Rendering device selection in a home network

• US 20100161822A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Xuemin, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Palm, Stephen Ray
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• 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 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A technique to remotely identify a source of a transaction for transferring content on a home network and to identify a plurality of renderers for rendering the content when transferred. Where multiple pathways are present to transfer the content, remote identification of one or more pathways are also determined to transfer the content. Then, a rendering parameter is determined for each renderer for rendering the content and based on one or more criteria, a renderer is selected for rendering the content, along with the pathway for delivering the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a remote device to identify a source of a transaction for transferring content on a home network;

using the remote device to identify a plurality of renderers for rendering the content when transferred;

using the remote device to identify one or more pathways within the home network from the source to the plurality of renderers;

determining a rendering parameter for each renderer for rendering the content; and

selecting one renderer from the plurality of renderers to render the content based on a selected parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one renderer to render the content includes automatically selecting a particular renderer having a rendering parameter set by a predetermined criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one renderer to render the content includes allowing a user to select a particular renderer based on the rendering parameter for each renderer.

4. The method of claim 3, further including ranking the plurality of renderers capable of rendering the content based on respective rendering parameters that are determined for the plurality of renderers.

5. The method of claim 1, further including determining one or more pathways available for each renderer and characterizing each pathway for each renderer with the rendering parameter for each renderer to select an optimum pathway for each renderer for transferring the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering parameter is based on a proximity of the remote device to each renderer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering parameter is based on a presentation characteristic of the content at each respective renderer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering parameter is based on a presentation characteristic of the content at each respective renderer, in which one or more renderers have more than one presentation characteristics for presentation of the content.

9. The method of claim 1, further including using the remote device to alter a rendering property of the one selected renderer to render the content.

10. The method of claim 1, further including transferring rendering of the content from the one selected renderer to a second renderer when a user'"'"'s proximity changes from the one selected renderer to the second renderer.

11. The method of claim 1, further including terminating rendering of the content at the one selected renderer when a user is no longer within proximity to the one selected renderer.

12. The method of claim 1, further including rendering of both sound and video, in which sound and video are rendered separately in respective sound and video renderers.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the remote device is a mobile phone.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) front end to communicate with a source and a plurality of renderers, in which content is sent from the source to the renderers through one or more pathways of a home network;

a baseband processor coupled to the RF front end for conversion of signals for transmission and reception from the RF front end; and

an application processor coupled to the baseband processor to execute a program set of instructions and to generate signals to the renderers in response to the program set of instructions, in which the application processor is to execute the program set of instructions to identify and characterize the source, the content, the plurality of renderers and one or more pathways from the source to each respective renderer, determine a rendering parameter for each renderer for rendering the content, and select one renderer from the plurality of renderers to render the content based on a selected parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the application processor allows a user to select a particular renderer based on the rendering parameter for each renderer.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rendering parameter is based on a proximity of the remote device to each renderer.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rendering parameter is based on a presentation characteristic of the content at each respective renderer.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a mobile telephone.

19. A machine-readable medium embodying a program of instructions thereon for execution by a machine, in which when the program is executed by the machine performs a process comprising:

identifying a source of a transaction for transferring content on a home network;

identifying a plurality of renderers for rendering the content when transferred;

identifying one or more pathways within the home network from the source to the plurality of renderers;

determining a rendering parameter for each renderer for rendering the content; and

selecting one renderer from the plurality of renderers to render the content based on a selected parameter.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein when the executed process determines a rendering parameter for each renderer, the process allows a user to select a particular renderer based on the rendering parameter for each renderer.