Apparatus, method and system for multimedia control and communication

• US 5,922,047 A
• Filed: 10/22/1996
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burke, Timothy M., Newlin, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Application Number:
  US08/735,295
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 345/200.47, 364/131, 364/133, 364/188, 364/185, 364/138, 340/825.08, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB

Abstract

A multimedia control apparatus (101, 201) provides for control over a plurality of media (145), including telephony, video conferencing, video display, home automation and control, and other communication systems such as voice mail. The multimedia control apparatus includes a network interface (110) coupleable to a network communication channel (103) for communication with a network (104); a user interface (120) responsive to receive a first control signal of a plurality of control signals; a plurality of media application modules (140), each media application module of the plurality of media application modules coupleable to a corresponding medium of a plurality of corresponding media (145); and a processor arrangement (130) having a plurality of operating modes. The processor arrangement (130) is responsive, through a set of program instructions and in response to the first control signal, to select a first media application module of the plurality of media application modules, to enter a first operating mode of the plurality of operating modes, the first operating mode corresponding to the first media application module, and with the processor arrangement being further responsive, in conjunction with the first media application module, to control the corresponding medium.

Claims

1. An apparatus for multimedia control, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface, the network interface coupleable to a first communication channel for communication with a network;

a user interface, the user interface responsive to selectively receive a first control signal of a plurality of control signals or an audio signal;

a plurality of media application modules, each media application module of the plurality of media application modules coupleable to a corresponding medium of a plurality of corresponding media; and

a processor arrangement, the processor arrangement coupled to the network interface, to the user interface and to the plurality of media application modules, the processor arrangement having a plurality of operating modes, the processor arrangement responsive, through a set of program instructions and in response to the first control signal, to select a first media application module of the plurality of media application modules, to enter a first operating mode of the plurality of operating modes, the first operating mode of the plurality of operating modes, the first operating mode corresponding to the first media application module, the processor arrangement further responsive, in conjunction with the first media application module, to control the corresponding medium.

2. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to select a telephony media application module, of the plurality of media application modules, in the absence of the first control signal designating a non-telephony media application module of the plurality of media application modules.

3. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to generate and transmit to the user interface a plurality of user prompt signals, each user prompt signal of the plurality of user prompt signals corresponding to a media application module of the plurality of media application modules.

4. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user interface is further responsive to receive the first control signal as a selection responsive to the plurality of user prompt signals.

5. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media application modules includes telephony control, video conferencing control, digital video control, analog video control, audio/video entertainment control, HVAC control, lighting control, security control, and appliance control.

6. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further coupleable to a physical interface for entry of the first control signal.

7. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the physical interface is a telephone.

8. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is an ISDN interface.

9. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is an POTS telephony interface.

10. The multimedia control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is a cable network interface.

11. A method for multimedia control, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a first media application of a plurality of media applications;

(b) entering a first operating mode of a plurality of operating modes, the first operating mode corresponding to the first media application; and

(c) controlling a first medium of a plurality of media, the first medium corresponding to the first media application.

12. The method for multimedia control of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises selecting a telephony media application in the absence of an express selection of a non-telephony media application of the plurality of media applications.

13. The method for multimedia control of claim 12, wherein the selection of the telephony media application is user transparent.

14. The method for multimedia control of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises generating a plurality of user prompt signals, each user prompt signal of the plurality of user prompt signals corresponding to a media application of the plurality of media applications.

15. The method for multimedia control of claim 14, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving a first control signal, of a plurality of control signals, as a selection responsive to the plurality of user prompt signals.

16. The method for multimedia control of claim 11, wherein the plurality of media applications includes telephony control, video conferencing control, digital video control, analog video control, audio/video entertainment control, HVAC control, lighting control, security control, and appliance control.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a multimode telephone, the multimode telephone coupleable to a multimedia control apparatus for communication with a network via a first communication channel, the multimode telephone having a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode in which the multimode telephone operates in a first media application, of a plurality of media applications, for audio telephony communication with the network; and

a second operating mode in which the multimode telephone operates for entry of a first control signal of a plurality of control signals for selection and control of a second media application of the plurality of media applications, the second media application being a non-telephony media application.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the multimode telephone is mobile.

19. A data storage device readable by a processor arrangement in a multimedia control apparatus, the storage device encoding processor executable instructions for multimedia control, the data storage device comprising:

instruction means for selecting a first media application of a plurality of media applications;

instruction means for entering a first operating mode of a plurality of operating modes, the first operating mode corresponding to the first media application; and

instruction means for controlling a first medium of a plurality of media, the first medium corresponding to the first media application.

20. The data storage device of claim 19, further comprising instruction means for selecting a telephony media application, of the plurality of media applications, in the absence of an express selection of a non-telephony media application of the plurality of media applications.

21. The data storage device of claim 19, further comprising instruction means for generating a plurality of user prompt signals, each user prompt signal of the plurality of user prompt signals corresponding to a media application of the plurality of media applications.

22. The data storage device of claim 21, further comprising instruction means for receiving a first control signal, of a plurality of control signals, as a selection responsive to the plurality of user prompt signals.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a processor arrangement having a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes including;

a first operating mode in which the processor arrangement operates in a first media application of a plurality of media applications, for audio telephony communication with a telecommunications network; and

a second operating mode in which the processor arrangement, in response to a first control signal of a plurality of control signals, operates in a second media application of the plurality of media applications, the second media application being a non-telephony media application.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor arrangement is responsive to select the first operating mode in the absence of the first control signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor arrangement is responsive to generate a plurality of user prompt signals, each user prompt signal of the plurality of user prompt signals corresponding to a media application of the plurality of media applications.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor arrangement is further responsive to the first control signal as a selection responsive to the plurality of user prompt signals.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of media applications includes telephony control, video conferencing control, digital video control, analog video control, audio/video entertainment control, HVAC control, lighting control, security control, and appliance control.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor arrangement further comprises:

a microprocessor; and

a memory coupled to the microprocessor.

29. A distributed graphical user interface comprising:

a physical audio interface, the physical audio interface responsive to an entry of a plurality of control signals;

a video display, the video display responsive to generate a first graphical display, of a plurality of graphical displays, from a first video signal of a plurality of video signals; and

a multimedia control apparatus coupled to the physical audio interface and to the video display via at least one communication channel, the multimedia control apparatus having a processor arrangement responsive, through a set of program instructions and in response to a first control signal of the plurality of control signals, to generate the first video signal, the multimedia control apparatus further having a modulator to transmit the first video signal to the video display via the at least one communication channel.

30. The distributed graphical user interface of claim 29, wherein the physical interface is a telephone.

31. The distributed graphical user interface of claim 29, wherein the physical interface is mobile.

32. The distributed graphical user interface of claim 29, wherein the video display is a television.

33. The distributed graphical user interface of claim 29, wherein the processor arrangement of the multimedia control apparatus is further responsive, through the set of program instructions and in response to a second control signal of the plurality of control signals, to generate a second video signal of the plurality of video signals, the modulator responsive to transmit the second video signal to the video display, and wherein the video display is further responsive to generate a second graphical display, of the plurality of graphical displays, from the second video signal.