TV-centric system

• US 20080229370A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• 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: Zustak, Frederick J., Guillou, Jean-Pierre
• Application Number:
  US11/717,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229370A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/78
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613

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. Upon initial energization the TV discovers network devices in the home, uploads this information to an Internet server, which in turn sends back to the TV necessary information for configuring the network, without any user interaction to configure network devices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a TV including a TV processor displaying a network map;

a modem connected to the TV processor, the TV processor uploading map information to a server on the Internet and receiving back information pertaining to devices represented on the map.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the TV uploads information to the server using a telephony pager network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at initial TV power-on network devices are automatically discovered by the TV processor to establish the map information that is sent to the server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the TV processor is automatically configured for accessing, without user intervention, the server that is discovered.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein if more than one server is discovered the TV processor prompts a user to select a server.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising automatically establishing a connections database to serve as a starting point for tracking, diagnosing, and recommending future network enhancements during discovery of network devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the map information the server automatically, without user intervention, configures at least the TV.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the map information the server automatically, without user intervention, causes the configuration of at least one network device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein if no server is detected the TV processor prompts the user to connect to an Internet connection device.

10. A TV-centric system comprising:

a TV including a TV processor and a display;

a user input device communicating with the processor, wherein

in response to a first time power-on of the TV by a user, the processor automatically, without user intervention, attempts to establish communication with an Internet server and if communication is established, automatically receives from the server configuration information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor establishes communication with the server using a telephony pager network.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein at initial TV power-on network devices are automatically, without user intervention, discovered by the TV processor to establish information that is sent to the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the TV processor is automatically configured for accessing, without user intervention, a server that is discovered by the TV.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein if more than one server is discovered the TV processor prompts a user to select a server.

15. The system of claim 13, comprising automatically establishing a connections database to serve as a starting point for tracking, diagnosing, and recommending future network enhancements during discovery of network devices.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein in response to the information from the TV the server automatically, without user intervention, configures at least the TV.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein in response to the information the server automatically, without user intervention, causes the configuration of at least one network device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein if no server is detected the TV processor prompts the user to connect to an Internet connection device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the TV processor, upon initial energization by a user, automatically searches for network connections.

19. A TV-centric system comprising:

a TV including a TV processor and a display; and

the TV processor automatically contacting the Internet, the TV processor uploading network information to a server on the Internet and receiving back information pertaining to the configuration of components represented by the network information.