INTERNET APPLIANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110167110A1
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoffberg Family Trust 2, Blanding Hovenweep LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), STEVEN M. HOFFBERG 2004-1 GRAT
• Original Assignee: Hoffberg Family Trust 2
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Steven M., Hoffberg-Borghesani, Linda I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

An Internet appliance, comprising, within a single housing, packet data network interfaces, adapted for communicating with the Internet and a local area network, at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus, an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface; a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface, and a processor, for controlling a data transfer between the local area network and the Internet, and defining a markup language interface communicated through a packet data network interface, to control a data transfer or control a remote device.

Claims

1. An Internet appliance comprising:

(a) a first packet data network interface configured to bi-directionally communicate data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a public network;

(b) a second packet data network interface configured to bi-directionally communicate data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a private network;

(c) a computer telephony interface; and

(d) a processor having an associated memory configured to store executable code, wherein said code defines at least a remote virtual interface function, a data packet routing function, and a voice communication processing function for controlling the computer telephony interface.

2. The Internet appliance of claim 1, further comprising an audio codec coupled to the computer telephony interface.

3. The Internet appliance of claim 2, further comprising a full duplex speaker phone coupled to the audio codec.

4. The Internet appliance of claim 1, further comprising a speech interface coupled to the computer telephony interface, wherein the processor is configured to recognize human speech based, at least in part, on signals received at the speech interface.

5. The Internet appliance of claim 1, further comprising a speech interface coupled to the computer telephony interface, wherein the processor is configured to synthesize human speech through the speech interface.

6. The Internet appliance of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a remote device through at least one of the public network or the private network using a markup language interface.

7. The Internet appliance of claim 6, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML and the processor is further configured to automatically communicate with a remote automated device.

8. The Internet appliance of claim 6, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML and the processor is configured to communicate with a remote HTML browser human user interface.

9. A method comprising:

providing at least one packet data network interface configured to bi-directionally communicate data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a public network;

providing at least one packet data network interface configured to bi-directionally communicate data packets according to an Internet Protocol with a private network;

providing a computer telephony interface; and

defining at least a remote virtual interface function, a data packet routing function, and a voice communication processing function for controlling the computer telephony interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer telephony interface supports full duplex voice communications.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising recognizing speech communicated through the computer telephony interface.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating with a remote device through at least one of the public network or the private network using a markup language interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML, and the method further comprises automatically communicating with a remote automated device.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML, and the method further comprises communicating with a remote HTML browser human user interface.

15. A computer readable storage medium for controlling a processor to perform operations comprising:

controlling communications through at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface, a device control interface, a smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, or an environmental control interface;

controlling a data transfer between a local area network and an Internet;

defining a markup language interface communicated through at least one of the first or second packet data network interfaces; and

at least one of controlling a data transfer or controlling a remote device through the at least one data interface.

16. A system having a user interface, comprising:

an external digital data interface configured to communicate at least one of audio media or video media;

a mass storage interface configured to communicate with a digital mass storage device, wherein the digital mass storage device is configured to store at least one of audio media or video media;

a graphic user interface configured to generate graphic display information, wherein the graphic user interface is responsive to user input received from a direct-manipulation type user input;

an output configured to communicate at least one of audio media or video media received through the mass storage interface to a presentation device; and

a digital controller for controlling the external digital data interface, the mass storage interface, and the output, wherein the digital controller is configured to operate as a markup language server, and is responsive to the graphic user interface.

17. A method comprising:

providing an appliance having at least one first packet data network interface, at least one second packet data network interface, and a markup language server;

communicating via the Internet through at least one first packet data network interface;

communicating with a local area network through at least one second packet data network interface; and

providing a markup language server for supporting markup language communications through at least one of the first packet data network interface or the second packet data network interface to control operation of at least one of the at least one first packet data network interface or the at least one second packet data network interface.

18. An Internet appliance comprising:

a first packet data network interface configured to communicate with the Internet;

a second packet data network interface configured to communicate with a local area network;

at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or an IEEE-1394 interface;

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute code stored in the memory for causing the processor to control a data transfer between the local area network and the Internet, and to define a markup language interface communicated through at least one of the first packet data network interface or the second packet data network interface to at least one of control a data transfer or control a remote device through the at least one data interface.

19. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, further comprising at least one mass storage device configured to store digital media data, wherein the processor is further configured to control transfer of the digital media data through the data interface.

20. The Internet appliance according to claim 19, further comprising a video codec configured to process the stored digital media data.

21. The Internet appliance according to claim 19, further comprising an audio codec configured to process the stored digital media data.

22. The Internet appliance according to claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to control receipt of the digital media data from the first packet data network interface and the second packet data network interface.

23. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a RISC processor.

24. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a digital signal processor.

25. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML.

26. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML.

27. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor supports execution of JAVA code.

28. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a real time operating system.

29. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with a browser human user interface using the markup language interface.

30. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically communicate with an automated device using the markup language interface.

31. The Internet appliance according to claim 30, wherein the at least one data interface comprises a media reproduction or a storage device.

32. The Internet appliance according to claim 18, further comprising a codec configured to interconvert media data between a first data format and a second data format.

33. The Internet appliance according to claim 32, wherein the first data format is digital and the second data format is analog.

34. The Internet appliance according to claim 33, further comprising a digital rights management system configured to impose a restriction of usage on data.

35. A method comprising:

communicating via the Internet through a first packet data network interface;

communicating with a local area network through a second packet data network interface;

communicating through at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a Universal Serial Bis (USB) or an IEEE-1394 interface;

controlling a data transfer between the local area network and the Internet;

defining a markup language interface communicated through at least one of the first packet data network interface or the second packet data network interface; and

at least one of controlling a data transfer or controlling a remote device through the at least one data interface.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

storing digital media data in a mass storage medium; and

controlling a transfer of the digital media data to or from the mass storage medium through the data interface.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the data interface comprises at least one of a video output or an audio output.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising decoding at least one of a digital video signal or a digital audio signal for presentation to the at least one of the video output or the audio output.

39. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

receiving digital media data from the at least one of the first packet data network interface or the second packet data network interface; and

storing the received digital media data in the mass storage medium.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the markup language interface comprises XML.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein the markup language interface comprises HTML.

42. The method according to claim 35, further comprising communicating with a browser human user interface using the markup language interface.

43. The method according to claim 35, further comprising automatically communicating with an automated device using the markup language interface.

44. The method according to claim 35, further comprising enforcing a set of digitally defined copyright usage restrictions on data passing through at least one of the at least one data interface.