Remote Diagnostics for In-Home Audio Video Gear

• US 20080288284A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Simms, Daniel A., Leichner, Robert C., Moberly, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/093,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A first station (12, 16) at least sends audio/visual content to audio/visual devices (50, 92). A user interface (50) displays audio/visual content received from the first station (12, 16) when the audio/visual devices (50, 92) are properly configured. A control device (52, 120) communicates with the audio/visual devices (50, 92) to adjust the audio/visual devices configurations to display the received audio/visual content on the user interface (50).

Claims

1. An audio/visual management system (10) comprising:

a first station (12, 16) which at least sends audio/visual content to audio/visual devices (50, 92), which include;

a user interface (50) which at least displays audio/visual content received from the first station (12, 16) when the audio/visual devices (50, 92) are properly configured; and

a control device (52, 120) which communicates with the audio/visual devices and adjusts configurations of the audio/visual devices (50, 92) to display the received audio/visual content on the user interface (50).

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a library (142) in which an identification of each audio/visual device (50, 92) is stored.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the configurations of the audio/visual devices are controlled by infrared signals and further including:

an infrared reader/transmitter (132) which receives a unique infrared operating code of each audio/visual device (50, 92) and stores each identified infrared operating code in the library (142) and which transmits instructions for changing the configurations of the audio/visual devices.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the control device (52, 120) includes:

a first control module (52) which receives the audio/visual content from the first station (12, 16) and communicates the audio/visual content to the audio/visual devices (50, 92) for display on the user interface (50) when the audio/visual devices (50, 92) are properly configured; and

a second control module (120) which remotely withdraws the identification of each audio/visual device (50, 92) from the library (142) and communicates to the first control module (52) the configuration commands to configure the audio/visual devices (50, 92) based on selected parameters.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a remote device (70) which includes user inputs (74) and which configures the audio/visual devices (50, 92) in response to sequential activation of one or more user inputs (74).

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, further including:

a macro generator (152) which generates a sequence of configuration commands which put the audio/visual devices (50, 92) in preselected configurations and which sequence is executed automatically responsive to the activation of a single user input (74).

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

at least one detector (160, 162) which detects at least one of audio and visual output signals of the user interface (50).

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, further including at least one of:

a home diagnostic module (164) which controls the user interface (50) to transmit preselected audio or visual content by stepping the audio/visual devices (50, 92) through a predetermined cycle sequence, and determines, based on the detected audio or visual signals, a malfunctioning or improperly configured component of at least the user interface (50); and

a remote diagnostic device (170) which is connected with the at least one detector (160, 162) to control the user interface (50) to transmit preselected audio or visual content by stepping the first control module (52) through a predetermined cycle sequence, and determines, based on the detected audio or visual signals, a malfunctioning or improperly configured component of at least the user interface (50).

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the transmission of the preselected audio or visual content is initiated by at least one of:

a patient input,

an automatic trigger,

a predetermined timer, and

a remote input.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the audio/visual content includes health content customized to a patient at a home station (14) and further including:

a monitoring device (80) which monitors a physiological parameter of the patient and transmits the monitored parameter from the home station (14) to the first station (12, 16) for medical professional review.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting audio/visual content to audio/visual devices (50, 92) of a home station (14); and

controlling configuration of the audio/visual devices to display the audio/visual content, which is received from the first station, on a user interface.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including:

storing a unique infrared identification of each audio/visual device in a library;

withdrawing the identifications of the audio/visual devices from the library; and

configuring the audio/visual devices based on the withdrawn identifications and preselected parameters.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including:

generating a sequence of configuration commands for the audio/visual devices;

storing the sequence; and

automatically executing the stored sequence responsive to the activation of a single user input.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including:

sensing at least one of visual and audio output from the user interface;

communicating the sensed visual or audio output to a remote maintenance station to provide at least one of audio and visual feedback.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the step of controlling configuration of the audio/visual devices includes:

executing a maintenance sequence which includes;

instructing the user interface to transmit preselected audio or visual content;

sensing at least one of visual and audio output signals from the user interface; and

based on the sensed audio or visual output signals, identifying a malfunctioning component of at least the user interface (50).

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the audio/visual content includes health content customized to a patient at the home station and further including:

monitoring a physiological parameter of the patient and transmitting the monitored parameter from the home station to a remote medical station for medical professional review.

16. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the execution of the maintenance sequence is initiated by at least one of:

a patient input,

an automatic trigger,

a predetermined timer, and

a remote input.

18. A control apparatus comprising:

a control module (52, 120) which communicates to user interface (50) and related audio/visual devices (92) and generates configuration commands to configure the user interface (50) and related audio/visual devices (92) based on predetermined parameters to receive and display on the user interface (50) audio/visual content which is transmitted from a first station (12, 16).

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the configurations of the user interface and audio/visual devices are controlled by infrared signals and further including:

an infrared reader/transmitter (132) which receives a unique infrared operating code of the user interface and each related audio/visual device (92) and stores each identified infrared operating code in a library (142) and which transmits instructions for changing the configurations of the audio/visual devices.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, further including:

at least one detector (160, 162) which detects at least one of audio and visual preselected output signal sequence of the user interface (50), based on which detection the control module (52, 120) properly configures the user interface to display the received audio/visual content.