LAPTOP BASED TELEVISION REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20070162938A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James, Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A laptop that interacts with a television system. At least one module may be adapted to receive a user input identifying a video selection. The at least one module may also be adapted to display video information corresponding to the video selection. The at least one module may further be adapted to transmit a control signal adapted to cause the display of video information corresponding to the video selection on the television system. The laptop may, for example, be adapted to receive television system setting information and provide for user control of various television system settings. Also for example, the laptop may be adapted to receive media guide information, present such information to a user, provide for user selection of a media element, and transmit a control signal adapted to cause delivery of the selected media element from a multimedia source to the television system.

Claims

1. A portable computer that interacts with a television system, the television system having a first screen, the portable computer comprising:

a communication interface;

a user input interface adapted to receive a user input identifying a video selection; and

at least one module adapted to;

transmit a control signal via the communication interface, where the control signal is adapted to direct the display of first video information that corresponds to the video selection on the first screen of the television system.

2. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising a video display, and wherein the at least one module is adapted to:

retrieve via the communication interface second video information that corresponds to the video selection; and

display the second video information on the video display.

3. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one module is adapted to receive media guide information via the communication interface, and the user input identifying the video selection is based on the media guide information.

4. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the portable computer is located at a first premises, and the television system is located at a second premises.

5. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the portable computer and the television system are located at a first premises.

6. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the second video information is adapted for the video display.

7. The portable computer according to claim 6, wherein the first video information is adapted for the first screen of the television system.

8. The portable computer according to claim 7, wherein the second video stream is adapted for the video display via transcoding.

9. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is adapted to be received by set top box circuitry.

10. The portable computer according to claim 9, wherein the at least one module is adapted to retrieve video information via the set top box circuitry.

11. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the user input interface is adapted to receive a user input identifying a video storage selection, and the at least one module, in response to the video storage selection, is adapted to direct delivery of third video information to a storage system, wherein the third video information and the storage system correspond to the video storage selection.

12. The portable computer according to claim 11, wherein the storage system is located at a premises different from respective premises of the portable computer and the television system.

13. A portable computer that interacts with a multimedia sourcing system, the multimedia sourcing system adapted to provide multimedia information to a television system, the portable computer comprising:

a communication interface adapted to receive media guide information, the media guide information identifying a plurality of media elements;

a user interface adapted to;

present the received media guide information to a user; and

receive a user input identifying a selected media element from the plurality of media elements; and

at least one module adapted to;

transmit a control signal via the communication interface, where the control signal is adapted to trigger delivery of the selected media element from the multimedia sourcing system to the television system.

14. The portable computer according to claim 13, wherein the at least one module is further adapted to utilize the user interface to display a video portion of a second media element of the plurality of media elements different from the selected media element.

15. The portable computer according to claim 14, wherein:

the user interface is adapted to receive a media swapping command; and

the at least one module is adapted to, in response to a received media swapping command, actuate swapping of the selected media element and the second media element between the television system and the portable computer.

16. The portable computer according to claim 13, wherein the portable computer is a laptop.

17. The portable computer according to claim 13, wherein the portable computer, the multimedia sourcing system and the television system are located at three separate premises.

18. A laptop that interacts with a television system, the laptop comprising:

a video display;

a user input interface adapted to receive a user input indicative of a desire to view television system setting information;

a communication interface adapted to receive television system setting information; and

at least one module adapted to display received television system setting information on the video display.

19. The laptop according to claim 18, wherein the at least one module is adapted to transmit a control signal via the communication interface, where the control signal is adapted to cause modification of a television system setting.

20. The laptop according to claim 18, wherein:

the user input interface is further adapted to receive a user input identifying a video selection; and

the at least one module is adapted to transmit a second control signal via the communication interface, where the second control signal is adapted to trigger display of first video information corresponding to the video selection on a screen of the television system.

21. The laptop according to claim 20, wherein the at least one module is adapted to:

receive, via the communication interface, second video information corresponding to the video selection; and

display the received second video information on the video display.