SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRIORITIZING AND FILTERING CEC COMMANDS

• US 20160227272A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatambeiki, Arsham
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08

Abstract

A first controllable appliance receives from a second controllable appliance a command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into a state and, in response, determines a trust level of the second controllable appliance. When it is determined that the second controllable appliance is trustworthy, the first controllable appliance executes the command. When it is determined that the second controllable appliance is untrustworthy, the first controllable appliance ignores the command. Otherwise, the first controllable appliance enters into a state in which the first controllable appliance waits for at least a predetermined period of time for a user to confirm whether or not the first controllable appliance should be caused to execute the command.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a state functional operation of a first controllable appliance, comprising:

receiving at the first controllable appliance from a second controllable appliance a command communication, the command communication comprising at least a command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into a state;

in response to the first controllable appliance receiving the command communication, causing the first controllable appliance to determine a trust level of the second controllable appliance;

when it is determined by the first controllable appliance that the second controllable appliance is trustworthy, causing the first controllable appliance to automatically execute the command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into the first state;

when it is determined by the first controllable appliance that the second controllable appliance is untrustworthy, causing the first controllable appliance to automatically ignore the command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into the first state; and

when it is determined by the first controllable appliance that the second controllable appliance is neither trustworthy nor untrustworthy, causing the first controllable appliance to enter into a state in which the first controllable appliance waits for at least a predetermined period of time for a user to confirm whether or not the first controllable appliance is to be caused to execute the command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into the first state.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first controllable appliance determines the trust level of the second controllable appliance by referencing a trust level setting for the second controllable appliance stored in a memory of the first controllable appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance is cross-referenced to a device identifier for the second controllable appliance and wherein the device identifier for the second controllable appliance is included in the command communication.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance is cross-referenced to an input port of the first controllable appliance and wherein the command communication is received from the second controllable appliance via the input port.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a trust level setting for the second controllable appliance is stored in each of a plurality of tables stored in a memory of the first controllable appliance, the first controllable appliance selects a one of the plurality of tables as a function of a state of at least one of the first controllable appliance and a third controllable appliance in communication with the first controllable appliance, and the first controllable appliance determines the trust level of the second controllable appliance by referencing the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance that is stored in the selected one of the plurality of tables stored in the memory of the first controllable appliance.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising causing the first controllable appliance to retrieve the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance from a device located remotely from the first controllable appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising causing the first controllable appliance to provide a device identifier for the second controllable appliance to the device located remotely from the first controllable appliance to thereby receive from the device located remotely from the first controllable appliance the trust level setting.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the device identifier for the second controllable appliance is obtained from the second controllable appliance.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the device located remotely from the first controllable appliance comprises an Internet server device having an associated data repository in which the trust level setting is stored.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, comprising causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into a state for receiving the trust level setting from a user.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising causing the first controllable appliance to automatically set the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance stored in the memory of the first controllable appliance to trustworthy when the first controllable appliance receives a user confirmation that the first controllable appliance is to be caused to execute the command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into the first state when the first controllable appliance first determines that the second controllable appliance is neither trustworthy nor untrustworthy.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising causing the first controllable appliance to automatically set the trust level setting for the second controllable appliance stored in the memory of the first controllable appliance to untrustworthy when the first controllable appliance receives a user confirmation that the first controllable appliance is not to be caused to execute the command for causing the first controllable appliance to be placed into the first state when the first controllable appliance first determines that the second controllable appliance is neither trustworthy nor untrustworthy.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state comprises a state in which a one of a plurality of audio and/or video inputs of the first controllable appliance is rendered active.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first controllable appliance comprises an audio-video receiver.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the second controllable appliance comprises an audio and/or video source device coupled to the audio-video receiver via a one of the plurality of audio and/or video inputs.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the command communication comprises a CEC command communication.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first controllable appliance comprises a television receiver.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the second controllable appliance comprises an audio and/or video source device coupled to the television receiver via a one of the plurality of audio and/or video inputs.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the command communication comprises a CEC command communication.