REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM, REMOTE CONTROL COMMANDER, REMOTE CONTROL SERVER

• US 20140226077A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hideki, Nakamura, Junichi, Yuasa, Naoki, Otsu, Shuichi, Hashi, Hiroki, Namai, Mie
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A communication medium with fewer limitations on the directivity or available communication range, such as an IP network, is used to perform a remote control operation.

Since two-way communication can be carried out between a remote controller and a device to be operated, it is possible to provide more reliable communication by means of a delivery confirmation, to handle a GUI-based complex command scheme, and to provide large-volume data transmission, such as moving-image streaming, using relatively broad bands. A television receiver to be operated by the remote controller distributes moving-image data, such as a child view, to an IP remote controller through an IP network so that the data can be viewed on the IP remote controller.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a user input;

a communication unit configured to communicate with a first device and a second device through a local area network, further configured to request a content list from the first device, to receive the content list from the first device, to request a content from the first device based on a selection of the content from the content list, and to receive the selected content via streaming from the first device in response to the request for the content;

a processing unit configured to process the selected content received via streaming from the first device; and

a display control unit configured to display the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a first display of the portable device, further configured to receive an operation for displaying the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a second display connected the second device while the selected content is reproduced and displayed at the first display, and further configured to provide a first instruction to stop displaying the selected content at the first display and a second instruction to start displaying the selected content at the second display in response to the operation.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is further configured to provide the first instruction and the second instruction at a same playback point.

3. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is further configured to display a list of external devices which respond to the portable device through the local area network, and the first device is identified by the user from the displayed list of external devices.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the second instruction specifies one of a server, a content name, a playback start point, and a display destination.

5. The portable device according to claim 4, wherein the second device is configured to start streaming of the selected content in response to the second instruction at the specified playback start point.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the second display is a television.

7. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the selected content received via streaming from the first device is video content.

8. A method of operating a portable device, comprising:

receiving, by a receiving unit, a user input;

communicating, by a communication unit, with a first device and a second device through a local area network;

requesting, by the communication unit, a content list from the first device;

receiving, by the communication unit, the content list from the first device;

requesting, by the communication unit, a content to the first device based on a selection of the content from the content list;

receiving, by the communication unit, the selected content via streaming from the first device in response to the request for the content;

processing, by a processing unit, the selected content received via streaming from the first device;

displaying, by a display control unit, the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a first display of the portable device;

receiving, by the display control unit, an operation for displaying the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a second display connected the second device while the selected content is reproduced and displayed at the first display; and

providing, by the display control unit, a first instruction to stop displaying the selected content at the first display and a second instruction to start displaying the selected content at the second display in response to the operation.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising providing, by the display control unit, the first instruction and the second instruction at a same playback point.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising displaying, by the display control unit, a list of external devices which respond to the portable device through the local area network, wherein the first device is identified by the user from the displayed list of external devices.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second instruction specifies one of a server, a content name, a playback start point, and a display destination.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the second device is configured to start streaming of the selected content in response to the second instruction at the specified playback start point.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second display is a television.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the selected content received via streaming from the first device is video content.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that is executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a receiving unit, a user input;

communicating, by a communication unit, with a first device and a second device through a local area network;

requesting, by the communication unit, a content list from the first device;

receiving, by the communication unit, the content list from the first device;

requesting, by the communication unit, a content to the first device based on a selection of the content from the content list;

receiving, by the communication unit, the selected content via streaming from the first device in response to the request for the content;

processing, by a processing unit, the selected content received via streaming from the first device;

displaying, by a display control unit, the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a first display of the portable device;

receiving, by the display control unit, an operation for displaying the selected content received via streaming from the first device at a second display connected the second device while the selected content is reproduced and displayed at the first display; and

providing, by the display control unit, a first instruction to stop displaying the selected content at the first display and a second instruction to start displaying the selected content at the second display in response to the operation.