of one of the media sources to the second icon that represents the same media source;

c) generating a plurality of second window icons, each second window icon representing one of a plurality of output windows;

d) encrypting characteristics of one of the output windows and/or the output device to the second window icon that represents the same output window;

e) displaying the second icon and second window icons on a display device;

f) selecting one of the second icons;

g) applying the selected one of the second icons to one of the second window icons; and

h) repeating f) and g) until a desired combination configuration is realized, in which all desired second icons have been selected and applied to the second window icons.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the desired combination configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising recalling the stored desired combination configuration.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising repeating a)-g) to realize a plurality of desired combination configurations and storing the desired combination configurations.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising recalling said desired combination configurations in a sequence.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising encrypting characteristics of system components in a signal path between said media sources and the output device onto at least one of the second icons and second window icons.

16. A media management system suitable for configuring a media facility, said system comprising:

a media source;

an output device having one or more output windows; and

an integration system coupled to the media source and the output device, said integration system comprising a display device configured to display a first icon representing the media source and a media space icon having a window icon representing an output window,

wherein the system is configured for a user to encrypt characteristics of the media source in the first icon and characteristics of the output window and/or output device in the window icon, and

wherein the system is configured for the user to operate the media facility by selecting the first icon and applying it to the media space icon to provide that an output of the media source is coupled to an input of the output device through the integration system.

17. The media management system of claim 16, further comprising at least one device in a signal path between the media source and the output device,

wherein the system is configured for the user to encrypt characteristics of said at least one device in at least one of the first icon and/or window icon.

18. The media management system of claim 16, wherein said the media source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of video and audio sources.

19. The media management system of claim 18, wherein the video source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a computer, a VCR, a cable feed, a satellite feed, a DVD player, a video server, a video camera, a compressed audio player, a compressed video player, a sensor and a television.

20. The media management system of claim 18, wherein the audio source comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a computer, a VCR, a cable feed, a satellite feed, a DVD player, an audio server, a compressed audio player, a compressed video player, a microphone, a cassette player and a radio.

21. The media management system of claim 16, wherein the system is configured for the user to select the first icon and apply it to the media space icon by dragging the first icon and dropping it onto the media space icon.

22. The media management system of claim 16, wherein the output device comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a video projector, a monitor, a flat panel, an audio system, a television, an LCD (liquid crystal display), a PDP (plasma display panel) and a Sony SXRD device.

23. The media management system of claim 16, wherein the display device displays a plurality of second icons, each representing and encrypted with characteristics of one of a plurality of media sources, and a plurality of window icons, each representing and encrypted with characteristics of one of a plurality of output windows and/or output devices,

wherein the system is configured for the user to select one of the second icons and apply it to one of the window icons until a desired combination configuration is realized, in which all desired second icons have been selected and applied to the window icons.

24. The media management system of claim 23, wherein the system is configured to store the desired combination configuration.

25. The media management system of claim 24, wherein the system is configured to recall the stored desired combination configuration.

26. The media management system of claim 24, wherein the system is configured to recall the stored desired combination configuration using an external control system.

27. The media management system of claim 24, wherein the system is configured to recall a stored desired combination configuration using an automated external control system which responds to preset conditions such as an emergency detection.

28. The media management system of claim 23, wherein the system is configured to realize and store a plurality of desired combination configurations.

29. The media management system of claim 28, wherein the system is configured to recall the desired combination configurations.

30. An integration system suitable for configuring a media facility, said integration system comprising:

a display device suitable for displaying at least one first icon representing a media source and at least one window icon representing an output window of an output device;

an input device suitable for selecting said at least one first icon and applying it to said at least one window icon, the input device being configured to encrypt characteristics of the media source in said at least one first icon and to encrypt characteristics of the output window and/or output device in said at least one window icon; and

a storage device suitable for storing a configuration for providing an output of the media source to an input of the output window through the integration system.

31. The integration system of claim 30, wherein the integration system is configured such that the selection of one of the at least one window icons or a media space, where the one of the at least one window icons or media space represents a computing device, enables the input device to control the computing device.

32. The integration system of claim 31, wherein the input device comprises a keyboard and mouse.