TV-centric system

• US 20080098452A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hardacker, Robert L., Zustak, Frederick J.
• Application Number:
  US11/583,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A TV has a TV processor and a display presenting a map showing the topology of the home network of which the TV is a part. A user can manipulate the user input device to navigate around the map and cause content to be transmitted from a source component shown in the map to a sink component shown on the map. The map can change the appearance of component icons and/or paths between icons to provide visible indication of advantageous component and/or path selection for executing a user-desired task. Also, map information can be uploaded to an Internet server that can respond by sending back information pertaining to components represented on the map.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a TV including a TV processor and a display; and

a user input device communicating with the processor, wherein

the processor causes a map to be presented in the display showing at least portions of a network including the TV and at least one network component and at least one communication path therebetween, wherein a user can manipulate the user input device to navigate around the map and cause content to be transmitted from a source component shown in the map to a sink component shown on the map.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is a TV remote control device and/or mouse and/or pointing device and one component is a home PC.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the map changes the appearance of at least one component icon and/or path between icons to provide visible indication of advantageous component and/or path selection for executing a user-desired task.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the TV processor communicates with the Internet, the TV processor uploading map information to a server on the Internet and receiving back information pertaining to components represented on the map.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the TV processor, upon initial energization by a user, automatically searches for network connections.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the server downloads information to cause the TV to automatically configure, without user interaction, at least one component represented on the map for network operability.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the server downloads diagnostic information to the TV and pertaining to at least one component represented on the map.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes audio-video components and non-audio-video components selected from the group consisting of:

a printer, and a scanner, the map displaying icons indicating audio-video components and icons indicating non-audio-video components.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes audio-video components and non-audio-video components selected from the group consisting of:

a printer, and a scanner, the map displaying only icons indicating audio-video components.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein upon each energization, the TV processor discovers and/or is informed of network components and configures the map accordingly.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the map changes the appearance of at least one component icon and/or path between icons to provide visible indication of whether a component is energized.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein an icon indicating an audio-video component is displayed in a first color and an icon indicating a non-audio-video component is displayed in a second color.

13. A TV-centric system comprising:

a TV including a TV processor and a display;

a user input device communicating with the processor, wherein

the processor causes a map to be presented in the display showing at least portions of a network including the TV and at least one network component and at least one communication path therebetween, wherein the map changes the appearance of at least one component icon and/or path between icons to provide visible indication of advantageous component and/or path selection for executing a user-desired task.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user input device is a TV remote control device and/or mouse and/or pointing device and one component is a home PC.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the TV processor, upon initial energization by a user, automatically searches for network connections.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the network includes audio-video components and non-audio-video components selected from the group consisting of:

a printer, and a scanner, the map displaying icons indicating audio-video components and icons indicating non-audio-video components;

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the network includes audio-video components and non-audio-video components selected from the group consisting of:

a printer, and a scanner, the map displaying only icons indicating audio-video components.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein upon each energization, the TV processor discovers and/or is informed of network components.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the map changes the appearance of at least one component icon and/or path between icons to provide visible indication of whether a component is energized.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein an icon indicating an audio-video component is displayed in a first color and an icon indicating a non-audio-video component is displayed in a second color.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein an Internet server downloads information to cause the TV to automatically configure, without user interaction, at least one component represented on the map for network operability.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein an Internet server downloads diagnostic information to the TV and pertaining to at least one component represented on the map.

23. A TV-centric system comprising:

a TV including a TV processor and a display;

a user input device communicating with the processor; and

the TV processor being connected to the Internet, the TV processor uploading network map information to a server on the Internet and receiving back information pertaining to components represented on the map.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the TV processor, upon initial energization by a user, automatically searches for network connections.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the server downloads information to cause the TV to automatically configure, without user interaction, at least one component represented on the map for network operability.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the server downloads diagnostic information to the TV and pertaining to at least one component represented on the map.