Device Registration Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub

• US 20080066117A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Technology Patents & Licensing Incorporated
• Inventors: Igoe, Patrick T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/75
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/08 by combining tones G10H1/14, G10H1/16 take precedence; chord G10H1/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440209 for formatting on an optical medium, e.g. DVD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of registering a device with a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system includes broadcasting by a wireless home entertainment hub a request for a reply from at least one unregistered device. The reply is received from at least one of the unregistered devices and a list of the at least one unregistered device is presented to a user for the purpose of the user selecting a device to register. An indication of the registration of the device selected by the user for registration is stored, and the selected device is removed from the list of unregistered devices after the indication of the registration is stored.

Claims

1. A method of registering a device with a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) broadcasting by a wireless home entertainment hub a request for a reply from one or more unregistered devices;

(b) receiving the reply from at least one of the unregistered devices;

(c) presenting a list of the at least one unregistered device to a user for the purpose of the user selecting a device to register;

(d) storing an indication of the registration of the device selected by the user for registration, wherein the selected device is removed from the list of at least one unregistered device after the indication of the registration is stored; and

(e) repeating steps (c)-(d) for each unregistered device in the home entertainment system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device selected for registration is a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a unique hub identifier for the wireless home entertainment hub.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply includes a unique device identifier for the at least one unregistered device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique device identifier includes the device manufacturer and model number.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein capabilities of the at least one unregistered device can be obtained by the wireless home entertainment hub using the unique device identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply includes capabilities of the at least one unregistered device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in a display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unregistered device is an audio source device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one unregistered device is a video source device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unregistered device is an audio sink device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unregistered device is a video sink device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting in step (a) is initiated by the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting is step (a) is automatically initiated at a predetermined interval by the wireless home entertainment hub.

15. A method of registering a device with a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) recognizing, by an unregistered device, a broadcast request for a reply from the wireless home entertainment hub;

(b) transmitting to the wireless home entertainment hub a reply to the request; and

(c) storing an indication of registration of the unregistered device with the wireless home entertainment hub.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the unregistered device is a wireless device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the unregistered device is registered with the wireless home entertainment hub.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the reply includes an identification of the unregistered device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the reply includes capabilities of the unregistered device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the unregistered device is a source device.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the unregistered device is a sink device.

22. A method of registering a device with a wireless home entertainment hub, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, at the wireless home entertainment hub, capabilities of the device in a reply by the device to the wireless home entertainment hub during registration of the device;

(b) comparing the received capabilities of the device with expected capabilities of the device, wherein the expected capabilities of the device are stored in the wireless home entertainment hub and are based on the type of device; and

(c) storing an indication of the registration of the device if the capabilities of the device substantially match the expected capabilities of the device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(d) re-initiating registration of the device with the wireless home entertainment hub if the received capabilities of the device do not substantially match the expected capabilities of the device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the device is a wireless device.

25. A wireless home entertainment hub for registering a device in a home entertainment system, the wireless home entertainment hub comprising:

a memory for storing an indication of registration of at least one unregistered device;

a transmitter for broadcasting a request for a reply from at least one unregistered device in the home entertainment system;

a receiver for receiving the reply from at least one unregistered device; and

a processor configured to facilitate the registration of the at least one unregistered device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in a display device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in a remote control device.