Network-Extensible Reconfigurable Media Appliance

• US 20080059401A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dennis Fernandez
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/64784 Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream.

Claims

1. Media appliance comprising:

means for sensing to generate an audio or visual (A/V) signal; and

reconfigurable logic or processor for processing the signal adaptively according to automatic recognition of one or more audio or video feature extracted from the processed signal, whereby such extracted feature is usable for image or database query;

wherein the signal is provided to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such signal being provided using programmable protocol translation via real-time or dynamic electronic signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided signal, at least one of the appliances in the distributed group thereby presenting electronically the signal via an audio or video renderer, whereby such distributed group of network-extensible media appliances collaborates to reconstruct a covered event effectively by synchronizing processed A/V signals that are collected from distributed media appliances, such signals being synchronized to flow or branch according to a non-linear or non-deterministic script, template or storyboard.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said sensing means encodes the signal according to a video format enabling emotion recognition.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor enables content, user or device authentication for security intelligence.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor tags the signal according to a digital rights management (DRM) flag or meta-datastructure.

5. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

means for rendering the processed signal using an abstraction layer for presentation according to an ATSC format.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor enables alternate rendering of the signal according to a non-linear branching-point for a news, sports or movie program.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor processes the signal synchronously with a delegated A/V stream in an appliance group.