Casting of HDMI Content

• US 20170064383A1
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: B&W Group Ltd. (Masimo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B&W Group Ltd. (Masimo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Gaylord
• Application Number:
  US15/250,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

In response to receiving user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device that specifies user instruction to cast high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device, an audio/video (A/V) hub accesses device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device. Then, the A/V hub performs the casting of the HDMI content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the HDMI content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.

Claims

1. An audio/video (A/V) hub, comprising:

an antenna;

an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with a portable electronic device, a first A/V display device, a second A/V display device and a content source; and

a control circuit, coupled to the interface circuit, configured to;

receive, via the interface circuit, user-interface activity information from the portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast content associated with the content source from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device;

access device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and

perform the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.

2. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the content includes high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content and the A/V hub includes a port that can couple to at least one of the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device;

wherein the port is compatible with an HDMI standard; and

wherein the interface circuit is coupled to the port.

3. The A/V hub of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the device-state information using a state-detection circuit that is coupled to at least a pin in the port.

4. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single virtual command icon displayed in a user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.

5. The A/V hub of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

generate user-interface information that specifies the user interface that includes virtual command icons, including the virtual command icon, which are associated with the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device; and

provide the user-interface information to the portable electronic device for display on the touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.

6. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single physical button.

7. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the device-state information is inferred based on device commands previously provided to the second A/V display device.

8. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the casting is performed without further user action.

9. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is powered on, a power-on operation is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.

10. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is set to receive the content from the content source, an operation to set the second A/V display device to receive the content from the content source is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.

11. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device are associated with different providers.

12. The A/V hub of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

memory configured to store a program module; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the program module, wherein the program module includes instructions for at least some operations performed by the control circuit.

13. A non-transitory computer-program product for use in conjunction with an audio/video (A/V) hub, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-program mechanism that, when executed by the A/V hub, causes the A/V hub to perform casting of content, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast the content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device;

instructions for accessing device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and

instructions for performing the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for determining the device-state information using a state-detection circuit that is coupled to at least a pin in a port in the A/V hub that can couple to the second A/V display device.

15. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the user instruction is based on activation of a single virtual command icon displayed in a user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device;

and

wherein the computer-program mechanism includes;

instructions for generating user-interface information that specifies the user interface that includes virtual command icons, including the virtual command icon, which are associated with the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device; and

instructions for providing the user-interface information to the portable electronic device for display on the touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.

16. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the device-state information is inferred based on device commands previously provided to the second A/V display device.

17. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the casting is performed without further user action.

18. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is powered on, a power-on operation is excluded from the dynamic number of operations;

and

wherein, when the device-state information indicates that the second A/V display device is set to receive the content from the content source, an operation to set the second A/V display device to receive the content from the content source is excluded from the dynamic number of operations.

19. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the first A/V display device and the second A/V display device are associated with different providers.

20. An A/V hub-implemented method for performing casting of content, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies a user instruction to cast the content associated with a content source from a first A/V display device to a second A/V display device;

accessing device-state information that specifies a current state of the second A/V display device; and

performing the casting of the content from the first A/V display device to the second A/V display device using a dynamic number of operations based on the device-state information, so that the content is displayed on a display in the second A/V display device.