Control of Data Presentation Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub

• US 20080069319A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• 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 8,005,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A method for controlling presentation of data through a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system includes obtaining a registration for one or more source devices and for one or more sink devices. An indication is received at the wireless home entertainment hub that at least one of the source devices has become active. An instruction is transmitted to the sink devices to receive data from the at least one active source device. An indication is transmitted to at least one active source device that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data.

Claims

1. A method for controlling presentation of data through a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system comprising:

(a) obtaining a registration for one or more source devices;

(b) obtaining a registration for one or more sink devices;

(c) receiving at the wireless home entertainment hub an indication that at least one of the source devices has become active;

(d) transmitting an instruction to the sink devices to receive data from the at least one active source device; and

(e) transmitting an indication to the at least one active source device that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sink devices includes a plurality of wireless speakers for presenting audio data to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sink devices includes a display device for presenting video data to a user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in the display device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source devices are wireless devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sink devices are wireless devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the active source device becomes active based on an instruction received the wireless home entertainment hub.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the active source device becomes active based on action on the respective source device by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of step (d) includes an instruction broadcast to the sink units.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of step (d) includes an instruction transmitted to each of the sink units.

11. A method for transmitting data from a source device to one or more sink devices for presentation to a user in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a registration of the source device with a wireless home entertainment hub;

(b) transmitting an indication to the wireless home entertainment hub that the source device has become active;

(c) receiving an indication from the wireless home entertainment hub that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data; and

(d) transmitting the data to the at least one sink device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the source device is a wireless device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the source device becomes active based on an instruction received at the wireless home entertainment hub.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the source device becomes active based on action on the respective source device by a user.

15. A method for receiving data for presentation by a sink device from a source device in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a registration of the sink device with a wireless home entertainment hub;

(b) receiving an instruction from the wireless home entertainment hub to receive data from an active source device; and

(c) receiving the data at the sink device from the active source device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

(d) presenting the data to a user.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

(d) in response to the instruction from the wireless home entertainment hub to receive data, ensuring that the sink device is in an active state.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the sink device is a wireless speaker for presenting audio data to a user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the sink device is a display device for presenting video data to a user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in the display device.

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

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the data received from the active source device matches the presentation capabilities of the sink device.

23. A wireless home entertainment hub for controlling presentation of data in a home entertainment system, the wireless home entertainment hub comprising:

a memory for storing registration information for one or more source devices and one or more sink devices;

a receiver for receiving an indication of activity of an active source device;

a transmitter for transmitting an instruction to the sink devices to receive data from the active source device and an indication to the active source device that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data; and

a processor configured to facilitate transfer of the data between the source devices and the sink devices in response to an indication of activity of the active source device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in a display device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in a remote control unit.

26. A method for controlling the presentation of data with a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at the wireless home entertainment hub an indication that a source device has become active, wherein the active source device is a wireless device;

(b) transmitting an instruction to one or more sink device to receive data from the active source device, wherein the sink devices are wireless devices; and

(c) transmitting an indication to the active source device that at least of the sink devices is ready to receive the data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the sink devices include a plurality of wireless speakers for presenting audio data to a user.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the sink devices include a wireless display device for presenting video data to a user.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in the wireless display device.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the active source device becomes active based on an instruction received by the wireless home entertainment hub.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the active source device becomes active based on action on the respective source device by a user.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting of step (b) includes an instruction broadcast to the sink devices.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting of step (b) includes an instruction transmitted to each of the sink devices.

34. A method for transmitting data from a wireless source device to one or more wireless sink devices for presentation in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting an indication to the wireless home entertainment hub that the source device has become active, wherein the source device is a wireless device;

(b) receiving an indication from the wireless home entertainment hub that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data, wherein the one or more sink devices are wireless devices; and

(c) transmitting the data to the at least one of the sink devices.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the active source device becomes active based on an instruction received by the wireless home entertainment hub.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the active source device becomes active based on action on the respective source device by a user.

37. A method for receiving data for presentation by a wireless sink device from a wireless source device in a home entertainment system comprising:

(a) receiving an instruction from the wireless home entertainment hub to receive data from an active source device, wherein the active source device is a wireless device; and

(b) receiving at the sink device the data from the active source device where the sink device is a wireless device.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

(c) presenting the data to a user.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

(c) in response to the indication that the wireless home entertainment hub is ready to transmit data, ensuring that the sink device is in an active state.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the sink device is a wireless speaker for presenting audio data to a user.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the sink device is a wireless display device for displaying video data to a user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the wireless home entertainment hub is included in the wireless display device.